6.0L Power Stroke Engine and DrivetrainDiscussion of the 6.0L Power Stroke diesel engine and drivetrain in the 2003-Up Super Duties and Excursions. No gas engine discussion allowed except on transmissions and drivetrain that pertain to all models. Please confine discussion of topics in this forum to those items that are specific to the 6.0L Power Stroke engine.
Hi all, I just sold my chevy 6.5 diesel and I'm in the market for another truck. The truck will not be a daily driver, ill mainly use it to do some car hauling every so often. I found an 03 ext cab 4x4 f250 with the 6.0 and 350,000 miles. Body looks to be in decent shape. I don't like the fact it has such high mileage but they are only asking 4k for it. No idea on the history but the dealer claims it runs well. I am thinking about going to look at it this weekend. I have never had a ford diesel, any things i should look for specifically?
Run away screaming. I just spent $7000.00 on parts only doing all my own labor on a beautiful 2004 F250 4X4 crew cab with 187,000 miles. It ran well and drove great. I bought it for $3500.00 in blissful ignorance. Never again. The engine is extremely complex and if you are unwilling to invest in good diagnostic tools and to spend whatever it takes to repair it correctly stay away. There is no such thing as patching a 6.0. Sell your baling wire and screwdriver and invest in a lift capable of raising the cab off the frame, you will need it unless you have 3 powerful articulating titanium arms the size of a spider monkey and Xray vision. This forum will become an obsession as you work on the truck because it is the best source of info for dealing with all the issues you will encounter.
Run away screaming. I just spent $7000.00 on parts only doing all my own labor on a beautiful 2004 F250 4X4 crew cab with 187,000 miles. It ran well and drove great. I bought it for $3500.00 in blissful ignorance. Never again. The engine is extremely complex and if you are unwilling to invest in good diagnostic tools and to spend whatever it takes to repair it correctly stay away. There is no such thing as patching a 6.0. Sell your baling wire and screwdriver and invest in a lift capable of raising the cab off the frame, you will need it unless you have 3 powerful articulating titanium arms the size of a spider monkey and Xray vision. This forum will become an obsession as you work on the truck because it is the best source of info for dealing with all the issues you will encounter.
Ok, that's one opinion on one truck that one person owns. (And what parts did you buy for 7k?) Now look at it rationally. What kind of shape is the body and the rest of the chassis in? With 350k, chances are that big components like the transmission, ball joints, multiple injectors, hpop's, ect have already been replaced. I would get some service/repair history on it, and then decide from there. Maybe you can talk the price down. If you got it for 3k and had to put a long block in it, your still not doin that bad if the rest of the truck is in good condition. Or spend 60k on a new truck , which these days will be in the same shape in a couple of years.
__________________
2005 F-350 cc, 6sp, 4" turbo back MBRP, 03 turbo, ARP studs, Sinister EGR delete, Southbend clutch, SCT with custom tunes and really bald tires
1996 F-350 Reg cab psd auto 187k so far so good
Ok, that's one opinion on one truck that one person owns. (And what parts did you buy for 7k?) Now look at it rationally. What kind of shape is the body and the rest of the chassis in? With 350k, chances are that big components like the transmission, ball joints, multiple injectors, hpop's, ect have already been replaced. I would get some service/repair history on it, and then decide from there. Maybe you can talk the price down. If you got it for 3k and had to put a long block in it, your still not doin that bad if the rest of the truck is in good condition. Or spend 60k on a new truck , which these days will be in the same shape in a couple of years.
I agree, see what's been done. look at the engine as well to see if the egr has been deleted or not because that was the main cause of failure on the early 6.0 engines was the egr cooler
__________________
2006 F-350 SRW LB King Ranch Crew Cab
4" lift with 35" Pro Comp Xtreme tires
SCT Livewire custom programmer
K&N FIBK cold air intake system
4" turboback exhaust with a 7" monostack
2001 F-250 XLT SRW SB Supercab
Bone Stock(For Now)
you certainly cannot base your decision off one person who has had bad luck.Maybe he didnt do enough research or maintenance on his truck.I love mine no issues at all and plan on having it along time.Im a firm believer that maintenance is one of the key elements to having a healthy strong 6.0.
