Ford 6.0 Powerstroke - Yes or Run Like The Wind?

[ChiliPepperGarage]

Looking at trucks. Lot's of 6.0's out there with 150K + miles. Are these time bombs just waiting to go or if they make it that far they're good to go?

 

[Tpltrbl303]

My 05 runs great, no problems with 150k on the od

 

[BigQ]

Many threads on it, best to try a search to get your answer. It's a love hate thing. Personally if you put another 5k into fixing the issues it should be a good buy.

 

[67 baron sprint LD 390 FE]

I rolled the dice and got an 06 with 30,000 miles on it so in know it hasn't been abused the info I have read about them is they are like little bitches of engines and need to be maintained well. I know they have issues with egr coolers , the ficm , and oil pump. Also to leave it stock they don't like chips unless you do upgrades like the arp studs and gaskets. I have read good and bad stuff about them so if you can get one low miles and a decent price it might be worth it unless you have money for a new 6.7

 

[HavasuHank]

Not every 6.0 is destined to blow up ... some do, some don't. I guess it's kind of a luck of the draw type of deal. I am currently looking at one myself. If I do purchase it, I'll run it till it pukes, then drop the coin to have it fixed correctly.

I am between a 2006 Ford F-250 6.0 and a 2005 Silverado 2500HD. Being a Chevy guy makes me want to get the Silverado, but everything is pointing towards the 6.0 as being the better deal of the two.

 

[zhandfull]

The 6.0 runs outstanding when it's running. However when you have problems it starts getting expensive. So if you can afford to buy the truck and have $3-4K laying around or maybe more, you should be golden.:thumbup:

 

[ROC]

I'll be selling my 07 Harley Edition, Black, with 80,000 miles on it very soon.

I've already had interest from friends that are in the business. Some hate them, some love them. I'm just gonna down size for a while and decided to sell as soon as I get the time to get it detailed, oil changed etc.

Most likely won't have time for that until after Coachella and Stagecoach.

 

[rivrrts429]

They will pull the asshole out of an elephant but they are not for everybody.

Learn them! Maintenance is everything. Oil changes every 5k miles, only motorcraft filters, and run the shit out of them. Make sure the previous owner kept good records and look closely at them.

Get yourself a $150 scangauge and plug it in on the trucks you're looking at. It will tell you everything you need to know. If you buy one use the scangauge every where you go and keep a close eye on it.

Once you learn them you'll appreciate them. They are not for everyone though. Have had really good luck with mine and stay active on the Ford-Trucks forum.

This was mine a few weeks ago 90% of it was preventative maintenance and future tune mods.

 

[ToMorrow44]

I stayed away and found a low mile 7.3. The only way I would do a 6.0 is to do all $5k in work and from what I understand they are very reliable and powerful once you get all that done. The problem with rolling the dice and waiting to see if it does have issues, is if you're in between Ludlow and Needles towing the boat when it decides to blow a head gasket. My opinion is its not IF the 6.0 will have issues, but WHEN it will. Good luck with your buy.

 

[rivrrts429]

I stayed away and found a low mile 7.3. The only way I would do a 6.0 is to do all $5k in work and from what I understand they are very reliable and powerful once you get all that done. The problem with rolling the dice and waiting to see if it does have issues, is if you're in between Ludlow and Needles towing the boat when it decides to blow a head gasket. My opinion is its not IF the 6.0 will have issues, but WHEN it will. Good luck with your buy.

That's about spot on. If you don't want to throw money at it to make it right buy a 7.3 or a Cummins :thumbup:

What I tell people who are looking at 6.0's is to have the shit fixed before it breaks. Ford signed off on some real fucked up flaws when they came out with it. Completely fixable though.

Factor in the $5k to the purchase price. If the deal still makes sense then go for it. I've been looking at other 6.0's on the internet and there are a lot of people who aren't cash flowed but have a very fixable 6.0. They end up selling them for dirt cheap. Add the $5k repairs and you have yourself a good truck. The parts are fairly cheap, it's the time/labor that is expensive.

 

[McRib]

It's all how you maintain, mod, and drive it.

You have to be gentle with them. They are not foot through the floor board types but when drivin right they will out pull an elephants asshole inside out from 500 yards. It just does it slow and methodical. Knowing the life span of certain parts is key also. A 6 liter with 100k or more that hasn't had an HPOP done is a ticking time bomb. The HPOP is the heartbeat of the 6 liter. When that fails bad things happen and it's a pricy fix unless you have a good inexpensive knowledgeable mechanic avaliable. A nominal am out of money can get any 6 liter to be somewhat worry free.

Good maint, a coolant filter, good gauges that show oil temp and coolany temp at the same tim , and aftermarket egr coololer will do wonders to a 6 liter .

