Mark, the 25F was the limit for the more robust '03 EGR cooler, it was not for the thinner wall '04.5+ EGR coolers according to an engineer at Nav I talked to.

The '04.5+ water pump upgrade and the lowered threshold was to keep the weaker '04.5+ EGR coolers from rupturing, the earlier design combination was fine in that respect. Although if you need a new front cover in a '03, for the money and possible parts availability in the future, its prudent to go '04.5+.

 

Somewhere in the "engineering mix" was a look at the reliability of the oil cooler also .................. Plenty of failures to have to deal with! After all, we got a modified oil cooler with an extra coolant row (and probably other upgrades for a reason). In general, plate-and-frame heat exchangers are WELL KNOWN for leakage/failure due to thermal stresses and gasket failures!!! Anyway, this upgraded oil cooler has done VERY well!

It would certainly help to know what he has (03 vs 04.5).

Regarding Ford's progression of "learning" on oil cooler and EGR cooler failures:

TSB 05-17-13 (in 2005) applied to 2003-2006 (according to the TSB itself) and stated:
So, for awhile, the 25 degree limit was applied to the new (weaker) plate style EGR cooler AS WELL AS the robust early EGR coolers. It is certainly clear that they later learned that the plate style EGR cooler needed a lower limit. They even later learned that the differential was necessary for oil cooler protection also. Based on TSB wording we can guess when they learned this!

In 2007, two years after 2005 TSB 05-17-13 (which is the first coolant loss TSB discussing a 25 degree temperature differential), the first oil cooler failure TSB came out (2007 TSB 07-23-14). Then, 2 years after that (in early 2009), the 15 degree differential limit was set. VERY soon there after (apprx 6 months), Ford acknowledged plugged oil coolers caused oil cooler failures (see excerpt to TSB 09-18-12 in last paragraph below). It is clear that at this point they were expecting the 15 degree differential to also protect the oil cooler as well as the EGR cooler.

The first "oil in coolant" 2007 TSB 07-23-14 certainly did not mention a temperature differential limit. Since the 25 degree limit had been discussed 2 years before, it seems likely that the connection had not been made even as late as 2007.

The 15 degree limit was certainly not introduced until the REVISED coolant loss TSB's (2009 TSB 09-8-3 and then 2009 TSB 09-24-3). That said, please note that these 2009 TSB's applied to 2003-2007 engines. Clearly these TSB's were meant for the engines with the more robust EGR coolers AND the weaker style plate EGR coolers:

No doubt at first they weren't thinking about oil cooler failure. Later, in the 2009 coolant loss TSB's they are (IMO) clearly thinking that the 15 degrees was for oil cooler protection as well - simply because they had already been experiencing oil cooler failures (2008 TSB 08-23-1 discusses repair after oil sludge is found in the coolant system). Then they finally come out and state that plugged oil coolers cause oil cooler failures .... TSB 09-18-12 (see below).

Reading all of the early TSB's, it seems to me that Ford struggled with cooling from the beginning! Granted some of the reason was the early (03) water pumps having the impellers come loose.

2009 TSB (09-18-12), Ford specifically states:

 

To me, the impeller was a supplier "maturing" problem.

I don't think they had a handle on a number of early issues. The dyno tests run at Nav (and Ford) had manual trans plates on the rear. They never saw oil seal leaks initially, they went after the oil seals as the issue, then later found out some of the automatic rear engine plates were mis-drilled for the locating dowels.

Nav was also slow on the cooler issues, EGR and Oil. They were not seeing the issue in the field on their chassis warranties so it was a WTF. And the Ford guys went FUBAR using VC-9 after the oil cooler replacement, then charging back Nav for the second cooler replacement. But the two sides were already at war with each other by that time behind the scenes, at least from my viewpoint on the sidelines. Going from MI to IL was like being with separated parents that just bitched about each other while you were being shuttled in custody.

Yeah, a 2009 TSB is a little late to be talking about oil cooler failure due to temps. I don't think either side had any volunteers who wanted to be in the engineering warranty teams, not that anyone ever does.

 

i should know tomorrow which motor it has. I am away from the truck right now but will verify and share the result. I appreciate everyone’s assistance.

 

its an 03 motor.

 

You have the stronger EGR cooler, so you should be good there. As 69cj stated, you really aren't out of acceptable performance range on the oil cooler, so it should be ok also.

Have you taken a shot at cleaning the radiator yet?

Ford does sell a "snow plow" fan clutch that is intended to move a little more air. It is a little noisier and it reduces fuel economy a little, but it might help to keep the heavy towing temperature down.

Of course if you don't mind the low power in those rare occasions, you could just do nothing.

 

One of the easiest things to do when towing up a grade is to manually drop the gears into 3rd. When my 05 would start to get warm, dropping the gears manually brought almost instant relief. Let the gearing do the work, not the motor.

 

I will have to try this the next time I pull heavy. Thanks for the suggestion.

 

I haven’t tried to clean the radiator yet. One thought I had is I have changed the front end a bit.



Do you think this would be creating more or less air flow?

also I have an EGR delete. Did you mean I have a stronger oil cooler?