"Rant on" In February it was a new up pipe to the turbo. Then the tires looked, well, tired, and the decision was made to proceed on that in April. During the tire install, the mechanic suggested ball joints. My regular mechanic confirmed the diagnosis, and proceeded to replace all 4, along with an alignment. ( I just don't have tools that big to accomplish it.) So, all is well, and my lovely spouse takes off yesterday to get the trailer out of storage and go camping for the week. I get a call, and she says she has no brakes. " What do you mean? Does the pedal go down farther than usual?" " To the floor...." I have her crank the trailer brakes to 12, and crawl the 1.5 miles back to the Ford dealer in that town. I'm already on the phone with the service manager when she pulls in (Thanks Siri... love that iPhone.). They unhook the trailer, and proceed to inspect the truck. I'm figuring a line is cracked to a caliper, since they just had that all apart the day before. Nope, it's a flex line between the ABS box and a distribution block that decided to let go. They can fix it, they have to get a part, yes it will be done today... "Honey go get some coffee, and walk around town a bit, it will be fine." Yep, it's 340 and change worth of fine. So I'm almost 2900 into the truck since January. Surely it has to get better from this point forward... "Rant off" With so many people complaining about the reliability of the 6.0 Powerstroke, I have to say that's one thing that hasn't broke on this truck. Beside the cracked up pipe on the driver side, the engine has been great.....
03 F350 Nickle and Dime
- Thread starter beanoil
- Start date
- Status
Is this the truck where you take cabin off to look at the engine?
I've heard about it here: http://jalopnik.com/whats-the-hardest-car-to-work-on-1578475527
I've heard about it here: http://jalopnik.com/whats-the-hardest-car-to-work-on-1578475527
Yes. Yes it is.
For some of the work on the truck, unfortunately, it is the cheapest and easiest way to get at certain parts of the engine. An experienced mechanic can have the cab off in about an hour and 15. There are lots of 6.0's blown up with tunes that alter timing. And there are lots of 6.0's with other issues. Mine has been good. Box stock and 105k with no engine or trans problems, just maintenance.
When a guy says his Ford is getting lifted on the weekend, that is what he really means.
6.0h no
The 6.0L has potential if addressed correctly. I have a friend who pulls with his and it keeps up with Cummins and Durasnacks just fine.
Of course the thread turns to the 6.0, even though it isn't the source of the nickel & diming.
The 6.0 is no 7.3, but it's not a bad engine if maintained and not trashed with a garbage roll coal tune. The people I know personally with 6.0s really don't have many problems out of them at all, but they have bone stock trucks.
None of that is really out of line for an 11 year old truck. Ball joints are to be expected on any decade old truck from any brand, especially a 3/4 ton or 1 ton. Tires are tires...disposable part. The brake hose would be annoying at $340, but that's full on dealer price, so not totally out of line, and not totally unexpected on a vehicle that age. The turbo up pipe is really the only thing that would [censored] me off.
The $2900 in four months part is what's hard to swallow. Repair bills are usually proportional to the truck's GVWR/GCWR though.
The 6.0 is no 7.3, but it's not a bad engine if maintained and not trashed with a garbage roll coal tune. The people I know personally with 6.0s really don't have many problems out of them at all, but they have bone stock trucks.
None of that is really out of line for an 11 year old truck. Ball joints are to be expected on any decade old truck from any brand, especially a 3/4 ton or 1 ton. Tires are tires...disposable part. The brake hose would be annoying at $340, but that's full on dealer price, so not totally out of line, and not totally unexpected on a vehicle that age. The turbo up pipe is really the only thing that would [censored] me off.
The $2900 in four months part is what's hard to swallow. Repair bills are usually proportional to the truck's GVWR/GCWR though.
Sure beats a payment for a new one....as long as the 6.0 and trans doesnt die keep driving it....everything you just mentioned is wear and tear.....just sayin'....
I was driving my father's 2001 a few weekends ago and the entire exhaust system fell off after the converter. Sounds nice!
