Bullet-proofing a 2006 6.0 Turbo-diesel
#1
07-15-2019, 11:02 PM
Bullet-proofing a 2006 6.0 Turbo-diesel
I'm looking at buying an '06 F250 with 225K miles on it. Drove it for a couple of days around town and purrs like a kitten. Dealer says they have had it bullet-proofed. I will not be towing anything heavier than a utility trailer (2500-3000 lbs.) and driving it very easy around town and on short highway trips, less than 100 miles. My question to the experienced vets on here is, what do I need to make absolutely sure that the bullet proof job they did included? I can research the work and the shop that did it. Thanks, I'm impressed with the amount of knowledge on this site, looking forward to learning alot more.
#2
07-16-2019, 12:39 AM
Ask -
Has the EGR system been deleted?
If so, how was it done (ie cooler removed, cooler blocked off, if blocked off - where was it blocked off)?
Has it had head studs installed?
If so, what brand of studs and who did the install? Also what head gaskets were used?
What coolant is in it?
Has the STC fitting on the HPOP discharge been upgraded?
Have the updated dummy plugs and standpipes been installed?
Any other modifications (tuned, larger exhaust, CAT delete, aftermarket air intake, larger turbo, larger injectors, aftermarket fuel system)?
Is the engine a commonized engine or pre-commonized? Another way to ask is "what is the size of the head alignment dowels - 18mm or 20mm"? Or you could ask "what is the engine manufacture date"?
Has the fuel pressure regulator spring been upgraded to the "blue spring"? If they don't know, tell them you want the fuel pressure tested at simulated WOT conditions.
Take a look at the oil filter. The stock cap is about 1 inch tall from the top of the housing to the bottom of the hex head on top of the cap. Some aftermarket oil filter caps cause problems and they are noticeably taller than the stock cap.
Ask how new the oil and (two) fuel filters are.
Ask about the transmission fluid age and if the external filter has recently been changed.
I am not that set on the necessity of an EGR delete, but the 05 and up EGR cooler is not a reliable design. IMO the best solution is an EGR cooler specifically from BulletProofDiesel. That said, an EGR delete will work fine but IMO if you have an EGR delete, you should have an aftermarket tune that adjusts the fueling for that delete.
If it has head studs, they should be ARP head studs and you need to know the shop that installed them, when they were installed, and if there is any warranty left against leaking head gaskets. There are several good choices of head gaskets - OEM, FelPro, I suppose Black Diamond head gaskets are ok, but they would be my last choice. Some people like the Cometic, but not a lot of users of those.
If it has Ford Gold coolant, then you should plan on flushing it out. The coolant you want is an EC-1 rated ELC coolant.
The 05 and up HPOP is pretty reliable, but the pump discharge fitting from the factory (STC fitting) is failure prone. So are the dummy plugs and to a lessor degree the standpipes. Upgraded Ford or Navistar components will resolve the reliability issues.
As far as aftermarket mods go, I would prefer there not be any. A larger exhaust is ok, but I am not a fan of aftermarket intakes, and there are a lot of cheap parts for larger injectors, and that holds true for some turbos. Some aftermarket fuel systems are good. Some have had problems. Up to 450 hp, the stock fuel pump (in the HFCM) is perfectly fine. The HFCM is the Horizontal Fuel Conditioning Module (HFCM) and it contains the fuel pump and the first of two filters.
I would prefer it not to have a tuner, but if it has an EGR delete, you probably need to plan on buying an SCT tuner and to buy a tune that accounts for the EGR delete. There are tunes that don't add power and are relatively safe for head gaskets.
The commonized engine was available in production dates after mid January 2006. It has some nice updates and it is better to have the commonized updates, but not necessarily essential. You just need to know it.
They probably won't know the answers to a lot of the questions, but you should ask. You may have to insist on the question about the commonized engine and for them to do the fuel pressure test. They can do those things for you!
Ask us questions if that is too much for you right now!!
Has the EGR system been deleted?
If so, how was it done (ie cooler removed, cooler blocked off, if blocked off - where was it blocked off)?
Has it had head studs installed?
If so, what brand of studs and who did the install? Also what head gaskets were used?
What coolant is in it?
Has the STC fitting on the HPOP discharge been upgraded?
Have the updated dummy plugs and standpipes been installed?
Any other modifications (tuned, larger exhaust, CAT delete, aftermarket air intake, larger turbo, larger injectors, aftermarket fuel system)?
Is the engine a commonized engine or pre-commonized? Another way to ask is "what is the size of the head alignment dowels - 18mm or 20mm"? Or you could ask "what is the engine manufacture date"?
Has the fuel pressure regulator spring been upgraded to the "blue spring"? If they don't know, tell them you want the fuel pressure tested at simulated WOT conditions.
Take a look at the oil filter. The stock cap is about 1 inch tall from the top of the housing to the bottom of the hex head on top of the cap. Some aftermarket oil filter caps cause problems and they are noticeably taller than the stock cap.
Ask how new the oil and (two) fuel filters are.
Ask about the transmission fluid age and if the external filter has recently been changed.
I am not that set on the necessity of an EGR delete, but the 05 and up EGR cooler is not a reliable design. IMO the best solution is an EGR cooler specifically from BulletProofDiesel. That said, an EGR delete will work fine but IMO if you have an EGR delete, you should have an aftermarket tune that adjusts the fueling for that delete.
If it has head studs, they should be ARP head studs and you need to know the shop that installed them, when they were installed, and if there is any warranty left against leaking head gaskets. There are several good choices of head gaskets - OEM, FelPro, I suppose Black Diamond head gaskets are ok, but they would be my last choice. Some people like the Cometic, but not a lot of users of those.
If it has Ford Gold coolant, then you should plan on flushing it out. The coolant you want is an EC-1 rated ELC coolant.
The 05 and up HPOP is pretty reliable, but the pump discharge fitting from the factory (STC fitting) is failure prone. So are the dummy plugs and to a lessor degree the standpipes. Upgraded Ford or Navistar components will resolve the reliability issues.
As far as aftermarket mods go, I would prefer there not be any. A larger exhaust is ok, but I am not a fan of aftermarket intakes, and there are a lot of cheap parts for larger injectors, and that holds true for some turbos. Some aftermarket fuel systems are good. Some have had problems. Up to 450 hp, the stock fuel pump (in the HFCM) is perfectly fine. The HFCM is the Horizontal Fuel Conditioning Module (HFCM) and it contains the fuel pump and the first of two filters.
I would prefer it not to have a tuner, but if it has an EGR delete, you probably need to plan on buying an SCT tuner and to buy a tune that accounts for the EGR delete. There are tunes that don't add power and are relatively safe for head gaskets.
The commonized engine was available in production dates after mid January 2006. It has some nice updates and it is better to have the commonized updates, but not necessarily essential. You just need to know it.
They probably won't know the answers to a lot of the questions, but you should ask. You may have to insist on the question about the commonized engine and for them to do the fuel pressure test. They can do those things for you!
Ask us questions if that is too much for you right now!!
#3
07-16-2019, 04:41 AM
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