Hey all, so as some of you know college life for me right now is rebuilding engines as a diesel tech. As I look to get a 2nd vehicle, of course I'm drawn to a diesel. With the F150 nearing 180K, I'd like to get something with a diesel just for the fact that the engines will last so much longer. Budget will be around $10K, some financed, some cash. That puts me in a mid-high mileage 6.0 or 7.3 Powerstroke. Obviously the 6.0 has its fair share of problems, but with my current training I could most likely manage it just fine. My question is, in a 7.3 I'd be looking at a 2003 at the newest, and if I have at least a few years of payments I'm not sure I want something that old. Would it be worth it to move up to a 2004-2006 6.0, if your guys opinions, just for the fact of a newer truck? Thanks!
Powerstroke 6.0 VS 7.3
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No. 7.3 or much much newer..
Unless you plan on getting one for nearly free and fixing it.
If you are a tech whats the issue with a 2002? Find one that doesn't have salt cancer.
any issues that crop up with an older 7.3 are minor compared to 6.blows
Unless you plan on getting one for nearly free and fixing it.
If you are a tech whats the issue with a 2002? Find one that doesn't have salt cancer.
any issues that crop up with an older 7.3 are minor compared to 6.blows
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7.3's are built to last. Worked on one with 900k and no big issues. (Replaced wheel bearings)
If you call disassembling half of the engine and spending big bucks on questionable "bullet proof" parts "managing" the situation, go ahead. Hope you have a cab lift.
If you are a diesel tech you should already know the answer to your question. Avoid the 6.0 money pit, if you want newer than a 7.3 get a Duramax or Cummins.
'03.5-'07 is not much newer. You are still talking about 10 year old HD pickups. I don't see how going a couple years newer would really help you in this situation. At that age trucks are either torn up or not anyway. I'd rather go a little older and get a 7.3 personally.
Ford updated the seats in 2001 and updated other bits and pieces of the interior around 2005, but otherwise the cabs on '99-'07 models are all about the same. A clean 2000 won't feel any older than an average 2006.
Ford updated the seats in 2001 and updated other bits and pieces of the interior around 2005, but otherwise the cabs on '99-'07 models are all about the same. A clean 2000 won't feel any older than an average 2006.
Originally Posted By: 01rangerxl
'03.5-'07 is not much newer. You are still talking about 10 year old HD pickups. I don't see how going a couple years newer would really help you in this situation. At that age trucks are either torn up or not anyway. I'd rather go a little older and get a 7.3 personally.
Ford updated the seats in 2001 and updated other bits and pieces of the interior around 2005, but otherwise the cabs on '99-'07 models are all about the same. A clean 2000 won't feel any older than an average 2006.
Actually, the 2005-2007 trucks are quite a bit different than the 1999-2004 models. The update in 2005 was a lot more than just "interior bits". The 2005+ models have a stronger frame, larger brakes, different suspension, better transmissions, and other things that make them a more capable truck than the earlier models. The gas engines were alao updated to the more powerful 3V versions for 2005.
'03.5-'07 is not much newer. You are still talking about 10 year old HD pickups. I don't see how going a couple years newer would really help you in this situation. At that age trucks are either torn up or not anyway. I'd rather go a little older and get a 7.3 personally.
Ford updated the seats in 2001 and updated other bits and pieces of the interior around 2005, but otherwise the cabs on '99-'07 models are all about the same. A clean 2000 won't feel any older than an average 2006.
Actually, the 2005-2007 trucks are quite a bit different than the 1999-2004 models. The update in 2005 was a lot more than just "interior bits". The 2005+ models have a stronger frame, larger brakes, different suspension, better transmissions, and other things that make them a more capable truck than the earlier models. The gas engines were alao updated to the more powerful 3V versions for 2005.
The problem is, the 6.4's aren't that much better.
My neighbor's experience with a low mileage 6.4.
http://www.bobistheoilguy.com/forums/ubb..._di#Post2051204
My neighbor's experience with a low mileage 6.4.
http://www.bobistheoilguy.com/forums/ubb..._di#Post2051204
For every horror story there is a success story. True, there were a lot of problems with the 6.0 but tons of those were caused by turning up the boost with "tunes" and hot rodding them. Many of the early diesel tuning was archaic and it seemed every corner auto shop with a tech geek was throwing tunes and tuners on the internet for sale.
