My opinion, for what it is worth...

EGR
Keeping the EGR is a good thing if you live in any of the People's Republics (California, Massachusetts, ...) The Bulletproof Diesel EGR is the one that you want in that case. You can still block it off with an EGR valve spool plug. Google it.

If you delete, look into the IPR Gen II delete. I wouldn't recommend a Sinister delete in any case. To anyone. Ever.

Oil Cooler
The BPD air-to-oil is a fine way to go. BPD and IPR also have oil cooler relocations where you can mount the OEM cooler outside of the engine valley. Makes future replacements - if needed - fast and easy. Also makes backflushing a breeze.

Not to throw any shade on BPD, but you can buy your OEM cooler from one of the other site sponsors - Tousley Ford or Sunrise Ford. It will be cheaper. I don't think that BPD would be offended.

The Rest
If you are retaining the OEM oil filter housing then only OEM on the filter elements. I wasn't sure what you meant by aftermarket. Same with fuel filters.

You also may want to throw in a water pump. They aren't expensive and it will add about 10 minutes to the job as planned. Good PM.

You'll be adding fluids to your list - oil, coolant, distilled water, and your flush chemical of choice. I mention this because - all together - it adds up. You will want to be a bargain shopper on those.

Good luck.

 

Thanks for the pointing me towards the IPR GEN2 kit, cheaper and looks to be build a heck of a lot better.

I'll definitely have to checkout some of the other vendors that support this site.
I can't quite decide if it's worth the extra 1300 for the air to oil cooler.. I got some time to think it over though

 

I have BPD HD air to oil cooler with the cold weather bypass and while it's a great kit if I were bulletproofing again I would get an oil cooler relocation kit instead. I like IPRs location better then BPDs so I would lean towards them.

 

Just an addition to what @djmaguire said. The IPR Gen2 delete does not work with the BPD air to liquid oil cooler. Not sure if it works with the OEM cooler relocation kit, but I'd doubt that it does.

 

Thanks for the heads up!! As of right now I'm leaning toward the Air-to-Oil kit, and the bulletproof EGR.
Is there still a lot of flow restrictions with the bulletproof EGR?

 

Why would you rather do the relocation kit? Price? Or does the Air to Oil cooler not perform as well?

 

if you are going to do it, do it right. get the BPD air to oil cooler with cold weather kit and be happy not having to EVER worry about ECT EOT deltas. Also, if you are looking to somehow bypass the EGR system(a spool) make sure you cut the scoop out of the passenger side up pipe since you have an 07. The restriction on those is terrible and can actually hinder performance when the egr is disabled

I used a hole saw with much success:wink:

 

Would you think it's necessary to get the Heavy duty kit for the air oil cooler? Or only if I'll be doing a lot of pulling ?

 

It's kinda po-tay-toes or po-tah-toes. This is a portion of a post from a long time ago when someone asked my opinion of air-to-oil vs air-to-coolant. I'll stand by it.

I only added the words "OEM" and "Remote" in the bold headings to make it easier to follow out of the context of the original thread.

I can give you my opinion. Just remember that opinions are like a$$holes. Everyone's got one. ...and everyone else's stinks.


The requirements of the 6.0:
100,000BTU/hr, 18.5gpm@3300RPM. In technical terms, that's a boatload of heat that needs to be removed very quickly.


The Ford/IH OEM solution:
Put a very efficient cooler (read: many tight passages) in a very bad location in an engine that was not properly cleaned after manufacture. Then fill the cooling system with a coolant that produces crap over time that could clog said cooler.

When I say bad location, I mean tough to get to. I suspect that someone designing the engine thought that the location would help warm the oil from a cold start. In that sense, it is a good location. In retrospect, though, it still didn't make up for the hassle/cost of replacement - especially with the coolant silicate and casting sand issues.


Remote Air-to-oil cooler:
Because of the heat requirement, the air-to-oil cooler - and the lines running to it - have to be big. The BPD oil cooler is one of very few 12AN oil coolers available and they made that choice wisely by looking at the Ford flow rate and pressure drop specs and matching a proper oil circuit to it. Oil does not run through lines very easily and each fitting - depending upon ID and angle - is equivalent to some feet of additional lines. You got to add that them up like voltage drops. They did.

You also need a bunch of other stuff... With no oil cooler in the valley, the OEM oil cooler bypass valve is no longer functional, of course. BPD has one built into their transfer block. But - for a DIY system - you will need to have a separate bypass valve across your cooler system (after your filter - which should be chosen to have a built in bypass). If you live in a cold climate, you will also need a thermostat or your oil will never get hot enough to function properly and burn off the water-based contaminants. Even with a thermostat, I have read of guys either running with low oil temps or having widely varying temps.

