I'm a retired Ford master tech and I thoroughly enjoy you videos !! I'm sure you have more work than you can shake a stick at. I would have no problem with you working on my vehicles. Thanks again for quality content
This is so crazy!!! I’m a General Manager for Advance Auto and I’m working with a customer on figuring out what the issue is for his 6.4! You are giving me SO MUCH freaking information! We are second sourcing a mishimoto radiator for him and got him a new cap. You are saving lives out here!!!
No wonder Ford diesels had so many problems. It's really amazing how few mechanics take pride in their work. I had to quit the dealerships and go on my own to preserve quality repairs, and an affordable price. Since they made it necessary to pull the cab off the truck to access the engine, I have declined to work with any diesel, in spite of my qualifications. You are an honest mechanic, and this is so rare. Keep up the great work.
Sir, you are the single greatest thing to happen to the diesel community since the invention of the turbo diesel itself. The knowledge you provide in these videos, ESPECIALLY regarding the 6.0, is invaluable. I’m about to purchase a 6.0 King Ranch. Without watching these videos I never would have even considered the 6.0 over a 7.3 or a 6.4, but now I feel confident that I can bulletproof it and keep it in service for hundreds of thousands more miles. Thank you very much for your work.
People no matter what motor you have: gas, diesel.... No matter who made it. Listen to this man's words. He is 100% correct. I check all coolant caps every 6 months or before a long trip. Little things like this and proper maintenance (oil changes, etc) will save you a lot of money and make your motor last much much longer. I didn't get 200,000mi+ out of a Chevy 350 by letting things go. All it's ever had was a water pump and A/C compressor. Just by doing regular maintenance It still runs like new everyday. I drove semi-trucks for a living and just by doing good maintenance on them. I only had 2 breakdowns in over 2,000,000 miles. (Neither were major just more than I could fix on the side of the road)
Thanks for the vid. I was having some issues with my 6.0 overheating while pulling a trailer and four-wheel, and ascending a hill. Put the new cap on, and the issue went away.
I have now become a member, I checked mine ( 2006 F-350 6.0 58,000 miles ) right after watching this video, at Auto Zone using there tester, had top pressure of 5 PSI with slow leak to 0 PSI.Thanks and look forward to more information videos.
this is great advide and as someone who did a lot of his own mechanical work on his vehicles i found that radiators were also important, i have a 289 that started to overheat on the highway so i changed the head gaskets three times in one week thinking that was the problem, i ran my hand across the rad and the fins turned to dust, changed the rad and problem solved, my dad bought a dodge car and it was set up for towing a trailer and he went on a trip and it cost him over a thousand dollars to have his engine fixed because of overheating, when he got home i changed his rad and he never had a problem again, cooling is so important along with regular oil changes that most take for granted. i love people like you that do these type of videos for do it yourselfers like me.
Its not just Ford trucks . Its basically screw on caps for all manufacturers that use that style cap . I have changed many even on GM small cars . It seems the radiator cap is the most visible & yet the most neglected item under the hood . Just last week someone asked why is my upper hose collapsed ? I said, radiator cap & they looked at me like I was an idiot . I took off the cap & showed them the deformed rubber seal & reccommended a new cap . Good video good advise !
Low coolant pressures cause coolant to boil close to 212 F.. Nucleate boiling is happening in the cylinder heads near the exhaust valve jacket without system pressures in the 16psi to 19psi range.. This condition allows very high temperatures and cylinder head distortion, combustion destruction of the head gasket by clamping pressure reduction and then the fire rings burn out. When nucleate boiling is going on there is no cooling in that area and the rapid expansion of the coolant turning to steam is pushing liquid coolant away causing more over heat . Using a non H2O mix coolant will help .
I bough an 2008 power stroke and noticed some coolant underneath the truck a couple days later and decided to try and find out what was causing the problem myself before I took the truck back to the dealer or shop and had it repaired , After I did a search and watched the video I walked out to the truck raised the hood and removed the radiator cap and sure enough it was the old cap with the small spring , I replaced it as you instructed and have drove the truck almost 2200 miles and no more fluid leaks and the truck and I thank you , PS the truck had been into a Ford dealership the month before I bought it for service , I would have thought they would have checked the cap and replaced it since it was the dealership where the truck was purchased .
