Which PowerStroke was the problem child? The 6.0 ?

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wdn

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Looking at ads for used box trucks. Most of the Ford ones are gas V-8 which is fine but some Fords have the 6.0 L diesel. Was that the problematic one -- or which Ford PowerStroke is known for reliability issues? Thanks in advance.
 
Really depends upon how you want to look at it.

Buying a PSD, doing hardly anything to it, and expecting longevity with simple maintenance -- the 7.3.

6.0 in buses didn't have anywhere near the issues of their Ford counterpart due to less emissions controls and not being pushed as hard/tuned as aggressively.

A 6.0 studded, EGR deleted, oil cooler will last a long time. Very good bottom ends.
 
Early 03 and 04 build 6.0's were bad, and all 6.4's are worse. Now, someone will come on here explaining how they have a 6.4 Powerstroke with 350K trouble free miles, but I would bet that 98% of the 6.4's with over 150k miles are a ticking time bomb.
 
We have several 6.0 navistar engines in Ford F650 box trucks. If well maintained should go 300k with minimal repair. The biggest problem is drivers pushing the engines to near the red line. We have let go several drivers go that break tier trucks fairly often. Keeping the rpm's to under 2200 rpm makes everything last longer. Avoid biodiesel and change the fuel filter or filters every 10-12k and injectors can last along time. We do oil changes at 9-10k rather than the 15k the factory recommends. We have telemetry/gps loggers in all the trucks and can see who is beating on their truck and who is making unauthorized road trips.
 
6.0 and 6.4 were garbage. The new 6.7 is great.

My boss owned a 6.0 briefly. Briefly because it blew up in the mountains while towing a 5th wheel. Replaced it with a Duramax.
 
Originally Posted By: sloinker
Can't answer your question but it's funny I was looking at Craigslist just a second ago and was perusing this ad. I actually have no need for a box truck.

https://wyoming.craigslist.org/ctd/d/trucks-trucks-trucks/6658542122.html


I looked at your craigslist link and noticed one of the items for sale says this

"Picture #2: Stock# 11279W, 2007 Ford F-550 Cab Chassis, 6.0L Power Stroke Turbo Diesel Engine (known issues)"

Maybe the 6.0L is indeed the one to avoid?
 
Originally Posted By: EricG
Early 03 and 04 build 6.0's were bad, and all 6.4's are worse. Now, someone will come on here explaining how they have a 6.4 Powerstroke with 350K trouble free miles, but I would bet that 98% of the 6.4's with over 150k miles are a ticking time bomb.
this!
 
Originally Posted By: Reddy45
I would take in as much info can you here before you go down this path.

www.powerstrokehelp.com
That dude makes it seem like the 6.0 is actually solid once modded, which I totally believe. The same can be said for pretty much anything though. If you have to yank the mill and upgrade it, you might as well fully restomod an old truck. There are so many diesel engines to choose from, why would you stick with arguably the worst out of the big three?

Apparently after the 6.0 the emissions controls got really bad, like $17k exhaust system bad.

The more research I do on diesel anything, the more convinced I am that gasoline engines are a lot more reliable and cheaper. I'd take a 7.3 in a heartbeat though, or an LBZ dmax.
 
late 6.0s with some modification and repair are solid, all 6.4s are junk, and 6.7s seem solid but i've heard turbo failure is common due to ceramic bearings or something
 
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6.0 has a series of common problems that once addressed, the engine settles in and becomes really reliable. The known weak points and problems:
head bolts, and by proxy, head gaskets
oil cooler
EGR cooler
up pipe bellows
fuel pressure
FICM
water pump.

ARP studs and Fel-Pro gaskets, along with 6.4 pushrods and a careful check and machining of the heads and checking the deck for flat fixes the head problems.
A new factory oil cooler and a switch to a true diesel coolant, or the Bulletproof Diesel remote cooler and filter fixes the oil cooler.
Bulletproof Diesel makes a one and done replacement for the EGR cooler, or delete the dang thing and be done with it.
Rudy's diesel has the up pipe with a flex joint.
Blue spring fix from Ford for fuel pressure.
Several aftermarket sources for FICM's with higher quality parts, and steady voltages. The Atlas flash restores the power Ford took away with their updates.
There are water pumps out there for both early and late builds that have metal impellers.
My old 6.0 was a pleasure to drive, and was totally reliable after mods.

6.4's with the twin turbos have their own set of issues, including valve tip and rocker wear.
First edition 6.7 had ceramic turbo bearings that some folks have had problems with. I stress "some" because there are lots of high mile early builds that keep on rolling. Later models, the turbo was changed, and programming changed with it, increasing HP and torque.
The latest 6.7 is just the cat's behind, the shiznit, the wow that Ford drivers have wanted since the 7.3 went away. The turbo is in the valley, with short runners to inverted heads. Turbo lag? What turbo lag? Power? Anyone says you don't need 890 foot pounds of torque, just don't talk them any more. You don't need that kind of negativity in your life.
My 2016 does everything better than my 03 did, PERIOD.
 
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If I could find a 6.0 with blown head gaskets for cheap, Id buy it in a heartbeat and bulletproof it myself, Ive always wanted one.

I wouldnt hesitate to own a 89-93 VE pump 12 valve, a 94-98 P7100 12 valve, any year 7.3 Powerstroke, and you cant go wrong with an LB7 (once the injectors are changed), LBZ, or deleted LMM and LML Duramax. All great trucks and engines.
 
7.3 is what you wanna go with if you want reliability. The 6.0 can be made reliable, but you gotta dump some serious cash in it to get it done. The 7.3 is one of the last, simple and easy to work on diesels. Fuel filter is very easy to change and right on top of the engine, oil change is easy, glowplug/injector jobs are doable with the right tools and basic know how.

I love mine, been running strong and it gets worked HARD, I only bought it to tow and haul so when it gets used it's getting ran balls to the wall. Never once let me down! My friend who had a 6.0 was a different story. He's now in a Dodge now! Cummins is a great option as well, the older 12v and 24v are hard to beat.
 
I love the 7.3, and would buy one in a heartbeat, but it is also a dinosaur. Finding a "good" 7.3 is very hard to do these days. Many of them have been abused, neglected, and need a ton of work. Low mileage examples carry ridiculous price tags. It's almost worth it to find a 6.0 and bullet-proof it for the same price and get more power. The 6.0 also has a stronger automatic transmission behind it.

The 6.4 is garbage. Even well maintained trucks had catastrophic failure. The 6.7 is much better, but it is still very expensive to maintain and repair, as with any aging modern diesel.

In my opinion, you have to really want a diesel in order to make owning a modern one worthwhile. All of the fleets in my area have switched back to gas powered Rams, Silverados, and F-150s for good reason.
 
If you want a box truck....Take a look at the Isuzu NPR-HD & the GM W4500 clones. '03-'07 gas versions have a GM LQ4 6.0L mated to a 4L85E transmission & is a solid combination. Later one's have a L96 6.0L mated to a 6L90E transmission. These drivetrians are VERY inexpensive to repair or replace compared to ANY diesel.

For a commercial chassis.....The parts are reasonable but need to be bought from Isuzu in most cases. Like brake & suspension parts, HVAC parts & electrical switches. There are dedicated Isuzu commercial vehicle wreaking yards around as well.

The best part.....They are extremely EASY to work on, The cab tilts up out of the way.
 
A lawn care co. I do work for has a small fleet of 6.0 Ford trucks. The owner looks for them and claims he replaces the EGR with some sort of conversion kit. He tells me the 6.0 runs for hundreds of thousands of miles with little trouble after the change.
 
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