Ford 6.0? Yay-Nay?

[pmer]

I had a company owned F250 with a 6.4 from new to about 160,000 miles. It had troubles too. I drove it in for repair a few times and it was towed in once as well. Around 110.000 miles it seemed to run pretty well and behaved pretty good. Other 6.4s in the fleet had various troubles too. A buddy that farms had a 6.4 too and it was having trouble. He sent a engine oil sample in for analysis like for his tractors and combines and it came back as "stop driving immediately" because of metallic deposits. Showed the results dealer and they said drive it because of warranty and they would handle it as troubles came up. He eventually traded it for a 6.7 and he likes that one.

[blackthorn]

So----Fords are like Lee moulds---except for the price??

[lightman]

Thats cold!

[Soundguy]

Great engine, loads of power.

When it runs.

These need to be "bulletproofed" to the tune of 15-20k.

Injectors, egr, injectors, high pressure oil pump, injectors... Did I mention injectors?

4-5k job to have the injectors replaced.

The 6.0 has gobs of power, but I think the designers were on stupid pills...

I agree.. powerhouses.. but you have to go thru and de-hair them as stated.

I have a 6.0 and (2) 7.3's

I must say that I like a 7.3 better. Sure.. a hair older.. but IMHO.. more reliable. I'd take a 2003 7.3 vs a 2004 6.0 any day.

[Soundguy]

So----Fords are like Lee moulds---except for the price??

the 7.3 was an international engine and a darn good one. It's been called a 500k mile engine.

If I had to replace my old 7.3's today, I think a old dodge with a 5.9 in them would do it.

[Eldon]

D-O-D-G-E. Cummins are just the best diesel engines available in a pickup.

Buy a powerpoke or a melt-a-max if you trade every 3 years.

[Soundguy]

D-O-D-G-E. Cummins are just the best diesel engines available in a pickup.

Buy a powerpoke or a melt-a-max if you trade every 3 years.

My (2) 18 year old 'powerpokes' might disagree with you...

[Mytmousemalibu]

As would my nearly 15yr old Duramax.

The Cummins is a fine engine for the most part but I don't care for the wrapper they come in.

[Eldon]

FL & KS ? Flatlander trucks.

Here we start at 7000' and go up. 85% of vehicles here are pickemups, 90% of them run on oil and 90 % of them are Cummins powered.

Neighbor had a melt-a-max, melted two pistons towing a 5 horse slant up the Teton pass. I rescued him with my 16 year old Dodge Cummins.

He bought a new Ram.

[Mytmousemalibu]

Mine is a KS truck but it has toted around our 40ft gooseneck race trailer, loaded to the hilt, a/c on an 75-80mph no problem. Don't have much for mountains but pretty good grades in the flint hills. Oh and on top of that its got between 550-600hp available with all the work I've done to it. Not done out of necessity but out of my love for mean diesels. No vehicle is perfect, they all have something that sours the milk a little. Mine being an LB7, first generation, it has eaten a few fuel injectors and they suck to replace on LB7's. The only real bain of that engine.

[Soundguy]

My 99 450 7.3 pad was bought in Florida, but towed a rv trailer to and from Michigan yearly. As of the last 7 years, now it ot mostly stays in Florida, though trips west thru texas do happen. It now hauls a 30' flatbed usually carrying 14K worth of hay round bales, and an occasional vehicle from Georgia.

My 99 f350 7.3 never did the Michigan trip, but hauled boats to the coast, and pulled my equipment flatbed with tractors, loaders and large mowers on it ( like 10' and 15' batwing mowers )

Both run full syn 5w40 engine oil, syn power steering, tranny and rear end oil.

The 450 has syn put in the day it drove off the ford lot, the 350 since 09 or so.

No engine work to either one. They've had the usual, tires, brakes, a radiator, window motor, various sensor or an electrical module. The 350 did plenty of grunt hauling and about 8 ys ago had a rail mounted fuel pump replaced, and as of November last year, I treated it to a new jasper HD bearings/tranny.

If anything, that was the weak point.. The 4spd OD tranny behind the diesel.

The 450 tranny is fine, but I added extra capacity coolers for its trans and power steering, as well as a upgrade add on gauge package , pyrometer, etc.

I like dodges too. I had a 98 5.9 magnum ram. Engine was fine, never seemed like enough brakes though, and I like the stiffer stock ford suspension on the 350. My 450 I have air bags on. It can go gooseneck or 5th wheel, the 350 is gooseneck setup.

