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what do i do with my 6.0 now..

8K views 31 replies 10 participants last post by  john galt 
#1 ·
Havent been on this site in a couple years, since i sold my 7.3.. (hell i cant even upload pictures the way i used too) Messed around with an EcoBoost for a year or two but i wanted to get a diesel again, so this 2003 6.0 CCSB 4x4 Lariat found its way in my driveway.


I looked it over, no leaks, checked the temps and it seemed to run well on the test drive. Pulled the trigger. Having a 7.3 in the past, ive always heard of the "Common" 6.0 Issues. Tried to educate myself on this site as much as i could prior to making the purchase. Got a good deal. Drove it 350 miles back to san diego with no issues, yet..

The truck came with a K&N CAI (which will be replaced) an unkown 4" turbo back exhaust, and a Triple Dog Bully Tuner. PO stuffed 35s on stock suspension.. Ive heard a lot about the K&N filters being trash, and was happy with my AFE Stage II on my 7.3 so i will most likely go down that route. As far as the Bullydog tuner, what are you opinions on these? Truck is definitely quick, but i dont want to trash it right off the back.

Truck ran great on the way home, and did not have any issues. Actually got way better gas mileage than my Ecoboost... When i got it home i continued my inspection of the vehicle, and to my demise completely failed to check my Degas bottle prior to purchase. It was bone dry... No bad EOT/ECT temps, and delta seemed to be with the 15 degree range.. I dont have guages so thats only using the dash cluster as judgment.. I filled up it yesterday with Gold, and today its down a full 3/4". Any recommendations and how to check if this is EGR? I get no white smoke, a lot of black actually, and truck seems to run correctly..

Any input is greatly appreciated, i plan to continue to showcase my build on this thread as well. Not only do i have some drivetrain upgrades coming (probably whether i like it or not) but have some plans for the exterior as well.
 

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#2 ·
Nice looking truck.

If the question is how do you tell if your possible coolant loss is due to a ruptured EGR cooler, park nose down for the night and pull the EGR valve. Chalky/pastey = good. Inky/wet = bad.

I'm not sure how you get a delta off of a cluster. I'd get a monitor on there pronto. You can see what I run in my sig.

Not sure about your feelings on Ford gold. IMHO, Ford gold with an intact EGR system is bad bad news. I'd be flushing it out.

Also... you say that there was nothing in the degas bottle and you added Ford gold. If - by chance - what's in there isn't Ford gold, you now have an extra special reason to flush the coolant system.
 
#3 ·
Looks like a good looking rig.

Could be that where the level went down after you added was just from the air bleeding out of your system. Got done with a coolant flush and I added four and a half gallons to fill it up, and had to run the vehicle a little to get the air out to get the next half gallon in.

If the leak is coming from the degas bottle, you'll see it chalky residue on the bottle. You said you looked for white smoke. There's a couple of YouTube videos that show what bad head gaskets or EGR does. If the leak hasn't been found, trace the coolant hoses, monitor any drops on the driveway. If you see a chalky residue this will point towards where the leak is. A common area leaking would be the blue hose between the oil cooler and EGR. Another common leak could be where a coolant filter has been added. Also, check the front pulleys which could point towards a water pump going bad. Also, all the hoses from the degas bottle and radiator. To see a leak, the system may need to be pressurized by turning it on and letting it run for a few minutes. Also, pulling the EGR valve if its steam cleaned or wet sooty points towards the EGR.

I have thought about, but not yet made something to add 16 PSI to my system to check for leaks. There's been a couple of posts about guys that made it.

Because of your tunes, I'll hold comment on the black smoke.
 
#4 ·
Thanks for the quick reply guys.

As for the type of coolant I'm eating my words, I used Zerex G-05. In your opinion what is the "correct" product to use? Sounds like i need to flush the coolant at this point anyways.. I attached a picture of the degas bottle, definitely some chalky residue in the center. I inspected the lines after the truck had cooled (and saw no evidence of leaks), i will check the EGR Valve in the morning and inspect the lines while pressurized. Pictures arent the greatest, just snapped them..

Does the Torque Pro app work well? Will any bluetooth oBd2 work with the app? Im ready to invest.. I want to dial this truck in asap. Ive hear lots of great things about these trucks once outfitted correctly.
 

