Special Service Message
20339 2008 F250-550 6.4L DIESEL RADIATOR REPLACEMENT VENTURI TEE INSTALLATION
SOME 2008 F-SUPER DUTY 250-550 VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH A 6.4L DIESEL ENGINE MAY REQUIRE A RADIATOR REPLACEMENT. AFTER FOLLOWING WORKSHOP MANUAL (WSM), 303-03 AND THE RADIATOR HAS BEEN IDENTIFIED AS THE CAUSE OF THE COOLANT LEAK AND IS TO BE REPLACED, IT IS NECESSARY TO ALSO INSTALL THE RADIATOR/VENTURI TEE SERVICE KIT 8C3Z-8B379-B. USE THE INSTRUCTION SHEET PROVIDED WITH THE KIT FOR PROPER INSTALLATION OF THE KIT.
EFFECTIVE DATE: 07/14/2008
=============
Special Service Message
20126 2008 F-SUPER DUTY - MAY EXHIBIT COOLANT LEAKS LOCATED AT THE RADIATOR SIDE TANK CRIMPING AREA.
SOME 2008 F-SUPER DUTY VEHICLES MAY EXHIBIT COOLANT LEAKS AT THE RADIATOR SIDE TANK CRIMPING AREA. ALL SERVICE PARTS WITH A BUILD DATE OF 11/15/2007 OR LATER AND A CB PART SUFFIX ARE CERTIFIED STOCK. BEFORE INSTALLING SERVICE PARTS WITH A BUILD DATE PRIOR TO 11/15/07 VISUALLY INSPECT TO ENSURE THAT END TANK CRIMP TABS ARE COMPLETELY CLOSED AND NO CRACKS ARE PRESENT AT THE TRANS COOLER LINE FITTINGS OR INLET/OUTLET PORTS. BUILD DATES ARE LOCATED ON A YELLOW OR WHITE LABEL LOCATED ON THE TOP RADIATOR CROSS RAIL. AFTER THE RADIATOR IS REMOVED FROM IT'S PACKAGING INSPECT TO VERIFY THERE IS NO DAMAGE PRESENT THAT MAY RESULT IN A LEAK OR REPEAT REPAIR. NOTE: MARKS/LINES SEEN ON THE RADIATOR ARE FROM THE FIXTURE THAT HOLDS THE RADIATOR CORE TOGETHER DURING THE BRAZE PROCESS. THESE MARKS/LINES ARE NORMAL AND CAUSE NO DURABILITY CONCERNS.
EFFECTIVE DATE: 02/08/2008

 

Actually it says:

"Certain vehicles
built from Job #1

through May 15, 2008"
so it is greater than job 1.

I can understand Ford taking the risk with those on the road and w/o problems but I think it is very poor to 'blow-off' the person that knows about this and asks for it. I guess financially things are so tough for Ford the bean counters are prevailing over good customer service. Pretty much same 'do nothing' for cracked DPF's from the comments.

Bob

 

You need to read the TSB. Vloney, is this true? Please correct me if the TSB states differently, you are the only one I trust here. The TSB stated differently than what yukondiesel posted so I am to the point that i don't care anymore. Yukon diesel needed 10 characters. i guess he or she was slow.......... I needed ten periods. I am so sick of this thread. I now know why Vloney is mad. Just trying to help and newbies keep throwing BS out there.

 

So everybody can read it for themselves....

SSI-08T01

 

Thanks PowerStroke. Now everyone can interpret the recall for themselves. I tried doing it but couldn't get it to post.

 

I see by the TSB that it states certain Job 1 2008 superduty,6.4 built date May 2008 and before in the Kentucky,Cuautitlan plants are affected, (not to sound like a lawyer ) but by the use of the word certain do I understand it right meaning not all , if so what determines which ones? Sorry not trying to play on words just get a good understanding of the memo.

 

The word "certain" in this case could refer to those vehicles that are still sitting on dealer lots. The only determining factor that we know for sure from the SSI is that the vehicles VIN must be listed on the FSA VIN list for it to be eligible...

 

May do a Alaska trip next summer, don't like doing it but sometime later on after seeing what Ford does and hoping my radiator would leak if it was going to. I may take the truck in and have the kit put in. I see on the TSB Ford has a .3hr labor and I wouldn't think the kit would be to high. Have the diagram and instructions how to do but I think it would be better(warranty) if they did it.

 

I have an update to this string.

My Job 1 F450 had the radiator replaced last September. Last week, before I left on a cross-country trip, as posted earlier I enquired with my dealer about installing the venturi T kit, and they told me that my truck was not affected.

This past Sunday, while driving across country (unloaded and tooling along at 63mph for most of the trip), I noticed a small coolant leak under the left side radiator tank. This leak occured during the trip - it was not present previously.

A dealership in Texas installed a new radiator yesterday, and also installed the venturi kit. Apparently it is some type of check valve. The parts manager at the dealer told me "off the record" that he had been told to order a lot of the venturi kits, as the dealers Management expected that it would soon apply to more than the original vehicles covered.

Apparently there is some type of pressure surge in the cooling system that over-pressurizes the radiators, and causes the leak. I looked at the radiator that came out of my truck, the tanks were crimped just fine. The T is some type of check valve that is supposed to control the pressure surge.

 

That is good to know about the crimps and the pressure surge. Helpful post and will see if my guys will set me up with the kit now.

 

last week i had my service advisor look 08T01. my truck is a j-3, made in kentucky, with 2700 miles on it. he told me that my truck's vin was not involved, YET, so he could not do any warranty work to the radiator.

i told him next week i'm leaving on a 4000 mile trip from arizona to florida and back and the last thing i'm gonna need is a radiator problem..............

66

 

From reading this my "interpretation" is that as of right now Ford wants all in stock units upfitted with the "T" AND IF a customer needs a radiator replaced under warranty they should also be installing the "T" at that time even if it is not on the list.

"RADIATOR HAS BEEN IDENTIFIED AS THE CAUSE OF THE COOLANT LEAK AND IS TO BE REPLACED, IT IS NECESSARY TO ALSO INSTALL THE RADIATOR/VENTURI TEE"

What we still dont know is if they will eventually expand this to ALL trucks or if they will wait and see which customers have problems. There are lots of people on here that havent had any radiator issues so while it seems cheaper to add 1 million T's than to replace 1 million radiators, I think the reality is that not all 1 million trucks will have radiator failures (at least not under the 3/36 warranty). Sounds like Ford may be willing to gamble on the percentage of trucks that will have problems. They have plenty of pencil pushers to calculate the risk vs reward for gambling.

 

I called the Ford service manager closes to me and explained about the SSI 08T01 venturi kit , I think he thought I was talking about a part for the space shuttle anyway he said never heard of it, he would check and get back to me .( I think its sour grapes because even though I bought there before I didn't with this one, never heard back). I then called the service manager where I bought the 08, he ran the vin number and talked to the deisel tec and said mine wasn't affected ( ya right I didn't want to go round and round) so I then asked about the 08 on their lot and if they are being changed and he said never heard anything from Ford about no selling until venturi kit install. This is a big dealership move alot of car/trucks. Did say they would install one at my expense.

 

I noticed a small leak in mine and had it relaced. The dealer said severall had been in for the same thing. They did not mention the fluid.

 

Just a friendly suggestion...but IMHO...I would "pay" the dealer to install the venturi "T" kit...for piece of mind.

The good thing is...if FORD expands the TSB...You can request to be reimbursed at that time.

Just my .02


biz