School me on 6.0 bullet proofing

[norcalLmo]

Need a better understanding of Ford's 6.0 bullet proofing Any issues with California smog regulations?

 

[GRADS]

I've owned two of them in the past with zero problems with either one. I know a lot of people have had problems with them but sometimes I wonder if it is because they modify them.

 

[monkeyswrench]

It really depends on how heavy and frequently you tow, and how bumped up it is. They aren't my favorite, but they do work well. They make a "heavy duty" egr cooler, and also a heavy duty oil cooler. Those are the must haves. You can delete the egr, but pretty sure you aren't passing smog then. If you are just towing mild, that should be fine. Heavier work, I'd stud the heads. This is a Holy SOB, it sucks. I'd wait until it lifts a head, then do the dirty. I've had from 250's to a 550 with 6 leakers. Towed a 43ft toyhauler with one, and learned about egr coolers.

Do an exhaust, it will help your egt's. At minimum, run a pyro. That way you can back out on hills if it creeps.

When conservative, they're great. When bulletproofed, they do really well. Just know that it'll take some coin to get it perfect.

 

[lbhsbz]

I've owned two of them in the past with zero problems with either one. I know a lot of people have had problems with them but sometimes I wonder if it is because they modify them.

It's not like you drove it to work everyday....mostly just sat in the driveway...right?

 

[RogerThat99]

I don't know if the prices have changed, but it used to be about $3,800 for the basic kit, and could go up to about $7,000 if you wanted more items fixed. It had a lifetime warranty. I thought one of the stages replaced the head studs. If I remember correctly, the EGR cooler and the head studs were the biggest problems on the 6.0.

I will probably get another 6.0 and bullet proof it.

Like Grads said, it seemed like the people didn't tune their trucks, and used them but didn't abuse them, didn't have any problems.

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[RogerThat99]

This video is from 2015, but has good info from a diesel mechanic on all the Ford diesels up to 2015...the good and the bad.

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[02HoWaRd26]

Limp it to the Chevy dealership, trade in on Duramax, you’ve now bulletproofed yourself of the 6.0L

 

[cakemoto]

You can get them cheap.. just have the 5 grand ready when it’s goes poof

 

[Bpracing1127]

Basically you need to do the following for true bullet proofing

head studs
Egr delete
Remote oil cooler
Coolant filters
New intercooler
Exhaust to help with egt
New fuel filter setup

after all that is done then you can do a nice tune and get 800 ft lbs out of the motor reliably

my dad had a stock 6.0 and had oil cooler and egt problems.

 

[BONER]

@Hullbilly

 

[ToMorrow44]

Need a better understanding of Ford's 6.0 bullet proofing Any issues with California smog regulations?

A lot of good info here. Although you’d need to put the upgraded EGR cooler vs the delete for CA Smog.

As I understand it, the problem starts at the oil cooler. Coolant flows thru the oil cooler then onto the EGR cooler. The passages in the oil cooler are extremely narrow and get clogged which increases oil temp and reduces flow to the EGR cooler. The EGR cooler (which also has narrow passages) then overheard and melts, allows coolant into the intake which will then push out the head gaskets. The factory head bolts don’t help either, hence why everyone does arp studs.

as others have said, if the truck isn’t tuned and hasnt been abused, you can usually throw a coolant filter kit on it and monitor oil temp vs coolant temp and be pretty good. Oil temp and coolant temp should be nearly the same, if you see those start to separate from each other, that’s a sign that the oil cooler is getting plugged up.

 

[Wheeler]

Perfect timing! I'm looking at a '05 6.blow with 80k miles and trying to decide a value and if it's even worth the effort. No tune, bone stock 4x4 in good condition, no wrecks. Asking price is 12k.

 

[BONER]

Perfect timing! I'm looking at a '05 6.blow with 80k miles and trying to decide a value and if it's even worth the effort. No tune, bone stock 4x4 in good condition, no wrecks. Asking price is 12k.

I've been shopping too. $12k is a smoking deal. If you pass on that Truck, please PM me info.

