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Coolant Filter install - 2000 XJ

Overtime, there can be a lot of gunk buildup in the cooling system. There are many factors that can contribute to gunk buildup, but I’ll save that for another discussion. Since I’m rather proactive about maintenance, I wanted to install a coolant by-pass filter before installing the new radiator.

There are several universal coolant filter heads to choose from with various inlet/outlet configurations and bracket options. Unsure where I would choose as my final mounting location, I went ahead and decided to go with the WIX filter head and a cheap WIX coolant filter. You get what you pay for, and WIX is not the most transparent company. I asked WIX what their micron rating was, and they said, “27 micron.” I’m fairly sure that their filter isn’t rated at 27um (absolute). I then asked WIX what their coolant filter flowed (gallons per minute) and they said, “flow varies, the filter is designed to only accept about 10% of the fluid.” I find it frustrating when a company doesn’t make their data known and they can‘t answer specific questions.

The Baldwin coolant filter B5134 is rated at 45um absolute at 100% efficiency and 20um absolute at 50% efficiency. So when WIX said that their filter is rated at 27 micron, I really wanted to know at what efficiency. Unfortunately, WIX didn’t have an answer for me. Anyway, I decided to go with the WIX filter for test fitting purposes and to do an initial cleanup. I’ll eventually replace the WIX with a Donaldson ECF4085 coolant filter that is rated at 14um absolute. The Donaldson filter media is top quality and interval changes are rated at 150,000 miles, 4,000 hours, or 1 year; whichever comes first.

WIX Filter Head, Part# 33109
Spin-On Conversion Kit
Universal Mounting Base
11/16-16 Threaded Base Stud
3/8 NPT fittings


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WIX/NAPA Coolant Filter, Part# 24070
Rated at 27 micron (efficiency is unknown)

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I finally made a decision on where to put the coolant filter. I narrowed it down to three different locations with all but one requiring a custom bracket. After consulting with a local mechanic, we decided to put the coolant filter down on the front frame rail which was the location that didn’t require fabricating a bracket. It’s the lowest point in the cooling system which is actually recommended by the manufacturer. I’m really happy with the install location, the ease of maintenance, and most of all, the added protection and cooling it will offer.

Initially I wanted to use a nicer ball valve without the handle, but since I was limited on time, I was able to test fit these valves without having to order them. We had plenty of room in the mounting location therefore the handles were not a concern.

Here's the inlet and outlet to and from the coolant filter

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The coolant filter is tucked away behind the front bumper and protected by the radiator support and frame rail.

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Looks good, that seems like a good idea for any XJ's cooling system.

:thumbup::thumbup:


I noticed that the coolant in my overflow reservoir looked pretty fowl. So I decided to get out the shop (wet) Vac and clean it up. In order to reach the bottom of the reservoir, I added a few attachments.

33846874047_large.jpg



Once I got down to the bottom, my Shop Vac was losing suction. So I pulled out the vacuum tube and found this at the bottom.

33846874043_large.jpg


As you can see, this sludge is nice and pasty.


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Lastly, I finally got her clean.

33846874042_large.jpg
 
yuck! Great work on cleaning this up, and preventing that sludge in the future! I also spied your trans. filter.
 
yuck! Great work on cleaning this up, and preventing that sludge in the future! I also spied your trans. filter.

Yeah, it was a mess. I'm sure the coolant filter will do a good job of keeping the system clean. I put a transmission and power steering filter on all my rigs. They are easy to change and fairly inexpensive.



 
since you're in NM i'm going to speculate and say the majority of that sludge is dust. next time unbolt the reservoir fill it 1/3 full of water and shake the hell out of it. repeat till clean. might save you some time cleaning your vac :D my rig spends 90% of it's time going fast in the desert so i know all about silt buildup.
 
since you're in NM i'm going to speculate and say the majority of that sludge is dust. next time unbolt the reservoir fill it 1/3 full of water and shake the hell out of it. repeat till clean. might save you some time cleaning your vac :D my rig spends 90% of it's time going fast in the desert so i know all about silt buildup.

I bought the XJ when I was living in Montana three years ago. I've only been in New Mexico for two years and the sludge pictures were taken the summer I moved here. But, it could have been dust from all those years in Montana. :D Thanks for the tips on cleaning the overflow.
 
Looks great!! BTW, I noticed a small drip of coolant near the filter neck... is that something that was just from the initial install/leftover or is it leaking?

This is something I'm considering doing on my '01 XJ due to the horrible condition my cooling system was in when I bought it used. Have replaced the Radiator, hoses, Water pump, thermostat and also the 0331 head since purchase... don't want to mess w/a dirty cooling system again!!!
 
