# Extended life anti-freezes .vs. coolant filters?



## SVanDee (Oct 15, 2010)

I drained the coolant from my Case 4210 (diesel), chemically flushed the system and filled it with a mix of water and Prime (brand name), “all vehicle”, “extended life”, 5 year/150,000 mile anti-freeze.

The 4210 includes a small coolant bypass line that routes some of the coolant through a filter and back into the main system. The instruction sheet for the replacement filter I bought says it “… is not compatible with any of the extended life coolant formulas (organic acid inhibitor formulations) or Dowtherm 209”. 

The Prime anti-freeze container says it contains ethylene glycol (107-21-1), diethylene glycol (111-46-6), sodium 2-ethyl hexanoate (19766-89-3) and sodium neodecanoate (31548-27-3). I have no idea whether these are “organic acid inhibitors” but I closed the cutoff valves in the lines to and from the filter so the anti-freeze won’t react with it.

I gather from reading on the web that coolant filters contain chemicals that dissolve slowly in order to protect the system from corrosion. The tractor is about 15 years old. Have modern anti-freezes eliminated the need for these filters so I can just leave it shut off? Or does the filter do something better or in addition to what the anti-freezes do? If so, guess I need to find plain ethylene glycol and replace the coolant.


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