6. oh no Powerstrokes

[CumminsPower59]

We still got a good share of 6.0's where I work, most have over 200k and several are at 300k. They are completely bone stock, and weigh in at 15k+, as they are bucket trucks. One of the guys here is a 6.0 nut...from what I have been told, upgraded EGR cooler or delete, an upgraded oil cooler, are the the main two things. The reason 6.0's have a wicked turbo wistle when they are straight piped is because they have VGT's on them. Our service truck is a 04' and it has served us pretty well. The transmissions are pretty tough, IIRC they are 5R110's, or something of the like, and usually can take a bit if abuse, compared to the 4R100's. I have seen some on C-list around here for reasonable prices, but just like anything nice, I can't bring myself to get a loan for something nice...

[cmann250]

Since I'm a Ford/Navistar fan every day of the week, I'll weigh in.

There are two types of 6.0Ls. Good and horrible are the options. 6 Leakers, as I affectionately call them, have the reputation for blowing head gaskets because the EGR cooler is of poor design and "boils" the coolant. With only 4 poorly designed head bolts per cylinder, it does not take much to blow a head gasket. The second issue is the oil cooler. The factory one is insufficient, so the HEUI injectors suffer and the vanes in the turbo stick. The 5 speed auto in them is stout. Guys with 6.4Ls have put 700 hp though them for a while. If a head gasket let go on me, I'd put studs in it with NEW heads.

If I were in the market for one, I'd try to find one being sold by someone private that has owned it since new and has had 70-100k miles of trouble free use. Other than paying out the azz at the dealer for one, the dealer generally doesn't have a history on them. Buying one that's already had the "fixes" means a) it's already chit the bed and b) you're relying on some unknown party's work to keep it together.

That's my $.02

[1STGENFARMBOY]

If you drive like a normal sane person you probly wouldn't have much more problems than any other truck.

with that said, my cousin is an ASE mech, worked for ford for 12 years and now for a pole barn company that
has 11.... 6.0's, the trucks are heavy to begin with, with all the racks boxes and tools, plus they pull a 20k gooseneck
with a high lift or tractor all the time, the flunkies that work there flat foot those poor trucks every day....they have
lots of problems, at one time last summer he had 4 cabs off for HG problems.

where I work we buy ford diesels, we have a 6.0 that for the first 31k was in the shop 13 times, what ever they did the last time
was the ticket because it has 294k and only been back in one time for a clutch, it runs strong and seems very reliable now ( you
couldn't have gave it to me at first though).


I don't know if you guys have heard of Paul Cato, but I think he got 2nd in the diesel power challenge with a red cummins truck, he has a
shop in my town and my cousin took there most problematic 6.0 to Paul and let him have his way with it...he did do the things
y'all are talking about. only time will tell how it goes.

[ellis93]

I agree with Caleb and Darwin......sadly
If used for a "truck" they'll live fine,there's one that comes thru our Shop with 248k on it and all we've done is oil changes/brakes/one heater core. He has however had issues with the truck not starting cold (I WONT fool with it) and keeps it pluged in.
Sad thing is they're not all this good,and the law of averages says you'll get a turd.

If I went to find one(absolutely no way I would) I'd buy one from some old guy that pulled a camper or something.....that's about the easiest life I'd want one to have before I buy...sometimes being babied is just as bad for a second or third owner as being beat on by a flat biller.

[1STGENFARMBOY]

Don't read too much into it Ellis...I AM NOT A FORD MAN make no mistake about it.

[ellis93]

Don't read too much into it Ellis...I AM NOT A FORD MAN make no mistake about it.

Closet Ford Lover

[The_Head]

They are good looking trucks, (shiny mmmm shiny) but, I don't think I'm gonna get a 15-20K loan for something that might end up being a turd. Mines got a bunch of small stuff wrong with it, but overall it is pretty reliable. It started up for me the other day in -12* weather without being plugged in. It complained a little but it did it. It did take an hour for it to warm up though

On second thought though, what if you got one and just did the EGR upgrade (or block off), upgraded the oil cooler, and did head studs right off the bat? Is there still potential for it being a turd?

[ellis93]

Nope,thats usually the money shots

[The_Head]

Nope,thats usually the money shots

You mean that's the stuff that is expensive to fix, and once it is the truck is pretty good?

[ellis93]

Pretty much,head. That's the places people cry the most,but I've heard you have to be careful what aftermarket parts you buy. Some are not equal to others.

Truthfully this is all 2nd hand info from me,I don't have any personal experience on them but have quite a few customers that do have them and have had work done on them.
One guy said his Bill was almost 11gs for the egr/oil cooler and the head work (studs and oring job.....supposedly) here on the gulf coast. Really that guy is bat schit crazy for spending that much on his particular truck but since then he's had ZERO engine issues. Now the rest of the truck is a ragged mofo with an interior that looks like it was used for wiping paper.

[The_Head]

.
One guy said his Bill was almost 11gs for the egr/oil cooler and the head work (studs and oring job.....supposedly) here on the gulf coast.

11,000?

fuuuuu, for that much, I could paint my truck, put in a 47RH, and do a p-pump conversion, well almost.

[CumminsPower59]

Doing the "fixes" really doesn't cost that much...unless you have a shop do the work that charges $100/hr or something of the like. I could see having a few thousand into quality parts and all, but paying someone $10k+ is flat out stupid in my book...if you are dumb enough to decide that is a good idea, you deserve to have your money "taken" by such crooks.

[Tacoclaw]

Yeah, the underhood looks scary but once you start taking stuff off of it it's not to bad. I did the EGR delete and disassembled/cleaned the turbo on the longbed 6.0 in an afternoon. Coulda done the oil cooler while I was in there since it's right in the valley with the rest of it.

Once you start pulling heads or need to take the cooling fan off, that's when the time/labor sets in. I'm almost positive you have to take the core support off to get the fan off the engine, and to stud/remove heads the cab should be lifted off.

[BILTIT]

You would be surprised how many of those dumb folk live in my area. Shop rates are over $100/hr too.

[ellis93]

Doing the "fixes" really doesn't cost that much...unless you have a shop do the work that charges $100/hr or something of the like. I could see having a few thousand into quality parts and all, but paying someone $10k+ is flat out stupid in my book...if you are dumb enough to decide that is a good idea, you deserve to have your money "taken" by such crooks.

Wow.....crooks? Man I wonder what you think about me and my Shop charging 70$ an hour
Multiply that by 26 hours,plus parts,machine work (oringed heads) =big Bill.
I think anyone buying a ford period after they started making you pull a damn cab to work on your engine is crazy to begin with,but......I wouldn't roll up a Shop ,dealing with a bullschit vehicle, with crooks over it.
Ike I ain't crawling you,just saying.
It's some real bullschit when some folks apply a skill that's needed (,that the vehicles owner doesn't have,but needs because he or she bought a 50k$ truck on a 8yr note and it tore up in 30k miles and 6yrs left on the note) crooks. Are there some shops that will bend you over.....there certainly is. Are there a lot of them....idk. I do however think that 100$ an hour is not excessive for an hourly rate. Most mechanics don't see that,most only see 30% commission,or some sort of flat rate.
If I have to hire someone my labor rates are going up,hell you want to know what I make after the bills are payed.......18$ an hour. That ain't schit compaired to most.