Hi Everyone,

I had an idea and I wanted to see what you thought. According to what I have read here, one of the key problems with the whole oil cooler / EGR cooler issue is that the only supply of coolant is in series between the two parts. If there was a way to separate them and supply water to each of them individually then at least the failures would be isolated and it sounds like the EGR cooler would last most of the lifetime anyway. One thought is to utilize the water circuit from the heater core to supply directly to the EGR cooler and simply return the water from the oil cooler back to the exit of the EGR cooler. Another idea might be to utilize an electric coolant pump such as those on some Toyota applications where it would increase the water flow into the two parts and then the water supply could be split between them. I have not dug into this project yet so I don't know how hard it would be to even separate the systems.

Has anyone tried this concept and do we know what the required flow rates, pressures, and volumes needed for each part? I can envision some sort of machined part like those sold for the oil cooler delete modification that would hook up to the collant source and plumb it both ways at once.

My last question is, what do people think about the alternate approach of deleting the internal oil cooler in favor of the external one? I'm worried about cold climate use where it may be hard to keep the oil warm enough and also about any issues with the remote mounted oil filter. I actually like the top mounted oil filter except for the problem of starting the engine with the oil filter dry after a change. I usually pre-load my spin-on filters and minimize the dry time.

I know that is a lot of questions at once. Clearly I have been searching and reading this forum. It's all keeping me awake at night now trying to come up with maybe a new fix we have not thought of yet...

 

I will give it go. Not so much supply, it is corrosion and plugging of the ever so small openings in the oil cooler. Most of us have installed coolant filters to reduce the amount of trash circulating through the system. One company already offers an external oil cooler.

No need to worry about oil changes, the low pressure pump feeds the high pressure pump reservoir. The small amount of cranking required to refill the cannister is pretty mute.

 

I like the idea of the external oil cooler and when my truck is out of warranty I might try that route. I do not think the cooling of oil in the winter months whether for external coolers or bypass filters would be nominal. As long as you're using 5w40 syn, it should flow well. Also, block off the air flow to the external oil cooler itself, trucker do this in the winter for their radiators, and you should be fine. Since our diesels run off compression they create a lot of heat, enough to keep the oil flowing if heated in the oil pan and your block heater are used in the EXTREME cold areas...otherwise I think you should fine in average winter temps with that area blocked off and the average engone temps.

Anyone?

Mike

 

There is no water flowing through the heater core with the heater off. So in the summer you would fry the EGR. That black plastic valve with the vac line going to it, in one of your heater hoses, is what shuts off water flow.

 

OK, so that would just reinforce the need for a total EGR delete if you weren't under warranty.

 

Bradyracing - OK, that answers the possibility of using heater core feed. If this were to work I would need to either find another source or use a bosting pump to make enough water flow for both in parallel.

Maxium4x4 - Thanks for reducing my fears about the dry start. I hate doing this on gas engines because you can always hear the unpressurized lifters making the pushrods tap. And, you can't even preload the 6.0 oil filter because it drains when the cap is off.

It appears from what I have read that basically all the EGR cooler failues are due to the oil cooler plugging up. If the EGR cooler has a good strong source of coolant, it would eliminate one of the two major headaches, at least.

I have ordered the coolant filter and as soon as it comes in I plan to flush the system on my truck and install new coolant and filter. I'm probably 75% convinced I'm going to delete the oil cooler. My truck is a 2003. I don't know if it is early or late 2003 but unless I go in and re-build my oil cooler I won't know if I have a building problem or not. For the effort I might as well do the whole modification. The former owner did take very good care of it but none of these parts have been touched according to the dealership where he had it serviced.

 

This is a good perspective, thanks. I drive a friends Dodge Cummins on long trips and I'm pretty sure that one has an air/oil cooler on the front of the grille. Never any issues with oil temps too high or low. I will buy and oil temp guage also and can try the blocking trick if I ever need to.

 

Gauges on our trucks are a must. The are way to fickle not to give a close watch on the critical issues that they succumb too.