Wanting to upgrade 2005 F350 6.0

[cthrasher]

As of recently, I had almost decided to part ways with my 2005 F350 Lariat crew, 6.0. I bought it new in 2005 and have had a few problems in the past with turbos, egr, hpop, egr cooler and a few other things. But I have now decided to keep her and make the best of her instead of trading in and starting all over with payments. That being said, I could really use some help with my truck and possible upgrades. The mileage on this thing is only about 13 mpg hwy.

Right now, my truck has 107k miles on it and is bone stock except a leveling kit and 35" tires and aftermarket wheels. In light of all the known problems, I didn't want to get left high and dry so I was going to trade in for something else but I can not wrap my head around payments again.

I could really use some input as to what would be your go to upgrades or improvements, now that I have decided to keep her. EGR delete? Modify exhaust? Cylinder head work? Tuner and which one? Or something else?

I am thinking probably $3-4k worth of improvements but not sure exactly which ones. If you guys could offer some insight and perhaps brand names as well, I would REALLY appreciate it.

Thanks a lot!!

Corey

[2stroked out]

I dont know how far that amount will go. especilly if your paying someone else to do the work. I am about to tear into mine, myself. And just trying to figure out what the best route to fix all the common issuse is a head ache. Not necessarly the cheapest but the best way to do some of this stuff. do a search or just look back in the 6.0 forums.
Cause before you mod any you got to fix all the 6.0 issues. EGR, EGR cooler, coolant filter, blue spring upgrade,stc fitting, HPOP screen, Turbo supply line, Turbo drain line,stand pipes, dummy plugs,and whatever I forgot. Most of these are just Ford updated parts. You do all this while your putting in head studs , oh yea while your putting in studs you have heads checked and valve job, If your heads are ok. If not you get to buy new heads. By the way while the turbo is off go ahead with the exhaust while its easier to get the new down pipe in. Hey if you will by my parts we will know how far that money will go.

[cthrasher]

Originally Posted by 2stroked out

I dont know how far that amount will go. especilly if your paying someone else to do the work. I am about to tear into mine, myself. And just trying to figure out what the best route to fix all the common issuse is a head ache. Not necessarly the cheapest but the best way to do some of this stuff. do a search or just look back in the 6.0 forums.
Cause before you mod any yougat to fix all the 6.0 issues. EGR, EGR cooler, coolant filter, blue spring upgrade,stc fitting, HPOP screen, Turbo supply line, Turbo drain line,stand pipes, dummy plugs,and whatever I forgot. Most of these are just Ford updated parts. You do all this while your putting in head studs , oh yea while your putting in studs you have heads checked and valve job, If your heads are ok. If not you get to buy new heads. By the way while the turbo is off go ahead with the exhaust while its easier to get the new down pipe in. Hey if you will by my parts we will know how far that money will go.

Yikes, sounds overwhelming already...

Well it was $3-4k as a rough guess, but not set in stone, I am open to spend more if need be I suppose. Since I am keeping truck, upgrades should be cheaper than getting a different truck...in theory?

Or...am I better off trading it in???

[HeavyAssault]

Trading in is an option but the modding investment you make now will cost less in the long run.

[cthrasher]

As much as I hate to say it, the trade in was going to be on a Cummins 5.9. I've pretty well lost faith in Ford after owning this 6.0. I loved my 7.3 but that was then and this is now.

Pretty uncertain about what to do at this point.

[mjsti]

I just got an 05 with 62k miles, this is (based on my research) what I concluded as essential items to perform. May want to consider these if you haven't already. I'm currently getting 20ish mpg on 55 mph roads, 18 mpg on 65-70 mph roads.

=Coolant flush (and clean) with extended life coolant. Rotella ultra elc is what I'm using.
=Coolant filter
=New coolant cap, my OEM cap wouldn't hold greater than 8-9 psi
=Oil change with rotella T6 5w40, OEM filter, and Rev X
=OEM fuel filters, blue spring mod. Run Rev X fuel treatment.
=Rebuilt FICM. My voltages were getting low during wot
=Scanguage to monitor coolant and oil temps. My temps are currently within spec, however I'm going to replace the oil cooler and egr cooler if temp delta gets out of hand.

[HeavyAssault]

Originally Posted by cthrasher

As much as I hate to say it, the trade in was going to be on a Cummins 5.9. I've pretty well lost faith in Ford after owning this 6.0. I loved my 7.3 but that was then and this is now.

Pretty uncertain about what to do at this point.

We have all been there. The best part is it can be worked on and run great. It's your choice but I still say it's cheaper to mod/fix than get a different truck. What are you asking for your 2005??

[Derkperk]

If you plan on keeping the truck at stock power levels you could save cash by not doing head studs. Your budget should be doable. As 2stroked said, most of the problems are factory updates. For $500, you can get them all from Tousleyfordparts.com You should add a coolant filter and flush. I highly recommend deleting or getting a bulletproof Egr cooler. You can make the 6.0 reliable.
BUT... A 24v would be petty cool.

