Casting Sand: 6.4 Hemi HD Coolant Filter

[Erikk]

PFA.
I’ve noticed a bunch of people dealing with casting sand in their coolant that clogs up their heater core. Seems to be a big enough issue with the penstar that there’s a class action lawsuit over it. I’ve got a continuous flow of casting sand in my 2014 2500 6.4 w/140k miles I’m hoping someone has figured out how and where to install a spin on coolant filter in one of these HD Hemi’s so I can get some ideas. 6 times I’ve had to back flush my heater core in the last couple of years.
Yes my truck has been flushed not too long ago after a new radiator and thermostat and it has the proper Mopar purple oat coolant.

 

[Erikk]

Anybody???

 

[HEMIMANN]

Well, I can say I've never heard of this in all my decades in powertrains, except for our unfinished prototype engine at the factory.

Coolant filters are common on diesels to catch silicate slime, not so much solids, so I don't know what to say. Short of finding someplace to do a spectrometry analysis of what's ailing you to get the best solution. I don't think a properly sized filter would hurt, as long as restriction is suitable for the water pump on the engine.

 

[Erikk]

Well, I can say I've never heard of this in all my decades in powertrains, except for our unfinished prototype engine at the factory.

Coolant filters are common on diesels to catch silicate slime, not so much solids, so I don't know what to say. Short of finding someplace to do a spectrometry analysis of what's ailing you to get the best solution. I don't think a properly sized filter would hurt, as long as restriction is suitable for the water pump on the engine.

This is one of the things that I can’t figure out, when people say they’ve never heard of anything like this.
This forum alone is overpopulated with posts about 6.4 HD clogged heater cores, and a Ram HD Gasser page on Facebook is getting posts about this issue almost weekly, though once it starts warming up I’m sure everything will quit down again. Almost all of these trucks are below the 150k mark on coolant life expectancy yet something is clogging them up, and pretty much everyone is describing a sand like substance.
Anyway, I have had my coolant replaced in the last 30k miles twice with the Mopar oat and yet my coolant is contaminated with aggregate just like hundreds if not thousands of other people. Many guys have gone down the road of multiple flushes and core replacements and they still have a problem. So my thinking, because $ is tight, is to just put a real filter on the heater inlet and go about my life with my current heater core, water pump and relatively new thermostat, and change a relatively cheap filter occasionally. I thought with as wide spread as this problem is that maybe someone smarter than me had already pioneered this solution so maybe I could get some help with it. I’m really surprised nobody has.
Thanks for your comment though.

 

[GTyankee]

All HEMI engines are built at Saltillo Engine Plant Mexico. 5.7L HEMI 345CI Eagle V8, 6.4L HEMI 392CI Apache V8, 6.4L HEMI 392CI BGE V8, 6.2L HEMI HELLCAT V8 and 6.2L HEMI Demon V8.

 

[Erikk]

All HEMI engines are built at Saltillo Engine Plant Mexico. 5.7L HEMI 345CI Eagle V8, 6.4L HEMI 392CI Apache V8, 6.4L HEMI 392CI BGE V8, 6.2L HEMI HELLCAT V8 and 6.2L HEMI Demon V8.

Maybe each version has its own casting sand purge station/system/department and the 6.4 HD has some kinks.?

 

[Erikk]

Different engine but same manufacturer.

Jeep Wrangler Casting Sand Problems at Heart of New Class Action

An alleged manufacturing defect has left Jeep Wrangler casting sand inside the heating system of Wranglers prompting a proposed class action lawsuit.

topclassactions.com

 

[Erikk]

Jeep Wrangler JK 3.6L Coolant Filter Kit R&D - Mishimoto Engineering

Take a look behind the scenes and learn how Mishimoto is helping save Jeep JK heater cores with our JK coolant filter kit!

www.mishimoto.com

 

[GTyankee]

The Pentastar V-6 engine family consists of three displacements:
3.6-liter;
3.2-liter (Jeep Cherokee)
3.0-liter (Jeep Grand Cherokee, Jeep Wrangler and Chrysler 300 sold in China).

