New here / buying 2003 ford diesel

826lynx wrote:

John & Angela wrote:

826lynx wrote:
The "Bullet Proof" concept is not really specific. In general it refers to Head Gasket replacement with Studs. There is not an easy way to see that specific change. The only way is to look at the bold holding the head on and kind of know what you are looking for. Some other common things that you can see which are good are things like New Intercooler, New Radiator, Coolant Filter Bypass, EGR delete. This is all aftermarket stuff designed to fix some of the issues with the 6.0. A class C motorhome will be on a E series chassis most likely and if that is the case this version of the 6.0 is de-tuned from Ford to generate less heat in the confined space. The best thing you can do if you already own a 6.0 is purchase a ScanGauge II for about 100 dollars and plug it in under the dash into the OBDII port and watch the coolant temperature and oil temperature while you drive. This is the first sign of a clogged oil cooler if those numbers get farther then 20ish degrees apart. The oil temp will always be higher then the water temp. Also, if this motorhome has never had a tune put into it the head gasket and oil cooler are probably fine.

Thanks for the quick come back. Couple more questions. Your last phrase "if this motorhome has never had a tune put into it the head gasket and oil cooler are probably fine." Can you elaborate on what a "tune" is, and how would he tell.

Also, I just finished reading the wikipedia info on the 6 Litre. They seem to suggest that 2005's have less problems than the 2003's and 2004's. Is there a number on the block that would tell me the motor year or does he just go by the chassis year...which is 2005 in this case.

Thanks again in advance. He likes the motorhome and would probably consider buying it but is being cautious.

One simple thing to check is turn the key on and listen to the glow plugs warm up before you start. The older tunes will make a louder buzzing noise this was changed by Ford as a reflash in 06 to a noticeably quitter startup sequence.

Also, to be safe you could just take it to a Ford dealer and have them put the newest computer flash into the engine. Takes 5 minutes and this would ensure the most conservative engine parameters. You probably in the end will want more power and mileage out of the engine, but all of that comes with more risk.

.....of course we all could just slow down too, but what fun would that be.. :)

If I'm not mistaken the 6.0 has 2 gp relays also. Slowing down?? When tuggin my towhauler up the grades it's not about speed it's about getting to the top without melting something. Must be something to do with our weather, LOL On one pull I always run about 246+ oil temp.