Forum Discussion
75 Replies
- Bionic_ManExplorerNot going to comment on the engine but I am curious why this engine would be better for a seasoned diesel owner than a novice???
If an engine is reliable, it should be reliable for all. Same said for something that most owners should walk away from. - filrupmarkExplorerI have owned my 2004 6.0 since it was new. It's not chipped and well maintained. It's been a great truck for us. It is mainly used on fifth wheel trips for pulling and touring around.
Proper maintenance is key on a 6.0 also chipping and turning up boost creates to much cylinder pressure and stretches stock studs and blows head gaskets. Good clean synthetic oil and clean Motorcraft fuel filters save injectors. Clean coolant prevents oil coolers from plugging up. A stock 6.0 will perform fine if it is well maintained. If you chip it your pocketbook will scream. If you do all the mods you can turn it up and it will be fine.
Our truck has plenty of power and does a great job pulling.
A bad mechanic is another 6.0 disaster. - BB_TXNomadSome had problems with them. I bought a 2007 F350 new and traded at about 77,000 miles, many towing 35' fiver. Egr replaced at 35,000 under warranty. No other problems. Completely stock. Would not have traded but made the mistake of walking thru the new truck lot when in for oil change.
- HalmfamilyExplorerWe had an 06 6.0 F350 for a brief time. Bought it used with only 87000 miles and in beautiful condition. During the 13 months we owned it we replaced both front rotors, calipers and pads. Replaced fan clutch and radiator cap due to overheating. Replaced the egr valve. Replaced the egr cooler and oil cooler. Did a total swap out of the Ford Gold **** antifreeze to Cat ELC. After all that the CAC tube kept blowing off while towing and the turbo would not fully spool up.
Loved the truck but after spending nearly $6000 on repairs in one year and my mechanic tired of working on the truck we traded it on a 2008/GMC with the Duramax and couldn't be happier. Haven't spent a dime on the GMC except for basic maintenance. - Hank85713ExplorerActually this is not a good site to ask such a question. Many negatives will arise and then you would think all are junk. I have an 04 had it bullet proofed and have no issues. My BIL has an 04 has had all the issues and still wont get rid of it and he works it hard which is part of the problem. Works in dirty dusty environment and doesnt keep oil changed, they recommended every 2500, but like I said it gets worked hard and has long hours on it. Still at around 150000 it runs well.
do go to the powerstroke forums ask questions and look around FTE is a good one as is powerstroke.org. To summerize about 2 years ago we bought a RV, ended up with a v-10 as the ones we found with the 6.0 it was coach and not engine issues. The diesel mags are also saying the 6.0 is not as bad as seemed, they are even running one for upgrades and just had a story on one with 600HP! older dodges and chebbies had their issues and to some degree still do. I dont know much about the 6.4 but supposedly once their issues are taken care of they can be pretty reliable but dont take the bill hewitt video all that seriously on them. Yes any can be $$ to repair and that includes dodge and chebby. - blofgrenExplorer
Turtle n Peeps wrote:
Well lets see:
Head gasket problems.
Turbo problems.
FICM problems.
Bed plate leaks like a screen door in a submarine.
EGR problems.
Oil cooler failures which result in complete and total engine failure.
Other than that, they're not a bad little motor. :W BTW these are the motors that Ford sued their supplier over because this engine cost Ford over a billion dollars in warrantee work.
x2. I had a 2003 F-350 with a 6.0L diesel. I was trying to be proactive and spent $3,500 "bulletproofing" it with an EGR delete, upgraded turbo drain tube, regulated fuel return system, coolant filter etc. thinking that it would be pretty good. It blew the head gaskets which Ford replaced under warranty, had no less than 8 program reflashes to address poor starting and rough running when cold, had a bedplate leak which requires pulling the engine to repair, and was again starting to run rough towards the end which I'm sure was a sign of failing injectors. I thought about having it gone through in the hopes of keeping it but there are some inherent design flaws on the engine that will always affect it's reliability. This includes not enough head bolts/studs per cylinder which can result in ongoing failures. The high pressure oil system is also prone to many failures including the high pressure oil pump itself to o-ring leaks that will leave you stranded with no warning. These trucks are also not easy to work on which is why Ford designed the cab to come off for major engine work. We have a fleet of 6.0L trucks and vans at the city I work at and every one of them has had major problems with the worst one being a 2006 model that has had $32k spent on it in the last 2 years to keep it running and it only has about 50k miles on it. And no, that dollar amount is not a typo.
In regards to my 2003, my wife and I were starting to feel very uneasy about the truck and found ourselves not wanting to travel far for fear it would leave us stranded somewhere with a huge repair bill. We finally decided to trade it off on the truck in my signature and couldn't be happier.
I would recommend you pass on that truck/engine and look at an offering from GM/Ram if you are looking in that era of trucks. It is a real shame because the rest of the Super Duty from those years is a beautiful truck. - Turtle_n_PeepsExplorerWell lets see:
Head gasket problems.
Turbo problems.
FICM problems.
Bed plate leaks like a screen door in a submarine.
EGR problems.
Oil cooler failures which result in complete and total engine failure.
Other than that, they're not a bad little motor. :W BTW these are the motors that Ford sued their supplier over because this engine cost Ford over a billion dollars in warrantee work. - jerem0621Explorer II
roadtriptoforever wrote:
One thing I'm thinking about since I am a first time diesel owner is to get an old pos for under 5k from the early to mid 90s like a Chevy, dodge or Ford and treat this like my "practice" truck.
I have a diesel class a right now but I've never done any work to it.
Right now I'm in Florida for the winter so it's nice and flat then I can sell it when I leave and get something nicer vs spending 15k now and beating it up while I'm learning about diesels. What do you think?FishOnOne wrote:
I don't recommend these trucks with these engines if you're a first time diesel owner.
.
Not a bad idea, I would recommend the 7.3 Powerstroke from 94.5-2003 or the 5.9 Cummins. I would stay away from the 6.5 GM. There are better optiones I mentioned above.
There is a reason that the 6.0 PSD is nicknamed the POsD, and the 6.doh.
Thanks!
Jeremiah - roadtriptoforevExplorerOne thing I'm thinking about since I am a first time diesel owner is to get an old pos for under 5k from the early to mid 90s like a Chevy, dodge or Ford and treat this like my "practice" truck.
I have a diesel class a right now but I've never done any work to it.
Right now I'm in Florida for the winter so it's nice and flat then I can sell it when I leave and get something nicer vs spending 15k now and beating it up while I'm learning about diesels. What do you think?FishOnOne wrote:
I don't recommend these trucks with these engines if you're a first time diesel owner.
. - Chuck_thehammerExplorerFord truck forum.. 6,0
http://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/forum107/
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