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#6 ·
This is the coolant I use, and recommend

Also, look into adding a coolant filter, sinister diesel makes a bypass/filter kit that is easy to install and not that expensive.

I, personally, do not like Bully Dog Tuners. I don't believe it's actually even a tuner, it's a hijacker unless they've changed the way they work. The last one I saw was in... 2008?

But yes, flush the coolant, get some quality coolant in there.
 
#7 · (Edited)
if you have a local napa and in sd you will get zerx elc1 cat rated coolant it is red and i believe the part number is ZRXED1 if memory serves

this popped up on my radar and now that i have a working computer i noticed they changed the part number to ZRX ZXEDRU1

the troll behind the counter may argue that you need go5.
it is the g05 and the egr that gave this motor such a bad reputation in the first place :doh:
flush the system completely and do so several times. there is about 3.5 gallons that will not come out on a flush and you will have to keepo flushing it to get good clear water only then be sure the coolant you add is concentrate not 50.50 or it will be too thin :nod:
the torque aopp you asked about is awesome and if i bought my truck today i would have it and a dedicated android device for the truck :thumb:
monitor your ect eot an extra probe and you can monitor your egt's your ficm volts, battery volts the gauges on the dash are only for decoration and wont tell you anything until a problem has become catastrophic :doh:
read the stickies on flushing reverse flushing and monitoring and also bullet proofing.
the recomended flush is vc9 and distilled water. I used an rv inline water filter available at wall mart and tap water with good results but ...
I am also a big fan of the cascade flush incase the previous owner used tap water without a filter.
oh stay away form napa filters and really use only racor or motor craft diesel tech ron has some great videos up on filters and a ton of other stuff for the 6.0
if you can delete the egr do so on an 03 you are in better shape tha the later "improved" version but bulletproof diesel makes a fail safe egr cooler if you are gooing to have to deal with the smog nazis and i am betting you will in sandiego :nod;
run a good synthetic 5-40 oil most run t-6 or delo keep up the maintenance and oil changes i cant load the second pic you posted but you may want a new degas cap or even a whole new degas bottle if you are finding white powdery deposits on your degas bottle. and if so you might want to check out presure on your cooling system.
i will shut up now and let you enjoy your truck :thumb: its a beauty :nod:

I will add a link to a post that helped me out when i first got my truck

http://www.powerstroke.org/forum/6-...s-consider-about-owning-6-0l.html#post2147484
 
#8 ·
oh and ditch the k&n asap and inspect your turbo when you do
and sorry to go on but you have a lot of reading to do :hehe:
and welcome to the wonderful if misunderstood world of 6.0 ownership :thumb:
 
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#10 · (Edited)
Thank you all for the help! Looks like i have quite a bit of research to do, and a coolant flush to get to today..

Ill pull the Bully Dog "Hijacker" off today.. I dont ever plan to go full performance on this build, but would definitely want a little more pep than stock. Do most 6.0 owners run the SCT tuner? Any recommendation? I want to dial in this potential coolant/EGR issue first..


***Edit*** @john galt

Thank you for linking that Thread "Things to consider about owning a 6.0"... Literally just answered my questions.
 
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#12 ·
I would buy the sct for tuning and the android for monitoring :thumb:
you can get a dedicated android device and the dongle for less than an edge or scan gauge :nod:
does way more and isnt so damn bright at night :nod;
I wound up putting my scan gauge in my wifes truck because i hated it blinding me at night and her truck is set up so it isnt as bad
and i can set a pair of gargoyles (sunglasses) in front of it at night :rofl:

the reason everyone runs the sct for tuning is it can tune the trans to work with the new power parameters of the engine tunes :thumb:
this is huge from a longevity stand point :nod: no other tuner does this :thumb:
someone else asked about coolant i am a HUGE fan of ec1 rated cat elc again pretty sure the part number at napa is ZRX-ZXED1 for zerex it used to be cheaper but has gone up in price last time i bought 6 gallons at 12.47 each I think they are up to about 18 a gallon last i checked
even so still seems to be about the best stuff. someone linked delo and i am sure it is excellent i havent run it any ec1 cat rated elc is fine and doesn't contain the silicates to gell up drop out and clog up the works.
oh one other thing as a rule avoid sinister diesel they have screwed a couple members here i consider friends and their business practices have turned to crap the last few years but get a coolant filter :thumb: ]the block is oil sand casted and between that and any g05 that has been run can clog stuff up and start the downward spiral toward head gasket failure anger depression fear and loathing
all of which are better avoided :D

i could try to check the part number on the napa site but I am waiting on a fully functioning laptop this thing the screen is dying and blank in places and it was originally running xp and "upgraded" to vista in 06...more of a museum piece these days than a laptop :rofl:
 
