Some of you may know I am replacing the turbo with a Powermax. My turbo has been sticking and rather than clean, thought I would do the little upgrade to the Powermax. Was going to take to the shop to have put on tomorrow. Had a meeting in a nearby town, hot as hell outside and had a no start after meeting. Had same issue several weeks ago but started a couple days later after removing and charging batteries. Voltage good, all SG parameters looked right, FICM, IPC, RPMs etc. Got on the phone with my mechanic and he suspects the IPC I was seeing may not be right.

Anyway, didn't have time to screw around so called a tow truck and had it towed about 40 miles to the shop I'm using. Not close, but first good shop I've found in the area! He has a Super Flow dyno and one other dyno. The guy specializes in diesel trucks and is very familiar with the 6.0, what a surprise! The bad news is unless it's a really obvious fix, all the dyno testing may cost a bunch. He said he tests extensively to be sure the problem is fixed before it leaves his shop.

So what started a a turbo swap is now a turbo, upgraded billet wheel, blue spring and whatever else he finds wrong. It will be good to get the issue fixed but I'm gonna be po! The rest of the truck is pretty well bulletproofed, studs, BPD oil cooler, EGR, FICM etc. Just need to get the last of the weak links!

Oh yeah, I had just finally got my Gearhead tunes loaded in my SCT TSX 8900 tuner after having them for a year! Had a couple of rides with the tune, felt pretty good. I had the SRL+ loaded, the hard shifting was just starting to smooth out. Well, the tunes are written for the Powermax so I think I'm going to get dyno data before and after turbo R&R. Will post when all is sorted out.

 

If the truck has the studs, BPD Oil cooler and EGR and FICM, wouldn't you think the Previous Owner (if not you) would have done the blue spring upgrade? I don't trust shops at all. Even the most trustworthy ones will rip people off if they need the money.

 

Don't know for sure about the blue spring, the po had the work done at a truck shop in TX. I will be getting all the data on fuel pressure etc. Just bought the kit if needed while he's in there. The shop I found is the best (so far) that I've dealt with. I can't do my own work any longer due to back issues and lack of time so no choice but to search for the best alternative. Tired of getting screwed by the dealer. At least if I spend money here I'm confident he will find the problem and not start throwing parts at it. This guy has a rural shop that's been in business since 1979 and has the only diesel shop with SuperFlow dynamic testing in my area. We'll see, but I feel pretty good about it even if it costs me.

 

Well this Might be a Good Example of a Shop doing just that!!


How many times you had your Truck fixed then Paid to have it Dyno Tested "To Make SHURE the Problem is Gone"

I guess I Old fashion with the Old SGII and Ford Spec Sheet

 

I guess I should has been more clear, dyno to be sure problems that may occur under load, hard to replicate etc. I think he likes to dyno performance upgrades he does to vehicles to be sure they actually are performance gains. Anyway said he likes to be thorough and be sure nothing underlying is going on if there is a complicated issue. Like when I paid $1000 for injector o rings and it was the sensor I told them it was... that was a dealer.

Anyway, we'll see, I go talk to him in the morning and will have a better idea how he operates. He came recommended by a very reputable shop. They said they send him things they can't fix or don't regularly work on like the 6.0. He really seems to know the issues with this motor. I may be wrong about him but I'm optimistic for now. I would like to get dyno info pre and post turbo upgrade anyway. He wasn't pushing all the diagnostics, said it was up to me how much testing to do. Will post when I find something out.

 

Sorry bud, don't mean to make you hesitant, or make you think you have to explain it to us. Just be cautious. There are good shops out there, but I'm only interested in good techs. Unfortunately, you don't get to pick who works on your truck, even if you get a good shop. Maybe your guy is great. I'm running through a problem with my truck now that I probably caused myself, so it's not like I'm any clearer or better than a shop. I rip myself off from time to time. But I do have a nice tool collection!

Good luck, let us know how it turns out.

 

I think this guy operates solo, not like I might get another guy working on it. It's just 1 guy that's been doing this for 35 years or so. That along with him taking a bunch of time talking to me on the phone on 2 occasions (and actually sounding like he knows what he's doing!) makes me optimistic. It reminded me of talking here with you guys, a wealth of knowledge. NEVER felt that way talking to a dealer service writer or tech. In fact I spent more time talking to him in general about diesels than all the techs I've ever talked to combined! Didn't seem to talk any BS, just shared his experiences with these and other diesel motors. Will post results. Always good to hear input from the FTE gang!

 

Well sounds like the guys will be Thuro

So that's Good

It Might be A Great shop Your just the first Iv seen to have a Dyno Test to verify repairs Really not a Bad Idea

Its Such a Presision Machine that anything wrong and you will probably Notice just by the way it drives

Hey when it is Dyno tested you can Add that to your SIG the Torq and Horse Power

 

With all those mods, hopefully the STC fitting and the oil rail plugs / standpipes have been upgraded also.

 

Yeah, that's what I don't know. Just stopped and talked to the mechanic for about 45 minutes. He's a very knowledgable guy, on the Power Stroke and all others. He has fabricated many custom sensors for the SuperFlow etc over the years to find specific problems. The good thing is the truck hasn't started yet.

Only good because he can actually see what's going on. He is going to give me a call when he determines the cause of the no start then we decide on the dyno and how to proceed. I would really like to get real data with the Gearhead tunes. I have an even better feeling after meeting him, he's the type of guy that works on them like they are his. Will post when I get diagnosis.

 

I just talked to the mechanic. It still had no start when he got it but eventually started so troubleshooting a bit more difficult. Had a no sync when he tried to start. Said everything checks out and the only thing it can be at this point would be the wiring harness. He said sometimes after going through the harness you'll never have another issue as you have inadvertently moved the offending wire. He's going to get me a cost to replace the harness which I'll likely do.

Other info found while testing. Thermostat not opening correctly, needs replaced. He also said the oil temp was running higher than it should. I told him about the BPD oil cooler EGR etc. Said that cooler must not be as efficient as stock. Asked if it was installed in the same place. Also talked a bit about the radiator and temps but I was in a hurry as I am now and didn't get to talk long. I think he may have been suggesting the radiator may have some buildup? I told him my oil/coolant temps were almost identical according the the SGII. He said the oil temps displayed on the SG are not as accurate as the his diagnostics that are getting real time info from the sensors etc. and it was running a little hot. He didn't seem to concerned about it I don't think but I will talk to him more later. He tested under load hot engine on the dyno. Will post more when I know more.

 

What came of all this?

 

Just got it back from shop. Having a high EGT issue, new turbo/wheel related. Ended up with a new wiring harness too. I am going to start another thread about EGT issue. Will post more later...