I love my 06. Did an HPOP at 87k. Sitting on 112k now.

They definitely get a bad wrap and have a bad reputation but it's a great motor as long as you fix it's flaws and drive it right.

 

[HolyMoly]

I stayed away and found a low mile 7.3. The only way I would do a 6.0 is to do all $5k in work and from what I understand they are very reliable and powerful once you get all that done. The problem with rolling the dice and waiting to see if it does have issues, is if you're in between Ludlow and Needles towing the boat when it decides to blow a head gasket. My opinion is its not IF the 6.0 will have issues, but WHEN it will. Good luck with your buy.

I agree. Even though I had to replace the turbo on my 7.3...it didn't strand me anywhere. And I take the family on an annual trip to Montana towing our triple axle trailer and take all sorts of routes off the beaten path in the middle of nowhere and have found some killer grades. When shopping for my truck, I too just waited until I found a lower mile 7.3. It was hard...there were some great deals on tons of 6.0s and 6.4s.

I say....run, Forest, run.

 

[ChiliPepperGarage]

So it seems the 6.0 is a great motor once you put another $5K into them. I guess I'll keep looking for 7.3's instead. Or stick with Chevy Duramax. Been looking at Dodges too but hard to find them with nice interiors. They all seem to be cloth moderately equipped while there are way more LT, loaded Chevy's and Lariet Fords.

Any known issues with the Duramax?

 

[ToMorrow44]

That's about spot on. If you don't want to throw money at it to make it right buy a 7.3 or a Cummins :thumbup:

What I tell people who are looking at 6.0's is to have the shit fixed before it breaks. Ford signed off on some real fucked up flaws when they came out with it. Completely fixable though.

Factor in the $5k to the purchase price. If the deal still makes sense then go for it. I've been looking at other 6.0's on the internet and there are a lot of people who aren't cash flowed but have a very fixable 6.0. They end up selling them for dirt cheap. Add the $5k repairs and you have yourself a good truck. The parts are fairly cheap, it's the time/labor that is expensive.

Agreed. A few years back someone on here had a 6.0 with EVERY bulletproof diesel upgrade and all Banks upgrades. I would have bought that in a heartbeat and never thought twice.

 

[ToMorrow44]

I guess I'll keep looking for 7.3's instead.

How soon you looking to buy? Mine may be for sale at the end of this year only to buy my dads even lower mile 7.3. Depends where the Coast Guard decides to send me next too. PM me if you want more info.

 

[65Mandella]

What kind of mileage are you guys seeing out of the 6.0?? My 7.3 in 02' 3/4 ton 4x4 gets right at 15... Curious if the 6.0 gets any better.

 

[ChiliPepperGarage]

How soon you looking to buy? Mine may be for sale at the end of this year only to buy my dads even lower mile 7.3. Depends where the Coast Guard decides to send me next too. PM me if you want more info.

I'm looking right now. May get something this weekend if I can find the right one. I don't have an immediate need, just want one now so I can wait for the right deal but not until the end of the year. That's a little too long. D

 

[rivrrts429]

What kind of mileage are you guys seeing out of the 6.0?? My 7.3 in 02' 3/4 ton 4x4 gets right at 15... Curious if the 6.0 gets any better.

Maybe McRib will chime in. I wouldn't be a good gauge of fuel mileage. I leg the thing everywhere I go and it's mainly my tow vehicle. Very rarely is it ever empty. I think its somewhere around 9-11 towing, maybe. I tow fairly heavy at 15k-17k lbs.

 

[boatdoc55]

I'm not going to bad mouth them but will give you some input on my '04 and '06. Between the two, they put 5 turbos on them in a combined 26K miles!!!! Dealer ship said it's because I didn't drive them enough. I guess when they sit, the ring inside the turbo rusts and causes it to not open and close as it should. I don't recall that in my contract about driving them constantly or at least every other day. When the '06 received it's second one, to the Dodge dealership I went and have not even thought about a Ford now since '08.
I guess it's not a good deal to have one and not use it as an every day truck, have a Tacoma for that. I don't think I can be at fault so I put it on Ford. They lost a lifelong customer over those 6.0's.

p.s. The Dodge has never had a problem on the road or sitting in the garage.

 

[BUDMAN]

Love my 6.0 It's a great truck and I drive the shit out of mine. Had to replace the turbo and FICM at around 120K but still a great running truck. Every one is correct on the maintenance. I do the oil change every 5k and fuel filters every 10k. If you get a 6.0 and need work done get a hold of me or McRib we have a mechanic that's reasonable and knows what he's doing. As far as mileage goes I average about 13-15mpg. Hope this helps a little. Good luck on what ever you decide.

