ERG/EGR cooler repair

[sigm]

I've noticed several posts on the egr/erg cooler, but I still ahve a couple of questions. First of all, it is EGR, Exhaust Gas Recirculation, correct?

Here's the situation: My dad was pulling about a 10K fifth wheel, and all of the sudden he noticed his check light come on and his engine temp high, then he noticed white exhaust that he characterized as steam, coming out of the exhaust pipe. He pulled over and checked the coolant and it was completely empty.

My question is this, the dealer replaced the EGR cooler under warranty, but how does this affect everything else. The engine was already hot, are warped heads a concern at this point--I've always been told to let your diesel idle down after pulling a good load, of course without coolant, this is not an option. Secondly, at every joint in the exhaust, my dad noticed dark moisture-like stains. How does this affect all the exhaust components?

does ford cover towing in these situations? The truck is an 06 with 49K miles. The engine work was covered in full, but he hasn't heard back on the towing.

TIA

[jkbrea]

I had the same problem last week with alot of white steam/smoke coming out of the tailpipe. I took it in and it was blown head gaskets as a result of the egr failing.

[SCUFFY828]

head gaskets won blow out the exhaust , only blow out the reservoir ,if the dealer put an egr cooler on and didnt replace oil cooler also, it can blow out egr coler again , restriced oil cooler causes egr cooler to blow out , which in turn can cause overheat and headgasket also, but if he seeing white smoke now it is possible for egr to blow out again

[ryanf250]

I have a question reguarding the EGR also. I got mine replaced maybe 2k ago for hesitation and no power. Today on my way home from work the problem came back. I unplugged the EGR tonight, is this safe for the engine? If I am correct doesnt the EGR just recirculate used exhaust? What, If any is the problem of unplugging it? Help!!

[ramona-x]

My x is doing the hesitation thing. I went to the dealer today and they told me it sounds like EGR. I asked them how to take care of it and of course they told me to bring it in. I am wondering if anyone knows how to clean the EGR. The service tech said you can clean them and put them back on. I guess their prone to build up.

[mrnecsteve]

I havent done it myself ,but heres a good article with pics.
FDDTS - 6.0L EGR Valve Cleaning

[powershooter]

just did mine at 20,000 it was horrible dirty. read the article , its good stuff.

[KenVT]

what happens if the EGR valve is taken out and welded shut?
Would it throw a code?
Would this eliminate any of the Coolant problems?

Ken

[TorqueMasterG]

Originally Posted by KenVT

what happens if the EGR valve is taken out and welded shut?
Would it throw a code?
Would this eliminate any of the Coolant problems?

Ken

Your coolant problems will NOT be resolved by simply getting rid of the EGR valve. I don't think that welding the EGR valve shut is a good idea - but someone else can answer that aspect of your question for you.

In terms of the Coolant Problems - the valve itself has very little to do with coolant problems (some, but not much). Mostly, the coolant problems come from two sources: The EGR cooler and the Engine Oil Cooler.

The EGR Cooler takes hot exhaust gasses and runs them through some channels while allowing coolant to run on the outside of those channels. The two run next to each other without mixing together. However, when this EGR cooler fails (The Ford ones always do... its just a matter of time!) then coolant can get into the exhaust. This can allow you to lose coolant without it dripping (its like a leak but you never find it dripping in your driveway) and this loss of coolant can easily allow you to overheat.

The Engine Oil Cooler often gets plugged up and restricted. The passageways through this cooler are small/narrow - about the thickness of a penny (more or less). So any debris, sand or even minerals from your coolant that get stuck in this cooler will restrict the flow of coolant through it. That in itself is bad, but it has a down-stream effect as well. You see, your coolant flows from the radiator through the engine oil cooler and then into your EGR cooler. If the flow of coolant is restricted into your engine cooler, then its going to be restricted into your EGR cooler as well.

This restriction means that the coolant is not flowing fast enough through your EGR cooler, which equates to that coolant absorbing more heat than it should. The can/does lead to flash-boiling of the coolant and puking of coolant out of the degass bottle (your coolant reservoir).

So, as you can see, even if you DID cap off your EGR valve, all of this exhaust/coolant interraction is still going to happen within your truck.

My suggestion for coolant/exhaust/EGR concerns is our Upgraded EGR Cooler. You can find it at www.ntshoptools.com

[OldEagleDriver]

Is it correct to assume that the EGR cooler OEM part on the 2006's still has the same problems? Also, does anyone have a rough idea of how long the OEM oil cooler coolant passages will remain unclogged with regular coolant inspection / changes and only moderate towing? Finally, any recommendations for replacement parts, such as from bulletproof diesel?

Thanks.