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#13 ·
someone else asked about coolant i am a HUGE fan of ec1 rated cat elc again pretty sure the part number at napa is ZRX-ZXED1 for zerex
is this the stuff you are referring to ?
 

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#14 ·
Thanks John,

I went by Napa this afternoon and picked up the Zerex Elc. You mentioned that a 50/50 would be too diluted. What ratio do you use?

I have been looking into the CTS 2, and the functionality looks fantastic. Only question i have, is how to monitor EGTs with the Torque Pro/Android set up? By the time i put in an EGT Guage, and Torque Pro, and Get a cheap android device, i feel like i might be close to the CTS..

As for sinister diesel, Ill keep my eyes open. But we still like their coolant filter? I see that they have a coolant/oil filter kit. Is the oil filter worth installing as well?
 
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#19 ·
i run the sinister coolant filter and its ok but i wont be giving sinister ANY more of my money for anything ipr is an excellent coolant filter and there are several other off the shelf kits rudys might have one and they have been great on quality and customer service :thumb:
if memory serves @G8orFord is the torque pro app guru I would listen to :nod:
he has an amazing set up but did have to add a couple extra senors for egt and fuelpresure i believe. but it is a beautiful set up. :thumb:

Last I checked, a CTS2 (standard) with EGT and fuel pressure and everything to make it work was $800+. The CTS2 Pro will be more than that, even with the free EGT probe. Nothing wrong with either one, but I believe you can do Torque and gauges cheaper. I do it all with Torque Pro, but I'm special.
he is he rides the short bus and everything :rofl:
I would talk to Corey at CNC fabricators @Corey@CNCFAB
he is a good guy a forum supporter and active member :thumb: and he should be able to get the same deal on the cts2 pro which while expensve might save you from having to buy and sct on top of it though i like to keep my sct at home where it is safe and just monitor with the cts, well and the tri pilar pod i HAD to buy too :look:
what can i say I am addicted :hehe:

I don't have a tuner. I am considering an Atlas 40 FICM tune, but there's many other things I want first.

I believe in all the boring things like good tires, fluid change first. I think the incredible disappearing coolant would be the first mystery to solve.

I think the coolant should be the last, because that is the easiest to mess something up. If when you added your gold fluid, it stayed gold after you drove it, you'll be fine until you can figure this out. If it changed another color, if it turned red then some of the ELC CAT-1 coolants say don't mix, but doesn't say what happens. If it turned green, that coolant is designed for light duty and smaller, but doesn't say what happens. Either case, should the coolant change colors to other than gold, that's when I'd change it. If it stayed gold, the G-05 has been in the engine for years, so a few more weeks won't hurt it while you decide what to do. There's quite a few threads about people doing flushes wrong and clogging an oil cooler that was good, or even one that left water in the engine overnight and the block cracked. If you follow a good procedure, you'll be fine, but the right way is a lot of work.
all good points. also keep an eye on the coolant both level and check for fuel or oil
could be the previous owner changed it to hide a problem with the coolant passages in the heads or the head gaskets :eek:
dont panic just tinker along and know that once you have addressed the failure points the 6.0 is a very dependable format guaranteed to put a smile on your face :nod:
i can honestly say the truck i bought as a basket case turned out to be my favorite trucjk i have ever owned.
oh and atlas 40 is on my to do list as well. just fyi but have the egt set up before you play it can add a lot of heat doing ficm tunes but also provide a boost to mpgs and smiles per gallon >:)
 
#15 ·
I just bought the new Edge Insight Pro Cts2. It accepts any custom tunes out there, just like an Sct tuner, but you get the monitoring of the Insight. I got it from Gear Head Automotive Performance and will be getting their tunes. Power Hungry Performance offers it too with their tunes. Edge has a free exhaust probe offer if purchased before April 30th. Excuse the non links, as I'm below the post count for that......
 
