New here / buying 2003 ford diesel
Hi, I'm new here, in fact this is my first post. I'm sure you can see that. Here's what's up. I'm replacing my 26' Malard. We are going to look at a 5th wheel, along with a tow vehicle. The 5th whe...
Forum Discussion
Thanks for the question. Let me start off by saying there are going to be strong opinions on the 6.0 liter PSD. The 03 / 04's had their problems. Do not be afraid of these trucks just because "they all suck" according to the wizards of smart. Other peoples fear is a great opportunity to get a nice truck that will last a long time. Just need to be smart about it.
Things to check for on a used 6.0:
1. Does it have head gasket replaced and new studs installed? If so, you are fine this is the major thing that went wrong with these trucks. If not, that is ok too just go for a test drive and see if the water temperature and the oil temperature are not more then 15 - 20 degrees apart. Also, a really easy test is to simply look at the underside of the hood if it has a bunch of white powder looking stuff everywhere that is dried up antifreeze that has puked out of the overflow. This could be a sign of overheating which is bad, or could be a bad overflow tank cap (The Ford stock cap is junk, only holds to 4-6PSI).
2. Look in the Antifreeze resevour is the coolant green? If yes, I would pass on the truck. ELC coolant turns to sludge in the high temp oil cooler. There is great debate about this, but ELC coolant is proving to be a "good idea at the time" and destroying oil coolers (at least that is what we are seeing).
3. Try to see if the oil cooler has been replaced, either under warranty or after. If it has been replaced that is a good sign. If not, again check the temperature of the coolant and oil while driving. A plugged oil cooler is easy to spot and replace this way.
4. Pull the EGR valve, this is a simple 10 minute procedure. A dirty stuck EGR can cause many issues in any diesel, however, in the 6.0 it is especially bad due to the way the turbo works. The unison ring can get coaked up over time and sieze up in the turbo, EGR maint is a must, or just a simple delete kit to get ride of it all together.
Basically, heat is the issue that kills the 6.0 PSD. Make sure your cooling system is right, and flush the coolant every 30-40k miles and the engines will last for a long time.
I have a 2006 F350 with 69k miles and have had 0 problems. I just do normal maint and I recently installed a Sinister Diesel coolant filter bypass kit, for 130 dollars it seems silly to not have a filter on one of the most important pieces of the engine.
PM me for more info if you have a specific question.
Here is a great YouTube channel with a ton of information.
Powerstrokehelp
I still think a person can come out ahead with a 6.0 when a good 7.3 still sells for 20k keeping in mind that is still a 11+ year old truck at this point. Go find a 6.0 for 12-15k and if you bulletproof it for 5k you end up with more HP, more Torque for the same or less money.
Just because some people are afraid does not make it bad.....
Good Luck!
Things to check for on a used 6.0:
1. Does it have head gasket replaced and new studs installed? If so, you are fine this is the major thing that went wrong with these trucks. If not, that is ok too just go for a test drive and see if the water temperature and the oil temperature are not more then 15 - 20 degrees apart. Also, a really easy test is to simply look at the underside of the hood if it has a bunch of white powder looking stuff everywhere that is dried up antifreeze that has puked out of the overflow. This could be a sign of overheating which is bad, or could be a bad overflow tank cap (The Ford stock cap is junk, only holds to 4-6PSI).
2. Look in the Antifreeze resevour is the coolant green? If yes, I would pass on the truck. ELC coolant turns to sludge in the high temp oil cooler. There is great debate about this, but ELC coolant is proving to be a "good idea at the time" and destroying oil coolers (at least that is what we are seeing).
3. Try to see if the oil cooler has been replaced, either under warranty or after. If it has been replaced that is a good sign. If not, again check the temperature of the coolant and oil while driving. A plugged oil cooler is easy to spot and replace this way.
4. Pull the EGR valve, this is a simple 10 minute procedure. A dirty stuck EGR can cause many issues in any diesel, however, in the 6.0 it is especially bad due to the way the turbo works. The unison ring can get coaked up over time and sieze up in the turbo, EGR maint is a must, or just a simple delete kit to get ride of it all together.
Basically, heat is the issue that kills the 6.0 PSD. Make sure your cooling system is right, and flush the coolant every 30-40k miles and the engines will last for a long time.
I have a 2006 F350 with 69k miles and have had 0 problems. I just do normal maint and I recently installed a Sinister Diesel coolant filter bypass kit, for 130 dollars it seems silly to not have a filter on one of the most important pieces of the engine.
PM me for more info if you have a specific question.
Here is a great YouTube channel with a ton of information.
Powerstrokehelp
I still think a person can come out ahead with a 6.0 when a good 7.3 still sells for 20k keeping in mind that is still a 11+ year old truck at this point. Go find a 6.0 for 12-15k and if you bulletproof it for 5k you end up with more HP, more Torque for the same or less money.
Just because some people are afraid does not make it bad.....
Good Luck!
