Ford 6.0 liter

[Npdchief07]

I put a deposit yesterday on a Ford 2006 Super-Duty F-250 with the 6.0 liter/8 cylinder diesel engine. I plan on using this truck as a tow vehicle for a 6500 pound travel trailer. I know next to nothing about vehicles/trucks.

I have read that the Ford 6.0 has a bad reputation (read it online, so it has to be true). My question is does that engine historically have a problem and should I be concerned? The vehicle has 67000 miles on it.

[ib516]

Pretty sure you'll regret that purchase in the long run. Ford makes some great products (like their newest diesel), but the 6.0L and the 6.4L made for them by Navistar/International were notorious for being a hand grenade with the pin pulled held by a guy with the shakes on a bumpy road.

[1jeep]

dirtpig...I think that is the key with most diesels, drive them! mine is either towing or being driven the daily commute of 36 miles each way on the highway without city driving. my 08 6.4 had over 100k miles, my 2011 6.7 had over 110k miles and neither had issues....ever! if your going to kick around town and tow light a diesel isn't really for you, certainly not a new one with DPF.

[Dirtpig]

I'm going to say that i like mine and i guess i have had good luck with it over the last 9 years of ownership. Other then preventative maintenance with only motorcraft parts and synthetic oil (rotella T6) i have had only a few issues none of them requiring more then a day in the shop. The truck is driven daily at least 70 miles. I do know a lot about this engine and monitoring it with proper gauges is a must in order to fix things before they become catastrophic. Most of these head gasket leaks are caused by running the truck after something is already broken or messed up such turbo sticking causing High boost over 30psi is one cause, or temps run so hot that egr cooler cracks and causes coolant to enter cylinders and boom bye bye head gaskets. Much of this is prevented by keeping a close eye on a good set of gauges not the idiot lights on the dashboard. Maybe i have just been lucky or my time is coming. Regardless i have a nice looking truck that i will run into the ground. Also i prefer the exhaust sounding like a jet engine rather then bigfoot farting into a garbage can like you would get from a dodge exhaust.

[FishOnOne]

rhagfo wrote:

FishOnOne wrote:
Had a 05 6.0PSD for 7 years and 170k miles. Replaced the EGR valve and or cleaned it every 80k miles. Had a couple of oil leaks early on.

Use only Ford Oil filters and fuel filters. I see many 6.0PSD with after market oil filters and these bypass oil around the filter so you need to check it has the factory oil filter cap. Aftermarket fuel filters do not have the aquablock material around the filter media so these will pass water right to the injectors. Be sure to use a diesel motor oil API CJ4 5W40 or 10W30.

BIL had a 04 for ~5 years with EGR valve issue similar to mine.

We actually purchased a 07 6.0PSD truck last month to add to our 7.3PSD trucks.

Having said this I wouldn't recommend one of these trucks if your a first time diesel buyer. In addition I wouldn't recommend a DPF equipped diesel if your a first time diesel buyer either of any brand.

When Fish recommends against the OP buying a Ford, the OP should listen.

Fish also recommends to not purchase a DPF equipped truck including both ram and GM as I stated above. Oil/fuel dilution, clogged turbos, clogged EGR valves, clogged EGR coolers, clogged DPFs, messages to drive truck to clean DPF for miles and miles and CEL's to name a few.

[FishOnOne]

I had to drive thru Houston today and couldn't help notice a lot of 05-07 Super Duty trucks still on the road.

I didn't notice a single Dodge/ram cummins with the H.O. or the Blue Tec badge on the tailgate indicating a early 6.7 cummins truck. As a matter of fact I can't remember the last time I've seen one of these trucks.

I would also recommend the OP to research the other brands since they also have some ticking time bombs as well.

[Greene728]

OP,
Here's the deal in a nutshell. The 6.0 is undoubtedly one of the worst diesel engines ever built as a whole. Just like anything else there were some good ones, and there were some bad ones. But without some type of major modifications to the engine, there is a high chance you will encounter some of the known issues that plagued the 6.0. Understand that if you don't, you are lucky! The simple truth is that there are better options out there that puts luck on your side rather than against you. And for what you are doing and using the truck for, I'd recommend a gas rig. The Ford 6.2, GM 6.0, and Ram Hemi 5.7 and 6.4, are far more reliable motors that are also much cheaper to work on and maintain.
Thats the truth without bashing!

[mudfuel07]

Lantley wrote:

mudfuel07 wrote:
I had one completely stock, did all the maintenance on time and used it to tow with. Everybody said the engine needed to work, how can it work when it doesn't want to run. I was a die hard Ford guy, but after the 6.0 disaster when I blew the head gaskets (completely stock), I unloaded that piece of junk and I won't own another one. Look for a Chevy or Ram if you want a diesel and don't want to sit on the side of the road.

