TIL bypassing the EGR cooler isn't always the smart move on a 6.0 Powerstroke

For years I swore by deleting the EGR cooler on every 6.0 that came through my shop in Denver. I figured less heat and less gunk meant fewer head gasket failures. But after I had a truck come back with a cracked oil cooler six months later, I started digging into the numbers. The oil temps were running 15 degrees higher without the EGR system moving coolant through. I compared two identical 2006 F-350s side by side over a month and the one with the stock EGR cooler ran oil temps 12 degrees cooler under load. Now I only recommend a bypass if the customer also upgrades to a bulletproof oil cooler. Has anyone else seen this play out different on the 6.4s?

2 comments

2 Comments

torres.sage23d ago

Wait, 15 degrees? That's way more than I would have guessed. I always thought the heat rejection was minimal from the EGR system, but that's a big swing. Sounds like you found a real difference in oil temps under load, I would have never thought to check that. I've deleted a few 6.0s myself but never ran them on the same setup side by side like that. Maybe I've been leaving some heat on the table without knowing it.

the_lee23d ago

Yeah, the oil temp thing surprised me too. I ended up doing a back to back test on my own truck and the deleted setup ran about 10-12 degrees cooler on the gauge after a long pull up a grade. Idk, it just seemed like the radiator wasn't working as hard to shed that extra heat.