Question About Ford 6.0 Diesel

Cummins12V98 wrote:
I guess you have to decide what side you may end up on.

Including motors built for IH over 1 million of these motors where built and the VAST majority will be just fine with regular maintenance.

Cummins12V98 wrote:
Don't forget the cab needs to be removed to do many engine repairs.

I have yet to have encountered this. You have some real bad issues if they need to pull the cab. BTW the shops do it because it cuts down on their labour time and a good mech can have the cab ready to be pulled in about an hour. It is also designed to have this done if required/needed/wanted - Ford made it that way because this engine along with the 7.3L/6.4L and new 6.7L is wedged into that engine bay.

I turn my own wrenches and I don't find the truck that bad to work on but I haven't got sausage fingers so that probably helps. Truck has never been to a shop as long as I have owned it.

It's too bad you did not post this before buying the truck.

"I am looking at a 2003 ford F350 6.0 Turbo Diesel with 119,000 miles."

But you are where you are. Lots of people "bullet proof" their 6.0 and 6.4's and have no problems but there are many who do so and still have problems. I guess you have to decide what side you may end up on. Don't forget the cab needs to be removed to do many engine repairs.

Your money and your time especially if you are on vacation.

Good luck!

I'd sell it and cut your losses.

Richard_999 wrote:
I just bought a 2003 ford F350 6.0 Turbo Diesel with 119,000 miles.

It is pristine, but now I read that they are absolute junk, and I am uncertain if I should keep it, and try to use it as a tow vehicle for my 34' Challenger Fifth Wheel.

I would appreciate any input from those who have owned one...

Thank...
Richard

Well being a MH owner, you likely didn't read the Tow Vehicle section too much, you are forgiven for not seeing them.

Yes, the Ford/Navistar has a bad reputation, but can be a great towing engine when running right.
I would believe that the total percentage that had major problems was 5% or less, those with more than normal issues maybe as high as 10%.

That said with the correct maintenance and stock great engine with some weak parts.

Many stock engines with all scheduled maintenance can give great service, but they can also fail unexpectedly.

You can spend some $$ and go to BulletProof.com and look at what they have to offer to improve on the dependability.

As stated before in the thread a good place to look is Powerstroke.org and look at the 6.0 section. One needs to keep in mind that those posting in those sections typically have had an issue so don't expect many positive post, but a lot of good information.

Keep up on maintenance, and enjoy your new tow vehicle! :)

Don't do any "deletes" if you live in a place that has emissions testing or may have it someday.

Are they all troublesome?? No.

Do some have problems?? Absolutely.

If that were not the case, Ford would not have sued Navistar over this engine.

So the bottom line is that you now own this truck and the best you can do is keep a close eye on it, do the maintinence, and keep your fingers crossed that you got one of the ones that wasn't a problem child.

Heres hoping you have many years of trouble free service.

mudfuel07 wrote:
You've always got the Chicken Little's of the world. Put a good coolant filter on it, keep up on maintenance and occasionally beat it like a red headed step child and you should be good. Either delete the EGR or buy a Bulletproof system and change the oil cooler while you're in there and you should have a solid, trouble free truck.

Ditto on the coolant filter. If ford would have put one on from the beginning it would have helped several known problems.

My 6.0 started blowing out coolant last year when towing through the Smokies. It turned out to be a blown head gasket caused by the Torque to Yield (TTY) head bolts. The truck has been in the shop for the last month getting new head gaskets and ARP head studs, EGR cooler delete, new oil cooler and a few other things. The estimate for all this is $6800 and it was supposed to take a week.

I decided to get this work done rather than buy a new truck because I really like my truck. Except for the engine problem and a brake issue, the truck has been a great tow vehicle.

BB_TX wrote:
I had two 6.0s, a 2004 and a 2007, both completely stock. Very little problem with either although neither had that many miles.

Friend had a 2003 6.0 that he did have some problems with. Dealer tech replaced turbo twice thinking that was the problem. That did not fix it. Another dealer with better mechanic found the problem was 3 bad injectors. Replaced those and no more problems.

Some did have their problems. But many have gone many years and many miles, stock, with no out of the ordinary problems.

I had a 2004 with the 6.0L and it gave me 9 trouble free years and 198,000 miles. I did buy it new and the key word in your comments was "stock". Most people that I have talked to that had problems had tuners and chips out the yeng/yang. If it is pristine and never been chipped and had maintenance performed regularly I would hang on to it. JMHO

I just sold my 2005 6.0 with 110K miles and it had no problems after towing and hauling all those miles (typically at 19k lbs GCW). The only reason I sold mine was that I went with a bigger chassis truck.

Do the maintenance under severe duty schedule and monitor your vitals with a ScanGauge - The truck should work just fine for you.

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