I haven't been able to find this stuff anywhere, is there any alternative to buying it from the dealership? Tried walmart, several auto parts stores, online search, etc. and no one has it.

 

The Motorcraft number is VC-7b. You might try your local Motorcraft distributor and see if they can get it for you.

 

Napa has Zerex equivalent.
Mike

 

I work at a NAPA and yes they do carry it. It's also spec for some chryslers and mercedes cars.

 

It's Zerex G05. You can get it full strength or 50/50. Two dollars diff. If flushing go with the full strength. If you just need a little top off the 50/50 is more handy.

 

I get it through my "mom & pop" Bumper-to-Bumper auto parts store. Might check one of them in your area.

 

I just need a little to top off after a t-stat change in case I spill any. I'll head down to napa tomorrow and see if they have any Zerex. Thanks guys

 

tats right. zerex g-05 is compatible for use on our fords. autozone, o'reilly's, napa will carry them.

 

I'd dump all that crap out, flush, and switch to a red ELC coolant. No more silicates to plug up the oil cooler.

 

That's still a debatable topic and if your still under warranty definitely don't do it.

 

I agree with the warranty argument, but otherwise I don't see why it's still arguable. International designed the engine and specifies ELC coolant. Ford wanted to use their own coolant (for monetary purposes) so they used the same crap that's in the Focus. The egr cooler gets the coolant too hot and silicates precipitate out of the mixture, creating the sludge that plugs up the oil cooler.

 

I'm under warranty for another month so I have to stick with Ford coolant. Even after the warranty I think I will keep it. 71K miles on my rig and I've never seen the eot/ect delta more than 7 degrees.

 

You're very lucky! With warranty left, I would just buy a jug of 50/50 Zerex G-05 (same as Ford Gold) and call it good. Next time you're due for a coolant change though, I'd do a thorough flush and make the change. My dad's '03 has the original oil cooler and ELC coolant, I watch the delta as we pulled our John Deere up the mountain (about 14k with trailer) and the delta stayed under 7 degrees the whole way up. Have you checked yours under load?

 

Haven't really checked it under load, I don't pull anything too heavy and there's no hills where I live. I've had close to 3000 lbs in the bed on a summer day and that was nothing for it. I think the spread was 5 or 6 degrees.

 

Cartmanea,
I think the key here is not the ELC coolant, rather that the system has been FLUSHED.
I would assume thoroughly as well.
I can't help but wonder if with some of these reports of "goo" that somewhere, be it by the owner or some quickie oil change place if an incomparable coolant was used to top it off, or perhaps a refill done using hard water, or maybe even a period of time where a leak caused a no pressure condition resulting in hot spots internally.

This boiling can also prematurely erode critical corrosion protection
Could some of those reports of "puking" begin simply as a faulty cap ?
What would the coolant look like after say, 30 k with no pressure at all pulling a thirty foot travel trailer through the Rockies ? .
This combined with a system design somewhere less than adequate, where the infamous "goo" sets up camp in your oil cooler, and the time bomb begins to tick.
I think the key to this ELC vs Gold debate is not over "which coolant is better"
Rather it heavily involves who is pourin it in.