2018 F250 6.7L grandpas tow pig

[stlaser]

So bought this over the summer, July if I recall correctly. I wasn’t initially going to do a build thread but as I continue small upgrades it occurred to me I should document it to some degree.

[stlaser]

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[stlaser]

I bought it off the dealer lot with roughly 14k on it and super clean. Hitch had not even been put into the receiver at that point. Within a week I had a B&W flip over ball installed in the bed to tow our 37’ Fifth wheel rv. It came with several upgrades including auto drop down side steps, upgraded floor mats, color matched leer truck cap and carpet bed kit. (Carpet bed kit ie: grandpas truck as it were)

The first upgrade I did was to acquire a slightly used 1 year old RDL bed mounted aluminum 40 gal auxiliary fuel tank that I plumbed into oem tank. (Sorry zero pics of that) Which came in handy on our 2 week western Montana camping trip.

[stlaser]

I’ve since put 18k on it in roughly six months, 4 trips to Montana and back since relocating there. Just crossed 30k on it last trip down to Colorado. Per the Ford recommendations it was time to address the fuel filters. Stock units suck, poor design and expensive plus the micron filtering on them is around 10.

Black market performance makes both upper and lower new housings to utilize and easy spin on design. Both are well thought out kits and other than some hard to disconnect lower fuel lines (literally bruised ends of my fingers getting them to release, not BMP fault) it’s a simple install. They use caterpillar 4 micron spin on filters.










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[stlaser]

This morning I just ordered the s&s cp4 disaster prevention bypass kit and will be installing that sometime in December or January, we will see.

Link here to what I bought and all the details.

https://ssdiesel.com/product/ford-6-7-cp4-2-bypass-kit-2011/


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[stlaser]

Installed a set of Coopers new Rugged Trek AT’s at 25k


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[oklawall]

I have always had good luck with cooper tires, those look good

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[stlaser]

I have always had good luck with cooper tires, those look good

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Me too, I’m down to 4 vehicles currently and run them on everyone.

[Sammconn]

This morning I just ordered the s&s cp4 disaster prevention bypass kit and will be installing that sometime in December or January, we will see.

Link here to what I bought and all the details.

https://ssdiesel.com/product/ford-6-7-cp4-2-bypass-kit-2011/


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This was going to be my suggestion if you weren’t aware.
Not sure why I would think that but hey.

Probably one of the best investments for those affected by this setup.
For those that don’t know, when the CP4 grenades all the metal is flushed away instead of into the injectors.

[stlaser]

This morning I just ordered the s&s cp4 disaster prevention bypass kit and will be installing that sometime in December or January, we will see.

Link here to what I bought and all the details.

https://ssdiesel.com/product/ford-6-7-cp4-2-bypass-kit-2011/


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This was going to be my suggestion if you weren’t aware.
Not sure why I would think that but hey.

Probably one of the best investments for those affected by this setup.
For those that don’t know, when the CP4 grenades all the metal is flushed away instead of into the injectors.

Injectors, lines, tank all gets contaminated which turn into a $10k repair. My understanding if you have this kit it’s a fuel filter and new cp4 or a cheap insurance policy in other words. Other benefit is you can supposedly limp it farther as the cp4 is eating itself too.

[rpar86]

I just sent the link to my brother, he has a 2017 F350.

[stlaser]

I just sent the link to my brother, he has a 2017 F350.

Glad I made this thread, it wasn’t until I ordered that kit I decided to post up about the minimal mods I’m doing to the truck for this very reason.

[stlaser]

Well, this showed up. Order it a long time ago and took twice as long as estimated to get here. However, it’s here. Hoping to have time tomorrow afternoon to mount it.


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[TexasRedNeck]

Maybe a snow plow attachment based on the weather I saw…


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[stlaser]

No sir, cattle pusher made by buckstop

[stlaser]

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[stlaser]

Installing the frame mount brackets, so far everything is fitting nice


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[Bob Smith]

Shawn, will that Ford hold all the extra weight in front of the wheels?
Nice work just the same.

[stlaser]

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[stlaser]

Shawn, will that Ford hold all the extra weight in front of the wheels?
Nice work just the same.

Probably not, will most likely end up like that new Dodge down in Mehico with the slide in camper and broke frame….

[stlaser]

But I carry lots of ratchet straps so nothing I can’t bandaid together….
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[stlaser]

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[Flyin6]

Yea, that'll work
I like!

[Bigdave_185]

Boy howdy does that thing look massive!!


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[stlaser]

Yea, that'll work
I like!

I fear the Prius no longer, darn mulch bed might swallow me whole though with all that extra front end weight.

[stlaser]

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[Atkinsmatt]

Looks great.

[stlaser]

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So in this picture at bottom of the lower fuel filter is the water sensor. When I initially installed it I had to mess with it a little to get it to quit leaking. Fast forward 4k miles and right as this latest super cold snap / storm was descending upon us it started leaking again pretty good.

I had been in town picking wife up from hospital as roads that day were horrible. I stopped by a furniture store to waste ten minutes and shut truck off for roughly five minutes then came back to a hard start. Turned key off again and hit it, to which it hard started but took off. Directly there after received low fuel pressure warning which quickly went away.

Went to truck stop, topped off and double dosed the fuel as recommended for the negative temps coming. Drove it home w/o shutting off and left it. Following morning decided to put it in unheated garage and noticed fuel on ground under it. So I stuck a bucket under it in garage and called Ford dealer, assuming it was water sensor. Wife picked it up from Ford dealer on way home for $43

This morning I went out and turned on salamander to crawl under it and confirm it was that sensor leaking. Lost about two gallons of diesel over the long weekend. So I swapped it out, dried floor under that area and primed it with the key 6 or 7 times then fired it up and ran it for 10 minutes. No more leak, old sensor orings looked fine although at a passing glance new sensor orings looked larger slightly and it definitely turned in harder. So we’ll see but I may buy another one and toss in glove box as a spare.

[EL TATE]

But I carry lots of ratchet straps so nothing I can’t bandaid together….
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That is the most Kentucky thing i think i have ever heard... 

[stlaser]

But I carry lots of ratchet straps so nothing I can’t bandaid together….
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That is the most Kentucky thing i think i have ever heard... 

Well, I did spend a lot of time in Harlan KY…… 

[EL TATE]

But I carry lots of ratchet straps so nothing I can’t bandaid together….
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That is the most Kentucky thing i think i have ever heard... 

Well, I did spend a lot of time in Harlan KY…… 

Told him not to draw down on me...

[stlaser]

Just updating, turned 62,000 miles on this and upon servicing it realized the upper oil pan gasket is seeping. This is common in the 2015-2019 6.7L as Ford in all their wisdom went away from using an oring machined recess in the pan to just using rtv. Unfortunately it’s a very extensive job to repair and the. Will start seeping in another 50-100k miles. The permanent fix upon research is to use the 2011-2014 pan of which it’s a National back ordered part. Other than one on eBay I found for $1700 for a normally $600 pan. I’ve located and purchased a 2011-2012 used pan for $220, I will hot tank it and the local Ford dealer has agreed to use it in the repair.

Pan PN for reference
BC3Z-6675B

Video below showing the three different pans and differences

https://youtu.be/9zdpTlqPNvU?si=V3px7xKLJexdP2o_

[stlaser]

Truck got new shoes today, same 275/70R18 coopers as before. I was able to get 42-44K out of last set (can’t recall if truck had 24 or 26k) on it when installed. The old tires probably had 5-7k left on them but not acceptable going into winter weather and traveling again south in a few weeks.

I had the upper pan fixed. Worth noting service manager claimed it might have started leaking because of a plugged pcv filter. When I went to pick it up I asked if it was in fact plugged, it was not. The reality is the non oring 15-19 pan is a pos design. Glad I did the leg work to get a used oring version.


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[TexasRedNeck]

Good call on the pan.


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[stlaser]

Purchased this shortly after all the Colorado shop moving trips finished in Oct of last year. Finally, today I removed a lot of tools I carried on those trips. Installed this under the seat gun box. Plan is an 870 & AR15 in there.


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[stlaser]

Prior to the final road trip to Colorado I was able to get the refinished bumper mounted and those  4x6 rigid led’s wired up. Ended up leaving casa at 2am and they lit up the Montana countryside to near daylight.


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[Flyin6]

That's Mule Deer killin cool right there.

Wondering if I need a bumper and grill/cattle guard like that

On the recent trip to Utah, I was tooling down the road at 70 and at the last possible second caught the outline (ears mostly) of two Mulies standing broadside in my lane. I called the engine room and ordered "Emergency full-back" and Scottie give it "everything she's got"

I saw the Chevy's headlights behind me take a big dip as he went to an emergency full stop too. Those stupid deer sat there looking while we all nearly piled it up. I have heard that Mule Deer are stupid, now I know it to be true. Just two deer in the headlights who were probably saying to each other, "Fred, I'm a goner...Yep, Joe, I think you're right, doesn't look like that old guy in the Jeep is gonna get that thing stopped in time..."

Well after that and looking at the unprotected front end of my Ram dually, I am wondering if 1. I could even get the thing stopped in time, 2. If I did emergency brake like that with the camper, would it just "endo" on me, and 3. What shape would we be in after hitting two big deer like that?

[stlaser]

I took a Doe at 55mph with the passenger front corner of that bumper and zero damage. Aldo took a turkey buzzard off top middle bar which ended up in the bed of my truck at about 65 mph. Per the company website they guarantee the bumper to 70 mph with a deer strike.

[Flyin6]

Do you, in your opinion think I should put something like that on my Dually which I am using as a camper dolly this summer?

Highly subjective, I know, but it is actually just insurance and removes the gamble of getting disabled in the middle of nowhere, but costs me $3500 and adds 200 pounds of weight.

[oklawall]

Do you, in your opinion think I should put something like that on my Dually which I am using as a camper dolly this summer?

Highly subjective, I know, but it is actually just insurance and removes the gamble of getting disabled in the middle of nowhere, but costs me $3500 and adds 200 pounds of weight.

With traveling up in that area before, I would say yes. Cheap insurance to save a vacation

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[stlaser]

Not to rub in the age card but it’s my thread so I will. Our reaction time isn’t what it used to be and that’s a heavy rig to stop on a dime.

[Sammconn]

Do you, in your opinion think I should put something like that on my Dually which I am using as a camper dolly this summer?

Highly subjective, I know, but it is actually just insurance and removes the gamble of getting disabled in the middle of nowhere, but costs me $3500 and adds 200 pounds of weight.

Very short answer is yes.
A buddy of mine hit a small doe with his newish Chevy. Front right corner. 
Took out radiator, trans cooler, bumper bits, signals, grill, and whatever else.
Disabled on highway.
Out of truck for over a month.
I’m considering adding the extra protection to mine when I redo the raptor.

That and Shawn spot on with reaction time and eyesight fading with time.

[Flyin6]

Good enough for me, and sound reasoning, everyone.

I placed an order for a sturdy although not particularly good-looking bumper.

I'll post pics of it on my Dually thread.

[stlaser]

Dropped truck off at local vehicle accessory shop yesterday to get drivers amp step fixed as it’s been in permanently down position for last month. Found a very weak but functional drive motor, decent accumulation of junk in drive gear as well. So they swapped on a new drive motor and then pulled and cleaned both sides of dirt and road grime. In addition they added some silicone to beef up the oem seal to the gear housing and $270 later all is well.

[Flyin6]

Dropped truck off at local vehicle accessory shop yesterday to get drivers amp step fixed as it’s been in permanently down position for last month. Found a very weak but functional drive motor, decent accumulation of junk in drive gear as well. So they swapped on a new drive motor and then pulled and cleaned both sides of dirt and road grime. In addition they added some silicone to beef up the oem seal to the gear housing and $270 later all is well.

Excellent!
Electric steps are great...until they fail in the down position!

[Bigdave_185]

I have seen exactly zero reason to purchase these motorized step you guys like.
I can’t tell ya how many pickup trucks I see with one down on one side or another going down the road. 

I feel they are completely unreliable. That powerstroke I detailed two weeks ago had a set that stopped halfway up every time I opened the door. Junk junk junk. 


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[Bigdave_185]

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[stlaser]

Personally I don’t care for them. One more thing to fail and these trucks already have enough added junk that will fail as it is. However, the truck came with them when I bought it. It was a couple hundred versus paying to have them taken off and completely uninstalled. So for now it was the least expensive route.

[Flyin6]

I have owned a bunch, but I have to agree with Dave.

On my Duramax truck they failed a couple of times.

On my Suburban they (AMP Research), stopped working for a time, then started working again.

I put Rough Country electric steps on my Gladiator, and wouldn't ya know it, one day just before a trail, the driver's step failed in the down position on a trail where it was probably going to get damaged anyway

I had running boards on my Escalade, and on her Denali Yukon, and I have steel steps on my current dually. None of those ever failed to provide a step or failed in any way.

I do actually plan to toss the electric steps on the Jeep and get some proper rack rails. After wheeling in the Utah last month, I can see those electric steps are not going to remain attached to my jeep after the first mile of trail time.

So, Dave, would you be interested in a set of electric Jeep steps?

;-)

[Bigdave_185]

I’ll gladly give ya some GPs points in your area where there is deep enough water to loose them in, incase your trash can is full.


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