Bought my 05 new, had the turbo replaced 3 yrs ago at 35,000 miles. Now, turbo needing the veins cleaned at 49,900 miles. I have a few questions.

1.) Will cleaning the veins solve problem or should I expect another issue soon?
2.) Any additives that can be used for the turbo?
3.) Should I cut my loses and trade up for a different engine 08 upward?

Hard because the truck is paid for....Thanks

 

Tough call. I had to make the same decision but my 04 had been problematic. I traded for the 2011 truck in my signature. Very happy

 

I have a few questions for you.

From what I'm looking at here, you aren't putting a lot of miles on this truck.

If my math is correct, you are looking at 14,900 miles in 3 yrs? From the first turbo cleaning to the second one that you are looking at now correct?

Is this a grocery getter? Does it see any type of work? Every now and then do you "romp" on it after it warms up?

I foresee this as a perpetual problem for you if you aren't putting that much mileage on it and/or aren't working it. Either not working it by hauling/towing weight or every other weekend taking it for a little joy ride and rev it up the rpm band a few times. Clean out the system.

I don't see getting a new(er) diesel helping you out in this situation either. Atleast with a new(er) Ford. These newer diesels really do liked to be worked and driven quite often. If my math is correct, it isn't getting driven often, based on your first post it doesn't seem like it's getting worked either, but I don't know.

 

I drove an '11 yesterday, awesome. But to get rid of a paid for 6.0 with 50k because you think the turbo vanes are sticking doesn't make much sense.

 

You could buy a new turbo for $1300 worst case scenario......Fixing is always cheaper than buying another vehicle! $45,000 vs. a little inconvenience and a few dollars......I am right in your shoes with $5K worth of repairs but what Diesel truck could I buy for $5K! Mine is paid for too!
I say fix it and keep it running unless the truck is all beat to crap!

 

I say HAMMER DOWN and give that poor truck a work out !!!! GOWGE IT !! MASH that motor after you get those vanes unstuck of course. If you sat on the couch all the time you'd need heart surgery to clean up your veins. Your letting to much grass grow under those wheels. A little trucker lingo for ya.

 

You need to fully understand the root causes of the issue. Then you can improve your reliability and reduce the maintenance costs.

Causes / fixes for turbo rust and excess carbon:

1. Excessive idling - fix is to reduce the amount of idling and/or get the high idle mod.

2. Insufficient operation time to get vehicle to proper temperatures - fix is to get the latest calibration (flash), take your truck for some extended runs to get it up to temperature, excersize the turbo w/ some hard throttles (but only after fully warm)

3. Poor combustion - fix will be multiple items.

• Get batteries and alternator checked out
• Get a fuel pressure gauge and possibly replace the fuel pressure regulator spring
• Check FICM voltage
• Use a fuel additive to improve cetane
• Ensure that your fuel filters are changed at the proepr frequency and are the proper kind (motorcraft, racor or International ONLY)
• Ensure that the oil is the proper kind (5W40 is best w/ infrequent operation IMO)
• Ensure that you are changing the oil and filters at the proper frequency and that you are using the proper filter (motorcraft, racor or International ONLY)
• If your EGR valve is more than 3 yeasrs old, I would replace it.

4. Get a new turbo - the new turbos are designed a little differently to "help" prevent this. The new Garret turbo seems to be performing well also (if you want to try an aftermarket solution)


AND

The proper terminology is VANE not VEIN. Your blood circulation uses veins. Your turbo has guide vanes. I guess it is somewhat unimportant to post the terminology correction, but if people know the proper terms, hopefully they can better understand the principles behind the operation of the equipment:

The use of a variable geometry turbocharger (VGT) is a very efficient technology to improve performance and reduce emissions from direct injection (DI) Diesel engines. In order to take full advantage of the potential of VGT,without penalty on fuel consumption and driveability, electronic control of boost pressure is desirable (VGT actuator). The VGT actuator will vary the orientaion of the vanes (using a unison ring) so that the energy imparted to the compresor section can be efficiently varied and controlled. The VGT has a set of movable vanes in the turbine housing, and they control boost by controlling exhaust turbine inlet pressure. At low engine speeds when exhaust flow is low, the vanes are partially closed. This increases the pressure of the exhaust pushing against the turbine blades, making the turbine spin faster and generating more boost. As engine speed increases, so does exhaust flow, so the vanes are opened to reduce turbine pressure and hold boost steady or reduce it as needed. By reading a manifold pressure sensor, the Powertrain Control Module (PCM) can adjust turbine inlet pressure to control boost at any speed/ load and to limit boost at full load.

By using the VGT design, you do not need an inefficient wastegate.

http://www.search-autoparts.com/sear...08/article.pdf

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Turbocharger

The Tech folder has a good post on the VGT turbo and how it operates.

 

One other point, It takes my diesel app. 20 miles at freeway speeds for all temps to come up and normalize, saturate. Anything less and you are more than likely contributing to a condensation build up in the engine and other components. In other words you could be the weak link in this equation.

 

When it is below freezing mine will be at temp before I get on the expressway, which is around 6 miles. When warmer, it does not take that long.

 

If you are using factory gauges you are way off base. They are idiot lights amplified to make people feel good. You are not even close in my op.

 

That depends entirely on how it's driven. 6 miles at a pokey 20-30 MPH (what most people have out of their subdivisions) won't do it.

6 miles of 55 MPH country farm-to-market road will do a pretty good job of it.

Will add a +1 to the whole "drive it like you stole it" mantra... Mine sits a LOT, but when I do drive it, I drive it like a crazy man.....

-blaine

 

To the OP, I completely agree with those above who say that You need to work the truck. I just ran out of my 5yr warranty on my motor and I can say that it has been a great motor. I blew out a turbo last year, but that was due to bad tuning...I won't make the same mistake twice. I did just take it to a Diesel mechanic and he said that it is one of the cleanest 6L's he has ever seen internally. I told him it's because I use my truck to tow over 50% of the time which gives the turbo a good workout as well as using synthetic fluids and fuel additive in every tank.

I say that unless you have a wod of cash burning a hole in your pocket and you want a new 2011 Powerstroke, I would just either clean your turbo or replace it with the Garrett mentioned above and then just work the truck in the future and it will be good to you.

 

Like I said before, it takes mine 20 miles to fully warm up on the freeway. That's 65 to 70 mph. That is with digital gauges not factory idiot gauges. It takes that long for the ect/eot's to level out which is when I consider it fully warmed up.

 

That's what everyone, in my opinion, should consider to be warmed up. That time rate is going to change from person to person dependant on a variaty of factors and the only way to really know is to have a good quality set of gauges to help you get accurate reads on the vitals.

 

Thanks! I use the truck for towing only and it is not a grocery getter or do I baby it. I pull 4 horses up a 6% grade at 70 mph! Can't help that I didn't pull much last year as the economy was bad, diesel was $5 gal and I didn't go to many horseshows. Figured a vehicle could handle few miles without having to worry about the Venes (got repremanded in another post for wrong spelling) clogging up!