If you're tired of seeing oil puddles under your truck, doing a ccv reroute 6.0 powerstroke might be the best weekend project you've ever tackled. It's one of those modifications that almost every 6.0 owner eventually thinks about because, let's be honest, the factory setup is a bit of a disaster. If you've ever pulled your intercooler pipes off and found a thick, black film of oil coating everything, you know exactly what I'm talking about.
Ford and International designed the 6.0 Powerstroke to vent crankcase gases back into the intake. On paper, it makes sense for emissions. The engine sucks those gases back in and burns them off. But in the real world, those gases are full of oil mist. When that mist hits the cold side of your turbo and travels through your intercooler, it starts to create problems that go way beyond just being "dirty."
The oily mess inside your intake
When the oil mist from the crankcase enters the intake, it doesn't just disappear. It coats the turbo compressor wheel, the inside of your intercooler, and—most annoyingly—your silicone boots. If you've ever had a boot blow off while you were hauling a heavy load or pushing high boost, you know how much of a nightmare that is. Oil makes those rubber and silicone boots soft and slippery. No matter how hard you tighten those T-bolt clamps, once there's a layer of oil under there, it's only a matter of time before one pops.
Beyond the boots, that oil isn't doing your intercooler any favors. The intercooler is meant to dissipate heat. When the internal fins get coated in a thick layer of sludge, the heat transfer isn't as efficient. It's not going to kill the engine overnight, but it's definitely not helping your EGTs (Exhaust Gas Temperatures). A ccv reroute 6.0 powerstroke fixes this by taking that oily air and sending it somewhere else—anywhere but your intake.
How the reroute actually works
The "CCV" stands for Crankcase Ventilation. On the driver's side valve cover, there's a plastic box often called the "doghouse." This is where the vapors exit the engine. In the stock configuration, a hose runs from that doghouse directly into the intake tube just before the turbo.
When you do a reroute, you're basically interrupting that path. Most guys will remove the stock hose and replace it with a longer one that runs down the frame rail. Some people use a specialized kit with a fancy CNC-machined puck that replaces the doghouse, while others just flip the internal seal on the stock doghouse and run a hardware store hose. Both ways work, though the kits usually look a lot cleaner if you're the type of person who likes to show off your engine bay.
The DIY approach vs. buying a kit
You don't necessarily have to spend a fortune on this. If you're on a budget, you can get away with some 1-inch heater hose and a few clamps. The main challenge is the connection at the valve cover. The factory doghouse has a specific outlet size, and getting a hose to stay on there securely while vibrating at 2,500 RPM takes a little bit of finagling.
If you go the kit route, you usually get a new "puck" that bolts down where the doghouse was. These are great because they often have a double O-ring seal, which prevents the annoying oil seepage that tends to happen around the base of the stock unit. Plus, they usually come with a nice braided hose or a high-quality reinforced rubber hose that won't collapse or kink easily.
Where should the hose go?
This is where the debate starts in the 6.0 community. Once you've disconnected the vent from the intake, you have to decide where to dump that air.
Most people just run the hose down the frame rail and let it vent to the atmosphere near the transmission or further back by the rear axle. This is the simplest method. However, you need to be aware that your truck will now have a "slobber tube." You might notice a little bit of smoke or steam coming from under the truck when you're idling at a stoplight. That's totally normal—it's just the crankcase pressure venting—but it can be a bit smelly.
If you don't like the idea of oil dripping on your driveway (even if it's just a tiny bit), you can run the hose into a catch can. A catch can collects the oil mist and lets the air escape through a filter. Every few months, you just unscrew the reservoir and dump the oil. It's the cleanest way to do a ccv reroute 6.0 powerstroke, but it does require a bit more maintenance.
Is it legal?
I have to mention this because it's important. Technically, venting your crankcase to the atmosphere is not emissions-compliant. In states with strict inspections, like California, this won't pass a visual check. If you're worried about that, you might want to look into a closed-loop catch can system. This setup still filters the oil out but sends the cleaned air back into the intake, so you aren't actually "venting" to the air. You get a clean intake without the legal headache.
What to do after the reroute
Once you've installed your ccv reroute 6.0 powerstroke, the job isn't quite finished. You still have all that old oil sitting in your intercooler and boots. If you really want to see the benefits, you should take the time to pull your intercooler pipes and boots off and give them a good degreasing. Use some dish soap or a mild degreaser and get them bone dry.
A lot of guys also take this opportunity to spray a little hairspray on the inside of the boots before sliding them back on. It acts as a temporary lubricant to get the boot on, but once it dries, it becomes tacky and helps the boot "glue" itself to the pipe. Now that you've done the reroute, those boots will stay dry and grippy forever.
Long-term benefits for the turbo
We talked about the boots, but the turbo is the real winner here. The 6.0 uses a Variable Geometry Turbo (VGT). These turbos have small moving vanes inside that adjust to provide boost at different RPMs. While the oil mist mostly hits the compressor side (the "clean" side), any oil that makes it through the combustion process ends up on the turbine side as soot and carbon.
By keeping the intake air as clean as possible, you're helping the entire combustion cycle stay a bit more efficient. A cleaner burn means less soot, and less soot means your VGT vanes are less likely to stick. It's all connected. The 6.0 Powerstroke is an engine that demands clean fluids and clean air to survive long-term.
Final thoughts on the project
Doing a ccv reroute 6.0 powerstroke isn't going to give you an extra 50 horsepower, and it's not going to make your truck sound like a race car. What it will do is save you from a lot of "nuisance" repairs down the road. It stops the messy oil leaks on the top of the engine, keeps your driveway cleaner, and ensures that your boost stays in the pipes where it belongs.
It's a relatively cheap mod that you can finish in an hour or two with basic hand tools. Whether you're running a completely stock work truck or a 600-horsepower street build, getting that oily gunk out of your intake is just common sense. Your turbo, your boots, and your sanity will thank you next time you're climbing a steep grade with a trailer behind you and your boots actually stay put.