Guys have had very good luck with the Dorman aftermarket versions. I believe RockAuto has the cheapest price.

Stewart

 

Stewart,

Thanks for that information. Rock Auto will be my next stop.

Plus, I just looked at the radiator coolant in the degaus bottle.

It looks bright orange and exceptionally clean... do I leave it alone, OR change it out, so I have a 'known good' starting point in our ownership of the Ex? Normally I always change it out, but????

What do you think? Leave it? Change it?

 

I have the Dorman 6.0 cooler from Rock Auto (Part # 918216 was $160 when I bought it).
Here is the thread from the Tech Folder that details the cooler swap and the adaptesr needed for the different line sizes. https://drive.google.com/viewerng/vi...MGM2YzhiYTliZQ

 

Tom,
THANK YOU.

I have read that thread. I've read so MANY threads in the past three months, I forget WHERE I read them.

For instance, I was reading threads on the Mag HYTECH diff & tranny covers.

In one thread someone posted HOW MANY qts of fluid will NOW go into each. How many qts you THINK you need vs how many YOU ACTUALLY NEED. That would be a big help for me to be able to tell my mechanic exactly how much fluid that each system holds with the new Mag-HYTECH covers installed.

The Mag-Hytech front diff cover gives you an additional 2.1 quarts of fluid giving you a total of 4 quarts. The Mag-Hytech rear diff covers gives you an additional 2.5 qts giving you a new total of 6 qts. The Mag-hytech tranny cover gives you an additional 8.3 qts. So now you have 25.8 qts in the transmission system. Plus a drain plug and a dipstick to check your fluid levels in the axles (not the transmission pan - you just get the drain plug).

But I'm 63 and my memory just ain't what it used ta be and I can't remember which thread that info was in...

Just ordered the DORMAN COOLER for the 6.0 from Rock Auto.,.. if you don't know WHY people went with the DORMAN COOLER from Rock Auto, the MAIN reason is it has all the mounting brackets in place AND the correct oil line connections for about $170 w/s&h - can't get any better than that.

Hopefully my mechanic can get all of these Mag-Hytech parts and the tranny cooler on the truck with the additional fluid and swap in the new degaus bottle in a rapid fashion.

One of the main reasons we purchased this truck is we are getting ready to move back to Colorado. So we are doing another road trips to explore new areas we may want to retire in. These upgrades are one's that I wanted done before we hit the road for a couple of weeks this time and a couple more trips are planned if the first one does not have us finding the place we want to retire to.

 

Well, the Dorman 6.0L tranny cooler came in today. I picked it up and delivered it to my mechanic. He has already replaced the transmission pan and was working on the front diff cover.

Then he will move on to the rear diff cover. Then finally will replace the cooler. He will HAVE to remove the front push bar and probably the winch as well. Then he can get at the front portion of the fascia. Then install the new cooler and put it all back together.

While I was there, I took three pictures of minor damage underneath the truck. The first is a drivers side running board support.


drivers side running board support bracket - not supporting anything now - it will be replaced

The other two pictures are of a weight attached to help with 'vibration'


weight attached to cross member - if you look you can KINDA SEE the transmission pan that has been replaced


Same weight from the passengers side it's NOT supposed to be at that angle - note the bolts holding it in place are almost pulled out.

 

That crossmember has quite the dent on the side where all the dirt is packed in. Might just be better off replacing the entire assembly from a salvage yard. Looks to have been in an involuntary off road excursion, or high centered playing off road.

Oh and dont forget to change the transfercase fluid. Its a an easy drain and fill. Make sure to use the XL-12 fluid and NOT ATF in there.

 

05MilMachine,
Thanks for the suggestion. Transfer case fluid change is 'on the list' but as they were replacing all the covers they started with those.

And DANG IT. I didn't even know that subframe member was dented. But this is our first EX. Can any one else confirm this. I can probably find one at the yard not five minutes from my house. Will a 2004 F250/F350 4x4 have that subframe member?

If it's not one thing it's another. And it HAS to be right before we drive it well over 2000 miles in 10 days.

05MilMachine, thanks for catching that. I'm funny about my vehicles be in 'good working order'

jim

 

Nice rig, I'm digging that front bumper and winch, super jealous, if you decide you ever don't want it- let me know, I'm in Colorado and wouldn't mind it on my truck for sure!

You will be greatful for the 4x4 when you get up here, we've had a huge influx of Cali drivers who make winter driving a painful experience, being able to 4x4 around them is fantastic.

