2005 F250 King Ranch
6.0 L psd, FX4

I'm getting really frustrated with my truck. I started having trouble with a lot of black smoke when I'd take off. I'm not talking the regular diesel smoke, this was really bad... like a cloud. The turbo lag was very bad, and it would just puke black smoke until the turbo spooled up. One morning it then started smoking a white/gray smoke when I'd stop, and then overheated. I shut it off and took it to the dealer.

They said the EGR was bad, and probably the egr cooler and oil cooler. Said the head gasket may be bad, but they wouldn't know until they got it running right. They wanted a ridiculous amount of money to fix it, so I picked it up to get a second opinion.

Second shop said they didn't think head gasket was the problem, and changed EGR, thermostat, and cleaned the injectors and egr cooler. Truck was still smoking, they said it was bad diesel and I had water in the fuel as well. Told me to drive it and try a fresh tank.

The truck ran ok for about a week. Still smoked, but wasn't overheating, but that didn't last long. I shut it off and took it back to the shop.

This time they installed some kind of baffle and screen kit from Ford somewhere by the EGR valve. They said this was a known problem with the 6.0, and this would fix it. When I picked it up, they said it was burning oil for some reason, but couldn't figure out why. Truck ran fine for about 5 days, then same thing... Black smoke and overheating.

I'm not taking it back to the same shop. They don't seem to know what they're doing. What do you guys suggest I look at? Some people I've talked to have said turbo, some intercooler, some head gasket....

If anyone knows somewhere I can take it in/around Houston that you recommend, let me know. Thanks in advance.

 

I am sure someone with more info will chime in soom but I would guess the following.
1) Black smoke.
This is probably due to sticking turbo VGT. Turbo should be replaced or cleaned with a bead blaster.

2) Over heating.
Sounds like you are not looking for warranty work so I would look into the head studs and gaskets, Full EGR delete, and new oil cooler. If I had to guess the over heating problem is steming from the oil cooler being restricted causing the coolant temps to raise and everything else from there.

Please keep us informed as you find out what is going on. And WELCOME to FTE!

 

I will check the things you have recommended... Thank you.
The thing that gets me, is that when the truck isn't smoking, the engine runs fine and doesn't overheat. It's only when it's smoking really bad that it overheats. I don't know if that means they're not related, or if it's just a coincidence, but I'm puzzled.

 

When you said the smoke goes away when the turbo spooled up that is what made me think the VGT is sticking. I still think that is the case and probably should be looked at for sure.

Also there have bee several threads on running hot in the last few weeks that you can take some time o look through. It is my opinion that the majority of the overheating or running hot issues can be cleared up with an EGR delete and new oil cooler. It is crazy how much crap that system puts back into the intake and engine. This will cause your oil to become dirty faster and cause restrictions in the coolers.

I did a full EGR delete, oil cooler,and new exhaust a few weeks back and have not heard my fan come on once since then and I hav run it hard several times.

 

Thanks, and I'll check the turbo.

What egr delete system did you go with? Any tips or things you would have done differently?

 

I welded both ends of the EGR cooler shut and re-installed. Made a block-off plate for the EGR valve and bolted it in place. allong with the oil cooler and exhaust everything is looking good so far. Truck runs much cooler and better overall. I have only put about 3 or 4 tanks through it since then but I got the advice from oters here on what to do and there are guys on here that have tons of miles on theis mod and all seem to be happy!

If I was to do it all again I would have saved for another month or so and did new head studs and gauges all at the same time. Now I have to do it in stages cause I diddnt do the ARP head studs or gauges. I did order the EGT gauge last week so I am on my way :-)

 

UPDATE:
Found what seems to be someone who can do the work and seems to know what they're talking about.... lol. This was all diagnosed over the phone btw...

turbo vanes sticking - he said it can be cleaned, but that it would probably break again if we did that. Recommended changing turbo. Thoughts on this?

EGR cooler - said it's probably leaking. Recommended deleting the cooler, but I'm hesitant because of the legality. I ordered the upgraded cooler from bulletproof diesel. Will post my thoughts when it arrives

oil cooler - said we should change it while in there. Makes sense, not that much more.


He said that he needs to do this stuff before he can say for sure if the head gasket is ok or not. Does that all sound reasonable?

 

I think everything is good except changing the turbo. If the unison ring isn't cracked or worn excessivly I'd clean it and reinstall it. Unless the bearings are bad or the turbine/compressor wheels are damaged then there's virtually nothing else that a good cleaning won't fix. That will at least give you some time to diagnose the rest of the problem. EGR cooler and Oil cooler DEFINITELY. Since you're in Houston you may be subjected to emissions testing so at least try to keep the EGR cooler for now.

 

Yup...X-2