Cummins, Texaco Explore Coolant Effect on Gasket

Two companies are still trying to find out why a silicone gasket in the N-14 powerhouse from Cummins Engine Co. is incompatible with Texaco Extended Life Coolant.

exaco officials said at Expocam ’99, a truck show in Montreal, that those who purchase the engine should have the factory fill it with a conventional heavy-duty coolant.

TELC contains organic additives, called carboxylate, whose inhibitors deplete slowly and eliminate the need for routine supplemental coolant additives. The coolant reduces aluminum corrosion and can extend the life of engine water pumps, according to Texaco, the oil company based in White Plains, N.Y.

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But Cummins has alleged that the coolant, when used to fill engines at the factory, has affected the silicone gaskets and caused leakage and engine failure in a number of N-14 engines (8-16, p. 41).



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