04 F250 Deisel Super Duty makes fog
 

My 04 Super Duty Turbo Diesel makes fog from the exhaust pipe. :-huh Intermittent. Sometimes at startup. Usually on the road at higher RPM or power. Coolant gets low. Much of the time it runs fine with no fog. One Ford-Experienced fellow says likely the EGR Cooler. (Thats better than a blown head gasket, right?)
- What other failures could cause this?
- What$ involved in fixing an EGR cooler?
- Any possibility that stop-leak could help? (Such as Barts Leaks Liquid Copper Block & Radiator Sealer)

Thanks, Roy

Yep that sounds right once the cooler is gone its gone, i would delete the egr all together if you want your truck to last longer and run better

IMO loc wire and o-ring the heads as you have to remove them to change the egr cooler. But yes it is your egr cooler.

I'm new to this kind of engine, so I have some questions:

WH90 Writes: "once the (EGR) cooler is gone its gone, i would delete the egr all together if you want your truck to last longer and run better"

- What do you mean delete the EGR altogether? Remove/disconnect it? What would not last as long with the thing replaced as built?

Todd316 says: "IMO loc wire and o-ring the heads as you have to remove them to change the egr cooler."

- Do you mean put lock wires on the head bolts? (I'm familiar with lock wires in aircraft: strong steel wires used with bolts having holes in the heads to keep them from backing out.)
- What O-rings do you mean? Are these used under the head bolts?

Note: a conversation today with the local Ford service manager confirms that it is most likely the EGR cooler:
- Many have cracked letting coolant into the exhaust. The things have been redesigned. (The power stroke engine when introduced had this and other serious problems.)
- Ford recommends that the cab be removed from the truck to get access to the engine for EGR cooler replacement.
- The EGR cooler is at the rear of the engine in a rather inaccessible place.
- The repair at the dealer might be on the order of $1500
- Probably wise to replace some other parts at the same time to prevent failure later on (This truck has about 130,000 miles on it.)
- Only some independent truck shops in this area tackle this job.
- Stop-Leak of any kind is not going to help. The problem will only get worse as time goes on.
- No long trips are recommended. Local trips might be ok but watch the coolant very closely (and the temp guage.)

Thanks in advance for any answers to my questions.

Roy

The EGR Delete is a bit pricy but if i had a 6.0 its worth it here is a link to it
EGR Delete

there are others thats probably cheaper i know that Elite Diesel Engineering.com also as things to get around it, there link is here

Elite Diesel

If your problem keeps coming up with coolant loss you prob have a cracked or warped head then i would put head studs in it and not worry bout it anymore that should fix it up. If you have alot of turbo boost on your truck then the head studs are a must. you can also find those on the elite diesel site.

[quote=WH90;6675066] "The EGR Delete is a bit pricy but if i had a 6.0 its worth it "

I am getting the idea that the original EGR cooler system causes trouble in the long run, beyond cracks in the cooler. Can someone tell me what happens? Why is it a good idea to install the EGR delete?

"If your problem keeps coming up with coolant loss you prob have a cracked or warped head then i would put head studs in it "

I assume that the coolant loss and the fog from the exhaust is only from a cracked EGR cooler. The engine overheated only moderately and only once. I let up on the speed instantly and it cooled down right away - I don't think that the thing got hot enough to warp or crack a head (At least I HOPE not).

"If you have alot of turbo boost on your truck then the head studs are a must."

My turbo is stock as far as i know. And I have not driven the truck hard at all. No off-road driving or very hard towin - only on the highway towing a two-horse trailer. The transmission temperature has never gotten above normal. When you say "a lot of turbo boost", do you mean with an aftermarket turbo?

There have been a few times on the road when I heard some short noises from the engine while changing throttle settings, as in getting it to shift back to a higher gear on a hill - When I would let up on the accellerator. It sounded like something was going on in the intake or turbo- soft popping or fluttering noise. I hope that was not a dangerous thing to have happen. (This is an automatic transmission.)

It seems to me that I can get the thing to stay in highest gear by letting up on the accellerator to get it to shift (to lower RPM) and then very gradually increasing the power. Maybe the turbo has a chance to spin up to a higher speed that way. Does that make sense? I have done this very gently - no big power changes or punching the accelerator at all.

[quote=Roy Morgan;6675677]

See what happens is people drive these creatures like a grandma and they soot up and the egr valve gets stuck and throws a check engine light, also letting them idle kills it to, The harder you are on the 6.0 the better it is but with factory setup you should be ok with Exhaust Temps, just let the turbo cool down a few minutes before you shut it off, back to the EGR, when the EGR cooler get to hot it cracks and coolant is blown out of the exhaust, if you dont watch the level of water, the oil cooler get to hot and cracks it, resulting in oil and coolant mixed together and turns into a chocolate milk looking substance and is impossible to clean completely,

Next question

If you keep loosing coolant or blows a rusty looking water out the resivoir its a good sign your head gaskets are gone. and you have to pull the heads and check for warpage then, since there already off you have to replace the factory headbolts bc they are stretch bolts only can be used one time, replace them with head studs so if you do get on it hard one day or pulling something you dont have to worry about that. and they are reusable.

Next Question

Factory turbos can lift the heads under extreme conditions, ford has told us that an aftermarket program is better for all 6.0s because of the egr but legally they cant do that cause of emissions. the best thing for it is to remove the egr completely so you dont have to worry about any more failures

Next question

about the noise you are describing, not sure on it

Conclusion

If i had a 6.0 i would do these mods as i could but if you cant check your water level all the time. I have seen all 3 things go at one time cause of not checking water. your truck would perform and last alot longer. IF your engine starts to over heat shut it down when you can do so safely, i hope i have helped ya let me know on anything else

By the way sounds like the dealer is trying so screw you on some pricy labor you dont have to remove the cab from the truck, the cooler come out with the intake manifold believe me we have done so many of them with your truck being a 2004 your intake tube to the turbo does not have the restrictive scoop to force exhaust to the EGR the elite diesel people have that exhaust block to simply stop flow to the egr which is what i would do if it were me it only takes a few hours to but a new cooler on the truck

Fixed!
 

Bottom line on the truck is the EGR cooler had a leak (Very common -
Ford redesigned the part). Needed a new starter. Big Buck$ later the truck
is fine!

- They confirmed the suspected diagnosis by removing the EGR valve (coneniently located on top of the engine) and jacked up the rear of the truck a foot or so. Coolant leaked past the EGR valve housing. BINGO!

- The truck guys I had do the work lifted the cab up off the truck 6 or 8 inches to get access to the rear part of the engine. Taking the cab OFF is not really needed.

Roy

glad its fixed, but still there is no need to lift up the cab all you do is remove the intake manifold and it all comes off

glad its fixed, but still there is no need to lift up the cab all you do is remove the intake manifold and it all comes off

Exactly right...I have one apart right now and the cab is in the same place as when I started...lol. Same problem too, bad EGR cooler. Mine also dropped the #4 injector...Fun, Fun...