If you are also doing remote oil filtering, you will need a filter head or canister that can handle 18.5gpm at 20 microns to stick with the Racor spec. I will say only that the micron/gpm spec is not easy to meet - but not impossible within reasonable costs.

Pros:
No possibility of oil-to-coolant contamination
Don't need to bother with monitoring for deltas - high temp is not a problem
The system can be virtually ignored

Cons:
Larger payload than oil-to-coolant
Components aren't cheap
Harder to raise and hold temps
Higher pressure drop compared to cooler relocation due to additional fittings and components
More significant deviation from the original OEM design
​

Remote Oil-to-coolant cooler:
You can get a pretty good idea of the particulars here from the above.

This approach holds to the original design spec of the engine - which is good and bad. The cooler is still able to clog and rupture. ...but if you are monitoring, you can change it out in 45 minutes in a driveway. Murphy's Law alone would suggest that you would never need to!

The thermal density of the OEM oil cooler means that the system does not consume so much space as air-to-oil. That can be important since the engine bay of a 6.0 is already 20lbs of shiite in a 10lb bag.

Liquid-to-liquid thermal transfers are faster and more controllable. With this type of cooler, there is never an issue of not reaching an optimal oil temp. You might pass it, but you'll certainly reach it.

Pros:
Temps are faster to get to and easier to maintain
Lower payload/cost
Adheres to engine OEM spec mostly - there is added pressure drop due to lines and fittings, but it is not significant
If existing oil filter system used, that OEM spec maintained also
Easy to explain to the next owner because it is simply a relocation
Easy to try out that Sinister/PPR cooler that everyone else is scared to. If it doesn't work, put a new one on tomorrow.

Cons:
Can still have catastrophic failure with catastrophic results
Need to be on temps like white on rice

​

...

I am a little more forgiving now of the OEM setup. If a person maintains their coolant well - ELC and filtering - and backflushes occasionally, it can be okay. I know. Not a stellar endorsement...

The BPD air-to-oil seems expensive but - after you have a 6.0 for a while - you realize that an extra $600 here or there on something that makes or breaks a haul is pocket change.

The other thing with the BPD systems is they do it right in terms of connectors and hoses and brackets and screws. That stuff adds up. It is easy to overlook $200 in hoses. ...until you don't have them.

 

Thanks for brining that little write up back to life! Just for curiously, what would be the low end of oil operating temp?

 

With a coolant-to-oil system - at load and/or speed - the oil will be being cooled by the coolant. So, oil must be hotter. A few degrees for some and much more for others. Then - for different operating conditions and ambient temps - the high end can stretch even further.

With air-to-oil, there is no low end. Well... not in relation to the coolant, anyway. That is the point of the oil cooler thermostat in the cold climate air-to-oil system. It is trying to up the temps a bit.

 

lets say you don't want your oil to be too much lower than coolant temp. BPD's cold weather thermostat keeps the oil to a minimum of 180*F which I see as only fitting. Your coolant temps rise faster than your oil temp does when the truck is warming up, thus heating the oil a little on the rise to operating temps. IMO the oil-air system has its challenges, but the headaches and potential heartaches of the oem system are avoided.

 

Okay wow I missed a lot I wouldn't buy the kit again because 1. The cost and I can't justify it over the stock cooler after having both.
2. I have the 195F thermostat (200F coolant) and when it's cold (cold for Houston anyway) my oil never gets above 180F on the highway, sitting it will reach 200F but drops as soon as I start moving again.
3. The stock oil cooler also heats the oil when it's cold.
4. I can't find a good way to mount my external filter with my ranch hand bumper. (easy cheaper fix keep the stock filter)

Don't get me wrong it works great in the summer and it' a good high-quality kit but the extra cash for it could be better made use of elsewhere. If I was doing it again I would get IPRs oil cooler relocation kit with the full flow coolant filter or BPD kit and add a filter. (I think BPD has a discount for this forum)

 

Just so you're aware the IPR delete will not work with the BPD oil cooler. You will need the generic J-tube style EGR delete. A much cheaper alternative to sinisters delete can be found on amazon. Its practically the same without the blue dog for around $60. Another one is dicadsolutions which I have used before with no issues.

 

How many of you are running without a EGR? And how do you do with emissions testing?? I currently live in St. Louis where the DO emissions testing, but I can get it inspected in Columbia where they only do a visual I think

 

I live in a liberty-free zone. That being said I have an EGR cooler intact. And I also have a spool where the valve would go. The plug comes out of the valve goes in once every other year when it's returned to stock tuning


Sent from my dumb iPhone

 

If I happen to weld in disks to the EGR, what all do I need to do? Weld one disk in on the up pipe, then remove the EGR valve?

 

Leave the EGR valve in place, itll save you some issues

 

So most people weld shut both ends of the EGR, then leave the EGR valve plugged in to trick the system into thinking its operational? Do you plug the coolant flow linto the EGR at all? Or just allow it to flow though

 

@john galt has got it - leave the coolant path alone.

