Casting Sand: 6.4 Hemi HD Coolant Filter

[Matt Luken]

Will you post a link to the filter you bought? I think I need one on my truck.

My heat had been getting worse. I do mostly short drives. I went on a 2 hour each way, interstate drive, a couple of weeks ago. There are lots of hills where I went. After dropping to 5th and 6th a few times for fairly long, higher rpm pulls, the heat started putting out a good bit more.

I'm thinking the heavier stream of water broke some of the settled crud loose.

I'm hoping a flush and a filter will keep the problem away for a few more years.

 

[Matt Luken]

I don't have a link but they are on ebay and are easy to find. About $50. Get the all metal version. I believe the vendor was from Cali.

 

[Matt Luken]

It's not sand, likely. It's more likely to be silicon or debris from the casting of the engine due to several factors.

 

[Matt Luken]

Well I haven't sent it to a lab for analysis yet. But it's tan in color, looks like casting sand and fills up the filter. Whatever it is, I think we can all agree it is a foreign substance that's not suppose to be there. Plenty of other cases all reporting sand like material. So far the filter is working and other than cleaning it I haven't had to replace the heater core. And as far as this mystery goes I think it's solved. If you would like to send me 2500.00 for the heater core to prove me wrong go ahead. You And FCA will be my best friends!

 

[mtofell]

Just flushed my heater core due to low heat on driver's side and saw some tan sand in my sink when dumping the initial pan of coolant (after flushing out the coolant I just let the water run onto the ground and didn't notice any sand). I'm at 145K on my 2014 6.4 but had a replacement engine at 120K so I have two loads of whatever Ram is nice enough to leave behind. It was definitely tan in color. The filter would be nice but it was pretty easy to flush so I'll probably just do that, as needed.

 

[U&A]

Time to get on with it while it's motorcycling season.

View attachment 569753

Its motorcycle season all year bro! Just need a dirt bike and a way to stay warm. Im excited for snow riding this year. Admittedly… i don't ride for very long in the cold tho.

 

[zrock]

Same issue the old Ford 7.3 had alot of people we still pulling casting material out years later and installing coolant filters.. Easy and cheap to do took me about 1/2 hour when i had mine and changed it out once a year.

 

[HEMIMANN]

Its motorcycle season all year bro! Just need a dirt bike and a way to stay warm. Im excited for snow riding this year. Admittedly… i don't ride for very long in the cold tho.

When you're pushing 70 and the broken bones scream daily, not so much anymore.

 

[fitteenhundred]

New from good ol' Dave.

Coolant Contamination can be an Expensive Mess

Enjoy the videos and music you love, upload original content, and share it all with friends, family, and the world on YouTube.

youtube.com

 

[Yardbird]

New from good ol' Dave.

Coolant Contamination can be an Expensive Mess

Enjoy the videos and music you love, upload original content, and share it all with friends, family, and the world on YouTube.

youtube.com

I watch all of Dave's videos. You can learn a lot from them. Last nights was a great one.

 

[HEMIMANN]

'ol Dave isn't up on his info. He got the Gen IV Ram part right, but not the cause of clogged heater cores. It's not due to owners mixing coolant types. At. All.

It's due to a combination of OAT additive dropout from being left in too long along with possible casting sand (never confirmed that I've seen).

I don't believe these ridiculous claims of coolant for life/10 years/150,000 miles. Same with transmission oil or anything else. Yes, chemicals are BETTER than they were, but not FOREVER.

I drained and replaced my Hemi engine coolant (including the block drain) @ 5 years and 40,000 miles. HALF the time as recommended. I replaced with premixed MOPAR OAT coolant, recommended and supposed to be factory filled. And my heat stopped flowing 2 years later.

Heater core is way too small passages makes it even worse. I had a shop power flush it and add RMI-25 emulsifier per this Forum's recommendations. Heat has returned.

 

[Sherman Bird]

I watch all of Dave's videos. You can learn a lot from them. Last nights was a great one.

I've managed to get that kind of crud out of heater cores with flushing. It takes time and patience.

 

[Sherman Bird]

I don't believe these ridiculous claims of coolant for life/10 years/150,000 miles. Same with transmission oil or anything else. Yes, chemicals are BETTER than they were, but not FOREVER.

Aw! C'mon, man! Dontcha know that there IS a Unicorn and an Easter Bunny! Just ask Alice when she's 10 feet tall!

Joking aside, people WANT to believe in the tooth Fairy.... and they seem VERY stubborn in giving up in "something for nothing" as implied by appealing the human nature of laziness! No one WANTS to go to the trouble of doing PM on cars, toasters, cleaning dryer vent hoses, etc.

It's sad how common sense has eroded; or, there are too many who haven't lived long enough! But they will stay in perpetuity indebted for a depreciating liability which most of us CAN'T function without! Ain't it COOL!? (there's that humor again)

 

[HEMIMANN]

I've managed to get that kind of crud out of heater cores with flushing. It takes time and patience.