 

[TPC]

One of the CHP guys in our group bought one new,, then it was lot's of trouble for a few years. Figuring Ford had finally fixed the problems they traded it in on another at a big loss and their next 6.0 has been even worse. They figured wrong and are they ever living with their mistake.

Just the very question is it reliable has scared us off from Fords.

The 2015 6.7 is yet another new version.
Looks great in the showroom and on paper though.

I want a F450 so bad I day dream what the ink smells like on the brochure.
Park it in the driveway all polished up and sit there in a lawn chair and admire it.
But the thought that yet another re-design of the 6.7 may be another ticking time bomb,,,

Nah,, enough lemon law cases for this family this decade.
I wish all you guys the best with your Powerstrokes and hope you have zero issues because eventually the day will come and my dream of owning one will come true too.

 

[wedge45]

So it seems the 6.0 is a great motor once you put another $5K into them. I guess I'll keep looking for 7.3's instead. Or stick with Chevy Duramax. Been looking at Dodges too but hard to find them with nice interiors. They all seem to be cloth moderately equipped while there are way more LT, loaded Chevy's and Lariet Fords.

Any known issues with the Duramax?

It's Japanese ... Isuzu Motors .... Mexican interior....

 

[koenig]

Had an 04 Excursion bought new with 10miles on it. Sold it in 09 with 115K miles. Never had any real engine problems at all. Just had an issue of power loss and blowing black smoke. Unplugged the EGR valve and no more problems. Wish I didn't sell it. Want another one.

 

[Meaney77]

I was a nay sayer... I had an 06 F350 and was only used for towing my 5th wheel and boat and it had less than 75K on it. Read many horror stories (here and other sites) of the 6.0 and thought everyone was full of shit since at the time mine ran and towed great. After all at 75K miles, a diesel truck should have issues... wrong....After replacing 2 turbos, 2 heads, head studs, etc.... roughly ~$15K out of my pocket I developed a rod knock of some sort and figured enough was enough. I figured I would fuck Ford back just like they fucked me on that turd of a truck, I traded that POS in to the same dealer that sold it to me.. and ended up getting a 2013 F450 and love it.

 

[floatn turd]

Goddammit!!!

Just when I start to forget about my trucks "destiny" of death. Another one of these threads pops up!! :bash:

 

[boatpi]

I purchased a 2006 6.0 new and it has just 37K miles on it now. I have oil changed every year, filer too. In 2010 the turbo was replaced under warranty, reason, not driven enough and the veins became tarnished from the beach air making its way through the exhaust. Sine then I drove it at least once a week, no issues. It pulls great and gets good mileage, about 22 MPG at 65 MPH on flat land, and 18-19 at 70-73 MPH to Vegas unloaded. Towing is 12-5 to 13MPG no matter what I tow.

 

[cnj]

Run Forest, run!!! Three buddies have the 6.0 Fords (one is an '04, and 2 are '05s). All 3 have had major issues. One of the 05s has less than 60k miles in it. At ~40k, he had the whole cab-off-frame EGR, oil cooler, radiator, blah blah blah replaced. Seems every time he hooks his boat up to it, the damn thing still throws a new code and falls flat on it's face. Just isn't reliable at all.

 

[wash11]

Run. Had 5 out of 5 cost me a shit ton of time and money. I'm having a hard time with the responses suggesting maintenance, maintenance, maintenance- carry a scan tool and use it all the time, tear your engine apart and call it "preventive maintenance". It's a truck not a new girlfriend or her poodle.

Spend your money on something proven to last, not proven to fail.

 

[westair]

Run like the wind! .... I loved my 04 Excursion and the way it drove but once it got out of warranty I was afraid to drive it .....many issues.

 

[Runs2rch]

6.0's can be great. The hard part is finding a 100k plus truck with good maintenance history. I know everyone loves the 7.3, but the 6.0 can be made solid.

 

[Spot]

They will pull the asshole out of an elephant but they are not for everybody.

Learn them! Maintenance is everything. Oil changes every 5k miles, only motorcraft filters, and run the shit out of them. Make sure the previous owner kept good records and look closely at them.

Get yourself a $150 scangauge and plug it in on the trucks you're looking at. It will tell you everything you need to know. If you buy one use the scangauge every where you go and keep a close eye on it.

Once you learn them you'll appreciate them. They are not for everyone though. Have had really good luck with mine and stay active on the Ford-Trucks forum.

This was mine a few weeks ago 90% of it was preventative maintenance and future tune mods.

View attachment 326248
View attachment 326249
View attachment 326250

Nailed it....

 

[Pinball]

Goddammit!!!

Just when I start to forget about my trucks "destiny" of death. Another one of these threads pops up!! :bash:

HaHa, I know exactly how you feel. I've got an 06 6.0 sitting in Havasu with 44K on the clock. Runs great at the moment . . .