It managed to hit a few cars too
It managed to hit a few cars too
i have a friend that all he does is 6.0's.been very lucrative for him! a tuner really tears them up but being in ca he fixes mostly unmodified trucks. those blow headgaskets and egr coolers too
That's the rust belt for ya^^^. I used to live in the Pittsburgh area, and would replace exhaust systems every 1 1/2 yr.
Originally Posted By: 01rangerxl
The 6.0 is no 7.3, but it's not a bad engine if maintained and not trashed with a garbage roll coal tune.
I kinda suspected the rolling coal thing is not healthy for the engine, LOL.
The 6.0 is no 7.3, but it's not a bad engine if maintained and not trashed with a garbage roll coal tune.
I kinda suspected the rolling coal thing is not healthy for the engine, LOL.
Funny part is the exact same engine and 6.4's in a medium duty dump truck or bus type of application will go a bizillion miles without all the problems..the badic engine is stout....they dont have all the emmissions garbage (mainly egr recirc and coolers) on them that causes the problems in the light duty stuff.......thank our govt.
Originally Posted By: Silverado12
That's the rust belt for ya^^^. I used to live in the Pittsburgh area, and would replace exhaust systems every 1 1/2 yr.
This is the second or 3rd one
That's the rust belt for ya^^^. I used to live in the Pittsburgh area, and would replace exhaust systems every 1 1/2 yr.
This is the second or 3rd one
OVERKILL
$100 Site Donor 2021
Originally Posted By: DSparks
Funny part is the exact same engine and 6.4's in a medium duty dump truck or bus type of application will go a bizillion miles without all the problems..the badic engine is stout....they dont have all the emmissions garbage (mainly egr recirc and coolers) on them that causes the problems in the light duty stuff.......thank our govt.
In school busses (where you see a lot of VT365 and Maxxforce engines) the issues that Ford had are pretty much the exact same. EGR coolers being the big problem on the VT365/PSD 6.0L that then leads to a host of other problems if not caught. Last bus with a VT365 I saw apart had a broken rod due to a failed cooler that hydrolocked the engine.
Oh, and injectors, that's another common one on that engine. Though there's been some discussion on the cause of that one.....
A buddy of mine's 6.0L was nary bulletproof once debugged and with an EGR delete. But it had some other issues leading up to that point that, as typical with any truck diesel and in-line with the OP's gripes, weren't cheap. IDM went on it, branch tube adapter had to be replaced with the updated part #, it went through a couple EGR coolers before he deleted it, and those are heavy on the labour side of things (though that didn't actually cost him anything, he was working in an International shop at the time and so all he was paying for was the cooler, he did the labour himself). He replaced the injectors with "upgraded" aftermarket units and had the latest flash put on it at the dealer that removed the "quiet idle" function, which was supposed to be a significant improvement for injector life.
And that's about it. Truck has well over 200,000 miles on it now, has had a tuner on it since pretty close to right after he bought it. Ran a 350/700 (IIRC) program in it, no smoke, just a nice power bump. I recall us vividly grossing 18K with a big tandem full of scrap metal and she moved it like a champ.
Funny part is the exact same engine and 6.4's in a medium duty dump truck or bus type of application will go a bizillion miles without all the problems..the badic engine is stout....they dont have all the emmissions garbage (mainly egr recirc and coolers) on them that causes the problems in the light duty stuff.......thank our govt.
In school busses (where you see a lot of VT365 and Maxxforce engines) the issues that Ford had are pretty much the exact same. EGR coolers being the big problem on the VT365/PSD 6.0L that then leads to a host of other problems if not caught. Last bus with a VT365 I saw apart had a broken rod due to a failed cooler that hydrolocked the engine.
Oh, and injectors, that's another common one on that engine. Though there's been some discussion on the cause of that one.....
A buddy of mine's 6.0L was nary bulletproof once debugged and with an EGR delete. But it had some other issues leading up to that point that, as typical with any truck diesel and in-line with the OP's gripes, weren't cheap. IDM went on it, branch tube adapter had to be replaced with the updated part #, it went through a couple EGR coolers before he deleted it, and those are heavy on the labour side of things (though that didn't actually cost him anything, he was working in an International shop at the time and so all he was paying for was the cooler, he did the labour himself). He replaced the injectors with "upgraded" aftermarket units and had the latest flash put on it at the dealer that removed the "quiet idle" function, which was supposed to be a significant improvement for injector life.