Just wanted to say thank you, I followed your advice and replaced my cap. I had an intermittent coolant leak on my truck since day 1. I put a new cap on, and found the leak! WATERPUMP! Replaced my waterpump using the video instructions you made, now my leak is gone! Thank you for all the videos you make, you certainly have saved me a pile of cash! Keep doing what you do!
Thanks, Bill. Absolutely correct with this. My 7.3 had a bad cap, and it was still on the reservoir AFTER I rebuilt my engine due to a damaged #8 cylinder.
I have a 2000 E-350 7.3; I had some fuel issues.The last thing I have to do is the # 8 injector that's not shooting oil and is causing a miss and loss of power .Thanks SO MUCH for your videos; They have help me so much, and I have saved so much money doing it my self. Me and my family thank you so much for your time and your videos.
Thank you I will get one today I try to watch all your videos this is not the first video of yours that has helped me if my truck breaks I am bringing her to your shop
hi Bill, love the videos, tons of info sharing here. I relate so much to many of your videos. I have a 2002 7.3l, 6 inch lift with 40 in tires, 3.73 gears. I'm on my 4th transmission and recently 2nd motor due to the Coolant bottle having Crack in it. I was 20 when I bought the truck and have been learning the hard/expensive way. everyone is quick to take my money but lack the knowledge and or professionalism to help me solve root problems. thanks for taking the time to create so many informative videos! not once did someone say you should change your gearing to stop eating transmissions, just install a new one, tell me everything's all good, then I'm back in the shop 2 years later, they love me. even the cracked Coolant bottle, they replaced the motor but never replaced the bottle, setting me up for another engine failure. I'm from bc canada and it just seems like a lot of guys lack the specific knowledge to work on my truck. maybe one day I can road tripper down and have a bulletproof done! thanks again, cheers!
This is a great video. I watched it several times. I went and bought a new cap for my Powerstroke within 1/2 hour of watching it for the first time. Thanks for making it.
You have to appreciate a man that goes on the internet and gives out free advice to save you money at the cost of taking business from himself. Luckily there's quite a few people that ignore said advice.
This guy is very smart when it comes to power strokes! Just had my fiancé watch this with me. We Subscribed. So fortunate to have this man sharing his mechanical intelligence with everyone!! 😀
@semloo The 6.7 is unique because it has two separate cooling systems, two water pumps, two radiators, two thermostats etc. One system for the engine cooling only and the other system for all the emissions systems. This way if the EGR cooler ruptures it wont destroy the engine. BIG PLUS. And YES the cooling caps are updated. It looks like a rats nest under the hood but it seems to work well.
With the vast availability of aftermarket parts we get caught up in. We often forget the most important maintenance parts that keep our vehicles running. Thank you for this video.
I hear ya Bill!!! The last several hundreds of coolant caps I've pressure tested on Ford, Dodge, Chevy, and many others have been total trash. It's clear that their suppliers have let them (an us) all down. The majority of caps are somewhat functional, but are typically functioning below their specified pop-off pressures by 3 to 4 psi. However, there have been many that have been totally worthless as well. It seems that modern vehicles are built so poorly, with inferior products. It's really sad. At one point I even checked my tester to make sure that it was still working correctly because it seemed unrealistic for such a high failure rate. Turns out, my pressure tester is perfectly fine and functional, but the vast majority of vehicle coolant caps really are absolute garbage.
It's like you were in the truck when we were towing up the grade out of Needles, CA and the fan clutch went out and engine overheated. That $5 cap was $3K in repairs while stranded in Havasu! Fan clutch, new turbo unit, hoses, labor.....1 Ford dealer on a Holiday weekend. Great videos, thanks!
Absolutely perfect Video.. Being a 20+yr mechanic the first thing I do is go get a radiator cap and fully flush the cooling system the day I buy a Ford .. and I always tell my customers I will not diagnose any cooling problems until it's been done on ANY vehicle as I have seen too many gm vehicles with the exact same cap on them.
Just wanted to thank u for the help as soon as the vid was over I went next door to the auto parts store an paid $5.70 for my cap. Thanks for the great vid an all the great help!
