6.0L Oil and EGR cooler replacement in the shade of a tree

[BogusBlake]

Originally Posted by jwintersteller

That doesn't sound bad at all. Even including the 4 hours of r, r and s, 34 hours to take that on for the first time seems very reasonable to me.

Thanks again for the posting it all.

Yeah, it really wasn't bad. That said, I am very disciplined in the shop and careful to follow written technical procedures as part of my job. If you can avoid the temptation to deviate, this project is just a matter of following the instructions. Here's a few general shop tips that reduce errors and frustration:
- As others have said, get a box of ziploc bags and label them for the fasteners of each individual component you remove.
- Take before/after pictures of each step, both disasembly and assembly. If something doesn't work, you can go back and QA yourself (you might notice a missing connector in a picture that you didn't before). Sometimes I even take a picture of the group of parts and fasteners removed during that step. If you have any left over, then you'll know.
- Take the screws out one at a time and note (is use a sharpie on the actual part) if one of them is different.
- Don't collect fasteners in your hands while removing others. Take one out, put in your bag or parts dish, then take the next one out. Don't put your bag of fasteners on top of the engine.
- Label the parts themselves as you take them off and stack them generally in the order in which you removed them. (This is also helpful when you have "help". "Hey wife- hand me the kromulator"
- If you unplug a connector, label both ends. I used blue tape so I could see it. Remove the tape when you reconnect.
- Use wadded up shop towels to plug ANY hole that leads somewhere important as soon as that opening is exposed.
- Use one tool at a time and don't set them on the engine. When you're done with that tool, put it back in your box, not your workbench. At the end of each working period and periodically, check your box for missing tools.
- Keep old and new parts in separate areas.
- Don't throw ANYTHING away until you're completely done. This includes the bags and boxes things came in.
- Don't put a part in the "toss" pile until you've visually identified its replacement. Even gaskets and seals.
- Handle old parts carefully until you've installed their replacement.
- Do one step at a time. Stop and check your work after each.
- Go slow enough to maintain cleanliness on both your workpiece and your workspace.
- Don't be stupid; a human installed these parts without using magic. If something takes more than normal effort to do, stop and think it over.
- Don't do critical steps / tasks when you're tired or fatigued.

Above all, understand what you are doing- You are working on a system which is critical to the fundamental operation of your engine. Read the procedure first, then read it again while looking at your parts, do the procedure, then re-read the procedure while looking at your completed work. Then move on with confidence.

[Tapatio]

Have you had a chance to cut the oil cooler in half yet? Curious to see how clogged up it was and what was inside the veins.

[BogusBlake]

Originally Posted by Tapatio

Have you had a chance to cut the oil cooler in half yet? Curious to see how clogged up it was and what was inside the veins.

Not yet. I'll probably do that Friday after work.

From the looks of the glop that came out when I used the Restore, I'm expecting it to look like it's full of Elmer's glue.

[oldbonesclimber]

GREAT WRITE-UP. You definately have INSTILLED CONFIDENCE if I ever have an issue. I have learned one thing working on these 6.0's. It takes time, a LOT of Time. But other than that just mechanics. (and some specialized tools) I probably would trust myself more now than I trust most of the mechanics at the dealership. They wouldn't make any money at 30 hrs. So they would probably skip a lot of the details like being meticulous as you were on your own vehicle. I'm sure it's also very satisfying to know you've done it and you are not scared about it anymore. What were some of the most common UNUSUAL tools you would suggest one has on hand?

Many Thanks on documenting this. Sometimes it is hard in the Heat of the battle to stop and take photos and record what you have done. We just want to keep going.

Paul

[BogusBlake]

Originally Posted by oldbonesclimber

What were some of the most common UNUSUAL tools you would suggest one has on hand?

The tools I needed that wouldn't be in a basic mechanic's tool kit are:
- a 48mm wrench for the fan clutch nut (I borrowed one from O'Rielly). I'd recommend a crow's foot instead of a thin wrench so you can torque it back on.
- a special slotted socket for the Injector Pressure Regulator
- T30 and T40 Torx bits

I consider a basic mechanic's tool set to include deep sockets and a 10-90 ft-lb torque wrench. For this job, you'll use the heck out of your 8 and 10mm deep sockets.

I bought a serpentine belt tensioner tool thinking I'd need it, but a 1/2" breaker bar and short extension worked better (there's a 1/2" square recess in the tensioner).
The block drain plug takes an 8mm hex key. When I took out the plug, I put a Futomo F108N valve back in.