 

[pixrthis]

I bullet proofed mine at 213,000. Head studs, egr delete, oil cooler, turbo (only because it had so many miles on it), heads ( the exhaust valves seats had cracks), and had the injectors tested. The truck towed our 42 fountain for five years which was a little over 14,000 lbs and never left us stranded, it’s been a great truck and has 247,000 on it now. I spent more than the truck was worth doing it but was putting three kids through college at the time and didn’t want a truck payment, now I’d rather have a new boat than a new truck so I’m happy that I did it.

 

[FishSniper]

Need a better understanding of Ford's 6.0 bullet proofing Any issues with California smog regulations?

Find one with a 7.3 and save the hassle and headache.

 

[Wheeler]

I've been shopping too. $12k is a smoking deal. If you pass on that Truck, please PM me info.

I found one in TX with 37k mi. 15k asking price.
So I'm not sure how good of a deal this local truck might be or when it will blow.

I will let you know if I don't proceed with the sale.

 

[HCP3]

Wikipedia has about a half page worth of common issues.

Common Issues
Oil Cooler/EGR Cooler - The sources of the main issues with the 6.0L were the in-block oil cooler, and the EGR cooler materials. The oil cooler is located in the valley of the engine block, underneath the cartridge oil filter set up. The sealed outer portion of the oil cooler is submerged in engine oil, with coolant flowing through the center passages. Over time, the oil cooler will develop small cracks in the aluminum tubes from the constant heating and cooling of the engine. This situation usually results in oil pushing its way into the cooling system. The sludge created from the mixture of oil and coolant creates a high pressure environment in the EGR cooler (due to the viscosity change in the coolant), leading to cracking of the EGR cooler's coolant passages. Once the EGR cooler cracks, it begins to leak coolant into the intake system and is then routed into the engine's cylinders to be burnt. The burning of coolant in the cylinders then causes a steam buildup, thus increasing cylinder pressures and the stretching of the head bolts; which leads to head gasket failure. The early EGR coolers (2003-2004.5) were also susceptible to premature failure without oil cooler issues, also resulting in head gasket failure.

High Pressure Oil System - With the use of Split-shot HEUI fuel injectors, high pressure oil is required to pressurize the fuel injectors. The main high pressure oil (HPO) system components are; High Pressure Oil Pump (HPOP), HPO manifolds, Stand pipes and branch tube. The HPOP is located in the engine valley at the rear of the engine block. Early build years (2003.5–04.5) are well known for premature HPOP failure. This is due to the poor quality materials used in manufacturing. The HPOP is pressurized by a rotating gear, meshed with a rear camshaft gear. The early model HPOP gears were known to be weak, and develop stress cracks in the teeth resulting in gear failure, thus causing a no start issue for the engine. Early models also had the ICP sensor located on the HPOP cover. The high amount of heat in this location, combined with the exposure to debris in the oil was known to cause ICP sensor failure also resulting in a no start condition. This issue was addressed by Ford with the late 2004 engine update, bringing a new HPOP design, along with relocation of the ICP sensor to the Passenger side valve cover. The newly designed pump is not known for frequent failure, however a new issue arose with the update. In the late model engines, Ford also redesigned the HPO stand pipes and dummy plugs in the HPO manifold, using poor quality o-rings. These o-rings were prone to failure causing a HPO leak, and eventually a no start condition. Ford addressed this concern with updated Viton o-ring washers fixing the issue. With the new HPO system design also came a Snap To Connect (STC) fitting. Some models had issue with the prongs of the STC fitting breaking causing the fitting to lose its sealing property and again, a no start condition for the engine. Another frequent (but not always catastrophic) issue with the HPO system is the Injection Pressure Regulator (IPR) screen. The IPR screen is located in the engine valley with the oil cooler. The material used was susceptible to failure and neglecting to replace the screen during an oil cooler replacement could lead to the debris being sent through the HPOP causing complete failure.

