ya what did that cost and how many hours

 

Great thread Snake - thanks for doing such a good job and posting it here for us!

 

Thanks man!


Happy to be able to contribute! Hopefully it'll help others in the future.




Thanks, and my reasons for starting the thread were to provide some additional information about the install as well as point out what I see as the advantages of this kit. I think I should clarify that the primary objective of the Bulletproof kit is to provide an aftermarket option that maintains proper coolant and oil flow while eliminating the possibility of oil contaminated coolant and clogged oil coolers. A secondary benefit is that many people see reduced coolant temps, reduced oil temps, or both. I've seen several members on other forums question whether the Bulletproof kit will maintain ECT's and EOT's similar to an OEM cooler, and I believe they do based on my experiences.


Thanks!


Thank you!


Many thanks!


Thanks, and that's a great question. Others with about the same level of wrenching experience as me (which is limited) have said around 12-13 hours from start to finish. More experienced folks have said 8-10 hours. My install was considerably longer because we also replaced the head gaskets and paused frequently to take pictures and notes.


The price really depends on what options you choose (EGR upgrade and/or bypass oil filtration). www.bulletproofdiesel.com

 

Thanks Mark! Really appreciate the positive feedback.

 

Very impressive write up. It had to take a ton of time to do the photography and write this all up. Thank you.

I have a question more theoretical in nature. Is there a problem with not getting the oil up to temperature quickly? It seems like the oil viscosity would run pretty high during the first 15 minutes of engine operation(?). Any issues with running cooler during warmed up operation?

Doesn't BPD also offer a thermostat for the oil cooler?

I'm sure that IH/Ford like the compact oil/coolant heat exchanger for 2 reasons:

1) It is integral with the engine, making packaging and installation somewhat easier.
2) It brings the oil up to temperature much more quickly (i.e. coolant temps come up much more quickly than oil temps, especially with 4 gallons of oil).

Anybody with BPD oil cooler experience any issues?

 

There is a cold weather package that has a T-stat bypass.

 

Another great question. As mentioned in the post above, Bulletproof Diesel does offer a cold weather kit with a thermostat that routes the oil past the heat exchanger to help bring the oil temperature up more quickly. Once up to temperature, the thermostat routes oil through the heat exchanger and maintains a minimum oil temp of 180*. I considered buying the cold weather kit even though I live in Florida because I'd hate to tell someone that I couldn't drive to the mid-Atlantic states in December. The good folks at Bulletproof advised me that they recommend the cold weather kit if the average temperatures in your area during the winter are around 32*F. I searched for feedback on cold weather operation and haven't read of any complaints, and I believe there were a number of owners who didn't even have the cold weather kit.

 

I agree, great write up and thank you for the time you spent documenting! Reps.

.......but........I am with cheezit and have thought long and hard on this particular purchase myself. I am convinced this is a "NICE TO HAVE" and not a "MUST HAVE". The cost is pretty steep and not to mention the install required. I read through the PDF. I consider myself very mechanically inclined and have been deep into my engine, just not sure it is a worthwhile purchase like say for example a BPD EGR cooler....now that is a proven MUST HAVE.

I am a firm believer that with the addition of a coolant filter, proper coolant flush intervals and a new oil cooler (if needed) this sytem works well, and if montored will last many many miles.

I do have a question: If the oil is now cooled by air currents and you are in a situation where air currents are minimal or non existent (ex: wheeling at a crawl rate of speed in high heat) how does this system work then?


******what is with your intake manifold? I have never seen one modified like yours, looks interesting*******

Great job and good luck

Joe

 

Joe, really appreciate the feedback and questions. Like you, I also did a lot of research on this kit because it is a substantial investment. Ironically, I convinced myself this was a must have. I read entirely too many threads from people who maintained their coolant, installed a coolant filter, and still clogged an oil cooler. The situations that really pushed me to this kit were the folks who had an obstructed oil cooler, flushed their coolant, replaced their oil cooler, and the new one clogged within a matter of months. I had no appetite to continue to replace oil coolers, and the $300-400 price was only part of it. My time and keeping my truck operational as much as possible were equally important.

Regardng the performance in low air flow, high heat situations: I personally don't think that right now this kit would be ideal for a dedicated wheeling truck, and I told one of my good friends exactly that just a few weeks ago (he has a YJ with a 6.0 swapped in that's a 100% trail vehicle). The lack of air movement through the heat exchanger will adversely affect oil temperatures, but some folks have compensated for that through custom SCT tuning that engages the fan clutch at a specified EOT. Bulletproof is also testing different heat exchangers that might be more efficient in those types of situations.

The intake? That's a Stage 1 from Direct Injection Performance. It's a ported OEM manifold and Doug uses those billet lids (covers) to seal the manifold back up.

 

Snake,

I hear ya on the repeated clogged oil coolers....I've heard that as well. Last thing I want to do is tear the top of that b*tch off again and again LOL!

Yous seem like a pretty savvy guy and I personally would like to hear from your experience with this kit once it has been put to the test.

Do you tow heavy at all? I would be curious to see what your temps are while towing.

Good Luck
Joe

 

Snake,

Was there enough room to put a low profile fan on the BPD heat exchanger? We could use one of the upfitter switches.

 

Thanks again Joe. You seem like you're pretty saavy yourself. I don't tow heavy very often, but it was something I was also concerned about. During my research, I read several posts from a member on another forum who's been running this kit while towing heavier than most people ever will (his toy hauler weighs 18-20k lbs unloaded):






Honestly, I don't think there's enough room behind the heat exchanger for a fan large enough to make a difference on our trucks. The YJ I mentioned might be a different story. The only other option I can think of would be a fan in front of the A/C condensor, but that would be less than ideal in my opinion.

 

I agree at this point with you that this is a "nice to have" thing but isn't a "must have." It's really quite expensive for what it is. I know the thermostat will help at least get the oil to its operating temperature, but without the coolant's help to warm it I feel it would take a decent amount longer. This was the same problem I ran into on my Audi S4. Without the coolant to help warm it it would take almost double the time to get to operating temperature, especially when it was cold outside. Unfortunately nobody out there has a kit yet that allows the coolant to continue to heat the oil while still using an air cooled setup.

 

low coolant temps create excessive engine wear as well.
i guess for me is i can sling 3 oil cooler rebuilds a day. and still be in it for under 1,000.
with that said thanks for the read

 

Certainly understand and can appreciate the difference in opinions. As is the case with many other aftermarket parts for the 6.0, some will it as critical preventative / corrective maintenance and others will say its not necessary: head studs, coolant filters, EGR deletes/upgrades, etc..

Cheezit - I'm guessing you meant low oil temps and not low coolant temps, and I agree. But if its that cold that you have to be concerned with low oil temps, you're probably also plugging your truck in. When combined with the cold weather kit, I think you'd be pleasantly surprised at how quickly the oil warms up (just based what I've read from people running this kit in colder climates, not on personal experience). Regardless, I don't think its a situation you'd encounter very often in Ft Worth.