Hello everyone!
This is my first post here. I have read a lot of the posts, on this site, and after hearing all the problems that people have, I feel somewhat fortunate.

I have had my 2005 F350 CC for 3 years now. I bought it second hand with 40,000 miles, on it. I now have 75,000. I use it to pull my 36ft gooseneck race trailer about 4 times a year and my open car trailer fequently. I also use the truck as my daily driver.

Within 1 month of purchase I bought a Banks Power Pack kit and installed it. I was hoping for better MPG. I got maybe 1 mpg on average but the power increase was incredible.

Until recently I have had little trouble (1 dead battery and a clogged fuel filter). Last week when I took the 36ft to Carlisle (50 mile trip) It over heated and puked severly. When it cooled, in the morning, it took 3 gallons of coolant to refill it. There was still a lot of pressure, in the system, when I took the cap off. I read that this is a good indication that the head gaskets are not blown. Is this correct?
I have used the truck, to go to work, all week and it is not overheating but the coolant is still slowly disappearing.

According to all the info that I have gathered from other posts, it must be a problem with that EGR cooler. I am looking at upgrading or deleting it. I woud realy like to delete it but I am concerned about getting hit during Pa. state inspection. I think that the stations here are supposed to do a visual to see that the factory emission equipment is intact. Have any of you ever had trouble getting an EGR delete through an inspection?

I always do my own work so I am getting ready to do EGR and maybe head studs. I really want to get it done so that I can make a car show in Ohio in August.
A few questions that keep coming to mind are:

What are the steps that are required to lift the cab off? Would it be easier to pull the engine out of the compartment?
Where can I find all the torque specs?
Do I need any special tools?

If I do this work, I will try to take some pictures and share the results.

Thanks to all of you.

 

if u are loosing coolant it's leaking down thru a bad egr cooler..do a EGR delete..
i did one on my 2005...you DO NOT HAVE TO TAKE THE CAB off..

It takes about 12 hrs to do one..you have to remove the trubo and turbo mount and a few big hoses connected to it..this is how i worked on my truck..



EGR Cooler:


Old UP Ppie:


Old EGR Valve:



ALL GONE..I went with River City Diesels EGR delete kit...truck runs soo much nicer now! I also put a 4inch Magnaflow exhaust turbo back on with no cat at the same time.

The work isnt that hard to do..just time consuming. To put new up pipe in i took out the right inner plastic fender and it's a straight shot to it. It's a lot easier if the pipe comming down off the turbo isnt there (why i did the 4inch turbo back at the same time ..gives ya more room to work with it off).

 

Personally from what I have been reading I think I would go with the Neil Ind. upgrade. It is much stouter looking than the stock unit and living in Ca. they change inspection requirements like most people change underwear therefore you never know what the rules will be tomorrow. with the carcon cap legislature and everything else happening I only want to do it once. And don't forget ramifications if you have any warranty left.

 

12 hours to do an EGR delete? UMM try more like 4? Did you fall asleep while laying atop the engine or while under the truck taking the up pipes loose? Having a second set of hands to help with the pipes could prob shave time off this, but I was flying solo.

 

Thanks for the help..Help I like the scafold Good idea. This is the highest engine bay I ever had to work on. I asked about the cab off procedure because I am thinking about doing the ARP head studs. If work on the Egr cooler solves the immediate problem, the studs can wait.

I am still torn about delete or upgrade. The hot rodder in me is screaming delete but as 69CJ stated you never know what they will require next, for inspection.

I guess, if it only takes 12 hours and I save the old parts, then I could relatively easily go back and do the upgrade, if I had to.

 

couldn't you just replace the egr oem and unplug the valve?

 

NO, its not an EGR valve problem, its an EGR COOLER problem.

 

ooooo oops my bad

 

Not necessarily leaking coolant is always due to a bad EGR cooler. It could be, but it doesn't mean that it always is.


As was already stated, that is entirely too long unless you are just a slow paced person. 4 hrs would be about the right time to get it done for just a delete. I would actually suggest a bypass if the OP is concerned with visual inspections at a later date. That's what I'm running and I haven't had a problem due with it. Just have to make sure about the welding around the up-pipes(y-pipes) as that is a weaker metal and it cracks easily if it's still warm when you do the "operation".

Not exactly the best thing for your truck, especially if you're worried about longevity and reliability.

Did you pressure test it? Just "eyeballing" the degas bottle pressure isn't enough in my book to rule out headbolts, particularly knowing that you're running a Banks system on there and knowing how Banks makes it's power.

It could be, but not necessarily. Until you pressure check the degas bottle, I wouldn't rule anything out. Because what might seem to be alot of pressure to you, it might be a small leak. I'm not saying that it is there, but I would check to make sure before you tear down and do labor on something that isn't fixing the root cause of everything. You could actually have both as well, so just because it isn't holding good pressure at the cap doesn't mean you still don't have an EGR problem.

If you're concerned with passing emissions, especially visual, just do the bypass.

By the way, dump the Banks and get something that truly programs the truck's ECM and TCM especially. Banks products tune neither.

 

Haha, love the ladders and plank. I found it much easier and more stable to just take the front tires off and put the axle down on some low jack stands.

 

Pull everything off the top of that engine, clean it, inspect it and put it all back together in 4 hours? Boy howdy! My hats off to you fellas.

 

It always takes me 2-3 times longer than what people on here say. I'm really **** though and use a torque wrench on everything, clean very well, etc.

 

I agree with Shawn, My 04 has never had a problem and I'm a pretty fair mechanic but I can see 12 hours before I see 4. Maybe it's the way I clean everything. Actually I hope to never do the job but I can see how much better the aftermarket parts are. Maybe because I'm 65 now..........Good luck

 

4 hours for an EGR delete and only an EGR delete, not headstuds, clean and inspect all components. Only the EGR delete itself. Less to do just the by-pass.

Bean can do it quicker, but he also knows a little more "tricks" then just someone like us DIYers.

 

I hear ya cart. I'm pretty **** about doing things too. Do it right the first time and be done with it. 4 hours is just amazing to me.... i'm not trying to be a smart a#$ but man that's really moving.