Hello everyone!
New to this forum and a powerstroke. Bought this truck a few years ago for $8200 with an 8' western ultramount and only 89k miles from a small dealer that most likely got this from auction. I am it's 3rd owner. It was a municipal work truck for the city of chicago bought new by them, bone stock XL crew cab 4x4 with. Build date is 12/03. Knew at this price I'd need to turn a wrench on it with some TLC and I really only needed it to plow my driveway. Have really only driven it in the winter to plow and so mostly just sits in the garage. Uncle just gave me a travel trailer that is about 38' long and I'm guessing that weighs in the neighborhood of 8k lbs. Truck took me awhile to get running reliably and I don't want to destroy the engine towing that kind of weight on a 250 mi round trip with it's current condition.

Items replaced/added since bought:
Fuel Pump + Filter (died on way home after buying it in a snow storm)
Both batteries replaced (1st failed 350 amp load before fuel pump install, 2nd failed just recently)
Coolant degas bottle and cap (coolant puking)
Coolant filter just installed (after flush)

Since I recently have started to actually drive it and run some diagnosis, I noticed my coolant is puking when it warms up. On a 30 mile round trip this winter, which is most I usually drive it, it'll puke out 1/2 gal of coolant. When running Torque Pro and driving 55-60, I'm seeing avg of 30 delta and peaks of 45. Pressure guage hooked in-line to radiator to degas bottle line hovers around 10-12psi while driving and only got to 16 once when I drove it like I stole it for diagnosis. Did a non chemical simple garden hose flush to start with fresh known coolant and try to get baseline readings. Old coolant was very brown and rusty looking. Installed a coolant filter. No cigar and no difference, so now I know the cooler is definitely plugged. Pulled the egr valve the other night after running it, noticed the egr was pretty charcoal dry soot covered, while the intake side at the bottom was a little sludgy. Scooped it with a flat head then smelled and felt it, not completely milkshake consistency but silicone type of consistency. Can't tell if it's coolant or not.

Plan on replacing the thermostat on the pre oil cooler flush. Have an OTC blast vac coolant flush tool and some restore & restore+ on the way. Next on the grocery list is an oil cooler blue spring upgrade. Going to get my hands on some SS 1/8" plate to have the egr welded shut while I tear it apart. I was thinking while I'm in that deep to replace the ipr screen & HPOP updated fitting. Is this recommended? Fingers crossed that the HGs aren't blown as I wouldn't be able to afford new heads/stud job until later this year.

Tomorrow I have to drive it 80 miles round trip before I can finally park it. Buying a parts washer and lumber for a topside creeper to begin the teardown. Will park it on a downward hill and pull the egr valve again to see if I can better diagnose the egr cooler. (Thank you Tech Folder and contributors!)

 

You need to ensure you Coolant Temp is 190*, and your Oil Temp is HIGHER than the Coolant before you worry about your temp spread, because if your T-stat is bad and coolant is 170* while your oil is 200* you are pre-mature to replace your Oil Cooler.

 

Prepping for coolant flush all week for this weekend. OTC blast vac came in, restore & restore+ ready. Water pump & fumoto valve should be in by Friday.

anyone have a better place to get an oem oil cooler from other than Amazon.com? Looking at $300 shipped for cooler gaskets & hpop screen. Will also be looking to update stc fitting with oem.