I sell quite a bit of the 4070 and 4071 filters out of my NAPA store, mainly to fleet operations. On most heavy equipment coolant filters are standard equipment.

As the Doctor said I'd be interested to see what it looks like when cut open.
 
Looks great!!

Thanks!


BTW, I noticed a small drip of coolant near the filter neck... is that something that was just from the initial install/leftover or is it leaking?

Yeah, I took those pics as soon as we finished the install. I've been watching it the last few days and there haven't been any coolant leaks.



This is something I'm considering doing on my '01 XJ due to the horrible condition my cooling system was in when I bought it used. Have replaced the Radiator, hoses, Water pump, thermostat and also the 0331 head since purchase... don't want to mess w/a dirty cooling system again!!!

I understand. I installed the new all aluminum FFD radiator and triple fan kit, new hoses, Amsoil Coolant, and the Amsoil Coolant Booster, so I wanted to make sure that my system was clean and continues to stay clean. The previous owner neglected the Jeep, so I wanted to go back and do it right. Coolant filters not only extend the life of your coolant, but they also extend the life of your water pump and heater core. With my install, the coolant must pass through the filter before it goes into the heater core.

 
are those inline magnetic trans filers really worth it?

I want to do what I can to keep the transmission in the best working condition. We know that transmission fluid is the life-blood to any transmission. Besides switching over to Amsoil ATF, I decided to go one step further and add an aftermarket transmission filter. After much research, I decided to go with the Magnefine filter.

Magnefine Transmission Filter
http://www.magnefinefilters.com
Fitting: 3/8”
Cost: $16.00

Features:
-Dual filtration - Magnet and filter media filters down to 3 micron and removes 99% of all wear metal contaminants.
-Full flow filter (Does not restrict flow and contains a built-in bypass system in case filter becomes clogged)
-Prolongs life of fluid
-Prolongs life of transmission
-Reduces the need to drop the pan to change OE filter.

I also added one to my power steering:

33846874270_large.jpg
 
I sell quite a bit of the 4070 and 4071 filters out of my NAPA store, mainly to fleet operations. On most heavy equipment coolant filters are standard equipment.

Yep, you can't go wrong with a coolant filter. Here's a pic of the coolant filter and plumbing that I put on my Dodge Cummins. I have since replaced the Baldwin with a Donaldson ECF4085 which is rated at 14um absolute. The Donaldson filter is the best filter that I found on the market. And as I noted above, the interval changes are rated at 150,000 miles, 4,000 hours, or 1 year; whichever comes first.

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As the Doctor said I'd be interested to see what it looks like when cut open.

I will certainly post up. I think you guys will be surprised by how much gung these filters collect.
 
Awesome ideas ! Another thing to add to the to do list........ I just had my original tow package factory brass radiator in my 1990 Renix closed system boiled and rodded out.......... No more $25.00 rod out costs anymore....$75.00 is going rate..... it was 30% plugged after 22 years, if I had installed a filter at the beggining then would never have to pull and rod ever again!........
And does all that additives like water wetter really make a difference on tempature? I am old school and always think of addtives like snake oil......... I might try some of the water wetter type addtive since fresh coolant and radiator rod out.......

What is the best Water Wetter type stuff? Also gotta love Napa, I have one 3 blocks from me and use them all the time.......
 
Awesome ideas ! Another thing to add to the to do list........ I just had my original tow package factory brass radiator in my 1990 Renix closed system boiled and rodded out.......... No more $25.00 rod out costs anymore....$75.00 is going rate..... it was 30% plugged after 22 years, if I had installed a filter at the beggining then would never have to pull and rod ever again!...............

That’s true. Adding a coolant filter is a cheap method to prolong the life of the cooling system and the heater core. Even water pumps last longer with a clean system.
And does all that additives like water wetter really make a difference on tempature? I am old school and always think of addtives like snake oil......... I might try some of the water wetter type addtive since fresh coolant and radiator rod out.......

What is the best Water Wetter type stuff? Also gotta love Napa, I have one 3 blocks from me and use them all the time.......

There are two major benefits for using the Amsoil Coolant Booster. (1) It can reduce engine temps up to 6 degrees when mixed with 50/50 antifreeze/water mixture and (2) it helps fight radiator corrosion.

“Competitive testing comparing AMSOIL Dominator Coolant Boost and Red Line Water Wetter® was conducted in an independent laboratory. The ASTM corrosion tests featured in this study are designed to simulate the most grueling conditions cooling systems face, and are the actual test standards the automotive industry relies upon for the approval of engine coolant products.Test results show Dominator Coolant Boost provides enhanced temperature reduction and corrosion protection properties over Red Line Water Wetter.

