SCT X4/ running hot?

[darkstar66]

What is the go to coolant for the 6.0 engines?

[JoeH]

Originally Posted by Twoxentrix

@JoeH ; Yes on the 6.0 radiator. They sell a lot of them for E-350 ambulance upgrades. They also have a trans cooler for the 6.0, but it requires a lot of fab work to make it fit (would be easier for vans with the updated front end - 2008+) because of the extra room… so we sent it back and went another route.

Interesting. I could only find one for the F series and the trucks and vans are of course different. An aftermarket intercooler would be nice as well. I went with an aluminum radiator from Performance which is a bit cheaper. https://shop.performanceradiator.com...roduct_id=5296

I'm not entirely sure an aluminum radiator actually affects cooling performance but it does eliminate the plastic end tanks which can crack.

This is a nice thread on cooling mods. https://www.sportsmobileforum.com/fo...ment-4061.html

[ShuttlePilot]

Darkstar66, glad to hear your getting a handle on the overtemps and it sounds like further progress is coming. One of my questions for you in the beginning was if you have physically blocked off the EGR with a kit or welded a block off. Sounds like your disabling the EGR Valve via the tune. I haven't heard of that technique before. Just a heads up, most tuners today are very careful to not publicly say they are tuning for EGR or emissions as the EPA has gotten very aggressive in fining small companies. Just search "EPA fined us" on Youtube to hear the stories. Please lets not get political here, but if you contact tuners you might get a mix of responses of what they are willing to do.

I personaly have had great luck with the off the shelf 5 star E350 tunes. I say off the shelf as I didn't ask for anything custom to their advertised tunes. My current favorite recipe is 5 Star 50tow paired with the economy FICM tune from Power Hungry Performance. These would be considered mild in the truck world but my motor is original and not studded. Of note- I am not EGR delete but have installed a Bulletproof Diesel EGR cooler 11 years ago and all fine so far. My only criticism of 5 Star is that under light throttle or under 180 ECT it kind of skips through the 2-3 shift. Once warmed up or under normal driving shift are normal. Compared to some of the stories of bad drivability with other tunes over the years I'll take it. I use an SCT for the ECM programmer (hardware) and 5 star for the tunes (software). If we really want to go down the rabbit hole we can talk about FICM tuning as well. I think others have already mentioned it but I'll repeat that the truck tunes especially the ones preloaded on the SCT are not intended for use on the E350 Vans.

Thanks for the follow up
- Eric

[Twoxentrix]

Originally Posted by JoeH

Interesting. I could only find one for the F series and the trucks and vans are of course different. An aftermarket intercooler would be nice as well. I went with an aluminum radiator from Performance which is a bit cheaper. https://shop.performanceradiator.com...roduct_id=5296

I'm not entirely sure an aluminum radiator actually affects cooling performance but it does eliminate the plastic end tanks which can crack.

This is a nice thread on cooling mods. https://www.sportsmobileforum.com/fo...ment-4061.html

Have visited Badgers thread several times, and I agree a lot of good info in it.

I hate to bring it up, but I blew the bottom seam on my Performance radiator a couple years after it was installed - that’s why I went with Mishimoto.

Also been looking at upgrading the inter-cooler and have narrowed it down to these two (but that’s a 2023 project for me, and will have to have my shop confirm they’ll fit since I can’t find the answer on-line anywhere - it’s also about an 7hr job to boot so I’ll probably also have them replace the A/C condenser since they are in same location):
BANKS POWER TECNI ?
https://www.odawgsdiesel.com/collect...39420004171963

MISHIMOTO INTERCOOLER REPLACEMENT KIT and Aluminum DEGAS BOTTLE with Y pipe:
https://www.mishimoto.com/ford-power...SABEgLKtPD_BwE

EDIT: just an FYI, the aluminum Mishimoto degass bottle will not work on the Van.

[JoeH]

Originally Posted by darkstar66

What is the go to coolant for the 6.0 engines?

Any ELC coolant that meets meets CAT-EC1 requirements. ELC=extended life coolant. Some folks haven't had issues with Ford Gold but it's the same stuff Ford puts in the Taurus. If you do use Ford Gold make sure to change it out at 30,000 miles or so.