Thank you for this info. I would bet a a dollar you’re right about why the head gaskets fail on the 6.0. I will be getting a new cap TODAY. Excellent video!
Little details make a big difference, no matter what subject you want to consider in life. It's amazing how many people ignore the little details and how often. I'm guilty also. Thanks for bringing a seemingly little detail to our attention.
IT IS IMPORTANT ON ANY VEHICLE WITH A COOLING SYSTEM FOR THE CAP TO WORK CORRECTLY. The 7.3 does not generally make as much heat as the 6.0 so it is less of a problem.
This may seem simple to some People, But this Man is trying to teach you the simple things that can cause may problems. THANK YOU. FOR THIS BEING HONEST.
Thanks Bill, I'm brand new to the diesel world. I bought a 08' F250 with 127,000 on it, a month ago, and read some stuff on the coolant and fuel filters. So had them both change last week, and tomorrow I'm heading to down to get a new coolant cap. I'm glad I've found this on youtube. Thanks again.
im a gas truck guy, but a mechanic none the less, n u rock, most mech's arent like u n me, i love the numbers, the calculations, the science, the theorycrafting.
Bill you might find this interesting I've left my cap LOOSE since new . after hearing the head gasket problem I started doing my own experimenting. loose I had perfect heat perfect Ac when towing (6 days a week) my fan will come before my gauge budges . of course I use my situational awareness vigilantly. as you know my trucks never been altered and I'm based out of FL so alot of my hauling is in brutally hot temperatures. I've never replaced a oil cooler either other then change all my filters do all services exactly as severe duty calls for I've replaced radiators water pumps belts and tensioner before they broke I've replaced a couple fan clutch when they went bad and once losing a idler pulley and belt she climbed to towards the red towing 10-20 k dail daily 3000 miles a week she's never overheated or moved from her normal temperature reading. by the way I just rolled 450k original owner 6 liter never touch internally
hey just want to say personally thank you very much for posting this on here. I have been looking for an alternative to avoiding the seemingly inevitable blowing of a head gasket. I am going to order a part right now.
Man I'm not sure if you have stock options in cooling caps or not (kidding), but as a new diesel owner (6 days) you've scared the bajezus outta me, im headed to the part store now. LoL
I put my new slant cap on today. Last little trip I made to Nashville, I came back home and raised the hood just to check coolant level and I could hear air leaking from the factory cap right after I turned motor off, so I'm gonna see how the slant does. Thanks Bill!
I'm so glad you posted this video! I just put in a new thermostat and did a coolant flush like you've showed. I just noticed two days ago that there is residue from the evaporated coolant around the coolant cap. I'm getting my new coolant cap TODAY!!!!
As a non-trained mechanic, woman, I liked the simplicity of this video. There's a lot I can't do on these new diesels, but I believe I can change a cap. I completely get it. I'm down for it thx.
Thank you much sir. Every single one of your videos it's just awesome and full of information. I greatly appreciate all of the information you keep out help me keep my 7.3 tuned
Well done Bill. Now you should do one on flushing and changing coolant. The old 7.3's running on green coolant actually required coolant additives that no one ever used. Ford later 2002 went to Premium Gold. No additives required. Now there using the Specialty Orange again, which is Ford version of DEXCOOL. in some engines. Coolant like oil and transfluid, DOES HAVE A SERVICE REQUIREMENT. People think, "Its filled for life" WRONG!!!
Bill I am hooked on your videos. My 2000 F250 7.3 was total loss after woman ran stop sign at high speed I miss my 7.3. But I broke down and bought a 2005 F250 with 6.0 it made me nervous with all I had heard about them. I'm going out Tuesday and buying a radiator cap at Advanced Auto Parts. I'm going to sign up for your emails also tonight! You are a huge help in providing us information Thank You! Hot Springs Arkansas likes you Bill.
I love your videos and appreciate what you're doing on your channel! With advice from "everybody and their mother", we bought a 2007 F250 6.0 Diesel XLT for our small remodeling business. So, I've been on a mission to learn what I can to be a good owner, and take this truck to 500K, if possible. We're fairly sure the previous owners didn't do much for the truck. We bought low, and will get this baby whipped into shape!