Head Gaskets - Ford/International used four Torque to Yield (TTY) cylinder head bolts per cylinder for the 6.0s and 6.4s. TTY bolts offer some of the most precise clamping force available but can be problematic. In certain situations (Oil cooler/EGR cooler failure, high boost/load levels brought on by performance upgrades) TTY bolts can be stretched beyond their torque mark by increased cylinder pressures. This has never been addressed by Ford due to the fact that other malfunctions or abuse must occur to stretch the bolts. Some in the aftermarket will replace the factory bolts with head studs in an attempt to protect the head gaskets from future failure. If this is done without addressing the underlying issue, the head gaskets may fail again bringing along a cracked or warped cylinder head. In contrast, the Powerstroke 7.3s and 6.7s have 6 head bolts per cylinder while the 6.0, VT365, IDI 7.3s and 6.9s only have five. [6]

 

[welldigger00]

My mom has a f350 stick shift with 120k on the clock. I thought that it was starting to use coolant, the tell tale sign it’s about to shit the bed. She’s 77 this year, and said she wants it bullet proofed because that’s what the other horse ladies did, so I took it to diesel tec in Hemet. Lauren, the owner, said that it just had a cracked DEGAS bottle, and there was nothing wrong with it. My mom wanted the whole Mary Anne anyways. Sometimes you get a good truck. Also, she drives it like a little old lady. I on the other hand, owned 4 of them as work trucks. Worst work trucks of all time, period.


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[monkeyswrench]

I found one in TX with 37k mi. 15k asking price.
So I'm not sure how good of a deal this local truck might be or when it will blow.

I will let you know if I don't proceed with the sale.

Be careful of Texas diesels. Had a guy here in town bought two beautiful Duramax's. They were clean. Turns out, too clean. They had been flood damaged. The electrical gremlins were nightmares, corrosion in connectors, BCM issues, you name it. If a Carfax is available, it may not show the flooding if not reported, but will show what area it was registered in.

 

[BONER]

Be careful of Texas diesels. Had a guy here in town bought two beautiful Duramax's. They were clean. Turns out, too clean. They had been flood damaged. The electrical gremlins were nightmares, corrosion in connectors, BCM issues, you name it. If a Carfax is available, it may not show the flooding if not reported, but will show what area it was registered in.

Yep, lots of Rust on TX Trucks too.

 

[BONER]

I found one in TX with 37k mi. 15k asking price.
So I'm not sure how good of a deal this local truck might be or when it will blow.

I will let you know if I don't proceed with the sale.

I would stay away from TX Trucks, personally....

 

[NicPaus]

I had a 03 f350 and a 07 f450. Bulletproof kit would of not solved the issues they had or I would of kept them. I now have 2 Duramax work trucks. They were never tuned or abused. The 03 was actually more reliable than the 07 although my salesman from Ford said they fixed all the issues. It cost me over a $1 a mile to drive that truck. Had to pull the engine on both trucks before 20k miles luckily under warranty.

 

[Meaney77]

Sell it now and cut your losses

 

[Wheeler]

I would stay away from TX Trucks, personally....

I've owned two of them in the past with zero problems with either one. I know a lot of people have had problems with them but sometimes I wonder if it is because they modify them.

How many miles did you have on them?

 

[575cat]

It will NEVER be bullet proof , Cummins swap .

 

[Cdog]

My bud Denny has a 03 that's been BP'd. Black, 2wd He's in McKinney Tx. Asking 12k. I know it's been taken care of.

 

[Wheeler]

It will NEVER be bullet proof , Cummins swap .

 

[Bigbore500r]

Unless you already own it......Just say no

There is a reason craigslist is littered with otherwise MINT 6.0 trucks for what seems like an incredibly cheap price. Most of them are "recently bulletproofed" and have a laundry list of upgrades. The owner always says "ready for the long haul" and "hate to sell" and describes how all the work was just done last year, ARP studs, bad ass this and that. There's a reason they're selling the truck they just put 10k into for 10k.

Now, as bad as the 6.0 is, the 6.4 is WORSE. Your 2 sane options for purchase are 7.3 and 6.7

 

[rivrrts429]

I had an 04’ that I only used as a tow vehicle. I had it tuned and bulletproofed before I saw any signs it was giving up the ghost.

*preparation makes up for a lack of talent*

That truck never gave me any issues prior to the updates but ran amazing after the tune & BP.

I sold it to a mechanic in 2015 and it’s still problem free.

 

[pronstar]

Now, as bad as the 6.0 is, the 6.4 is WORSE. Your 2 sane options for purchase are 7.3 and 6.7

Yeah due to weak pistons, these guys say that the 6.4 is a throw-away motor...

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[Universal Elements]

It will NEVER be bullet proof , Cummins swap .