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#16 ·
Last I checked, a CTS2 (standard) with EGT and fuel pressure and everything to make it work was $800+. The CTS2 Pro will be more than that, even with the free EGT probe. Nothing wrong with either one, but I believe you can do Torque and gauges cheaper. I do it all with Torque Pro, but I'm special.
 
#17 ·
I don't have a tuner. I am considering an Atlas 40 FICM tune, but there's many other things I want first.

I believe in all the boring things like good tires, fluid change first. I think the incredible disappearing coolant would be the first mystery to solve.

I think the coolant should be the last, because that is the easiest to mess something up. If when you added your gold fluid, it stayed gold after you drove it, you'll be fine until you can figure this out. If it changed another color, if it turned red then some of the ELC CAT-1 coolants say don't mix, but doesn't say what happens. If it turned green, that coolant is designed for light duty and smaller, but doesn't say what happens. Either case, should the coolant change colors to other than gold, that's when I'd change it. If it stayed gold, the G-05 has been in the engine for years, so a few more weeks won't hurt it while you decide what to do. There's quite a few threads about people doing flushes wrong and clogging an oil cooler that was good, or even one that left water in the engine overnight and the block cracked. If you follow a good procedure, you'll be fine, but the right way is a lot of work.
 
#18 · (Edited)
So after countless hours of researching monitoring and the processes applied, i bit the bullet and splurged on the Insight CTS2. (Amazon $370 Shipped NExt day Free..) Found the EGT probe on another random website which will be here next week. I will add the fuel pressure monitoring in the near future, but as wisely noted my priority is the Coolant issue.. Truck is at my buddys shop, we are going to flush the coolant, check the EGR Valve, and potentially pressure test.. After reading how much is involved in a true flush, it may have to wait till sat.. I want to get this right the first time.

Coolant filter is next.. Trying to sift through which system makes the most sense.

I removed the bully dog tuner today as well. I want to keep it stock until I can start seeing past the dummy guages on the dash..

I cant express how much this site has helped me learn and understand this truck, this 6.0 forum might even be more accommodating than my old stomping ground further down the page.. thank you!
 
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#20 ·
oops left out the po changing it would account for air in the system and the "lost coolant"

and when you do flush, you will have about 3 to 3.5 gallons of clear water left in the system so top off with concentrate and it winds up about right :thumb:
 
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#21 ·
So I finally got to flushing my coolant, and put the CAT ELC. Pressure tested, still loosing coolant. BUT I found a crack on the backside of my Degas bottle, and a pinhole on the top. I was tempted to get an aluminum Mishimoto bottle, but settled with OEM and a new cap. Havent had a loss of coolant yet! Looks like I avoided an EGR replacement for now...:woot: Coolant Filter arrived today, that will get installed this weekend.

I also got my CTS 2 installed in the truck, it was more of a struggle to get it set up than anticipated. The touch screen is weak, or maybe it just doesnt like my fat fingers. Either way, now its running great, and my EOT/ECT are within 8 degrees of each other. Pretty stoked. Edge also had a "tax return" promo, which gets me the EGT Probe for free. (Hopefully that also means the starter kit).

Found a massive tear in my hot side intercooler boot, which explains my lack of boost, which i replaced with an OEM boot for now. While I was at it, I installed the Blue spring FPR Kit from Ford. Truck runs absolutely fantastic, and I cant keep my foot out of it..! Thanks to the members on this site for pointing me in the right directions, I read this forum like the bible.. :nod:

For now the truck still has the Triple Dog tuner, and the K&N. K&N is next to go. Filter is disgusting... Was originally planning on the AFE Stage II, but now looking into the No Limit? I understand that a lot of people on here will recommend a stock filter, I plan to go Aftermarket and would love a suggestion.

Also swapped out the broken mirrors for the 08+ mirrors, pics to come
 
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#22 ·
Oh, I also ordered some new Raceline Wheels.. >:)

So if anyone in socal wants a set of 20" Mazzis, with 35" toyo mts Ill make you a steal deal
 
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#23 ·
Nice truck bud,

Make sure that your coolant leak isn't the coolant tank itself. A pressure gauge is a nice thing on the cooling system. That will tell you for sure if its a head gasket/EGR issue.
Air filter that truck came with is awesome. But if your sold on aftermarket ask Nighthawk285, he has ben through the 6.0 with mods.