Out of curiosity, did you use an acid to flush? We used an acid slurry to backflush anti-icing passaged on above-deck gun mounts and missile launchers in the Navy. And yes, regular old 50/50 E.G./distilled water was used.

 

[Sherman Bird]

Out of curiosity, did you use an acid to flush? We used an acid slurry to backflush anti-icing passaged on above-deck gun mounts and missile launchers in the Navy. And yes, regular old 50/50 E.G./distilled water was used.

I've used those things you mention and the others. Last year, I Used CLR on a 2002 RAM 1500 4.7L while the engine was out. I took one heater hose attached to the Core, and tie wired it up to the hood hinge with a funnel in that hoes. I blocked off the other hose. I made sure there was no air in the core, and walked away and let the CLR soak at room temperature for a couple of hours. I came back, opened both hoses and flushed copiously with fresh distilled water. The amount of crud I collected in two 5 gallon plastic buckets from O'Reilly's was astounding. I set those buckets aside to show the customer the next time he came around to check on things.

Imagine me being flabbergasted when I went to show the customer the next day and the CLR had DISSOLVED almost 100% of that crud and the water in those buckets was almost totally clear! This stuff had come out with the consistency of coffee grounds and the water was nasty colored!

When the flush was completed, I rigged up my A/C gauges to the heater hoses, pulled a 30 inch vacuum, and it held for 2 days! I wanted to be sure I hadn't created a new leak.

When the customer got the truck back after repairs in early January, he called a month later to inform me that he had heat like he had not in several years!

 

[HEMIMANN]

I've used those things you mention and the others. Last year, I Used CLR on a 2002 RAM 1500 4.7L while the engine was out. I took one heater hose attached to the Core, and tie wired it up to the hood hinge with a funnel in that hoes. I blocked off the other hose. I made sure there was no air in the core, and walked away and let the CLR soak at room temperature for a couple of hours. I came back, opened both hoses and flushed copiously with fresh distilled water. The amount of crud I collected in two 5 gallon plastic buckets from O'Reilly's was astounding. I set those buckets aside to show the customer the next time he came around to check on things.

Imagine me being flabbergasted when I went to show the customer the next day and the CLR had DISSOLVED almost 100% of that crud and the water in those buckets was almost totally clear! This stuff had come out with the consistency of coffee grounds and the water was nasty colored!

When the flush was completed, I rigged up my A/C gauges to the heater hoses, pulled a 30 inch vacuum, and it held for 2 days! I wanted to be sure I hadn't created a new leak.

When the customer got the truck back after repairs in early January, he called a month later to inform me that he had heat like he had not in several years!

CLR is a good idea - mild acid like vinegar. Might be acetic acid?

I think we were using a hydrochloric acid slurry in dry dock.

 

[Gwerner74]

CLR is a good idea - mild acid like vinegar. Might be acetic acid?

I think we were using a hydrochloric acid slurry in dry dock.

I just picked up a few bottles of CLR earlier today to use during my heater core flush this weekend. Bottles says it's Water, Lactic Acid, Gluconic Acid, Lauramine Oxide, Tripropylene Glycol n-Butyl Ether, plus blue and yellow dye.

 

[HEMIMANN]

I just picked up a few bottles of CLR earlier today to use during my heater core flush this weekend. Bottles says it's Water, Lactic Acid, Gluconic Acid, Lauramine Oxide, Tripropylene Glycol n-Butyl Ether, plus blue and yellow dye.

Cool stuff! lol

We could milk our own muscles for lactic acid! But we'd have to work out first, so forget it.

 

[Matt Luken]

Just flushed my heater core due to low heat on driver's side and saw some tan sand in my sink when dumping the initial pan of coolant (after flushing out the coolant I just let the water run onto the ground and didn't notice any sand). I'm at 145K on my 2014 6.4 but had a replacement engine at 120K so I have two loads of whatever Ram is nice enough to leave behind. It was definitely tan in color. The filter would be nice but it was pretty easy to flush so I'll probably just do that, as needed.

Inline Heater Core Coolant Filter & Inspection System 5/8" VE-Labs CIFS-1 CFIS-1 | eBay

Inline Heater Hose Coolant Filter. : (The most popular size is the 5/8?). The coolant filter needs to be installed into the inlet hose of your heater core and is easy to install. It also regulates the pressure entering the heater core.

ebay.us

This is the filter I bought. It works! Get a couple of line clamps so you can clean it yourself. Id have the complete system flushed. Even after Im still cleaning the filter parodically. Saved me from a 2500 heater core replacement. Dealer estimate,.

 

[Matt Luken]

https://ebay.us/m/VMmbAx

Link to ebay for filter.