And that's about it. Truck has well over 200,000 miles on it now, has had a tuner on it since pretty close to right after he bought it. Ran a 350/700 (IIRC) program in it, no smoke, just a nice power bump. I recall us vividly grossing 18K with a big tandem full of scrap metal and she moved it like a champ.
Originally Posted By: 01rangerxl
None of that is really out of line for an 11 year old truck. Ball joints are to be expected on any decade old truck from any brand, especially a 3/4 ton or 1 ton. Tires are tires...disposable part. The brake hose would be annoying at $340, but that's full on dealer price, so not totally out of line, and not totally unexpected on a vehicle that age. The turbo up pipe is really the only thing that would [censored] me off.
Personally I don't like thinking that a brake line is "annoying", not when the brakes fully quit with no warning. 11 years old? I'd rather buy a new car every decade than face a no-brake situation! Or at the very least plan on replacing every brake component.
None of that is really out of line for an 11 year old truck. Ball joints are to be expected on any decade old truck from any brand, especially a 3/4 ton or 1 ton. Tires are tires...disposable part. The brake hose would be annoying at $340, but that's full on dealer price, so not totally out of line, and not totally unexpected on a vehicle that age. The turbo up pipe is really the only thing that would [censored] me off.
Personally I don't like thinking that a brake line is "annoying", not when the brakes fully quit with no warning. 11 years old? I'd rather buy a new car every decade than face a no-brake situation! Or at the very least plan on replacing every brake component.
Horrifying IMO the way some folks have trashed their heavy duty trucks. I run 3500 GMC Savana's at 95% GVWR every day for very high miles routinely, and we rarely do anything but brakes (100-150k miles), shocks (at 100-200k miles-the OEM gas shocks are surprisingly durable), plugs, and a serpentine belt or an occasional defective part like a water pump or some such. All the usual wear parts like tires. No front end parts, driveline pieces (u-joints, trans, rear end), engine work, even our AC seems to last the life of the vehicle.
My drivers are not gentle. The trucks are well maintained. I do virtually everything in house. Just sold an 04 with over 500k miles (NOT typical, we need new engines at 300k miles if the van is not decrepit by then) that was still original in so many ways it was amazing. The buyer was literally stunned when he drove it, and since he was a helicopter mechanic by trade it withstood a severe inspection.
I have had more than one lemon in my fleet (including personal), if you buy enough cars or trucks you will eventually get one. But I definitely disagree with what many here call normal!
My drivers are not gentle. The trucks are well maintained. I do virtually everything in house. Just sold an 04 with over 500k miles (NOT typical, we need new engines at 300k miles if the van is not decrepit by then) that was still original in so many ways it was amazing. The buyer was literally stunned when he drove it, and since he was a helicopter mechanic by trade it withstood a severe inspection.
I have had more than one lemon in my fleet (including personal), if you buy enough cars or trucks you will eventually get one. But I definitely disagree with what many here call normal!
Originally Posted By: SteveSRT8
Horrifying IMO the way some folks have trashed their heavy duty trucks. I run 3500 GMC Savana's at 95% GVWR every day for very high miles routinely, and we rarely do anything but brakes (100-150k miles), shocks (at 100-200k miles-the OEM gas shocks are surprisingly durable), plugs, and a serpentine belt or an occasional defective part like a water pump or some such. All the usual wear parts like tires. No front end parts, driveline pieces (u-joints, trans, rear end), engine work, even our AC seems to last the life of the vehicle.
My drivers are not gentle. The trucks are well maintained. I do virtually everything in house. Just sold an 04 with over 500k miles (NOT typical, we need new engines at 300k miles if the van is not decrepit by then) that was still original in so many ways it was amazing. The buyer was literally stunned when he drove it, and since he was a helicopter mechanic by trade it withstood a severe inspection.
I have had more than one lemon in my fleet (including personal), if you buy enough cars or trucks you will eventually get one. But I definitely disagree with what many here call normal!