__________________
2005 F-350 6.0 XLT crew cab FX4 4x4
51k on New motor,123k on truck
scangauge II as guages
Blue spring upgrade
4" turbo back MBRP
Zerex CAT EC-1 coolant
K&N cold air intake
Build date of 01/2005
2008 30' zinger TT
As a long term former owner of a 97 7.3 I know what reliability is. Compared to the 6.0 the 7.3 is less powerful but incredibly longer lasting and easier to maintain. Having to replace an engine at approximately 72,000 miles is not an issue? (123,000 with 51,000 on a new engine you say). The result of running a 6.0 too far after the famous oil cooler/egrcooler/manifold clogging/injector killing+ progressive damage requires a great deal of foreknowledge for the potential 6.0 shopper to recognize if the seller has managed to temporarily mask the problem. I also "love my truck" it looks ,rides and now runs great but the potential for disaster is large for the average person looking for a used truck. A low buck prospect for a diesel beater would do much better in my now well educated opinion, to favor the old 7.3.
almost 220k on my X and it only left me stranded once when the HPOP finally went. Get some background information on the truck. Maybe even an oasis if possible and see what shes been through. Take care of it and it will go forever.
SOLD
2003 Ford Excursion
6.0L PSD with 224,XXX+ Miles
Scangauge II w/ BlendMount Kit
Sinister Coolant Filter
+40hp FICM tune / No turbo-lag
MBRP 4" Turbo-Back straight piped
New HPOP 205k, FICM referb @215k, everything else original & stock
Old Faithful.
Thanks everyone for all of the replies. I also talked to my neighbor who is a diesel mechanic and he recommended trying to find a 7.3 instead of the 6.0. I ended up finding a 97 with 4x4, ect cab, and a 5 speed which is really what i was looking for. Picking it up today so hope this one works out well!
It's the same old story. A good running 6.0 is an awesome truck, but there's always the possibility of failure. I don't know what the percentage of trucks have the failures(would be interesting to know) but it's high enough to give them a bad rep. I would love to have one, but I want one that's already been fixed/bullet proofed. It's just knowing that I may have to shell out thousands of dollars after I buy one that stops me from getting one. My understanding is that power adders(to a stock truck) increase the likelyhood of failure. Does anyone/everyone else agree?
Adding cylinder pressure to a stock engine and enjoying the extra power from a modified ECM program will stretch the stock head bolts not if but when. No way would I boost power without studs and stock gaskets replaced. After doing the egr delete my max boost was 18 psi at WOT. I laid a new egr valve on the manifold and plugged it in and restored WOT boost to 24. I removed the valve hole cover plate and put the valve back where it belonged, with stock head bolts I don't want boost any higher than that. A great engine but an owner needs to understand it's peculiarities and be able to monitor negative changes while they are still minor.
helluva deal!! just tinker with it . for that price....
__________________
97 F250 PSD Xcab 4X4 rebuilt trans,precision converter, tugger shift kit, hughes pan,4" bigboar exhaust. 3 gauge pillar, trans,pyro,boost. add a leaf 260,000 miles 06 F250 Xcab 4X4 powerstroke, juice with attitude that is junk. 140,000 miles, 5 " Diamond eye redneck Fartpipe with cat. rolling on 20" grapplers. Gone but not forgotten, 04 Cobra Mustang. Better known as the Corvette Killer. 2.93 pulley, 438/466 HP/TQ.
get an oasis report on it as well as a car fox. the dealer will not want to give it to you so demand it. also if you can take it home for a weekend and " let the wife make the decision" that s what i say. check it out, run it hard and long. make sure you want to get into it as a daily driver.
__________________
2003 F350 crew cab 4x4 Bone Stock.
seriously you're scared to boost over 24. this summer my truck was all stock. when pulling hills in Montana, with the slide-in camper, I saw 28-30, and 225+ for 7-10 minutes at a time. more than just a few times. not even a burp after I pushed out a couple spoonfulls of overfill. my 2003 had 100k when I traded it on the 05 which now has around 130k I have never added 1 drop of coolant. either I'm REALLY lucky or my little habit of not slow idling it, and driving real gentle until its 150-160 agrees with it. my warranty expired in 09. 2 weeks before that ford replaced the FICM under warranty, thats the last its seen a ford shop and all its had since is oil changes with archoil additive. I dream of the day that the air filter actually becomes dirty and I'll need to replace it.
The AutoGuide.com network consists of the largest network of enthusiast-owned enthusiast-operated automotive communities.
AutoGuide.com provides the latest car reviews, auto show coverage, new car prices, and automotive news. The AutoGuide network operates more than 100 automotive forums where our users consult peers for shopping information and advice, and share opinions as a community.
Linear Mode