I bought a couple 5 gal buckets with lids from the hardware store for catching fluids and taking them for disposal.

I wore an LED headlamp almost the whole time.
A gardening pad makes kneeling on the bumper a lot more comfortable.

A can of PB Blaster helped a lot with some of the exhaust bolts.

You need a coozie to keep your beer cold. Luckily the BPD EGR cooler comes with one.

The absolute most important tool is the service manual (factory Ford or Alldata-diy)

[BogusBlake]

Originally Posted by oldbonesclimber

It takes time, a LOT of Time.

You aren't kidding. If you have to access anything behind the fan, go ahead and start your estimate at 4 hours because that's how long it will take to get enough stuff out of the way to start, then get it back in later.

Originally Posted by oldbonesclimber

They wouldn't make any money at 30 hrs.

My service manual lists the "authorized hours for warranty repair" for each procedure. I typically worked at ~1/2 the pace they thought a trained tech should work.

[BogusBlake]

I finally got around to cutting open my old oil cooler. I'm disappointed in the lack of "smoking gun" obvious clogging I found! Most of the debris you see in the pictures is from the saw. There was definitely some clear-ish goo in the small layers, but it's not like the picture on the BPD website.

I cut across the long dimension and couldn't tell which way the flow channels were, so I cut it perpendicular. There's alternating thin and thick layers. I don't know which fluid goes in which layer, but I assume oil flows through the larger (thicker) layers since it's more viscous. The little "turbulators" in each layer sure make a convoluted path for fluid to get through there. I can see how it wouldn't take a huge particle or glob to find a place to stick in there. These passages are WAY smaller than the channels in a radiator.

You need a coolant filter. They're cheap and easy. Do it.

[Ford_6L_E350]

It does look pretty clean. I'm surprised it is so clean.

Did you have a big delta between oil and water temps? I didn't see any numbers at the start of this thread. Or, were you just doing preventative work?

My van has over 110K on the stock coolers so I'm looking at doing this, although I'm on the fence about a BPD oil cooler to replace the Ford one. I meant I'm looking to having it done, it really looks like more than I want to do in my driveway. I need to make the van bulletproof for a trip back to Alaska next summer.

Mike

[BogusBlake]

Originally Posted by Ford_6L_E350

It does look pretty clean. I'm surprised it is so clean.

Yeah, me too. The oil passages are what you can see best, and they should be clean. I wish I could see into the coolant passages better (because they're what clogs up), but the flash from the saw blade covers them up. It's all pretty thin material.

Originally Posted by Ford_6L_E350

Did you have a big delta between oil and water temps? I didn't see any numbers at the start of this thread. Or, were you just doing preventative work?

Yeah, my temp delta at 60mph, level ground, on cruise control over 10's of minutes was ~12-14 deg F. The backstory is here: viewtopic.php?f=39&t=11802

I took a trip last weekend with some sustained highway driving. The temps under similar conditions (but quite a bit lower ambient air temp) were: ECT 195-200, and EOT was almost always around 204. When I slowed down on the forest roads and the grades got steeper, the ECT would climb to 215, but when the fan kicked on, it dropped to 190 in seconds. The EOT barely had time to climb and it never got above 210. When the fan brought the ECT down, the EOT followed quickly.

I think the whole cooling system is working better after the Restore treatment, but the new oil cooler is definitely working correctly.

Originally Posted by Ford_6L_E350

I'm on the fence about a BPD oil cooler to replace the Ford one.

I only used the BPD EGR cooler. Their oil cooler A. is very expensive, B. adds a bypass oil filter which I already have (SMB Amsoil), and C. is air cooled (sufficient flow of cooling air is already something the vans struggle with).

I opted to protect the new OEM oil cooler with a coolant filter (which should handle the chunks and sand if there is any) and I changed to EC-1 silicate-free coolant (which should stop the formation of the goo).

[Ford_6L_E350]

Originally Posted by BogusBlake

I opted to protect the new OEM oil cooler with a coolant filter (which should handle the chunks and sand if there is any) and I changed to EC-1 silicate-free coolant (which should stop the formation of the goo).

I used to think ELC coolant would solve all problems, but on DieselStop I learned otherwise:

http://www.schoolbusfleet.com/forum/top ... C_ID=20233

http://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/76140 ... story.html

International VT365 (same as Ford 6.0) have always run ELC and some experience multiple oil/EGR cooler failures. That has made me think seriously about the Bulletproof oil cooler. I know the pu's make more heat and have bigger problems, but I would hope to prevent ever having to go back in there. Tough choices sometimes.

Mike