The vans have never really had head gasket issues because they are de-tuned by over 80 hp from the trucks.
As far as the coolant filter, Ford has made no changes in the design of the oil cooler (this is what plugs up on the coolant side and destroys the EGR cooler). Perhaps Ford has done a better job of getting the casting sand out of the coolant passages in the block on the newer models.
A brief description of the common Oil Cooler/EGR failure problem from
www.bulletproofdiesel.com
So why replace your Engine Oil Cooler at the same time
as your EGR Cooler?
What does an engine oil cooler have to do with an EGR cooler?
While the two parts don’t seem to be related, they definitely are. First of all, a few facts:
1. The engine oil cooler is NOT in the front of your rig. Its actually located
on top of your engine directly underneath your engine oil filter.
2. Your engine oil is cooled down by the coolant from the engine.
3. Your engine oil in a Power Stroke diesel is vital to the operation and longevity of your motor.
So, with all that being said, what does the engine cooler have to do with the EGR cooler?
To understand why, you have to know how this system works. The “cold” coolant coming out of
the radiator enters into the water pump. A portion of that coolant, about a gallon per minute,
is pushed through the engine oil cooler on its way to the EGR cooler. Said a different way,
the ONLY coolant that the EGR cooler gets is whatever coolant comes through the engine oil cooler.
The problem comes about when you consider the design and placement of the engine oil cooler.
Simply put it has tight, narrow passageways that conduct the oil and coolant through it.
(see cut-away view at right) It is also set up like a plumbers “P” trap, meaning that it catches
lots of sediment because it’s a low spot in the plumbing system. All of this sediment, in turn,
plugs up and restricts the narrow channels inside the cooler. This, of course, restricts the flow of
coolant getting through the cooler, much like an auto accident slows down traffic on a busy road.
All this restriction of flow through the engine oil cooler starves the EGR cooler of the
coolant that it needs to do its job.
Its sort of like asking a bunch of fire fighters to put out a forest fire with a garden hose
– it just isn’t going to go well.
Because the EGR cooler isn’t being cooled with enough flow, it tends to get upse
t and starts to crack and/or rupture.
This, of course, is probably the reason why you are on BulletProofDiesel.com in the first place!
The bad news is that the engine oil cooler is going to cost you a bit more money.
The good news is that the labor
to change both pieces is about the same if you do one or do both. The best news is that
we have it all packaged together.