Three FCA US facilities produce these engines:

• Trenton Engine Complex, Trenton, Mich. (3.6-liter, 3.2-liter, 3.0-liter)
• Saltillo South Engine Plant, Saltillo, Mexico (3.6-liter)
• Mack Avenue Engine Plant, Detroit (3.6-liter, 3.2-liter)

 

[Erikk]

All HEMI engines are built at Saltillo Engine Plant Mexico. 5.7L HEMI 345CI Eagle V8, 6.4L HEMI 392CI Apache V8, 6.4L HEMI 392CI BGE V8, 6.2L HEMI HELLCAT V8 and 6.2L HEMI Demon V8.

The Pentastar V-6 engine family consists of three displacements: 3.6-liter; 3.2-liter (Jeep Cherokee) and 3.0-liter (Jeep Grand Cherokee, Jeep Wrangler and Chrysler 300 sold in China). Three FCA US facilities produce these engines:

• Trenton Engine Complex, Trenton, Mich. (3.6-liter, 3.2-liter, 3.0-liter)
• Saltillo South Engine Plant, Saltillo, Mexico (3.6-liter)
• Mack Avenue Engine Plant, Detroit (3.6-liter, 3.2-liter)

 

[mtnrider]

I'd be worried about reduced flow adding a filter on there. I would almost bet it would restrict the flow going to the heater core and cause heating issues? The coolant will take the path of least resistance and just not get the flow through there it needs. All speculation of course but it seems logical.


.

 

[HEMIMANN]

All HEMI engines are built at Saltillo Engine Plant Mexico. 5.7L HEMI 345CI Eagle V8, 6.4L HEMI 392CI Apache V8, 6.4L HEMI 392CI BGE V8, 6.2L HEMI HELLCAT V8 and 6.2L HEMI Demon V8.

Aren't the block casters responsible for knocking sand out prior to sending to machining plant?

 

[HEMIMANN]

Different engine but same manufacturer.

Jeep Wrangler Casting Sand Problems at Heart of New Class Action

An alleged manufacturing defect has left Jeep Wrangler casting sand inside the heating system of Wranglers prompting a proposed class action lawsuit.

topclassactions.com

There's a spam / scam/ blocker in this link.

 

[Erikk]

There's a spam / scam/ blocker in this link.

I can click on it and open it from that link. What do you mean spam/scam blocker?

 

[Erikk]

I'd be worried about reduced flow adding a filter on there. I would almost bet it would restrict the flow going to the heater core and cause heating issues? The coolant will take the path of least resistance and just not get the flow through there it needs. All speculation of course but it seems logical.


.

There are a number of Jeep owners who have plumbed these filters in-line to the heater supposedly. Seems like my continually clogged heater core is a pretty huge heating issue right now. If I could find a bowl type strainer that are rated for high heat that would be ideal.

 

[HEMIMANN]

I can click on it and open it from that link. What do you mean spam/scam blocker?

Link sent me to a fake cyber attack screen. It's actually a scam attempting to get users to contact them to pressure you. I've seen this one before.

 

[GsRAM]

Never heard of this issue, my truck does not have this issue. Good to know.

 

[crash68]

There has been a few HD trucks with Cummins engines suffering similar plugged heater core issues. My buddy had the heater core in his '14 replacement because it was plugged.

 

[Erikk]

Link sent me to a fake cyber attack screen. It's actually a scam attempting to get users to contact them to pressure you. I've seen this one before.

Not sure why your system sent you to a cyberattack screen when mine never does. So I’ll post a couple of screenshots for you so you can see that it is indeed a class action lawsuit filed in New York against FCA. I shared it for those who think only tinfoil hat wearing Ram owner’s think there’s a casting sand remnant problem and until they read my post they had never heard of such a thing. Let me know if you would like to read more of the lawsuit summary and I’ll provide more screenshots.

 

[Erikk]

There has been a few HD trucks with Cummins engines suffering similar plugged heater core issues. My buddy had the heater core in his '14 replacement because it was plugged.

That makes me wonder if there is a chemical reaction happening between the new OAT coolant and some cooling system parts that is producing something that resembles sand. There is another class action lawsuit I found that is filled against FCA alleging something like that.