I have searched the puking/programming threads and have not found anything related to changing the thermostat. I hope this info will be usefull. I don't have a programmer yet. A freind of mind that I have known for a while tells me he works on Ford Diesels. I knew he was a Diesel mechanic and had is own shop, but did not know he worked on Fords. He is Ford certified and Diesel certified and worked at a Ford dealership for many years and a large heavy truck dealership and he worked on large Cat, Cummins, Detroit Diesel and IH Diesels. He now works alot with the new 6.0 doing mods in his own shop. He tells me that when he installs programmers he always changes the thermostat. He replaces it with a lower 185 degree thermostat and has never had a complaint about puking coolant. He has a large customer base with ford Super Duties.

He explained that running a programmer, it is over fueling the Diesel and heat buildup comes on at a very high/fast rate and this is what causes the engine to over heat. Compared to a stock engine that heats up slowly, like going up a grade with AC cranked all the way up. The engine will over heat and flow over to the bottle and if does not cool down will eventually find the weakest point and the steam will leak out. On the other hand, when over fueling the engine with a programmer, the water heats up very fast in the engine block and heads and this super heated water mixes with the overflow bottle and cannot stabilize fast enough and thus, gets blown out the overflow bottle. It made sense to me and something you guys that use programmers should look into. Good luck, and keep us informmed if you try it.

 

Well thats the first informed post I've seen on the subject. Need guys that have the problem to try it and see if its good.

 

Interesting, I would think there was more too it than that. There are a bunch of guys around here running programmers and I haven't seen that many posting about puking coolant. I have also seen a few of people post about no programmer and puking coolant/overheating.

It will be interesting if someone with the problem tries it and see if thats fixes their problem.

 

Big Dually

may i ask where your friends shop is? i see your in california and im trying to find a place that could do some mods for my truck.

Thanks

 

Mine pukes with or without programmer only when towing and I only tow 2,500 - 6,000 #. Even at that the is puke volume is very low. I have never added coolant and my bottle level is well over 1/3. Never overheats.

Interesting note: My truck had coolant residue in the engine compartment the day I picked it up...only had 33 miles on it. Currently 18,000 + miles.
BTW: IMO it seems that CA trucks have more issues with this as well as the ugly EGR valve.

 

where does ur bud get the thermostats from? and 6.0's dont run at full power till they are at full oper temp. this could also be why the coolant problem goes away. my temp guage has never risen no matter how hard i pull, and the fan rarely runs so i know my coolant isnt rising too much, but its stinks like rotten eggs anytime i get on it too hard too quickly. and it does it much less with the egr unplugged.

also it doesnt do it at all when i use the water injection, which doesnt affect the coolant. only the egt. the coolant temp still rises the same because the fan comes on the same times on the same hills. but the egt's are down beacuse the water is on and when the egr is unplugged (allowing less exhaust into the egr cooler) it does it even less....... makes me feel very strongly that the egr cooler is the culprit........

BTW, what is the stock thermostat set at???

 

Is this in the PCM

 

In most stock flashes, ICP gets a good trimming until EOT is up to nominal levels.

 

In Redlands, California. San Bernardino County. It's called Andy's Truck Repair. He specializes in Ford Trucks.

 

I'd like to hear more about this.

What temp does the truck go to "closed loop"?

what is the normal thermostat temp?

 

would evans npg coolant help the temps in the engine? their site is very informative on superheating. if the heat can be gotten away from the cylinders more efficiently, they say, then the engine can be run at higher temps,which is more efficient for diesels anyway. they did say, when i called, that ford has a real sore spot for mods, which in their opion could include changing coolant.

 

I'm not sure. When talking to my friend, I believe he said the stock thermostat is a 195 degree and he replaces with a 185. Now, I'm not sure if the California PSD's are more susceptible to overheating when programmed or chipped than 49 state strokers. I do know the Cali PSD’s have more smog devices what they are, I'm not sure. And different programming though, not that much different. He said, that any programmed Diesel should have a lower thermostat, due to the fast heat build up around the cylinder head. Now, I need to ask more questions.

 

This is great learning.....ask more

 

Yes ask more.

I never had a coolant puke empty or loaded (27.5k) until recently when it started getting hot (outside temp) here. I only puke when pulling a load and it is usaully around a gallon.

I would really like to cure this

 

I thought pukeing was caused by cylinder pressure lifting the heads due to weak head bolts and allowing pressure to build in the cooling system and thus pukeing out the coolant