What are the symptoms of a bad EGR cooler?

There are three main symptoms of a bad EGR cooler. They include: a. The unexplained loss of coolant from your degas (or overflow) bottle. Said another way, your coolant is low in the overflow bottle, but yet you can't find the coolant leaking from anywhere. b. White "smoke" (actually steam) coming out of the exhaust pipe. c. Coolant/moisture in your intake manifold is visible when you remove your EGR valve. You might also observe thick, wet black sludge and/or what appears to be an internal section of your intake manifold that has been "steam cleaned".

I see that there is the round style and the square style, what is the difference?

The round style is for early 6.0L engines including all 2003 models and a very few 2004 models. The square style fits all other 6.0L engines. The major outer differences between the two is the outer shape (round v. square) and the length (round is 18 inches, the square is 21.5 inches). The insides are the major difference. The round style uses a tube-type heat exchanger and features 37 tubes running from end-to-end. The square style uses more of a "radiator" style of channels and fins.

I have heard that the round-style is better than the square, is that true?

Typically, yes. In fact, the round style with its tube-type heat exchanger is a much more reliable type of heat exchanger. That being said, the round one isn't perfect, it is just more reliable than the square-style cooler, which isn't saying much!

Are the round and square coolers interchangeable?

No. The round style is shorter and requires a different intake manifold than the square cooler.

How can I tell which EGR cooler FIts my 6.0L?

If you have a 2003, you should have a round style cooler. If you have a 2005 or newer, you have a square style cooler. If you have a 2004 model, most 2004's have the square cooler, but a small percentage were produced with the 2003 round version. The easiest way to tell? Check your VIN code.

A sample VIN code is: 1FTRW21P24EB10150. In the middle of the VIN code, you see the digits "4EB". The 4 means that it was a 2004 model year. The "E" denotes which production plant built your truck. In this case, E is for Kentucky. Lastly, the "B" is the start of the sequence number (the last 6 digits of the VIN). Some early 2004 models have a "4EA" code. The "A" denotes the early build and most likely is a round-style cooler. The "B", "C", "D" or more all denote later model 2004 builds with square style EGR coolers.

What is an EGR cooler, anyway?

An EGR cooler is an emissions (pollution) related device that is mandated by Federal Law. It's purpose is to cool down hot exhaust gasses before they are reintroduced back into the engine. The exhaust gasses are used to try and cool down combustion temperatures within the engine. Cooler combustion helps stop the formation of NOx (nitrides of oxygen) pollutants, a leading ingredient in the formation of acid rain.

How is your BulletProof Upgraded EGR cooler better?

The BulletProof Upgraded EGR cooler is better in three key areas: a. Better Materials means that we use all stainless steel throughout the entire remanufacture of the EGR cooler. b. Better Design means that we use all round geometry throughout the entire cooler. When things get hot? They all expand in the same direction and at the same rate. When things cool down they contract in the same direction at the same rate, too. This leads to reduced thermal stress throughout the structure. c. Better Built means that you can have confidence that your BulletProof EGR cooler will last. We weld together every single seam, every single joint so that this part lives up to its name.

What comes with your EGR cooler?

The EGR cooler comes just by itself. If you want the option to add gaskets or other accessories, you can simply add them directly from our web page and purchase them at the same time.

Will upgrading my EGR cooler give me more performance?

While we get this question a lot, the answer is no. If you really want performance, talk to us about what we can do for you with our SCT programmers and a customized tune just for you and your truck.

How did you all come up with your upgraded EGR cooler?

We own a diesel shop here in Mesa, AZ and we have lots of customers with Ford 6.0L diesel trucks. It wasn't too long before our customers were bringing coolant-losing, steam producing Ford 6.0 after 6.0 into our shop. We would, of course, sell them a new Ford EGR cooler and send them on their way (this was BEFORE we knew about the oil cooler problem, too!). Well, 8,000 miles later those customers would come back, warranty in hand and inquire as to just how soon we were going to repair their truck, again, this time for free.

Although Ford would honor the warranty on the EGR cooler, paying a technician another 8.5 hours of labor, buying more fluids, etc, was a fast track to the poor house. We knew that there had to be another way.

Using our noodle (as our kids might say) we took the best of the round-style cooler design and married it into the embodiment of the square-style cooler. We showed it to a few customers and each one said "I want THAT in my truck, today!"; and the rest is now history.