[Soundguy]

Mine is a KS truck but it has toted around our 40ft gooseneck race trailer, loaded to the hilt, a/c on an 75-80mph no problem. Don't have much for mountains but pretty good grades in the flint hills. Oh and on top of that its got between 550-600hp available with all the work I've done to it. Not done out of necessity but out of my love for mean diesels. No vehicle is perfect, they all have something that sours the milk a little. Mine being an LB7, first generation, it has eaten a few fuel injectors and they suck to replace on LB7's. The only real bain of that engine.

I hear ya on the upgrades.

My 450 got an add on chip way back before tuners were popular. I did switch it to a multi vin superchips tuner a couple years ago that would handle both the 7.3's I have. With the upgraded suspension, coolers, tune, extra 50gallon transfer tech fuel tank and gauges, she will pull 25.9k all day. 19.5" rims and a 4.88 rear. The 350 has a 4.10 rear.

[Lloyd Smale]

why not just buy a dodge with a hemi, a chev with 6.2 or a ford with 5.8. All pretty much bullet proof motors. Sure the diesels make a bit more power but the modern gas motors will tow more then enough to get you in trouble on the road. Get just as good of mileage if used as a daily driver and last a good long time these days. Truth be told theres VERY FEW people driving these diesel pickups that really need them. Sure they will pull your farm tractor better but how many are farmers. How many own big construction companys that benefit from them. Most that I see up here are drove by 65 year old retired people pulling a 25 foot camper that a car would pull. Sure some of the better diesels last a bit longer, sure they get better fuel economy pulling big loads but when I looked at the car lot when I bought my 15 Silverado. it had a sticker price of 45k loaded to the gills. A comparable 3/4 ton diesel are north of 60k. I can buy a lot of fuel for 15k and with there track record would be a nervous guy when the warrantee expired. I know I sure couldn't afford to sink 5 or 10k into fixing a truck without another visit to the bank. Bottom line too is the newer half ton pickups have drive trains and brakes that would put a 1970s 3/4 ton truck to shame and those farmers and construction companys got by with those old trucks just fine with there 200 hp gas motors. Id bet my home that 1/2 the diesel trucks sold today are bought by people that don't need them at all or might see an advantage once or twice a year. They buy them for a status symbol. Heck the 15 or 20k I saved would buy me a couple new complete motors if they wore out.

[pmer]

In a way the same can be said about the hybrid cars with the batteries. The extra cost for the electro drive can buy a lot gas.

If I got out of antique tractor pulling I wouldn't have a diesel. But diesels seem happier pulling a load and are built stronger.

Used 6.0s with under 200K miles are 6-8 thousand and some are bullet proofed.

[Mytmousemalibu]

Speaking for myself here but I've been a dieselhead since birth, always have, always will be. From a necessity standpoint, ive towed with gas engines, can't say I cared for them over a good diesel in any way. Unless you've towed the same load with both, it probably doesn't make sense. Diesels have more grunt, better economy, longer lived, more reliable, better retained value, etc. Besides diesel trucks, ive had a long history of diesel cars. I currently have 3 diesel Mercedes and until recently had a JD diesel tractor. I'm a mechanic by nature, I work in aviation now but worked automotive my whole life. I practically lived at the family car dealership as a kid fixing cars for my dad. Needless to say I do all my own work, not afarid to touch a wrench to anything so that isn't a factor.

For me and for many others diesel isn't just a fuel, its a way of life.

[texasnative46]

Mytmousemalibu,

PERSONAL to you: I cannot resist telling you about my new TOY that I bought about 1500 hours yesterday.
It's a ONE-owner 1986 Mercedes 420SEL with 90,286 miles in ANTIQUE GOLD outside & BRONZE leather inside. The PO ordered it with every possible MB option. - Other than needing the 6YO battery replaced & all the fluids flush & refilled, it needs NOTHING.
(It was a FOURTH vehicle, which the 91YO/deceased owner seldom drove, as his daily driver was a 1986 F250 Diesel.)

yours, tex

[Soundguy]

Speaking for myself here but I've been a dieselhead since birth, always have, always will be. From a necessity standpoint, ive towed with gas engines, can't say I cared for them over a good diesel in any way. Unless you've towed the same load with both, it probably doesn't make sense. Diesels have more grunt, better economy, longer lived, more reliable, better retained value, etc. Besides diesel trucks, ive had a long history of diesel cars. I currently have 3 diesel Mercedes and until recently had a JD diesel tractor. I'm a mechanic by nature, I work in aviation now but worked automotive my whole life. I practically lived at the family car dealership as a kid fixing cars for my dad. Needless to say I do all my own work, not afarid to touch a wrench to anything so that isn't a factor.