This

I have a 6.0 Bulletproofed Excursion. If it blows up, I have a 5.9 Cummins ready to go in it.

 

[Your ad here]

Buy it and set aside $7000 to fix it when the head gaskets go. I wouldn't go and Bullet proof it right away. I wouldn't invest that much into a truck that doesn't have a problem, yet. Even after bullet proofing there still are other issues that can happen. Studded 6.0s can still blow head gaskets. Mine did.

 

[ToMorrow44]

Find one with a 7.3 and save the hassle and headache.

I agree with this, but low mile clean 7.3s are getting very hard to find. My 02 has 127k miles and is mint, love it. Banks PowerPack and it’ll tow anything I want.

 

[GRADS]

It's not like you drove it to work everyday....mostly just sat in the driveway...right?

Nope, drove both of them to work everyday.

 

[Willie B]

This

I have a 6.0 Bulletproofed Excursion. If it blows up, I have a 5.9 Cummins ready to go in it.

...The 12 valve Cummins is the reason why I will never sell my ‘97...4 x 4 extra cab...2500 Ram...

 

[Ragged Edge]

My advise to you is to call Trenton, 7 one 4, four 7 zero, 7 four 7 eight. He can explain what should be done and when much better than I can. If he doesn't answer leave him a short detailed message to call you when he has a few minutes. The 6.0 can be a good motor if it's not over abused/tuned and you've done a few things to it to address some weaknesses (head studs, egr cooler, coolant filter or run different coolant). Most of all they need to be driven, a diesel with really low miles can be a problem, mine has had some o-ring issues, 04 with just under 70k miles.

 

[Universal Elements]

I also

...The 12 valve Cummins is the reason why I will never sell my ‘97...4 x 4 extra cab...2500 Ram...

I have a 24 valve Cummins. My 6.0 & 6.4 are very good. But, my favorite is the Cummins. Just wish the Dodge was A better platform.

 

[Meaney77]

I was a nay sayer... I had an 06 F350 and was only used for towing my 5th wheel out to the desert and river and pull my boat around Havasu. It had less than 75K on it. I 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 shouldn't have issues... wrong....After replacing 2 turbos, 2 heads, head studs, etc.... roughly ~$15K out of my pocket to "bullet proof" the truck, it developed a rod knock of some sort and I 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. Eventually sold the F450 after I bought my motrohome.

Run like the wind!!

 

[PlanB]

Limp it to the Chevy dealership, trade in on Duramax, you’ve now bulletproofed yourself of the 6.0L

We lemon lawed our 6.0 and ordered a Duramax. Drove the Chevy to the Ford dealership to pick up our check for the returned Ford.

 

[Mandelon]

One of my employees has one. F 350. He paid $28,000 for the truck. He's still making payments but it doesn't run any more.

Blew the heads or whatever goes wrong, the turbo, fuel pump, and other shit. He has spent so much money on that POS it is crazy. He needs to pay it off, then pay $11,000 for a new motor.

 

[wettrthebettr]

Need a better understanding of Ford's 6.0 bullet proofing Any issues with California smog regulations?

I don't understand the ford 6.0 Smog problem here is Sierra County in Northern Californy, Cause we do not Have any Vehicle Smog Checks.

 

[lbhsbz]

I don't understand the ford 6.0 Smog problem here is Sierra County in Northern Californy, Cause we do not Have any Vehicle Smog Checks.

It's kinda like the Jake brake on your 5.3L gasser in your chevy truck...something are just mysteries.

 

[norcalLmo]

Thx for the info! I've had several 7.3's (2- 250 SD, 1-350 SD and 2- Excurions) solid performance as I didnt do any modifications, got stupid and bought a 6.4 SD and it started to blow white and loose coolant so traded it in for a Ram 6.4 Hemi to get away from the diesels. I'm not a baller like Grads so I've gotta watch the pocket book LOL. The Ram is fine for a faster, but I miss the torque and towing capability of a diesel

 

[Carlson-jet]

Not going through the whole thread, but my Neighbors work truck 3 months old when they first came out Puked with no mods in the middle of a huge storm outage. He's a lineman. A few more trucks in as many months and the company shifted gears. Maybe for a daily driver they needed a good break-in period to last?