WOW! $5 part... Going to get one today for my 6.4L. I have an 08 with 88k miles on it bone stock. Just filled coolant for the first time. Didn't know it could be the cap since there are no leaks found. Thank you.
Thank you so much for educating us on these Powerstrokes. My 2006 6.0 is one that I recently had blown head gaskets with and bullet proofed. I'll definitely tune in to the rest of your informative videos. Thanks again!
Man u r so unbelievably right when I get a vehicle I always replace all the caps no matter if they look new or not so I give u 4 thumbs up bro good lookin out for everyone thanks for being such a cool cat later.
When the pressure inside the cooling system increases above its psi rating, the pressure cap releases some of the coolant into the overflow tank. It does this by use of a spring loaded valve. Once enough coolant has exited the system to reduce the pressure, the valve closes again. This action allows the system to remain at the optimal psi while the engine is running. This is great for when the engine is running, but what happens when you turn it off? As the engine cools down and the pressure in the system drops, the pressure cap allows the excess coolant in the overflow tank to return to the system by use of a second spring loaded valve. This second valve responds to the vacuum created in the system from the drop in pressure and pulls the coolant out of the overflow tank. Not only does this recycle the excess coolant to prevent air pockets in the radiator, but it also prevents the softer components of the cooling system, such as the hoses, from becoming crushed by the external air pressure.
Its true. The main reason they replaced the cap besides what you stated is that the old style warns the drive by whistling when cooling system holding pressure is exceeded. The new style cap doesn't whistle but makes more of a soft initial pop noise along with a hiss that can barely be heard when under WOT as opposed to the old factory style. This allows the driver to operate the truck longer with blown head gaskets or leaking EGR cooler without knowing until you're out of warranty. LOL.
I appreciate these videos... I have been planning on getting a diesel truck. I really started liking the idea a few months ago, and came across a video about the 6.4 stating the problems.. so I started to dig into the issue... thanks. I had even bid on on a Ford F-250 with. 6.4... I lost the bid thankfully... I won’t be towing really heavy loads... and I’m not into increasing the horse power massively... I will be towing a trailer jetter.. once or twice a week, locally, it’s a pressure washer basically, with a 200 gallon tank.. I just want a good truck, and I see lots of deals on the 6.4 .. all the others are twice as much...it’s scary to know you could spend 15k on a used older 6.4 and think you got a deal, only to have to spend that much again to fix it... I would not have known without these videos
I'm glad i ran up on this video, i watch all of yours. I'm getting a new cap tomorrow, I done the EGR delete a new coolant cap that still has the small spring and it still blows the coolant out. Maybe it isn't a blowed head gasket after all. Thanks Bill!!
I just sent this video to my brothers friend in Montreal. He just bot an '06 6.0 litre with 100,000 km's, 62,000 miles, and it gets 12 mpg around town doing deliveries. I told him to use Syn oil, change the cap, and that's better than the 6mpg a gasser would get! I hope it helps him! and it (mpg) will get better in summer
good vid. i been say it for years. its the 1st thing i check when a car comes in.. has it got pressure.. never want engine at running temp with no pressure. with alloy heads its real bad. as soon as a boil happens you get steam pockets in high spots and then it can cause cracking. good to see you do this vid before you go into summer.
Thank you SO MUCH for sharing your knowledge, and not keeping it all behind the shop's door, making sure you can rip people off like others would. THANKS!
Just noticed that my coolant reservoir on my 02 7.3 was empty after towing my new fifth wheel for the first time. I saw the coolant at the top of the lower tube though, so I figured I had a crack in the reservoir. After inspecting it I didn't see any cracks...further research led me to your excellent video and I ran right over to Advance for a gallon of 50/50 and a new coolant cap. So far so good, but I will keep a close eye on the coolant level. Thanks for posting this video, I believe that you saved me some dollars!
Less of an issue because the 7.3 doesn't run at as high temperatures. But it is a good idea to check the cap, there is no excuse for having a poorly working coolant system on any vehicle.
@TamiyaRunner The physics certainly apply to every motor vehicle that uses coolant. Your cap may still be good because gas burners don't create the heat and pressure that a diesel engine does. But it is a good idea to check it any way.