We have a fleet of diesels used for a large scale farming operation and they are kept mostly stock, do a ton of towing and maintenance is by the book (for the most part). Currently we have 3 7.3 F-350s, 3 6.0 F-350s, 2 6.4 F-350s, 1 6.7 F-250 (personal truck not used for work), 1 12v Cummins, 1 6.7 Cummins and 2 LML Duramax Silverados. All of our 7.3s are over 250k miles (the 2002 is over 350k), all of our 6.0s and our 12v Cummins are over 200k, 1 6.4 and 1 LML are over 150k. I have been involved in fixing a lot of these machines so hopefully I can provide some insight above all of the internet babble. Many people form an opinion about something by reading on the internet and have no substantial personal experience, which adds to the internet hype. After all, if it's on the internet it must be true!
I'll get to the point...for my money I'll take a 7.3 turbo over anything else. They have required far less repairs than ANY of our other diesels and that includes repairs that aren't engine related. That said, we haven't had any of our 6.0s go down with head gasket/stud problems. Not a single one ever. And certainly nothing that required a cab removal. Everything else on the truck is solid as well. The guys at work love them and literally fight for the keys to them when it comes time to pull peanut trailers. Our 12v Cummins eats injectors and lift pumps like nobody's business and has had 2 major engine repairs, even our 6.7 Cummins has had a head gasket fail and a flex plate replacement. Our Duramax trucks have been pretty good but they both like to eat injectors and leak transmission fluid. Our 6.4s are picky on fuel and required a DPF delete to run correctly but they have been solid.
Basically newer is not better in our experience and we have the repair logs to prove it.
We have a fleet of diesels used for a large scale farming operation and they are kept mostly stock, do a ton of towing and maintenance is by the book (for the most part). Currently we have 3 7.3 F-350s, 3 6.0 F-350s, 2 6.4 F-350s, 1 6.7 F-250 (personal truck not used for work), 1 12v Cummins, 1 6.7 Cummins and 2 LML Duramax Silverados. All of our 7.3s are over 250k miles (the 2002 is over 350k), all of our 6.0s and our 12v Cummins are over 200k, 1 6.4 and 1 LML are over 150k. I have been involved in fixing a lot of these machines so hopefully I can provide some insight above all of the internet babble. Many people form an opinion about something by reading on the internet and have no substantial personal experience, which adds to the internet hype. After all, if it's on the internet it must be true!
I'll get to the point...for my money I'll take a 7.3 turbo over anything else. They have required far less repairs than ANY of our other diesels and that includes repairs that aren't engine related. That said, we haven't had any of our 6.0s go down with head gasket/stud problems. Not a single one ever. And certainly nothing that required a cab removal. Everything else on the truck is solid as well. The guys at work love them and literally fight for the keys to them when it comes time to pull peanut trailers. Our 12v Cummins eats injectors and lift pumps like nobody's business and has had 2 major engine repairs, even our 6.7 Cummins has had a head gasket fail and a flex plate replacement. Our Duramax trucks have been pretty good but they both like to eat injectors and leak transmission fluid. Our 6.4s are picky on fuel and required a DPF delete to run correctly but they have been solid.
Basically newer is not better in our experience and we have the repair logs to prove it.
Everything goes wrong with the 6.ohno.the only things that normally go wrong with the 7.3 are crank sensors and the wires that go through the valve covers.
OP I understand you are a diesel tech, but do you really need a diesel?
If your F150 is a 4.6L or 5.4l it will last plenty more miles if you have kept it serviced I.e..oil changes, fuel filters, transmission, diffs..etc
Your budget for a diesel is really really low, and you could put yourself in a pickle if you buy one and start having problems. It's not uncommon to throw down $5k pretty quick fixing a diesel. I'm sure you are aware of this, and have the skills to maintain it, however.
I personally would wait until you have enough money to buy a diesel cash and have 5k cash extra just to do a complete service front to rear and still have a few thousand set back should a major issue arise.
I think keeping your F150 for a couple more years while you are in school will allow you to save up some more and prepare yourself for "diesel life" as I call it.
I have several buddies who own them and they all end up putting ridiculous amounts of money in them. Every time a diesel breaks down its about 2-3 times more expensive than a 1/2 ton gas truck.
I considered buying one, but looking back I'm so glad I didn't. However, don't let me or anyone else tell you how to spend your money. It is yours after all. Good luck!
If your F150 is a 4.6L or 5.4l it will last plenty more miles if you have kept it serviced I.e..oil changes, fuel filters, transmission, diffs..etc
Your budget for a diesel is really really low, and you could put yourself in a pickle if you buy one and start having problems. It's not uncommon to throw down $5k pretty quick fixing a diesel. I'm sure you are aware of this, and have the skills to maintain it, however.
