Cover plate would be my preference. No need to drop the whole skid plate if you need to get to the sump for any reason.

Mac - If the tank is empty in that pic you may have an issue with the hose getting pinched when its full.

 

There’s plenty of room, the hose is not pinched or flattened, I can move it with the tank full. I may still drop the tank later and add rubber strips inside the skid plate on the supports where the tank sits on the raised areas, maybe just some 1/4”.

 

I topped her off earlier and holding rock solid at 70. Went for a drive to my favorite coastal towns and am now at 508 miles on the rebuild. I’m ready to get this oil changed and pull my skiff!

 

Wow those deltas are tight!! Nice.

 

Since the rebuild and new Motorcraft oil cooler, Dieselsite billet impeller water pump and Mishimoto 200 degree thermostat I have averaged a 4 degree delta cruising at 80mph with 88-90 degree air temperature. I also got an upgraded Mishimoto radiator that is thicker, taller and has larger transmission fluid orifices. I have to fab some radiator support brackets to fit the taller radiator or use some spacers to make up for the 3/4” difference.

 

Mine run the same only I run an Allient pump. Nobody believe I have Delta's like that. Still run G05 too.....

 

Below 3-4ºF is not unusually for a very clean cooling system, I think that's where we all started.

 

I routinely run 4-6 degree average deltas with oil cooler number two (changed at 150K) and coolant flushes every 20-30K. When flushing I backflush the oil cooler with a water hose hookup at the short blue hose-EGR connection. 195K on the truck now. Still using Ford Gold and no coolant filter yet. I found this rebuild thread fascinating to read daily, almost like a reality TV show (except it was better than most!). Gives me hope that if/when mine gets beat beyond repair I can be like SmackDaddy when I grow up and tear into it with no fear. I dread the eventual need for buying a new/later truck and won't consider another vehicle payment for the rest of my life. Even thinking about looking for a parts truck, mainly for a lightly used short block. Very reluctant to let anyone else touch the truck, especially under the hood.

Watching deltas while driving is addictive, along with other parameters. When traveling I use an iPad to display my DashBoss app. My ears, eyes and everything else is tuned to how the truck is running. Wife is completely over all of it.

I look forward to reading more about the long term performance of this rebuild. While it is only a single example, I like seeing and hearing about things that may crop up in my truck. Thank goodness I found this forum and have this resource. Posts like this are a major reason why I feel confident about continuing to own my 6.0!

 

With a thicker radiator, the radiator cowling no longer fits. The lines from the trans fluid cooler to the trans are too short and the lower radiator hose is too long. This touches the steering damper. I have an air filter from S&B. This also touches the radiator now.

I have installed a thicker radiator from IPR since a few days. I suspect that the extra power of the radiator is lost again due to the missing radiator cover. I will test the upgrade this summer.

 

I used the pipe insulation from Home Depot. Slips right in there, no problem.

 

It looks like your Mishi thermostat is already defective, or am I missing something?

 

+1000, especially the part about the wife.

 

Man I have been watching it and I think it is. This morning coolant temperature won’t get over 192-194. That is enough to **** a man off. I’ll be looking for an IH thermostat and sending this one back for a refund.

 

Ya have to boil the snot out of them to make them work right. They have wax or somy in them. I went through that on both trucks.

 

I may just boil it in the truck while I tow my boat to the ramp next days off...