New to Ford diesel - need assistance please 6.0 or 7.3???

[Nightowl001]

I am new to Ford diesels and I do not know which engine had which issue. Here is what I am looking at: when looking for a truck, which engine gets the best fuel economy? Which is more reliable? Which takes to upgrades better? I will not be pulling anything more than a mid sized camper (I know I can do pull it with a gasser, but why?) I am looking for under $14000 so most of what I have found is 2004 and older. I'm guessing the 6.4L is junk considering the prices on them!!! CHEAP!!! Anyway, I guess the choice is 6.0 or 7.3? I need fuel economy the most. And if that means I would have to leave the upgrades off then that is what I will do.

I want an auto trans and 4x4.

Please...do not use this to start a mine is better than yours. I am sure they are both great engines. If this gets off to that, I will request this thread gets deleted. I really need advice. I have been searching for a while and I think the 6.o is the way i want to go. I am just not sure as I do not know anything about ford diesels.

Thanks in advance for the advice.

[Alaskapsdvan]

Why the need for a Truck?
What kind of mpg are you looking for?

I am happy with the 7.3 with a birthday of 11/99, have put 200k on it my self.
Summer I am in the 18mpg range easy and winter down to 15-16mpg.. dam winter fuel.

[Pearlgc]

The question is why a truck but why a diesel? I have an '04 SD Crew 4 x 4 SB with a 6.0L. I like it a lot and get around 20 mph on highway and 13 in city. I have a 2007 FORD turbo in it and in '06 the EGR's were addressed but FORD OEM was put in. As for the 'why' part I bought it in '05 because diesel was about a dollar cheaper then a year later whooa!!! there went the price. I also was buying it as an investment because we wanted to add a trailer of some sorts to our family. I used it to pull down trees and haul retaining wall block, rock and various other items. If I didn't have a 35' trailer or do some of those other things I would have stuck with a gasser.

I find myself in need of an 8' bed SRW or a DRW...

Good luck!

Oh, and if it's a 6.0L you lean towards, get an '05 and up I guess. My '04 has a late 2004 engine and I haven't had nearly the issues as other s have had in the past by having an '03-'04.

[txgp17]

Look for an 06' or 07' truck. Ford worked out most of the 6.0 bugs by then.

When you get it, follow the maintenance schedule exactly, and don't ever use anything but genuine Ford/Motorcraft or Racor filters.

[Pearlgc]

Wow... I haven't used a FORD Motorcraft filter since I bought it in '05. I used WIX. WIX makes NAPA Gold and AMZOIL. I use to use Delo but switch over to AMZOIL a while back. I also use the AMZOIL diesel additive. So far so good... (insert wood knocking!)

As for years, I do agree that an '06 would be good. An '07 would too but the $$$ is out of range. Now I just have to figure whether doing a Crew Cab SRW 8' bed will suffice or maybe go all the way and get an '06 DRW. Not sure I want to know what mpg would be without a trailer let alone with! I do a lot of commuting around with kids and stuff and tow once a month. I'd figure a DRW is almost unstoppable as well but when they DO stop, that's gotta suck!

[txgp17]

Originally Posted by Pearlgc

Wow... I haven't used a FORD Motorcraft filter since I bought it in '05. I used WIX. WIX makes NAPA Gold and AMZOIL.

I think you're pressing your luck. The 6.0 fuel and oil filters are patented, meaning no one is allowed to copy it. A filter by anyone else is an inferior product. This is one reason the 6.0 got a bad name. FoMoCo overpriced the OEM filters, driving customers to cheaper competitors selling non-spec filters. Resulting in many break downs.

Ford even has a video on it:

Motorcraft Power Stroke Diesel Filter Comparison 2.0 - YouTube

Motorcraft Power Stroke Diesel Filter Comparison 2.0 - YouTube

[Siburr]

7.3 will save you time and $$$

[Pearlgc]

Wow, that was a very compelling video... Thanks!

7.3 huh? Found two 7.3's one Crew Cab 8' box SRW and the same but a DRW. Well, I'll hit the pavement in a week and start looking at trucks. Too bad I don't have a mechanic to go with!

[Robyn]

7.3L x 2!

[Hermanator]

Diesel Pro's:
1.) Great Horse Power to MPG ratio when under load as compared to a gas motor. When not under load the newer gas engines have better MPG and the price per gallon is less where I live.

2.) You say MPG is the key variable, don't forget you have bio-diesel options. Investigate this as well because I have yet to find a bio-diesel kit that will work with my 2004, 6.0. This alone leads me to wishing I had the 7.3. If you are going to pull that mid-size (8k. lbs) camper at elevations above 8K ft. a diesel is a must.

3.) The diesel motor has the longevity no question!

Diesel Con's:
1.) Repairs are more costly and require different tools
2.) Because the weight of diesels they are not the greatest 4x4's when in the thick stuff.
3.) When temperatures are 15 degrees F. or colder, it DEMANDS a warm-up period when starting. You can counter this by plugging in the engine warmer and this works great but cost about $3.00 a night in electricity.

Obviously, the longevity of the diesel motor is superior but it is typically the components that surround the motor are what fails. IE on the 6.0: EGR Valve, EGR cooler, headbolts etc. IE: on the 7.3 headbolts, glow plugs, FICM etc. Personally, I feel as though no maintenance could prevent these types of failures. Make no mistake, these failures will leave you on the side of the road waiting for the wrecker and in this circumstances you will always second guess your decision.

In short, if you are using your truck as a truck or a work tool and will be hauling anything for any period of time you will love either one (6.0 or 7.3). If you are not using your truck as such you probably don't have a need for a diesel, in which case it would just be an expensive toy and there is nothing wrong with that.

[dblott1]

there is a reason they call the 7.3l the 'bulletproof' engine

[Greg03PSD]

I have a 7.3 and I really like it. I have also driven a friend's 6.0 for a little bit. The 6.0 feels a little more "peppy", but it also does have a higher power rating in stock form.

The early 6.0 did have some issues which lead to a big lawsuit between Ford and International. The eventual outcome was that Ford dumped International and built its own diesel engine. The fixes for the early 6.0 can cost quite a bit of money (thousands), but once they are done, the 6.0 is every bit as reliable as the 7.3 (at least from what I've read).

The 7.3 has a very loyal following and those that have them don't want to let them go (I certainly wouldn't sell mine). The 6.0 has a little more power and better MPG than the 7.3 - its biggest downfall is the reliablility issues. The 7.3 does have some issues, but they are all pretty minor and are inexpensive to fix. The only issues I have had with mine were the HPOP o-rings leaking and a chafed wiring harness. The o-rings were about $100 to fix (I was on the road away from home and had to have a dealer do the work) and the wiring harness did not cost me anything to fix. The CPS has also caused problems, but Ford issued a recall to replace them. Even if it did fail, I think they are about $20 now and it only takes a few minutes to change it out. All the issues with the 7.3 combined are nothing compared to fixing a blown head gasket on a 6.0. The money that you would spend in fixing the 6.0 the "right" way probably would be more than the money you would save in diesel fuel from better MPGs. I think the biggest issues with the 6.0 occur when you start hot-rodding them. Both engines can be upgraded via a tuner/programmer very easily.