How concerned should I be with making the recommended mods to my 6.0?

[Metalhead]

By now, I'm well aware of the common issues with the 6.0, and I'm also aware of the recommended items to address in order to extend the life and dependability of the engine. What I'm wondering now is, how concerned should I be with making these recommended mods to the truck? What I'm talking about is this: EGR cooler delete ~or~ upgraded cooler, complete coolant flush, change oil cooler, 1-micron oil filter for highpressure oiling system, 4" exhaust, and changing head bolts to ARP studs.

I know most of this has to do with how I drive, and it's like this: I rarely ever tow, only will pull my 3500lb boat about once every two months it seems. I had an SCT street tune on it for around a year, but have since put it back to stock to avoid high EGT issues with the tunes. Even when I had the tune loaded, I rarely every got on it, just appreciated the headroom it gave me with power. When I had the the street tune loaded, I did have the EGR turned off. I recently pulled the EGR valve out to clean it, and the intake and EGR passage was dry, no sign of coolant in the system. I have had to have the truck worked on twice for breakdowns, due to a highpressue oil pump failure the first time, and an STC fitting failure the second time. Since this last breakdown, it's been running great ever since.

I'm not looking to see how fast I can run this truck, just want to be able to depend on it for many years. I don't like the idea of the EGR at all, putting exhaust back into the intake. Being that it's the law, how much should I consider an EGR delete vs. Bulletproof EGR replacement cooler?

I can do all the work myself, except for the head studs. If that ever needed to be done, I'd just take it to someone with the right shop and reputation. My Ford DieselCare warranty runs out in 5/12, and right after that is when I want to have a plan on what to do to my motor.

I see alot of the regulars on this forum have alot of experience with this kind of thing, and I'd appreciate some thoughts.

Thanks

 

[DaveBen]

I live in a State (California) where we have smog inspections for these trucks. And because of the inspections, my truck is STOCK with the addition of gauges. I would like to get rid of the EGR but I can't. The EGR Delete kits look pretty good from what I see. The only other item that you should address is an Exhaust Temperature Gauge. You NEED to have one and you need it now. The quickest way to cook your engine is to run it too hot, and I mean EGT (Exhaust Gas Temps). Anything over 1200 degrees F will burn pistons, IF you run it too long. How long? Depends on your luck and your truck's condition. Many minutes will cook it. 5 minutes may not. Good luck with your mods!

Dave

 

[Metalhead]

Thanks Dave, that pyrometer gauge is one thing I forgot to mention earlier. I agree with you 100% on this one, I definitely want to know what EGT I'm running at at any given time. What brand of gauges did you get, and how & where did you place the EGT sensor? I saw a video awhile back that showed the guy drilling and tapping the hole into the underside of the exhaust manifold with the engine running, to blow the chips out. That kind of thing really scares me, possibly putting shards of metal through the turbo....

 

[DaveBen]

I used Autometer gauges in a side windshield post mount. I just drilled the manifold and then used shop air to blow it out. No worries about hurting the turbo if you do something like this. If anything goes through the turbo is will be going so slow it will not hurt anything.

Dave

 

[bears4x4]

Ok question, how important is the egr, I'm in texas, no smog bs here on diesels but how will it really effect my truck, or is it really nessary to go with something like a heavy duty oil cooler/egr cooler like from bulletproofdiesel.com

 

[DaveBen]

I would have an EGR Delete if I could get away with it. Inspections keep me honest.

Dave

 

[bears4x4]

What will deleting my egr do, pros and cons

 

[DaveBen]

I can't think of any cons. The pros are cleaner Intake system and better running engine. Better EGT's.

Dave

 

[bismic1]

Some EGR deletes can cause issues with the operation of the cooling fan - mainly the newer model years - but your SCT tunes should take care of that.

The BulletProofDiesel EGR cooler is a good investment if you feel the need to keep the EGR system. I doubt that you would ever have issues w/ a leaking cooler if you installed one. The stock oil cooler is fine as long as you take care of the coolant (and don't have a head gasket leak). ELC (Cat EC-1 rated) coolant is recommended as an upgrade to the Ford coolant. Get gauges to monitor the oil/coolant temp before deciding. If the delta is good, then stay with the OEM oil cooler and just monitor it. If not, flush the coolant system real well and replace the oil cooler w/ an OEM cooler. They are fine when the coolant is well maintained.

 

[Yooper75]

If you can delete the EGR do it your truck will thank you for it, if you are not puking coolant leave the head gaskets alone until they go pop and as far as the other items they are pretty much harmless. I have been running IDP's Extreme Street tune all summer in my truck with no issues and I have not been nice to it either. The 6.0 likes to be run hot to keep the turbo clean and I agree with Dave EGT's over 1200* for extended periods are a bad thing and I have seen EGT's of 1500* for very short periods of time teaching the Fast and Furious wanna be's a lesson or two. Towing I have not seen any EGT's over 1000* yet but watch the boost pressure because you can blow the intercooler boots of pretty easily when you start approaching 32psi of boost and they make a nice loud bang when they go.