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: