Putting back to stock

14ccd · Apr 30, 2016

I am going to trade in my 14 dually and going back to the gas engine. So my question is, when I put the *** back on and tune it back to stock, is my DEF fluid going to be good or do I have to drain the tank and put in fresh DEF? I have been ******d and tuned almost 2 years so I am not sure if that fluid is still good. Or just top it off and go?

Notneb · Apr 30, 2016

When I traded in my 2012, I just put the stock parts in the bed and they put it back on themselves. Fluid may or may not have crystallized, I doubt it though. If you're just driving to the dealership, top it off.

14ccd · Apr 30, 2016

Crystallized, that's the word I was trying to think of, thanks.

Notneb · Apr 30, 2016

No prob!

TripleStrokes · Apr 30, 2016

Traded my 11 last year and i filled the DEF tank to the top and monitored it using a plumbers video snake and it never did crystallize in the 5 years.

CATDiezel · May 1, 2016

TripleStrokes said:
Traded my 11 last year and i filled the DEF tank to the top and monitored it using a plumbers video snake and it never did crystallize in the 5 years.

That poor video snake.... lol... that was almost as bad as dipping into acid.

Im following this thread because I may put my 11 back to stock.

capt dong · May 1, 2016

Im sure the def is degraded at thr very least and can cause problems.

Notneb · May 1, 2016

capt dong said:
Im sure the def is degraded at thr very least and can cause problems.

In two years? It's just Urea, degradation isn't the issue, it's crystallization that would be the problem. Honestly I would just call another Ford dealership and ask them the lifespan of DEF in the tank.

Just saying that my '12 was d3leted for 2 1/2 years and the fluid wasn't crystallized according to the dealer who dropped and flushed the tank as a prerequisite to putting it up for sale. Now I was living in WA state in the Pudget Sound area, so humidity is high all year round. That might factor into it, might not.

TripleStrokes · May 1, 2016

I was told that if it is not introduced to oxygen or sunlight it has a 5-7 year shelf life...i drove around 2 weeks on stock without a hitch.

CATDiezel · May 1, 2016

TripleStrokes said:
I was told that if it is not introduced to oxygen or sunlight it has a 5-7 year shelf life...i drove around 2 weeks on stock without a hitch.

This is a true statement. I house 12,000 gallons of urea at a plant that uses it in big engines for aftertreatment. Only difference is we by bulk quantities but same physics apply. I've kept the same batch for greater than two years 4,000 gallon tank. It's fine.

I was once concerned about crystalizing. Only a time trial for me proved otherwise...

bigrpowr · May 1, 2016

CATDiezel said:
This is a true statement. I house 12,000 gallons of urea at a plant that uses it in big engines for aftertreatment. Only difference is we by bulk quantities but same physics apply. I've kept the same batch for greater than two years 4,000 gallon tank. It's fine.

I was once concerned about crystalizing. Only a time trial for me proved otherwise...

i tell all my customers who plan to keep the tank in, just dont open the cap . so far so good .

14ccd · May 2, 2016

Thanks for all your responses but it might be a moot issue now. I was going to trade my truck in on a 2016 E350 SRW cut away but after doing research I find that those vans only have a 3000lb tow capacity, which makes it useless as far as I'm concerned. So I guess I will try to find a CC 450 V10.