I personally would wait until you have enough money to buy a diesel cash and have 5k cash extra just to do a complete service front to rear and still have a few thousand set back should a major issue arise.
I think keeping your F150 for a couple more years while you are in school will allow you to save up some more and prepare yourself for "diesel life" as I call it.
I have several buddies who own them and they all end up putting ridiculous amounts of money in them. Every time a diesel breaks down its about 2-3 times more expensive than a 1/2 ton gas truck.
I considered buying one, but looking back I'm so glad I didn't. However, don't let me or anyone else tell you how to spend your money. It is yours after all. Good luck!
Nick1994
$100 site donor 2024
Spending thousands more dollars to buy a diesel truck plus thousands more dollars for new heads and repairs for a 6.0 for a truck that gets worse gas mileage with fuel that costs more, just so the engine lasts 50k more miles?
Doesn't sound that great to me.
Doesn't sound that great to me.
The thought that diesels last longer nowadays is so very flawed. If your only reason for buying a diesel is because they last longer than do yourself a favor and buy a gas truck. The 6.0 is absolutely junk we work on them non stop. Ficms and ipr are most common issues then theres heads turbos ect. The 7.3 is great but you'll be hard pressed to find one not used up by now. Your budget is also pretty tight. Id buy a truck with a 4.6 if i wanted long lasting ability
If given the choice I would buy a 05-07 6.0 over a 7.3 in the market that I am in. Everyone here wants a small fortune for a 7.3L, way more than a 6.0 with Bulletproofing factored in. The 6.4 is not a truck I would even consider unless it was super cheap and at that point it would have a DPF delete done immediately. The 6.7 is an awesome engine, but they are too expensive currently to consider.
Originally Posted By: ECUpirate
For every horror story there is a success story. True, there were a lot of problems with the 6.0 but tons of those were caused by turning up the boost with "tunes" and hot rodding them. Many of the early diesel tuning was archaic and it seemed every corner auto shop with a tech geek was throwing tunes and tuners on the internet for sale.
We have a fleet of diesels used for a large scale farming operation and they are kept mostly stock, do a ton of towing and maintenance is by the book (for the most part). Currently we have 3 7.3 F-350s, 3 6.0 F-350s, 2 6.4 F-350s, 1 6.7 F-250 (personal truck not used for work), 1 12v Cummins, 1 6.7 Cummins and 2 LML Duramax Silverados. All of our 7.3s are over 250k miles (the 2002 is over 350k), all of our 6.0s and our 12v Cummins are over 200k, 1 6.4 and 1 LML are over 150k. I have been involved in fixing a lot of these machines so hopefully I can provide some insight above all of the internet babble. Many people form an opinion about something by reading on the internet and have no substantial personal experience, which adds to the internet hype. After all, if it's on the internet it must be true!
I'll get to the point...for my money I'll take a 7.3 turbo over anything else. They have required far less repairs than ANY of our other diesels and that includes repairs that aren't engine related. That said, we haven't had any of our 6.0s go down with head gasket/stud problems. Not a single one ever. And certainly nothing that required a cab removal. Everything else on the truck is solid as well. The guys at work love them and literally fight for the keys to them when it comes time to pull peanut trailers. Our 12v Cummins eats injectors and lift pumps like nobody's business and has had 2 major engine repairs, even our 6.7 Cummins has had a head gasket fail and a flex plate replacement. Our Duramax trucks have been pretty good but they both like to eat injectors and leak transmission fluid. Our 6.4s are picky on fuel and required a DPF delete to run correctly but they have been solid.
Basically newer is not better in our experience and we have the repair logs to prove it.
1. There were several repair business that operated entirely on repairing Powerstroke 6.0 problems. Powerstroke 6.0 Repair of Tampa is one shop I know well. This has never occurred with any engine in modern times, gas or diesel.
2. The cab doesn't need to be removed to to a head job on a 6.0 truck. It's just faster and easier than leaving the cab on. This is the way the dealers did it as the warranty claims piled up.
3. The reliability of that engine was so despicable that Ford was willing to pay an immense amount of money in a settlement for breaching their contract with International /Navistar, and build an engine on their own. Something they had no experience doing.
4. In this matter, Ford has gone beyond the point of simply admitting that the 6.0 was trash, and named the super-high warranty claims due to the low quality of the engine as the chief reason for severing ties. But what would Ford know about the trucks they built?
Pretending that the 6.0 was not a POS engine belongs in the same category as holocaust denying, and believing that Pearl Harbor was a provoked attack initiated by the United States.
This is a dead issue, that was not caused by mods and tuners. It was caused by very poor quality, and the manufacturer insisted as much years ago.
