Is my EGR Cooler toast?

[ssamsom]

I have a 2005 6.0 up here in Winnipeg, MB, Canada. It has been around 5*F for the last few weeks. Truck has had a loss of power and is billowing white smoke, I pulled the EGR valve and the bottom of the hole is wet. Checked my coolant level, it is below the MIN line, but does not appear to have puked out of the bottle.

I am guessing my EGR cooler is done and that the coolant has leaked into the EGR, explaining the low coolant. Does this make sense?

Is it time to do an EGR delete as well as replace the oil cooler?

If my EGR cooler really is gone, will I cause any further problems continuing to drive the truck? It is winter time here and it is cold out, I only drive the truck about 10 minutes to school everyday.

I know there are a million posts on this topic, but I am still in shock and need someone to tell me its gone for sure

Thank you in advance...

[getgrimey]

Mine was doing the same thing. Did the egr delete kit and cleared it all up. Bought delete kit on ebay for $175. It is the sinister delete kit. Has stainless up pipe. Pretty good deal almost $300 everywhere else. Takes about 9 to 10 hours to do a little less with 2 people.

[ssamsom]

Did you do the oil cooler at the same time? Can't go wrong for $300, if that is all it takes I'll be doing the same.

[getgrimey]

No but I wish I did. Didn't know about it until after I did the delete kit. While you got the turbo out I would clean the exhaust side out also don't worry about the cold side shouldn't be much in there. Hardest part is getting out the old cooler and after that its all easy from there. Good Luck!!

[getgrimey]

6.0L 2003-07 6.0 EGR DELETE KIT F250 F350 POWERSTROKE - eBay (item 290506331784 end time Dec-09-10 12:06:18 PST)


This one is only $150 and is exactly the same as sinister delete kit.

[GeorgetownPowerstroke]

CLEAN YOUR TURBO. always clean vgt after egr cooler problems

[ssamsom]

Thank you very much, kit looks great. Says in the add that the buyer will not ship to Canada, but i messaged him and will see what he can do. Will I hydrolock my motor if i keep driving the truck while I wait for the kit? You have been extremely helpful, thank you again!

[howell_jd]

If your EGR cooler failed it is almost certainly a result of a clogged oil cooler. Do not drive your truck with a failed EGR cooler as this introduces coolant to the combustion chamber producing steam (the reason for the white smoke). The pressure from the steam can blow the headgaskets or cause hydrolocking, neither of which is a small problem.

Monitoring the engine oil temperature (EOT) and engine coolant temperature (ECT) will allow you to indirectly assess the oil cooler's efficiency. If the oil cooler is clogged then these two temperatures will be 15 or more degrees apart. When functional the temperatures are in the single digits typically. The oil cooler (liquid to liquid) is a very effective heat exchanger. The dash gauge for ECT is neither accurate nor precise. It will register in the middle of its reporting arc from any temperature between 110 to 220 degrees. It only moves slightly at temperatures greater than 220 before pegging and throwing an alert at 240 degrees (much too late to be of much assistance). While the onboard computer does measure EOT there is no such gauge on the dashboard. I cannot explain why there are inadequate gauges but I can state that proper gauges are almost a necessity to maintain proper engine function. An OBDII gauge package is a simple installation and will enable proper fluid temperature observation.

The coolant used in the 6.0L is also subject to frequent heat loads that render its corrosion and cavitation protection inadequate much earlier than the advertised lifespan. Monitoring the condition of the coolant with test strips for freeze point and nitrite concentration will further help avoid the blockage of an oil cooler. Exchange of the coolant to a silicate free (and possibly nitrite free) formula will provide additional protection from blockage. Finally, adding a coolant filter avoids the damage from corrosion byproducts and other debris from oil cooler blockage.

In closing, if your EGR cooler ruptured it is almost a certainty that the oil cooler is the cause. To replace the EGR cooler or delete it without either testing the existing oil cooler for proper coolant flow or replacing it outright is the same as shooting a messenger for delivery of bad news. It will not change the news. The EGR cooler is just a messenger for the oil cooler in this case. If you do perform a flush of the coolant, do so in advance of replacement of the oil cooler to avoid clogging the new cooler with old debris if possible.

I hope this is helpful.

Jonathan

[ssamsom]

Thank you Jonathan, anyone know of a good place to get an oil cooler? Looks like I wont be having a very merry christmas...

[howell_jd]

I like the Ford dealer for reliable parts myself but any reputable parts dealer that won't give you a "reconditioned" oil cooler (i.e., one pulled from a previous vehicle and cleaned up is not "as good as new" in my book).

Actually BulletProofDiesel.com provides NEW stock Ford oil coolers with their EGR cooler in a "Semi-Bullet-Proof" kit. The BPD EGR cooler is much better than the stock EGR cooler. The BulletProofDiesel.com site also has a dealer network link and they have good mechanics, parts distributors, and shops listed. They also make an EGR delete that is visually the same as the stock EGR cooler to facilitate emissions compliance with a visual inspection.

Personally I like working on my truck (to be fair I don't like repairing it so much) so I hope this doesn't ruin the spirit of Christmas for you. Don't forget this is the opportunity to get a present of gauges and coolant filtration as a present for yourself. "How'd you know?! It's just what I wanted!" Not knowing what's going on in your truck with a 6.0L is like playing Russian Roulette with a revolver and not knowing that there is more than one bullet in the chamber.

May the joy of the season lift you up and fill your heart with gladness despite adversity and strife. Merry Christmas.

Jonathan