There are three coolant circuits on the 6.0 - basically left engine, right engine, and oil cooler-EGR cooler. You can't block the EGR cooler coolant path without giving the oil cooler output coolant an alternative path back to the pump. That is what the pipe in the EGR delete kits is doing.

You can see the EGR cooler in this exploded pic. You need to keep that red dotted line intact.

This document - where the pic came from - may help on questions like this...

http://www.powerstrokediesel.com/docs/EF_456.pdf

^^^ This is the doc for the 2003.25 release. There are updates by year that reflect changes. This one has the most general information, though.

 

i have not really looked at it but i think it flows through so it can follow the same route it would normally coolant wise and just plug off the exhaust from super heating it ...
i live in the peoples republik of kommiefornia and run a BPD egr cooler with the egr shut off via tuning...so far no issues and it seems to work great
IF i have to do smog again i can just return to stock drive 200 miles and i SHOULD be ok only question is my stage 3 turbo without tuning might be a tad smokey at low rpms but here at altitude it cleans up real nice on the road especially tuned for it :thumb: and more air better mileage

 

A lot has been said here already but here's another thing to consider. I have a OEM oil cooler and installed a coolant filter from sinister diesel but I wouldn't recommend them again, instead use IPR's high flow filter, it's not the oil that clogs the oil cooler it's the deposits/casting sand from the coolant.




Sent from AutoGuide.com Free App

 

So from everything that has been said? I think I've made my decision with the EGR.

I will weld shut both ends of the EGR, and turn off the valve with a tuner, this way it looks stock. If I happen to fail emissions, then I spend the 350 and get a Bulletproof EGR.

As for the Oil Cooler fix, I'm stil not sure, I'm still kinda leaning toward the Air to Oil cooler

 

There is one more thing that is nice with an air-to-oil that I did not include in the old post above...

The concerns about excessive coolant cleanliness largely go away with an air-to-oil system. If it can get through the water pump, it can get through every component of an air-to-oil system. That's just not the case with anything involving the OEM cooler.

Not a big deal, maybe. Not to me, anyway. ...but it depends upon whether that type of maintenance/attention to detail comes easily to someone or not.

 

i run the air to oil and love it :thumb:

to me , its one less thing to worry about....
and i own a 6.0 :hehe:
but seriously that is probably the single best investment i made o this truck.

incidentally hitthe magic 200 since i loaded the tune nd it is driving so damn nice right now... have i mentioned i LOVE my truck

 

Full list to bulletproof?

Hey eveyone, I just wanted to make a post to try and contribute as well as get your input. Pretty soon I will be Bulletproofing my truck, and before I got started buying all the parts, I did plenty of research. So now I've created a pretty good list of all the parts I'll be buying, and just wanted to show y'all Incase someone needed help understanding what they need. I'm obviously not doing the bare minimum, I'm doing this how I would like it, and what I feel is necessairy, please feel free to make suggestions! I'm just worried about compatibility issues, or possible overlooking a part I need. I don't want to get my truck torn apart and have to wait for a new piece to arrive.

• EGR/Oil cooler fix ($774)
○ IPR Extreme Duty EGR Cooler & Ford OEM Oil Cooler for all 2004-2007 Ford Powerstroke 6.0L
§ IPR Extream Duty EGR cooler
§ Ford OEM oil cooler
§ 50 dollar core deposit
§ IPR HPOP screen
§ Intake gasket set
§ EGR valve gasket/orings
§ Turbo gasket/orings
§ Oil cooler orings

• Head studs/gaskets ($1285)
○ ARP Head Studs & Ford OEM Head Gasket Set 18mm w/Bottom End Set
§ ARP Head Studs
§ Ford Genuine*OEM Head Gaskets 2 required
§ Rocker box gaskets 2 required
§ Valve cover gaskets 2 required
§ Valve cover grommets 20 required (10 per head)
§ Valve stem seals 32 required
§ Injector Oring Kit 8 sets required
§ Intake manifold gasket set and throttle body orings
§ EGR Cooler/Valve Gaskets Orings
§ Exhaust manifold gaskets 2 required
§ All buna n orings/copper orings for your fuel lines
§ High Pressure Oil Pump Housing Gaskets
§ Oil Filter housing Orings
§ Fuel Filter Housing Orings
§ Oil Cooler Housing Gasket
§ Stand Pipe 2 required
§ Orings for all your sensors
§ Oil Pan Gasket 2 required (upper and lower)
§ Oil Pump Housing/Front cover gasket
§ Front Main Seal
§ Rear Main Seal
§ Rear Cover Seal
§ Bed Plate Gasket
§ Water Pump Oring
§ Cam Timing Sensor Oring
§ Water pump oring