 

Yeah, you can always tell the drivers who have not encountered snow/ice before. They buy that big shiny new 4x4 and think they are invincible. Right up to the first big snow and out they go. Then TRY and slam on the brake to keep from rear ending someone they had been following too closely. ON SNOW WITH A SOLID BASE OF 3 INCHES OF ICE.

The look on their face is always priceless. You know, BIG EYES. MOUTH FORMING SOME KIND OF WORDS - like OH XXXX fill in the x's as you please.

It's why we had to buy the 4x4 Ex. We know what you mean. It's also why we are looking 'around' the outskirts of Denver about 20 - 30 miles away. Close enough if you want to fight the hordes and far enough away that there will hopefully be rural for the next twenty years or so.

I do have a capable bad weather vehicle, but except for REALLY bad weather (snow) or for a parade my deuce stays at home.

I do like driving it around town like its a really big pickup truck, which it is. Strip the cover, the railing/seats out of the back and all you have left is the cab and the bed

 

I'm about 30 minutes east of Colorado springs on 40 acres- you will be much happier a bit outside of Denver city limits that's for sure!

 

You gotta get south of Lone Tree then. Probably south of Castle Rock. There's a huge open space off I-25 between 470 and Castle Rock that will slow stuff down, but developments are going to run down US 85 and CO-83 and make Castle Rock the next suburb.

I lived in Parker when it was a nice little town where people in the Carriage Parade rode the horses they kept on properties basically in the town limits. Now it's another McMansion suburb of Denver, and Aurora got it's ghetto hooks in Douglas Country finally Elizabeth was a ranching town back then, it's what Parker was 20 years ago now, subdivisions popping up all over.

Get a place in Deckers, the hills will protect you longer than out east.

 

Millinex and TexasTechDiesel,

You are both talking about areas the wife and I are going to explore as soon as Thanksgiving is over. FRIDAY morning we are climbing in the Ex and drive the 800 miles from San Angelo up to Colorado. First stop will be Trinidad where we will explore Walsenburg, Fountain, and Kiowa.

Then the next two days in the Springs as we explore the east side of the Springs. Millinex, you have what we are looking for. Out in the country. Doesn't HAVE to be 40 acres - but if you need 40 acres to be able to have a well, then we don't mind having 40 acres. Peyton and a few other places.

The next two days will find us in Castle Rock exploring places like Sedalia or out east like Black Fore$t and other place near Castle Rock.

The next two or three days will be in Denver, looking east and perhaps north at places like Strasberg or Watkins or Simla.

If after that we still want to keep looking, it will be north of Denver, though where I have no idea.

But we are going to take the Ex and really explore places in Colorado. The wife and I met in 1980 in Denver. While we have left over the past 30+ years because of jobs, we always return.

In April, we sold our house in Denver. In August we sold our home in Keller. So we don't actually own a home right now. Kind of 'homeless'.

That's why we are looking for our retirement home.

 

Your dollar certainly goes farther the more east you go. Areas near Elizabeth and east of Parker are on the Palmer Divide- this gives you a slight sense of mountain living without the cost, but the Divide also influences weather and that area seems to get the worst of it: lots of rain/hail/lightning in the spring and summer and lots of snow in the winter. The mountains will certainly stave off the urban sprawl, but your purchase dollar won't go as far and your homeowner's insurance will be higher (forest fires).

City living is..... city living.

 

I'm technically in Peyton, it's close enough to The Springs/Falcon to make quick trips to the store a possibility but not far enough away it's a journey.

I'd avoid Simla, or the places super far out- the dollar will get you farther, but it won't get you much, and it's a pretty big journey whenever you want milk. If you can stay in El Paso county you'd be better off, Douglas county has some rough property taxes if I'm remembering right.

Black forest is nice, in some areas. Some of it's more "city" now, and some of it got destroyed a couple years back and is pretty worthless, what wasn't burned is pretty high fire risk. I bought this house right before the fires, and was super glad I didn't buy in forest.

If you decide to look at homes here in El-Paso and you need a realtor let me know, I have a good friend who's great to work with, and of course if you need anything while you're up this way feel free to shoot me a message.

 

When we get to the realtor stage and once we decide where we want to go, if it's to your area, you got it. Right now, we know we don't want to live in Denver. There is a lot of front range left to choose from though.

We do like Trinidad, but it's so far away from everything else in Colorado. We would never see any of our current friends, even the ones who live in the Springs. Even two hours is a bit long of a drive for a 'quick visit'. While we offer overnight if people want, you know how it is, most of us like sleeping in our own bed, so we don't get many takers.