I was finally able to drive the truck again for 20+ miles or so and everything went fine. It took a while to get it up to operating temp but finally ran between 185 degrees and about 192. The worst delta was 14 but most of the time it was less than 10, around 7 to 8. The highest coolant pressure was 11.5 but mostly stayed around 10 or so.


He had put gold coolant in it and it was at the correct level. It looked like a factory cap but did allow the pressure to go to 11.5. I bought a cap from Napa in case the one on the truck wouldn't get high enough, but I didn't use it.


FICM voltage never got below 47.5, boost never got higher than about 27.1 or so.


It has a Napa oil filter cap on it that looks taller than the factory one but he said it had the taller filter to match. If I get it, I will probably put ford stuff back on it.


Only problems I see with the truck is crappy front tires. He said they had been balanced but they shook a little at certain speeds. It had Firestone TransForce on the back that look real good so I would check/replace ball joints, get an alignment and put some quality tires up front.

 

So now you have to make up you mind on the Go/No-Go
on this truck. Please post some photos if you can.

The numbers look good. What about the rest of the
truck? Did you have a look at the trans fluid?


Sean

 

The rest of the truck looks fine. It has a few scratches here and there, a pretty big scuff mark on the tailgate, etc. The interior is pretty dirty but would probably clean up just fine. Underneath is pretty clean. An oil leak or two on the engine around the oil cooler area. Oil is pretty black, he said its due for an oil change (I would do that anyway, probably ALL fluid), trans fluid was red and no burnt smell, it shifted great the whole time. Four wheel drive all works.


Looks to be pretty solid, just possibly front ball joints, definitely alignment and front tires.


I don't know if I would want to spend the money on the oil cooler replace, egr delete right now or not. I had plans to do that to any truck I bought, but with a good coolant flush, coolant filter, and new coolant, there may not be any reason to do it.

 

The more you talk the more i would pass.

 

My truck was a little low on coolant when I bought it. I wasn't concerned. Then the first time I towed it was venting coolant. Well fast forward a couple years, probably the hg was blown to start with, I just shelled out 5k for studs and gaskets. People throw around 3k but you can't find a shop around willing to touch it for less than 4k.
And there is no iron clad way to know if they are blown or not. Mine only leaked under high boost when the engine was hot.

And for what it's worth I've seen 230 degrees on my scan gauge and the factory temp gauge still in the normal range so unless he has gauges, him telling you he tows and the temp are normal doesn't tell you anything.

Knowing what I know now about these trucks, if i were you, not knowing why the coolant is going down, I'd keep shopping unless your plan is to stud the truck immediately. And I'd budget at least 4k for that. Thats a realistic number.

Also if ficm voltage is 47 check the battery voltage. Either it needs new batteries or the ficm is on its way out and there is a good chance it's both. That's another $500.

 

I don't know that the coolant "keeps going down". It was about half a gallon low when I drove it the first time and was right where it is supposed to be when I drove it today. I have watched countless videos on coolant pressure testing while driving, and it did not act that way at all. Even up long grades with my foot on the floor (for as long as I could keep it there safely) the pressure never rose more than just a little. It did not spike, keep rising until puking, drop after letting off the throttle, nothing. You are right that there is no iron clad way to know if there are HG problems or not, on this truck or any other I find. If I end up having to stud it later on...oh well. Then I can really tune it and haul a$$. lol.


The ficm voltage only went to 47.5 once or twice. Almost every time I looked at it, it was 48.5.


I am curious what the best way to flush the coolant is if not replacing the cooler? I would not want to knock a bunch of rust and crap loose to clog the cooler. I would definitely not use a flush like VC-9, just a lot of rinsing then add a coolant filter.

 

Do you plan on sticking with Ford gold or some other ELC?
If going gold then just a few distilled water flushed and refill.
If you want to change then more distilled flushed.

What I did was drain the system by pulling the block plugs and the
lower hose. Then used compressed air to blow out the heater core.
Removed the T-stat from the housing and fill and run till warm. Repeat
the drain process a few times. I did not use any chemicals so only flushed
till I got clean water out. After the last drain I remove the upper and lower
hoses so I could put the new ones on and then filled with 3.5 gal of Shell
ELC and topped to the new fill mark. BTW I used a Rad-Vac to fill with
so did not have a lot of air to worry about in the system.

The only problem I had was a few weeks after when one of the hoses got
it's "set" and the worm clamp loosened a bit and I got a few drips. A quick
turn or the screw driver and problem was fixed. I guess I may be one of the
few people that like the spring clamps Vs the worm drive hose clamps.