I have read most of this so I'm sure its ben said to dump Bully Dog and go SCT for sure.
Computer is a mess lol be back.
 
#24 ·
Hell I like the wheels that are in your pics now. What model wheel did you go with ?

You go with 20" or 18" ? I know the rage is black wheels but I just cant get used to them myself. I know years ago everything cool was chrome but I cant take chrome anymore myself. I do aluminum--- lol
I looked through Raceline and they have some nice wheels.

Is the truck still using coolant ?


One thing you can do is take the truck out for 20 minutes or so to heat up engine completely. Then vent off the cap and keep driving, after 5-10 minutes pull over and see if there is pressure in cooling system again. Open up cap and watch closely if there is pressure. If the pressure is built back up again you have either EGR Cooler or head gasket issue. Thermal expansion will have taken place once its heated up, so a healthy engine will only vent off pressure once.

Give that a try...
 
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#25 ·
@mhatlen trucks no longer using coolant, cracked degas bottle seemed to do the trick. Temps still very nice.

I went with the Raceline Clutch 20"x10" and am waiting patiently by the mail box everyday for them to show up..... heres the kicker, i didnt go with Black or Chrome or Grey, i went with Bronze. no judging until pics are posted. It should turn out great, and be different than every other white superduty with black wheels. (even though i love that look).

I've since gotten the coolant filter finally installed, and installed the 08+ Tow Mirrors, and 08+ tail lights. Door handles, and mirror caps are at paint and body now for color matching.

Newest issue:


Ive had some "shuttering" when driving in 5th on the freeway and approach a slight incline. I did some research here on the .ORG, which started pointing me towards injectors. That suspicion was warranted when i received a trouble code (thanks to the CTS 2), Code: P0263 Cylinder #1 Contribution/Balance. I figured I needed to change the oil regardless, so changed the oil filter, and went Full Synthetic. I had heard about Hot Shot Secrete Additive, and did some quick google searches, and pulled the trigger on the Duo (Oil Additive and Fuel Additive).

Unfortunately after i purchased, I took to this forum and did some searching, and realized more people recommend the Rev-X... :doh:

I only bring this up, because now that I'm running the full synthetic with HSSA, the Stiction seemed to get worse? I guess my question is how long do I give the Hot Shot a chance before I'm draining it, or pulling an injector? How long can I run an injector with Stiction, and not hurt something else?

As always, i appreciate any comments/recommendations. :icon_ford:
 
#26 ·
Also, My water in fuel light has been on ever since I have installed the Edge Insight CTS 2. I've heard of some other isolated issues like this. When I dont have it plugged in, no light.

Not sure if anyone else has had that issue, or knows a fix. Fuel Filters will be changed tomorrow if my socket shows up, and will clean the WIF sensor while im at it.
 
#27 ·
The Rev-X and Hot Shots is for stiction, and that is only after you start up until it's warm. Even if it does work then, it should only prolong the inevitable of getting the injectors fixed. IMO whether you use hot shots or Rev-X, shouldn't matter for what you're experiencing.

Your code and the shuttering seems to point to a bad injector, so if you have a way of doing a contribution test, such as AutoEnginuity or Ford IDS, that would help diagnose.

I sometimes have a slight shudder at 45 MPH. I've read this could be injectors, but I had a contribution test done, and it was fine, at least at idle in the garage. The shop recommended I bring it to an alignment specialist. Never has bothered me enough to troubleshoot further.
 
#28 ·
I finally got the Cylinder Contribution test. Fast Forward through hours reading on here, and a few go arounds, the bubble test, and more curse words, I replaced Cylinders 1,3,5, and 7. The entire right bank was bad. I also found an exhaust leak, so the gaskets were added.... After all that, my truck finally runs like it is supposed to! couldn't be happier. After all the things ive done, its gotten better and better, and now I'm stoked.

I also got the paint to match door handles installed, and my Raceline wheels finally arrived.. I wanted to get my 05-07 harley lights installed before pictures, but i forgot the need for additional hardware, and the store was closed...

here are some pictures for your viewing pleasure! Found some very fun trails up here in Mammoth, CA
 

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