Anyone have recommendations for mechanics in Havasu, both for any general repairs/maint, and also for installing the bulletproof mods if I go that route?

 

[fishing fool]

Like others have said you have to treat it right.

I have a 05 with 142K, I did blow the EGR cooler once. Dealer replace it. The problem is the oil cooler gets plugged and then over heats the EGR cooler. Since mine blew I clean the cooling system every year. I have a SCT tuner with a 50hp boost, with the tuner it allows the EGR cooler to stay closed all the time. I also run a bottle of 2 cycle oil with every tank of fuel.
I have pulled a VERY heave 5th wheel toyhauler. For me I don't let the boost to get over 20psi. I would rather show up 30 minutes later then to blow the motor.

 

[Rvrluvr]

Love my 6.0 It's a great truck and I drive the shit out of mine. Had to replace the turbo and FICM at around 120K but still a great running truck. Every one is correct on the maintenance. I do the oil change every 5k and fuel filters every 10k. If you get a 6.0 and need work done get a hold of me or McRib we have a mechanic that's reasonable and knows what he's doing. As far as mileage goes I average about 13-15mpg. Hope this helps a little. Good luck on what ever you decide.

:rolleyes

 

[ChiliPepperGarage]

Thanks for all the input. I'm going to stay away from the 6.0 because I just don't to take the gamble (I have shitty luck!) and it's not worth it when there are other options out there.

The truck will not be driven daily and in fact, will probably sit for log periods of time. Maybe a month at a time unless I just start it up and move it around my yard or go to the store with it or something.

I don't want something I have to baby or be meticulous with maintenance. I already have hot rods and bikes and now a boat project to mess with and want to devote time to those, not a tow vehicle.

One of the inmates here has a really nice 7.3 truck so looking at that. Good luck to all you 6.0 guys out there! :thumbsup

 

[boatdoc55]

Very good decision!!

 

[McRib]

Thanks for all the input. I'm going to stay away from the 6.0 because I just don't to take the gamble (I have shitty luck!) and it's not worth it when there are other options out there.

The truck will not be driven daily and in fact, will probably sit for log periods of time. Maybe a month at a time unless I just start it up and move it around my yard or go to the store with it or something.

I don't want something I have to baby or be meticulous with maintenance. I already have hot rods and bikes and now a boat project to mess with and want to devote time to those, not a tow vehicle.

One of the inmates here has a really nice 7.3 truck so looking at that. Good luck to all you 6.0 guys out there! :thumbsup

Smart decision. They need to be drivin.

 

[Yellowboat]

If you are going to let it sit, treat the fuel and add a prefuel pump marine style fuel filter, you don't want water in your fuel.

 

[Runs2rch]

If you are going to let it sit, treat the fuel and add a prefuel pump marine style fuel filter, you don't want water in your fuel.

Fuel sitting isn't a huge issue out here. Problem with sitting and the 6.0 is the turbo vanes rust up. I worked on one not that long ago that the owner drove once every few months. Said there was a lack of power. Broken vane causing all of the trouble. Bottom line though sitting for long periods of time is bad for any engine, worse for diesels though.

 

[HolyMoly]

Who has that comparison photo of the Duramax wide open - guy looks bored. Cummins wide open - Guy looks excited. PSD wide open - has a picture of a Ford with the body lifted off of the frame.:thumbsup

 

[HavasuHaulin]

Run... unless you like spending countless hours on the side of the road or waiting rooms. Sold my favorite truck (f 250 6.0 ) before the waranty was even up, spent more time at the dealer than on the road.

 

[h2o225]

Ok here's the story with mine. Bullet proof done banks IQ complete kit from front to back. Just did arp studs for piece of mind. I have 150k plus on odometer. Did injectors last month had 3 real bad ones so replaced all. Going to put new turbo on in the next few months have wear on the ring. Truck runs great. My truck does sit which is not the best idea. Summer is here so it will get driven more. I have no regrets with my 05 it runs nice and if I ask it it will run hard.
Those that are having rough idle and seem to have mileage drop and boost approaching 30# get your injectors checked with the ford computer. It will tell you what each injector is doing.

 

[Abc123]

If you buy the Bulletproof kit, they can be a good truck. However after the cost of the kit and install you could have just bought a Duramax. That 6.0 is junk.

 

[Abc123]

It's Japanese ... Isuzu Motors .... Mexican interior....

GM has kept the same engine for well over a decade and has continued to perfect that engine over the years. There are several of these trucks with over 250k miles still on the road and used as work horses.

Ford should have contracted International to redesign the 7.3 to comply with the EPA rather than what they did (drop the 7.3 and bounce around). Many owners of the newer engines boast about the quality, reliability and power. That's great and all, but lets pick that conversation up in ten years and see how many are still on the road.