To test temperature reduction capabilities, controlled engine dynamometer (dyno) tests were performed on a 350 cubic inch Chevy engine with an aluminum block and cylinder heads. In each phase of testing, the engine was operated at 4,500 rpm until coolant temperature stabilized. As benchmarks for the test, straight water coolant stabilized at 220°F and a 50/50 antifreeze/water mixture stabilized at 228°F.

Dominator Coolant Boost
Mixed with 50/50 Antifreeze/Water
6°F reduction
Mixed with Straight Water Coolant
19°F reduction

Red Line Water Wetter
Mixed with 50/50 Antifreeze/Water
3°F reduction
Mixed with Straight Water Coolant
12°F reduction


The Cast Aluminum Alloys Corrosion Test (ASTM D-4340) measures corrosion protection properties in modern automobile and high-performance race engines with aluminum cylinder heads. A cast aluminum puck was heated to 275°F at 28 PSI and exposed to the test coolant mixture for one week. Weight loss of less than 1.0 mg is required to pass the test.

Weight Loss in mg (1.00 max)
Dominator Coolant Boost
0.14

Weight Loss in mg (1.00 max)
Red Line Water Wetter
0.21

Weight Loss in mg (1.00 max)
Water Only
3.97

Corrosion Test in Glassware
In the Corrosion Test in Glassware (ASTM D-1384), six metal coupons constructed of the most common metals in automotive cooling systems were totally immersed in aerated coolant mixtures for 336 hours at 190°F. Each test was performed three times to determine the average weight change for each metal. The ASTM sets the “allowable” weight loss maximums for each metal.

Copper weight loss (mg), Allowable 10 max
Dominator Coolant Boost in straight water (1)
Red Line Water Wetter in straight water (1)
Water Only (25)

Solder weight loss (mg), Allowable 30 max
Dominator Coolant Boost in straight water (1)
Red Line Water Wetter in straight water (6)
Water Only (62)

Brass weight loss (mg), Allowable 10 max
Dominator Coolant Boost in straight water (0)
Red Line Water Wetter in straight water (2)
Water Only (23)

Steel weight loss (mg), Allowable 10 max
Dominator Coolant Boost in straight water (1)
Red Line Water Wetter in straight water (1)
Water Only (18)

Cast Iron weight loss (mg), Allowable 10 max
Dominator Coolant Boost in straight water (0)
Red Line Water Wetter in straight water (0)
Water Only (29)

Cast Aluminum weight loss (mg), Allowable 30 max
Dominator Coolant Boost in straight water (0)
Red Line Water Wetter in straight water (16)
Water Only (91)

Simulated Service Corrosion Test
In the Simulated Service Corrosion Test (ASTM D-2570), six metal coupons constructed of the most common metals in automotive cooling systems were exposed to ASTM corrosive water designed to simulate hard and corrosive water in degraded coolant for 1,064 hours at 190°F. Coolant was maintained at a temperature and flow rate equivalent to the operating conditions seen in most passenger vehicles. Corrosive weight loss suffered during the test determines the additive’s corrosion protection properties. The ASTM sets the “allowable” weight loss maximums for each metal.

Copper weight loss (mg), Allowable 20 max
Dominator Coolant Boost in straight water (7)
Red Line Water Wetter in straight water (6)
Water Only (66)

Solder weight loss (mg), Allowable 60 max
Dominator Coolant Boost in straight water (0)
Red Line Water Wetter in straight water (25)
Water Only (120)

Brass weight loss (mg), Allowable 20 max
Dominator Coolant Boost in straight water (3)
Red Line Water Wetter in straight water (5)
Water Only (59)

Steel weight loss (mg), Allowable 20 max
Dominator Coolant Boost in straight water (0)
Red Line Water Wetter in straight water (4)
Water Only (54)

Cast Iron weight loss (mg), Allowable 10 max
Dominator Coolant Boost in straight water (0)
Red Line Water Wetter in straight water (2)
Water Only (117)

Cast Aluminum weight loss (mg), Allowable 60 max
Dominator Coolant Boost in straight water (0)
Red Line Water Wetter in straight water (34)
Water Only (89)"

http://www.amsoil.com/storefront/rdcb.aspx
 
Very cool info! my kind of reading.......
6 to 19 degrees drop in temp on ratio is good stuff and anti corrosion benifits, I could not tell you how much corrosion I saw when Chrysler changed to the orange extended coolent in vehicles, I still use green in everything............ I might have to try......

I still use straight weight engine oil in everything, still have not jumped on the muilti weight band wagon either...I am stubborn, but stuff does advance, maybe need to change a little..............

Thanks for posting!
 
DE - where did you get that billet aluminum looking filter in the diesel (the green mounts part number comes up as a fuel filter btw)? The donaldson fits the aluminum right? Looking to do this in my XJ. Thanks!!!
 
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