This^^^^^ is why there is so much disdain for the 6.0. The OP tells an all to common story.
At this point why would anyone recommend the 6.0? Why get involved?
There are other viable/capable options of the same era that are available without all the drama.
The question is not why all the hate for the 6.0, the question is why are some still in denial. The 6.0 is a unreliable motor with a poor reputation that should be avoided.
I agree not all of the m were bad, but there are way to many that suffer from the known problems to take the risk.

I was in denial and even championed the motor until it went south for no reason. There may be a few good ones in the bunch, but the odds are against you.

[shum02]

tinner12002 wrote:
As others have said if you can get your deposit back, get it and buy anything in that year but a ford. I'd also stay away from the 6.4 from 08-10 as it also had some of the same issues as the 6.0. There's a reason why a lot of those trucks with the 6.0 have under 100K miles...people were afraid to drive them after hearing about the issues or they had already had motors replaced.

I can't find any around my area with less than 200K miles, but a lot of trucks are being bought here and then being shipped South into the U.S for resale. Makes me wonder..............

[Huntindog]

tinner12002 wrote:
As others have said if you can get your deposit back, get it and buy anything in that year but a Ford

AND if you cannot get your deposit back... Kiss it goodbye.
Buying a 6.0 OH OH just to keep from losing the deposit is gonna cost a LOT more.

[tinner12002]

As others have said if you can get your deposit back, get it and buy anything in that year but a ford. I'd also stay away from the 6.4 from 08-10 as it also had some of the same issues as the 6.0. There's a reason why a lot of those trucks with the 6.0 have under 100K miles...people were afraid to drive them after hearing about the issues or they had already had motors replaced.

[Lantley]

Bird Freak wrote:
You have heard from all the Ford and 6.0 haters here. There sure are a lot of them on the road to all be junk. Mine has been flawless since replacing the stock egr cooler with a stainless bullet proof unit.

I don't believe anyone called them junk. I just would not recommend buying one.
Pretending they are just like any other diesel of their era is the denial I was referring to.

[1jeep]

Im not a ford hater, loved all of mine even my 08 with the 6.4 which was a great truck, I only traded it due to needing a crew cab. However I think most here are trying to help the OP as he noted this is first diesel.

[Bird_Freak]

You have heard from all the Ford and 6.0 haters here. There sure are a lot of them on the road to all be junk. Mine has been flawless since replacing the stock egr cooler with a stainless bullet proof unit.

[shum02]

blofgren wrote:

shum02 wrote:
I'm always amazed at the personal HATE people have for this motor, like it was responsible for the demise of a loved one. Yet around my neck of the woods I see more of them on the road than Cumins and Duramax trucks of the same years combined. Ford really must have done something wrong for almost 5 years.

Oh well. Hoping for another 5-10 years out of mine yet. Sure don't see why it won't hit 500K miles.

Amazed??? Have you not read of the thousands of people who have paid a fortune to keep these trucks on the road? Been on the side of the road with one? Paid dearly with resale value in the toilet? It isn't a mystery as to why there's a lot of disgust towards them.

And the fact that you see more of them on the road than any other truck means nothing. The vast majority of them have had a boat load of money put into them to keep them going and a lot of owners are forced to do it because they can't afford to get out of them.

Ford certainly did do something wrong and it was for more than 5 years because the 6.4L was a disaster too. They went from the excellent 7.3L to these 2 excuses for diesel engines and lost a lot of loyal customers doing so. I was one of them.

I guess you should have read the whole thread, you'd have seen my fist post.

1)350K kms and never stranded me.
2)I turn my own wrenches - LABOUR is the killer on all these trucks. It takes me 4 hours to get into and out of doing 4 injectors on one side of the truck - I bet shop billing is more. Not a bad or complicated job but time consuming if you're going to do it right and I have and do.
3)I am one of those guys who drives their vehicles into the ground, so I don't give a rats behind about resale, if I did I wouldn't buy an RV either.

And yea I spend a LOT of time on truck/diesel forums and yea it still is a mystery to me. BTW it's estimated IH built close to 2 million VT365 and PSD's. Bound to have some bad units with some bad owners serviced by bad dealers and tech's.

Again, WORRIED about shop bills and getting stranded due to internet lore? Buy a new truck.

[Dave_H_M]

Isn't it kinda late to be asking.

If you did not believe the folks on the internet about the 6.0, why ask some more internet opinions here? :h