• Tuner ($680)
○ Livewire TS+ 5015P - Ford 6.0L Powerstroke 03-07 - FORD POWERSTROKE
§ SCT live wire ts
§ Xtream upgrade tunes

• Water pump ($315)
○ Bullet Proof Diesel Water Pump for 6.0L Diesel

• Coolant filter ($320)
○ IPR High Flow Coolant Filter Ford 6.0 w/Coolant Manifold

• Ford 6.0 Updated Injector Rail Plugs ($34)
○ Ford 6.0 Updated Injector Rail Plugs AKA "Dummy Plugs"

• Ford blue spring kit ($70)
○ Ford Fuel Pressure Regulator 2003-2007 F250,F350,F450,F550 6.0 International VT365

• Ford 6.0 Update Turbo Oil Drain Tube ($30)
○ 6C3Z9T515A Ford 6.0 Update Turbo Oil Drain Tube

• For turbo feed line ($124)
○ Ford Turbo Feed Line 2004-2007 F250,F350,F450,F550 6.0 International VT365

• Ford 6.0 STC HPOP Fitting Update Kit ($60)
○ Ford 6.0 STC HPOP Fitting Update Kit

 

Subscribe, im planning in doing it next year and want a full list too and made a post. Didn't know studding was that expensive.

It looks like fully bulletproofing a powerstroke it'll cost around $5k as diy, but this is using an external bpd oil/cooler egr in my case

 

I didn't see any provision for machining of the heads. They at least need to be checked thoroughly, if not milled. You'll want to add the updated (6.4L - shortened) pushrods to the list as well.

Not sure of the mileage on the engine, but based on your list, you're planning on a full removal. So I'd also think about checking the bottom end bearings for wear and possible replacement and a reground Stage 1 or Stage 2 camshaft to help avoid future lifter problems.

Some would/will argue that you are not truly "bulletproofing" without the addition of the BPD air-liquid oil cooler or at least a relocation kit for the OEM cooler. Not sure if BPD is still honoring the discount on their relocate kit, but I'd definitely consider it if you don't want to go to the full air to liquid setup. Looks like the IPR relocate kit is currently "out of stock".

I also do not see any mention of an updated/upgraded FICM. This is one of the more common failures on a 6.0 Superduty.

Pretty sure some of your pricing is a little high too. You may want to check with Autonation White Bear Lake on the OEM parts.

 

and instead of IPR's EGR cooler I would go with BPD's, pretty much same price and I believe it to be a better product

 

There's quite a few things in there I'd skip/modify. Money can be better put elsewhere. Personally I'd go with a regular sct x4 and run a cts for a monitor vs the livewire. The bpd water pump is also very nice, but I've had the dieselsite steel pump in 2 trucks now, for 1/3 of the price. I'd also rethink where you're getting your gasket kit and all the fixins, $1300 seems spendy to me. I used the full mahle/Victor reinz kit, it was $450. 96-3629vr is the part#, I'd link it but for some reason I can't copy and paste. Really think about the bpd oil cooler as well, if you're going That deep and spending all the dough, it's almost like having sex and stopping right before you get a nut lol.

 

Here's a post I copied and pasted that I made in another thread, with basically the same question because these things seem to pop up everyday -

Do you have a budget in mind? I can give you the rundown of what I have done to mine, and you can decide if it's the route/budget you'd like to take. Not ALL of it is necessary, but I'm sure you wouldn't upset him if the parts were there either 😉
UCF heads - they address all the downfalls of the factory 6.0 heads, and also o-ring them
H11 headstuds - there is some speculation on if they are overkill vs the arp 425s, but they were around the same price so why not have the added strength. Arp 425s will work just as well.
Bulletproof hd oil cooler with filter relocation - (hd) is their heavy duty cooler, air to air oil cooler to address the downfalls of the factory oil cooler, also with oil filter relocation. Larger filter and addresses the bypassing issue of the factory location.
Bulletproof 6phase ficm - adds redundancy, and voltage options to the otherwise anemic factory ficm susceptible to failure.
Steel/billet water pump - oem plastic impeller tends to split (I've never encountered this but I have a steel water pump to be safe)
Blue spring - keeps your fuel pressure healthier and your injectors happier.
7.3 fan clutch - eliminates possibility of the clutch fan eating it's wiring harness, and keeps temps cooler.
Oem updates - I've never had an 03, so I'm not sure what updates need to be done oem wise, but there's little things here and there while you're there, they differ from the later model 6.0s
Ec1 coolant and a good coolant flush would be great also. If it has ford gold, ditch it.
Very importantly is a monitoring device, I have a cts2 that I watch all my gauges on to make sure things are in check.
As for your tuning after the headstuds and whatnot, pick up an sct tuner and grab some custom tunes. The truck will appreciate it and there are many tuners around here on the forum that can help you out with a tune package.
There's more but I'll let you digest that first