What did you do to your Tow Vehicle today?

Crabman

Senior Member
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RV LIFE Pro
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Nov 16, 2010
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Location
Virginia`s Eastern Shore
What did you do to your tow vehicle today? From changing the oil to changing the engine to installing a new mod, we want to know what you did to your tow vehicle TODAY!
 
Today, nothing. It is 5:50am. After it gets daylight I will drive to town for a little shopping, but then nothing. I'm not due for: engine oil change, fuel filter change, air filter change, transmission filter and fluid change, front and rear diff oil change, or transfer case oil change. My tires are aired up and my TPMS is installed and the truck was completely waxed about a month ago.

Whew! Time for a nap I'm thinking.
 
Well, I looked at it and thought, this pickup would look much better with our X17Z hitched up to it. Hurry up spring!
 
I put fuel in our Truck at a Truck Stop on the way from Milton Fla to Tallahassee Fla.
I chose a very messy truck lane, found out why it was so messy, the fuel hose leaked right at the nozzle. It had a drip the whole time I was fueling the truck.

Heading to Palmetto Fla today for a few weeks, hope the fuel stop today is much cleaner.
 
ImageUploadedByTapatalk1358112168.180508.jpg

Just looked at it and decided the snow can just stay there for all I care, it's not like we can go camping anyway :(
 
Just finished installing ARP head studs, new head gaskets, Bullet Proof Diesel EGR and Oil coolers and a new EGR valve. When they go, they go big! :Party:
 
Just finished installing ARP head studs, new head gaskets, Bullet Proof Diesel EGR and Oil coolers and a new EGR valve. When they go, they go big! :Party:

My brother has a 05 and he wants to do the same thing. Sounds like that is something needed before moving on to other mods. You buy some type of kit? Have someone do it for you?
 
My brother has a 05 and he wants to do the same thing. Sounds like that is something needed before moving on to other mods. You buy some type of kit? Have someone do it for you?

These things aren't "required" but I do recommend monitoring the engine oil temperature and coolant temperature while driving. Once the engine reaches operating temperatures, oil and coolant shouldn't be more than 15 degrees apart because the coolant is what actually keeps the oil cool. If the temperature difference starts really climbing, the odds are good that the oil cooler is clogged. Once that happens, it's the domino effect - EGR cooler can rupture, which could flash-boil the coolant and eventually cause head gasket failure. If you keep pounding it when the gaskets go, you can hydro-lock the engine and kablooie, you've killed your 6-liter. Not trying to frighten anyone, just a "could happen" scenario that's happened to far too many people.

I purchased a kit from Bullet Proof Diesel that has an upgraded EGR cooler and removes the oil cooler and replaces it with a radiator-style air cooler that mounts behind the grill. Essentially this separates the oil and coolant for good. I made sure to install ARP studs in place of the old torque-to-yield (TTY) bolts from the factory. They can exert much more clamping force on the heads and help ensure that the head stays connected to the block.

I had the work done by a shop that I trust. This is major surgery. In most cases, they lift the cab off the truck and do the work that way. In my case, since I was having the oil cooler installed which meant the front end had to be removed, they left the cab on and pulled the engine out the front of the truck. In theory it's not that difficult to do, but the weight of the motor requires specialized engine stands and cranes/hoists.

The enemy of the 6.0 is heat. Exhaust heat, oil heat, coolant heat all add up to problems. If you can control the heat, you avert the problems. Personally I recommend a bypass coolant filter, which is about $100. I got mine from dieselsite.com but Sinister Diesel also makes a good product. I also recommend some gauges to monitor EGT, Transmission Temperature, Boost, Oil Temp and Coolant Temp. I use the Banks iQ, but I also love old-fashioned ISSPro, AutoMeter or GlowShift analogs mounted on the A-pillar. What ever you choose to do, a bypass coolant filter and gauges will be your best friend and let you know when it's time to stop driving. Oh, and I personally don't tow with a "tune." Even though I have a tuner that will go from Economy mode to make-your-passengers-cry mode, I always tow my trailer in bone-stock Ford setting. Tunes + Weight = higher exhaust gas temperatures.

Check out Bill Hewett's excellent video series at powerstrokehelp.com or his channel on YouTube and you'll quickly become an expert on 6.0 Powerstroke theory! :hihi:
 
Besides looking at mine today I dropped the tailgate once so I'd have a workbench to remove insulation from a couple of wires.
 
My Son-In-Law installed HID headlights that he got me for X-Mas. They sure are bright!
 
Added heated seating elements to my cloth seats. AWESOME!!!!!!! Better than heated leather by a long shot. Oh, and I filled it up with 50 gals of diesel @ $3.99/gallon
 

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