The only bad thing about the RED ELC is without a sniff you may think it's
from the transmission.



Sean

 

To be honest, I don't know which coolant I would go with. Since it already has gold, and not replacing the cooler right now, probably going with gold. Maybe later on, after replacing the cooler, then I might think about going with something different.


I was thinking just like you suggested. Just open it up, remove thermostat, and flush. Then flush a time or two with distilled water. Install new thermostat (hopefully 200 degrees) and refill with gold and distilled water

 

Ficm voltage should never drop below 48.

And mine did the same thing. I drive it up a huge Hill with my foot to the floor during my test drive. No overheating no puking. It turned out to be blown anyway. These trucks don't just lose coolant. It was low for a reason. The only reasons for one to lose coolant are bad ones that make a truck worth a lot less. You really want it and you can rationalize it to yourself. I know because I've been there. But the bottom line is the missing coolant is a very bad sign and it's enough for me to walk away. I wish I would have 3 years ago when I bought mine. I could have taken the 5k I just spent on mine and bought a significantly newer truck, or a 7.3 with lower miles.

 

You may be right, I hope you are not. I have tested everything I can to make a determination. The trucks I looked at sitting on dealers lots, might have been leaking coolant too, but they top off everything while they are busy steam cleaning everything to cover up any problems. This truck is only used to pull a horse trailer on weekends. It is dirty, used, personal belongings everywhere, and engine has not been cleaned in quite a while...just the way I like to look at a used truck.


I am getting it for a pretty good deal. If I have to spend $5900 at powerstrokehelp in Buford Georgia for studs, o-ring heads, etc. then I will have more in it than it is worth, but a great solid truck. I am buying the truck to keep for a long time, not to look at trading in a few years.


It very well could have leaking head gaskets, but it did not show up on the test like it did on all the videos I have watched. Maybe they are not as bad as the videos...I don't know.


Its first job will be pulling a 10k lb. fifth wheel a few hundred miles including Jellico Mountain into Tennessee. That will probably be the ultimate test (of course it will be too late to take it back then, lol.)

 

FICM 47.0 - 49 is fine. If it ever drops below 46 (some say 45) while cranking, or running that's when your FICM will need repaired.

Don't go to Buford, GA

 

+1 ^.

Also, if your FICM is getting weak, send it to FICMrepair.com . They will repair and upgrade it (better than new) and do it for less than a remanned from Ford ($225 to $325 vs. $500+ from Ford). Don't go to Buford, GA

 

Well, if it matters any, I tend to agree with you. If you've done the coolant system pressure test and everything else, and alloys can find is it was low on coolant, you've done about as much as you can to check it out. I would ask tons ask questions about maintenance to see I'd I could find an explanation of why the coolant was low. I'm not sure how many trucks would pass the testing you've done ..... Especially those on dealer lots.

Let us know how it behaves when towing. Do an hour test run with the fiver first.

 

Remember, it could be a small coolant leak. Most common hard to spot ones are under degas tank(coolant tank) and the orange or blue hose on the egr cooler.

 

It boils down to this. I cant get an auto loan on a 7.3 because of age. I don't want a 6.4 because of crappy fuel mileage. I cant afford a 6.7 even so I would love to have one. I really want a short bed dually, which for some reason, Ford quit making in 2008. I have looked at 3 short bed duallys and this one tests out the best.


I actually expected to see rising in the coolant pressure and then being able to negotiate on price because of head gaskets or egr cooler but that did not happen. I agree that the coolant had to have gone somewhere. Unless someone did a coolant change, water pump, thermostat, etc. early on and didn't get all the air out and haven't checked it in a while. I really don't know, but I have done all I can do and will hope for the best when I get it.


There was no residue on the degas tank or any signs of residue under the tank. There is some small oil leaks around the oil cooler, egr cooler area but I didn't see any coolant. I will definitely keep a very close eye on things.


I used torque pro to monitor it during the test drives but would like a permanent monitor systems mounted on the dash or windshield. What are the better options? I will add a pyrometer and fuel pressure adapter to monitor them as well.


I plan on 4" turbo back exhaust with muffler, blue spring upgrade, replace the tall napa oil filter cap with ford factory and full synthetic change (maybe rotella t6), ford fuel filters, have ford change transmission fluid and filter, coolant flush with distilled water and gold coolant, coolant filter (sinister?), all done right when I get it. Any suggestions? Thanks