Hello all,
i have been reading your posts and solutions for sometime and find your insights very helpfull. My 2006 6.0 has about 25k on the clock. The following simple upgrades are Elc coolant at 10k, coolant filter at that time, oil changes at 2.5k with synthetic. Stc tuner to effeciency tune. Scan gauge 2, fuel filters at 2k, revx every other oil change. North Star pure lead batteries (ficm protection). Turbo center changed under warranty for sticking vanes at 15k. ( low use )

Having said that I know I need to open the truck to change the stc filling, dummy plugs and add tube style egg cooler.

my question is while I’m in there what else would be a worthwhile investment?

thanks
mike

 

Are you seriously changing your oil and fuel filters that early
fuel filters are good for 10k and oil every 5.

 

Yes I have been. Truck is only used to pull my off shore boats so it sits a lot. Filters are cheap insurance IMHP.

Thanks
mike

 

25k? Do you only drive it around town?

 

No it resides in Alaska during the summer. Island only has 8 miles of paved roads. Makes the trip to the lower 48 every few years. Have other vehicles for daily use.

I’m glad to learn from everyone else’s experience with these motors before I have to spend big money on it.

thanks
mike

 

You might consider re-ringing the injectors and replacing the injector nipple cups/orings while you are in there as well.

Injector Cup Nipple Master Kit

 

Really?? With only 25K total on it?

Frankly I'd suggest to the OP to change the oil filters every other oil change (5K) and Fuel filters are way over kill at that miles, but do them that often too - makes the schedule easy...

Do you monitor temps etc. with your SCT? (excuse my ignorance, but I don't know what they can do). If you can you can get an idea of your oil cooler's health by getting it good and warmed up and as steady state as you can drive it, see where oil versus coolant is. It isn't relevant if the coolant isn't in the 190 range, but if you get it there, how much higher is your oil temp? Over 10 degrees and I'd go ahead and put in the updated OEM oil cooler with the updated SS pick up screen. Since the turbo will be off, have it bench cleaned/inspected - the unison ring can rust and freeze up with low use.

You should also consider some things that aren't on a "what else while I'm in there" list: put the updated blue spring into your Fuel Pressure Regulator; swap out your trans pan and internal filter to the '08 + pan/filter (filters 100% of the time). Make sure your charging system is good (minimum 140A alt.) and batteries are strong and kept charged - check that your ground connections are clean and tight and consider adding some extra ones as well as hotside cables (in Tech Section).

You can read what I did in my sig line, most of it was because I was going in after a suspected going south oil cooler...

Scott

 

Thanks
The ScanGauge monitors eot and ect, right now within 6 or 8 degrees Was there an improvement made with the oem cooler after 2006?. I was thinking the bulletproof external cooler would be the way to go, a bit pricey though. What’s the deal with the 2008 transmission pan any literature about it?

mike

 

Pretty sure the only difference is the "in pan filter" in your truck is actually a screen only. Doesn't really filter like a filter would. The 08 pan is larger which gives you room to use the 08 filter which is a real filter. They say we can actually get rid of our external filter

 

Yes they added a row (plate section) to the cooler, but you don't need it - if yours starts to plug (show high differences between ECT and EOT), that'd be when to do it. do the STC off the HPOP for-sure...

On the '08+ trans pan and filter: They went to a different (and better I think) way of handling the trans fluid filtering. Your trans has to get up into the 160+ range before it sends more than a slip-stream of fluid to the front coolers. When that happens there is a bypass filter up there that will capture about 10% of the stream to the coolers. Yes, 90% goes by the fine filter... In your trans pan you have a fine mesh filter, as delivered - the '08 pan and filter will filter 100% of the trans oil whenever the engine is running, and the filter is finer filtering than even the up front one on our trucks... So it is a head-slap: why not! question for all of a hundred bucks or so (to switch to the '08+) and get full filtering all the time...

BUT, keep a filter up front - from all I have gathered, a fully clogged filter up there is better than an empty canister as it will sent the fluid to the coolers, without the filter the trans fluid runs hotter, go figure...

Scott

 

The basis for the suggestion of the oil rail nipple o-rings has nothing to do with mileage, but everything to do with time. Those o-rings are 13 years old. They may be fine, they may not be. It's just a question of how much assurance the OP is seeking.

I fully concur that that changing fuel filters every 5k is way overkill, but I suppose it matters if he is running a fungicide to prevent algae buildup. It would likely be less expensive to run that in lieu of changing filters that often.

As far as the 08 pan and filter, I am a huge fan. While he is in there, he can also replace the singular pressure switch (that isn't used anyway) with a billet plug and change over to the different EPC and Direct solenoids to increase the fluid flow to better protect the trans in it's native shifting from 3rd to 5th gear.

Yes, all of the things that we are talking about in this thread are available on my site (alternator options included), but they are just good maintenance.

We're all in this together. Anything that we can do to have our beasts last longer are just a win.

 

Thanks Scott and Ed,
Both valuable opinions that I will consider. The trans never seemed to get hot even pulling the 14k boat up grades but seems to be a simple upgrade and it’s about time for a trans fluid replacement anyway.

mike

 

It's, like, preserving the trans so it goes out to 300k, 400k miles. So you're averaging about 1,923 miles per year running around those 8 miles on the island. The trans should last about 182 years with the upgrade, way better than the 130 years with the stock pan and filter.




You should still do it.

 

Funny, we’re talking great great grand kids. Probably will, not an expensive change. I’d use the truck for my Baja travels but the reliability of the 6.0 always tempers that idea.

mike

 

Your humor is such a hoot! This one put a grin on my face.