Which EGR cooler is likely to leak?

[kx50002]

I have a 2008 F-450 with coolant loss, no external leaks.
I see there is an upper and a lower EGR cooler, which one is likely to be leaking? or should I replace both?

[mlj3nx]

Could be either, but most likely the upper. I have removed mine and tuned the truck. No headaches.

[kx50002]

I have a fleet of almost 400 trucks, I don't want any legal issues with the EPA. I called the local Ford dealer and they said they don't sell many EGR coolers for the 6.4 that I should keep looking for the leak.

After pressure testing the system, my tech took it for a ride and it seemed ok... until he gave it full power then it pumped out a massive cloud of white smoke and developed a miss which went away after a few seconds.
This is why I suspect the EGR cooler is to blame, I'm thinking coolant pooled in the EGR and when the PCM commanded EGR under heavy throttle the coolant made it's way into the engine.

Has anyone ever NOT deleted EGR?

[mlj3nx]

ok- that raises another question: Is there any trace of oil in the coolant? When the EGR cooler leaks, a few things can happen- the coolant can go in the oil, or oil can get in the coolant, depending on operating conditions. Did you do the pressure test when the engine was warmed up to normal operating temp? The white smoke could be caused by a number of things, but I would check the cylinder compression and pressure test the coolant system. You may have a blown head gasket or even a turbo failing. Is there any condensation or water from the exhaust? There is a small coolant reservoir next to the master cylinder, on top of the motor and next to the turbos. This is the turbo cooler reservoir- Have you checked to make sure it is full? At full throttle, the boost gauge should reach about 35 psi at 2200 RPM or a little before. A significant change in the boost should be recognized as it transitions from the low speed turbo to the high.
If you do not reach full boost, or if a power loss os observed during the transition- you will need to read the codes while the engine is running. I believe you have more than an EGR cooler problem, from what you have said so far.

[kx50002]

Pressure tested with engine warm.
I didn't see any oil in the coolant, but there wasn't much coolant in the coolant.
The truck runs fine now, it only smoked and stumbled right after the pressure test.
When the truck first came in it had a memory code: P00B7
I think the lack of power was due to the cooling system being empty, once I filled it and cleared the code it runs fine.

I did not check the turbo coolant level, I forgot about that, I've been busy running between trucks and am not able to fully concentrate on this one at the moment, so I am going by what my tech is able to tell me and he is not exactly a powerstroke expert. He's a good tech just doesn't have any diesel experience.
I have no KOEO or KOER codes, nor any IDM codes, and nothing in memory since I cleared the codes and ran it.

Thanks for your responses.

[mlj3nx]

I understand. Please keep me posted, as I would like to know the outcome. I have an '08 F-350, 6.4L that has over 180,000 on it and I have not had to do anything to it except 3 radiators. The newest design of radiator that ford has, seems to hold up better than the previous ones. On the other hand, I have an '08 F-250 6.4L with 92,000 on it, that is modified, deleted and tuned that gets 21 MPG and 665 hp that I have never had one lick of problems out of, I just wanted to have a "play-toy".

[kx50002]

I have quite a few 6.0's with over 200,000 on them with NO problems, we perform all the maintenance in house.
We have about 10 6.4's, other than the revised upper hose and 2-3 radiators (in different trucks) we have had no problems with them either.

I just wish they wouldn't have made it so hard to work on them when they do fail! It's a great engine, but so hard to work on.

[sinner6.0L]

the horizontal cooler is most likely to fail, infact it's the only one I've ever seen fail. Usually they don't leak for no reason, mostly it's from running low on coolant and circulating air through the system.

That being said take a look at your engine oil level and take a look down the oil fill hole. Is your oil overfull? Does it look sludgy down in the CCV canister? Front cover cavitation is a real concern on the heavier trucks and it will slowly mix coolant into the oil if it eats all the way through behind the waterpump. This can also be caused by air mixing in with the coolant but not always.

[kx50002]

Thanks Matt, that's the kind of feedback I'm looking for. At least I know where to start. I called our local Ford dealer, they said they haven't sold any EGR coolers for the 6.4.

[kx50002]

Ford replaced both coolers under warranty, the truck is bak in service. Thank you for your help in figuring this out.

I'm sure I'll be back.