I've never bought a new vehicle so getting a lemon is tough when they've got 50000 miles or so already however my experience does mimic yours as far as pushing a stock vehicle and replacing parts.
Things break, it happens. Vehicles are a rich mans toy.
What sucks is everything happening at once.
We have always bought used vans,cube vans for work,and never less than 120k miles on them by the time we get them.
My 1500 dollar chev van with a 305 has 450k on the odo,still starts first turn but the body has taken a beating and as soon as it requires a service of more than 400 bucks I'm calling the wrecker.
I've got 2 fords. One with a 4.9 and the other is a high boy with a 351. Both with over 300k on them. Bodies are still good on both so they'll be kept.
2 cube vans. One with a 7.3 and the other has a 351. The 7.3 has 450k on it. It's showing its age but its a 26' and routinely carries 3 pallets of nails around the city dropping off to our various crews.
The 24' has the 351. It's not gonna win any races however it holds everything we need for a condo project, and fits a table to sit at and has heat in the back.
These work vehicles are maintained by me unless I cannot spare the time to do a larger repair. I've learned so much maintaining these things but I will admit they get fixed when something breaks,or becomes unbearable to drive,so as I'm sure one can imagine they aren't like new.
But the start,stop,and haul everything we need and I don't have 10 grand into the whole lot of them.
Horrifying IMO the way some folks have trashed their heavy duty trucks. I run 3500 GMC Savana's at 95% GVWR every day for very high miles routinely, and we rarely do anything but brakes (100-150k miles), shocks (at 100-200k miles-the OEM gas shocks are surprisingly durable), plugs, and a serpentine belt or an occasional defective part like a water pump or some such. All the usual wear parts like tires. No front end parts, driveline pieces (u-joints, trans, rear end), engine work, even our AC seems to last the life of the vehicle.
My drivers are not gentle. The trucks are well maintained. I do virtually everything in house. Just sold an 04 with over 500k miles (NOT typical, we need new engines at 300k miles if the van is not decrepit by then) that was still original in so many ways it was amazing. The buyer was literally stunned when he drove it, and since he was a helicopter mechanic by trade it withstood a severe inspection.
I have had more than one lemon in my fleet (including personal), if you buy enough cars or trucks you will eventually get one. But I definitely disagree with what many here call normal!
I've never bought a new vehicle so getting a lemon is tough when they've got 50000 miles or so already however my experience does mimic yours as far as pushing a stock vehicle and replacing parts.
Things break, it happens. Vehicles are a rich mans toy.
What sucks is everything happening at once.
We have always bought used vans,cube vans for work,and never less than 120k miles on them by the time we get them.
My 1500 dollar chev van with a 305 has 450k on the odo,still starts first turn but the body has taken a beating and as soon as it requires a service of more than 400 bucks I'm calling the wrecker.
I've got 2 fords. One with a 4.9 and the other is a high boy with a 351. Both with over 300k on them. Bodies are still good on both so they'll be kept.
2 cube vans. One with a 7.3 and the other has a 351. The 7.3 has 450k on it. It's showing its age but its a 26' and routinely carries 3 pallets of nails around the city dropping off to our various crews.
The 24' has the 351. It's not gonna win any races however it holds everything we need for a condo project, and fits a table to sit at and has heat in the back.
These work vehicles are maintained by me unless I cannot spare the time to do a larger repair. I've learned so much maintaining these things but I will admit they get fixed when something breaks,or becomes unbearable to drive,so as I'm sure one can imagine they aren't like new.
But the start,stop,and haul everything we need and I don't have 10 grand into the whole lot of them.
^^^So true, I started that way 40 years ago in charge of a fleet of econoline 100's that were all six cylinder/three speed trucks. They were rolling wrecks! But we got our work done, brought home the bacon and got better ones down the road.
A new truck can be kept a LONG time with a careful eye on maintenance. It's a lot harder with anything used as you rarely get a babied one. These are working trucks...
A new truck can be kept a LONG time with a careful eye on maintenance. It's a lot harder with anything used as you rarely get a babied one. These are working trucks...
- Status
