Just bought this 2003 250 3 months ago use it for work truck it is grossing 10,600Lbs [not pulling a trailer] and I use it every day. I have heard not one good thing about this engine since they came out, until I found this forum. I was really worried about serious problems.I carfaxed it and there have been no major repairs [egr cooler, heads or gaskets] anyway after reading this forum I feel a lot better. Just yesterday I disconnected EGR wires ,removed air inlet to remove throttle plate [it is a2003 and I had read on here that could or could not have one, it does not] and also removed egr valve just to see how bad it look in there, not to bad, for 103,000 miles. What will the egr cooler do now can it still put coolant in the intake , can you completey remove cooler? Also I live way out in the sticks NO EMMISSION so any good ideas on exhaust mods. that would help engine? Sorry I forgot to mention that I owe Y'all a bunch of thanks.

 

Yes, you can completely remove the entire EGR system and if you don't think that emissions will come your way within the life of you owing that truck then I would do that. I live in an emissions county, so I just did the bypass. Also you are going to need to tune the EGR out of the PCM I do believe otherwise it'll go into EPA limp mode. Given that you'll need some type of tuner and the cheapest and readily available ones more often then not increase hp/tq(unless you specifically ask for tunes that don't change engine output(which is possible)), I would also invest in some good quality gauges. I actually would suggest this rather tuned or not, but especially if you are tuned. Ford already pushed the envelope with these engines with stock tuning, a/m ones push it even further.

Only other thing would be to remove the cat and the muffler. EGT reductions are there, however, they are slight if you still keep the stock exhaust, go to a 4" and it will be better. Don't go to a 5" unless you are planing to do the mods in my siggy as you'll actually lose low end hp if you go too big. The only other benefit is the sound and how much of it you want. The cats are the hp robbing ones like when cats first started coming out, so "you" don't really have that argument anymore.

 

thanks, that is a lot of good info!! I too with what I really know about these engine thought they were pushing it [300+hp & 500+torque @ low rpm's out of 6.0 liters] but like they say if there is a will there is a way.