How long should you let a diesel turbo engine cool down?

1996 F-250 Powerstroke; I’m just curious what the appropriate amount of time is to let the engine idle and cool down after running it hard (ie. towing a trailer on the highway.) Does Ford have a recommended specification in this regard? I’m unable to find anything and unfortunately I don’t have the owner’s manual. Thanks!

Tags: cool, Diesel, Down, Engine, long, Should, turbo

3 Responses to “How long should you let a diesel turbo engine cool down?”

1. kickn03 says:

   November 2, 2011 at 11:48 am

   best thing to do is let it cool down a couple minutes, somethings better then nothing, if it was a hard load on the engine let it cool down for 5min
2. etrailer says:

   November 2, 2011 at 12:35 pm

   When a turbocharged engine works hard, a cool down period will go a long way in extending the life. I would suggest contacting Ford Customer Service. Let them know what vehicle you have and that you no longer have the owner’s manual and you’re checking for a cool-down recommendation. They’ll probably ask for the VIN so have that ready.
3. Hunter says:

   November 2, 2011 at 1:28 pm

   300*F is the “safe” EGT shut off temperature. This is displayed by a pyro gauge. . . usually mounted in the driver side exhaust manifold, just where the manifold turns up to the turbo. But I’m gussing you don’t have one on your truck, so 2-5min would be an ideal time. Turning off your A/C will help. . . and even turning o the heater will help lower the EGTs faster. Any more questions. . . fell free to PM me