I have a 2003 6.0 and just recently when i have been towing any sort of load i loose coolant. From what i have read i understand that this is the beginning of problems with my EGR cooler and possibly the oil cooler. I am looking at doing a complete EGR Cooler delete, just not sure if i need to replace the oil cooler as well. Is there a way to know? Any help would be great. Also where is a good place buy a EGR Delete kit? Thanks
Puking from the degas bottle is either a sign of bad EGR cooler or oil cooler yes.....but it could also be blown head gaskets. Do you ever here a tea kettle like whistle sound from under the hood while driving? that is usually more a sign of EGR cooler.
A full EGR delete from RCD or FCDP are two I would recommend. There are many out there. check the performance parts/aftermarket upgrades section of this 6.0L forum and you will see many threads about what to look for in a quality kit.
And finally yes it is a good idea to either get a new oil cooler or an oil cooler rebuild kit while you are in there doing the EGR cooler.
Thanks for the response. As for the tea kettle sound not so much that i have noticed it pulls really good and does everything it should i just start smelling coolant if i start pulling much of a grade with a load. How difficult is it to replace the head gaskets??
Typically the 03 and early 04 EGR coolers (the round style) don't fail.
I would start with a cooling system pressure test. A lot of people overlook the basic stuff when they are looking for coolant loss on these engines.
I would road test the truck and monitor the ECT and EOT andsee what the difference is. EOT is only allowed to be 15 degrees over ECT as per the workshop manual.
Is the degas bottle stained all white from coolant coming out? How much coolant are you losing?
The degas bottle does have some white staining on it and some of the parts around it do to... so i don't know. On a typical trip if i have pulled for any length of time i will usually lose about 1/2 a gallon or so. I check it regularly and top it up when it needs it. As for getting my cooling system checked that is my next thing it is just hard to put the truck in the shop when i need it.
I have heard of another way to check if its the EGR....but I'm not 100% if it is true. Some people have said that if you take out your EGR valve and there is coolant in there then it is your EGR cooler. again..I have never tested this way and am not 100% sure..but it's worth a try.
I have heard of another way to check if its the EGR....but I'm not 100% if it is true. Some people have said that if you take out your EGR valve and there is coolant in there then it is your EGR cooler. again..I have never tested this way and am not 100% sure..but it's worth a try.
It could be as simple as a cap as well! I had a buddy who was leaking antifreeze all the time, the dealer told him that he probably needed head gaskets, I told him to start with the simple things and he changed the cap. that was over a year ago and it has been fine ever since. As for EGR delete...go with one that has a solid up pipe because the modified stock ones always crack at the expansion joint. Do the oil cooler as well, because in many cases, that's can be what causes the egr problems as well. You can get a kit on ebay that use some of your old parts and is quite inexpensive, that's what I did to mine. You will end up doing an egr cooler at one point or the other anyway. I did my egr delete myself and I am not all that mechanically inclined.
Edit: Liberator is awesome......Elite sucks(no service or accountability)
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