For every horror story there is a success story. True, there were a lot of problems with the 6.0 but tons of those were caused by turning up the boost with "tunes" and hot rodding them. Many of the early diesel tuning was archaic and it seemed every corner auto shop with a tech geek was throwing tunes and tuners on the internet for sale.
We have a fleet of diesels used for a large scale farming operation and they are kept mostly stock, do a ton of towing and maintenance is by the book (for the most part). Currently we have 3 7.3 F-350s, 3 6.0 F-350s, 2 6.4 F-350s, 1 6.7 F-250 (personal truck not used for work), 1 12v Cummins, 1 6.7 Cummins and 2 LML Duramax Silverados. All of our 7.3s are over 250k miles (the 2002 is over 350k), all of our 6.0s and our 12v Cummins are over 200k, 1 6.4 and 1 LML are over 150k. I have been involved in fixing a lot of these machines so hopefully I can provide some insight above all of the internet babble. Many people form an opinion about something by reading on the internet and have no substantial personal experience, which adds to the internet hype. After all, if it's on the internet it must be true!
I'll get to the point...for my money I'll take a 7.3 turbo over anything else. They have required far less repairs than ANY of our other diesels and that includes repairs that aren't engine related. That said, we haven't had any of our 6.0s go down with head gasket/stud problems. Not a single one ever. And certainly nothing that required a cab removal. Everything else on the truck is solid as well. The guys at work love them and literally fight for the keys to them when it comes time to pull peanut trailers. Our 12v Cummins eats injectors and lift pumps like nobody's business and has had 2 major engine repairs, even our 6.7 Cummins has had a head gasket fail and a flex plate replacement. Our Duramax trucks have been pretty good but they both like to eat injectors and leak transmission fluid. Our 6.4s are picky on fuel and required a DPF delete to run correctly but they have been solid.
Basically newer is not better in our experience and we have the repair logs to prove it.
1. There were several repair business that operated entirely on repairing Powerstroke 6.0 problems. Powerstroke 6.0 Repair of Tampa is one shop I know well. This has never occurred with any engine in modern times, gas or diesel.
2. The cab doesn't need to be removed to to a head job on a 6.0 truck. It's just faster and easier than leaving the cab on. This is the way the dealers did it as the warranty claims piled up.
3. The reliability of that engine was so despicable that Ford was willing to pay an immense amount of money in a settlement for breaching their contract with International /Navistar, and build an engine on their own. Something they had no experience doing.
4. In this matter, Ford has gone beyond the point of simply admitting that the 6.0 was trash, and named the super-high warranty claims due to the low quality of the engine as the chief reason for severing ties. But what would Ford know about the trucks they built?
Pretending that the 6.0 was not a POS engine belongs in the same category as holocaust denying, and believing that Pearl Harbor was a provoked attack initiated by the United States.
This is a dead issue, that was not caused by mods and tuners. It was caused by very poor quality, and the manufacturer insisted as much years ago.
I'me a huge Ford fan and even I'd stay clear of the 6.0 or 6.4. They say they can run right if properly maintained and never tuned. Problem with used is that you'll never know.
If you want power, get a V10 - nearly the same as the Diesel and drop dead reliable.
If you want power, get a V10 - nearly the same as the Diesel and drop dead reliable.
I had two different 6.0's and never had an issue with either. There were quite a few problems when they were released, but by the time the '06/'07 model years were released they were the most reliable platform Ford had.
The early ones had a wiring harness chaffing problem, but a rock-solid EGR cooler.
The early ones had a wiring harness chaffing problem, but a rock-solid EGR cooler.
Originally Posted By: roadrunner1
I had two different 6.0's and never had an issue with either. There were quite a few problems when they were released, but by the time the '06/'07 model years were released they were the most reliable platform Ford had.
The early ones had a wiring harness chaffing problem, but a rock-solid EGR cooler.
Reliable and the 6.doh in the same sentence is quite funny.
I had two different 6.0's and never had an issue with either. There were quite a few problems when they were released, but by the time the '06/'07 model years were released they were the most reliable platform Ford had.
The early ones had a wiring harness chaffing problem, but a rock-solid EGR cooler.
Reliable and the 6.doh in the same sentence is quite funny.
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A lot of my contractors have these and they are always breaking and fixing them is always in the thousands. Very unreliable trucks.
The 6.7's seem OK but they are still to knew to really tell. The 7.3 was a great motor but its getting long in the tooth at this point.
The 6.7's seem OK but they are still to knew to really tell. The 7.3 was a great motor but its getting long in the tooth at this point.
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