Twocentrix, that's good info on the Mishimoto stuff. Can you post a link for the radiator? As for the intercooler please post up if you can get it to fit without a lot of modification. I've got a stage 1.5 turbo and it definitely taps out and can't make max boost for long.

Just a general comment, but as regular posters we're getting into "enthusiast" recommendations. At that's fine since mods and upgrades are one of the fun things about having a diesel but IMO, unless you know what your doing with each upgrade, it's generally best to just leave the engine stock. If you are going to advance the timing to generate more HP with a tuner than ideally you want headstuds. Otherwise, even with a 65HP tow tune your still pushing your luck. If you want increased drivability get a 40HP FICM tune. That just messes with fueling and increases the burn time in the cylinder whereas a PCM tune from canned or custom tuning increases engine timing to increase HP and that in turn puts additional pressure on the cylinder heads. Again, just my opinion.

[ShuttlePilot]

JoeH, I hear your point.

[Twoxentrix]

Originally Posted by JoeH

Twocentrix, that's good info on the Mishimoto stuff. Can you post a link for the radiator? As for the intercooler please post up if you can get it to fit without a lot of modification. I've got a stage 1.5 turbo and it definitely taps out and can't make max boost for long.

When I contacted Mishimoto for a radiator they provided me the model number they use in the Vans - I passed that on to the Ford Dealer which was installing it…all this was done a while back, so I didn’t have any info to look back on. I did call Mishimoto today and they gave me this model number for the E-350 (said it’s the same one they use for the E-350 Ambulance):
MMRAD-F2D-60.

EDIT: If I recall correctly, the F2D part refers to the Ford F series trucks. I believe this radiator provides a little better cooling capabilities than the OEM radiator - it may also require a little fab work for installation - but I would call Mishimoto to confirm that (or ask them for a a contact at one of the shops that does the Ambulance conversions so you can get more precise info from them).

[JoeH]

Originally Posted by Twoxentrix

When I contacted Mishimoto for a radiator they provided me the model number they use in the Vans - I passed that on to the Ford Dealer which was installing it…all this was done a while back, so I didn’t have any info to look back on. I did call Mishimoto today and they gave me this model number for the E-350 (said it’s the same one they use for the E-350 Ambulance):
MMRAD-F2D-60.

EDIT: If I recall correctly, the F2D part refers to the Ford F series trucks. I believe this radiator provides a little better cooling capabilities than the OEM radiator - it may also require a little fab work for installation - but I would call Mishimoto to confirm that (or ask them for a a contact at one of the shops that does the Ambulance conversions so you can get more precise info from them).

Roger that, good to know. My impression is the van radiator, like the tranny cooler and intercooler, were smaller than the trucks. Either way, the biggest difference between the vans and trucks is they run hotter. So, many of my mods have been about heat management (ie., wrapping pipes, hood louvers, bigger tranny cooler, etc.). Underhood heat cooks the wiring harness, fries the FICM, and is hard on alternators. In that regard, there's a lot of good advice in this thread. The vans with the 7.3 don't even have an intercooler.

[Twoxentrix]

I should probably clarify; when I said ‘might take a little fab work’ I meant it as intended, it would be minimal. No way the Ford dealer would have tackled the job if it required cutting or any difficult fitment/relocation work - they would also have called me (I know the Service manager well) letting me know additional $ charges would convey if ‘special’ circumstances surrounding installation became apparent.

[JoeH]

Originally Posted by Twoxentrix

I should probably clarify; when I said ‘might take a little fab work’ I meant it as intended, it would be minimal. No way the Ford dealer would have tackled the job if it required cutting or any difficult fitment/relocation work - they would also have called me (I know the Service manager well) letting me know additional $ charges would convey if ‘special’ circumstances surrounding installation became apparent.

Understood but that part # still doesn't cross reference to anything van related but so far the Performance radiator is holding up. But the aluminum endcaps are still crimp sealed which could potentially fail. The Mishi are welded and won't have the seam seal issue.

A tranny cooler is also a good idea. I went with the common TruCool like most others that have done this mod on this forum but am now on my 2nd one after the mounts failed. I think you mentioned Mishi also making a tranny cooler? They work though, my transmission rarely gets over 200F.