[cthrasher]

So, the items that I have been advised to get are as follows. This isn't my area of expertise, so perhaps someone can help with a different brand or source for these items?

I was told by the shop to go with an

• H & S Mini Maxx and pyrometer for about $1100 +/-
• EGR Delete kit, plus oil cooler and several other things, $794 Basic Solution(TM) for Ford 6.0L Powerstroke With Sinister EGR Delete Kit, Oil Cooler and Coolant Filter Kit
• additional update kit $399 6.0 Powerstroke Update Kit 2005-2007
• 4" MBRP Stainless exhaust set up, $700

All this would be roughly $2000-2500 labor as well...

Is all this necessary and about what I should expect? Hate to sound ignorant about this, but I have just started getting into this and don't really know what to expect or where to look. Also, my truck is running near perfect right now and I am not looking to go crazy wild and do big bad burnouts and race off into the sunset going 150 mph. I am just looking for a reliable truck that can get better mpg.

Thanks for the help

Corey

[2stroked out]

OK, looking at your list of things you've had trouble with in the past. You may have at least part of the up grades already as part of the repairs,depending on when it was done and the tech. Tousley Ford is the place for ford parts, they even have a guy on the forum. The ehaust sounds high to me.I'm going to tear mine down and make sure what needs updated since I bought used. See if your mechanic would do the same. Also my choice on programming is Power Hungry Performance, check thier website,and forum. They can roll back Fords updats on your ecm and ficm. plus thier ficm tuner sounds like a good deal. They may be able to get you some mpg. Do a lot of google searches and read what others say on forums.I know I threw a lot at you in my first post. But you can make these trucks reliable and better (more power and milage) Just do your research.

[mjsti]

IMHO, I considered the Sinister basic kit, but concluded that a OEM Ford oil cooler was a better option vs the aftermarket Sinister cooler. Also, the EGR delete kits are prone to leaks...so having the stock EGR cooler welded shut (exhaust gas) seems to be the better way to go. This is assuming your stock EGR cooler hasn't already failed. Of course, you'll need a "tuner" to turn off the CEL being thrown from the EGR modification.

I do have the Sinister coolant filter kit. When I first installed, it leaked at every possible location, both sides of the on/off valves, the filter itself, at the input/output "T" junctions. This is following the included instructions, using the supplied thread tape and clamps. Installing new, SMALLER, pipe clamps fixed the leaks at the "T" junctions. Ditching the thread tape and using high temp thread sealer fixed the leaky valves. Finally, applying a light film of clean grease sealed the coolant filter.

Originally Posted by cthrasher

So, the items that I have been advised to get are as follows. This isn't my area of expertise, so perhaps someone can help with a different brand or source for these items?

I was told by the shop to go with an

• H & S Mini Maxx and pyrometer for about $1100 +/-
• EGR Delete kit, plus oil cooler and several other things, $794 Basic Solution(TM) for Ford 6.0L Powerstroke With Sinister EGR Delete Kit, Oil Cooler and Coolant Filter Kit
• additional update kit $399 6.0 Powerstroke Update Kit 2005-2007
• 4" MBRP Stainless exhaust set up, $700

All this would be roughly $2000-2500 labor as well...

Is all this necessary and about what I should expect? Hate to sound ignorant about this, but I have just started getting into this and don't really know what to expect or where to look. Also, my truck is running near perfect right now and I am not looking to go crazy wild and do big bad burnouts and race off into the sunset going 150 mph. I am just looking for a reliable truck that can get better mpg.

Thanks for the help

Corey

[HeavyAssault]

Corey read this: AR9100 vs rex-x

[ciuf]

Not sure how familiar you guys are with the youtube tv, but srmastertech is the best powerstroke mech. i've seen on there. Did arp's and all the suggested updates just from watching his vids. Best thing is, it's all free. He even had me message him on his facebook page. The guy is unreal, can't say enough good for him. And no i'm not getting paid to say this. He's a Ford tech that records his repairs, that's it.

[lubbockguy1979]

You said your not having issues with the truck. So my advice is simple. Change the oil, change the coolant. If you wish to try to tune the truck I would look at a sct tuning device such as the xcal3 or the gryphoon. They are both custom tunable which means that tuning can be tailored to your needs. They can get you the most hp or really dial in a street or tow tune to fit what you do. The benefit of the sct it the variety of different people that can tune the truck. With a sct device I would steer away from a tuning device that has gauges built in. Due to mounting options and other preferences it use a edge insight for that task. The other tuner I mentioned is the gryphoon from powerhungry performance. This is also a custom tuned device it includes gauges and depending on which one you choose it can also tune the ficm to potentially unlock a few mpg, improve throttle response and make drivability a lot better.

Save the rest of the money your looking to spend. When you have a issue it is time you can tear into the motor. You may not ever need to. Heck next year they may produce your dream truck and you'll trade your current ride. The biggest issue I see with this preventative rebuild on the upper end of the truck is that you spend a lot of money just incase when you might not have a issue. It is like adding a lift, stereo or building the motor. It won't effect the value of the truck unless you find a guy with cash in hand.