For me and for many others diesel isn't just a fuel, its a way of life.

Agreed. Having pulled with a gasser, then switching to a diesel is night and day. I've also found that while daily driving on a gas/diesel are real close numbers, but stick 26K behind one, and the gasser fuel economy goes to hell if you try to get the same towing characteristics as the diesel.

One other benefit.. during the hurricanes down here in florida.. you can sometimes find a diesel pump with fuel, while all the gas pumps are out. did that a few times last week myself.

I also like the extra battery capacity that most diesels have. I have (2) 950 CCA per truck . That comes in way handy when you need extra juice, vs a single 650 setting in a gasser.

Another look at fuel economy. I have both gas and diesel tractors. the gassers are 50's / 60's models. the diesel are late 50's thru 70's models, with one 2000 model.

Once you hit about 48-50 hp... gas tractors burn more than a diesel counterpart doing the same work, on the same frame. For instance.. Ford used a red tiger OHV engine design. by 1958, you could get a 172ci gas or diesel engine of that design in your tractor. Side by side, same tractor, same tranny, same weight, same work.. the gasser used more fuel. ( yes there were 144 ci diesels as well as other save configuratios of that engine in gas and LP and for industrials, from 134 thru 192 ci )

[Soundguy]

why not just buy a dodge with a hemi, a chev with 6.2 or a ford with 5.8. All pretty much bullet proof motors.

I did have a dodge.. it drank more gas doing the same work that I still do with a larger diesel. PS.. a for 5.4? make sure you have the older one.. not the newer one that breaks spark plugs off when you change them!

-----how many are farmers.

I am.

.....and with there track record would be a nervous guy when the warrantee expired.

I dunno.. fords 7.3 NA , 7.3 ATS turbo, and the 7.3 PSD are known to be some long running trucks. If going with a dodge 5.9, just address the dowel pin issue ahead of time.

..... newer half ton pickups have drive trains and brakes that would put a 1970s 3/4 ton truck to shame

70's? how about compairing them to something more modern.. like a late 90's / early 2000's. 4 wheel disc brakes are 4 wheel disc brakes. The suspension on my 98 half ton gasser was never near as good as my 99 diesel, nor were the brakes on my 98 gasser half ton.

[lup]

2006 Ford 6.0 owner. I've replaced 4 injectors and one high pressure oil pump on the engine. No other issues. Injectors run about $300 each plus labor. The high pressure oil pump was a much bigger job.

Biggest thing you can do to keep it happy. Use the factory motorcraft duel filters. They have an anti-fungal that cuts down on the stuff growing in the diesel.

Overall, the truck has more power than I need and gets decent fuel economy. 14 mpg around town and 17-21 highway unloaded.

It a big truck and parts are expensive however. Maintenance is everything.

[.45Cole]

Lup, that's what I think is key to the 6.0. 7.3's are old beasts that can run on anything and you maintain it as you have time. 7.3's are commonly chipped, oil changed whenever (like 8-10k miles) and generally run hard. I think that part of the rep is people used to the 7.3 treating a 6.0 the same way. It seems that most of the 6.0 owners who took good care and maintained them with high quality lubes/fuel seem to have the normal problems. an injector here, sensor there, 7.3's commonly eat glow plugs and eventually will require injectors here and there (after 200k).

The real difference in a 1/2 ton and a 1 ton is the suspension. I have a 5.0 150 that can't even hook up to my brother's bumper pull flatbed; maxes out the suspension. The brakes and drivetrain on the half tons aren't made for heavy loads, but the opposite is true; if you have a 1 ton without a load it's going to be rough riding and probably start chaffing harnesses if it's your daily driver. I have a 150, and an older 250 but I need something that can pull a 10k tractor on a 6k trailer up Eisenhower pass (ya, it's about two hours away). 1 ton duallys commonly have 4.10's in them which really help in the mountains and they have the grunt to get hte job done without overworking the system. Plus I wouldn't want to get pulled over in a 1/2 ton with 15k behind me and the trooper asks "what do you think this weighs" -oh its a foam tractor, movie prop. Yeah, I'd say maybe 7k???