The Most Important Part: Preventive Maintenance
“The 6.4L makes oil.” That’s a joke with a story behind it. Engine blow-by happens when the fuel/air mixture in the combustion chamber is able to sneak through piston rings and reach the crankcase. Left alone, the diesel fuel that gets to that crankcase mixes with the engine oil and increases the amount of fluid held within.
So oil isn’t really being made, but the additional fuel mixed in makes it seem as if there’s more of it.
The 6.4L is notorious for this kind of thing, but it’s not a catastrophic problem if routine maintenance is performed. Regular oil changes will avoid situations in which diesel fuel has contaminated engine oil to the point of potential damage.
Likewise, ensuring that a 6.4L has enough coolant and that it is circulating as it should is extremely important. The engine oil cooler and the EGR cooler both depend on it. And further failures can lead to head gasket failure and even burned-out cylinder heads.
Additionally, fresh fuel filters and oil filters are a must for a reliable 6.4L. Since we already know there are potential issues with fuel and oil mixing, it pays to ensure filters are doing their jobs effectively.
In fact, it’s somewhat common to see coolant filters added to the 6.4L, as these can help limit the debris that plugs up the engine oil cooler.
There are some other upgrades that many 6.4L owners feel are important: The stock radiator often gets replaced due to its plastic tanks, which can crack and leak.
The plastic impeller on the water pump can degrade over time, so aluminum alternatives are used. Fuel rail pressure sensors are infamous for failing, so having a spare handy might not be a bad idea.
Data monitors can be a great way to keep an eye on what’s going on in and around an engine.
One of the least expensive offerings on the market happens to be pre-programmed for 6.4L engines—the ScanGauge 2. It can display up to four parameters at once, such as oil, coolant, transmission, and exhaust temperatures.
It can measure other things too, such as fan speed, amount of turbo boost, and exhaust back pressure. The idea is that monitoring these data points can alert a truck owner to a problem before it becomes a catastrophe.
The 6.4L Power Stroke can be a frustrating beast, and there are countless horror stories about failures it can experience. However, being a stickler with maintenance and solving a few of the inherent problems with aftermarket solutions can transform the engine into a reliable and durable powerplant.
Source List:
ARP
www.arp-bolts.com
800-826-3045
Bullet Proof Diesel
www.bulletproofdiesel.com
888-967-6653
Motorcraft/Ford
www.motorcraft.com
ScanGauge/Linear Logic
www.scangauge.com
480-556-4089