Ford F350 6.0L Diesel and TorqShift Automatic

[2tallDA]

Hi all,
I am looking at a used 2006 F350 with the 6.0l diesel engine. It has 150,000 miles and seems to have been maintained well but I have read some horror stories about them while researching. Anyone have any experience with this engine and any advice on maintenance. I have zero experience with big trucks and diesel engines so hoping for some knowledge to help with this decision.
Thanks a bunch!

Ford spent over $500 million on warranty repairs on the 6.0. This was according to Petersens 4wd mag. They ended up in court with Navistar and both parties reached an agreement. Buyer beware.

 

[Vic Harder]

You might have seen this already
- http://www.trucktrend.com/how-to/engine/0907dp-6-0l-ford-power-stroke-engine/

and here is an expensive way to make the engine bulletproof
http://www.trucktrend.com/how-to/engine/1206tr-6-0-power-stroke-bulletproofing-tactics/


All said and done, I am still not sure I would buy one.

 

[Happyjax]

The 2017 Ford gasser is looking better all the time..... if not a lot more expensive

 

[97grandby]

Yep. Towing 10k lbs of horse and trailer and 2000 lbs in camper got me 3mph on that 460. Could get 4-5 with that load if I kept it under 60. Upgrading to the diesel at least tripled my mileage!


Sent from my iPad using Wander The West

yours was a 4 barrel carb that pounded fuel. My efi 460 gets 10 mpg with my camper and pulling my rhino and small trailer or 6mpg pulling my 7500 lb toy hauler. Diesels are great if you are towing all the time but gas works great if your not pulling heavy loads.

The 6.0 is a fine motor as long as you put the egr where it belongs( bottom of a dumpster) , it will run great for years. No matter what you buy it will always be one thing or another. I had a few in our delivery fleet and several went 300k+ and pulling loaded 20'ft cargo trailers every step of the way.


Sent from my iPad using Wander The West

 

[Happyjax]

Thanks for all of the responses. I have opted to wait and buy a new truck which was my original plan. This truck was a combo with a used Hallmark and though they were both in nice condition they weren't close enough to what I wanted to pull the trigger. I know someone will snap them up

 

[wuck]

The 2017 Ford gasser is looking better all the time..... if not a lot more expensive

It'll be interesting to see where Ford goes with pricing on 2016 steel vs 2017 Aluminum. Will there be a run on 2016's to get a real steel truck?, or a run on the new aluminum truck. Last time they did this (1997?) they produced both the old "Heavy Duty F250" alongside the new "Super Duty F250" for a year.

 

[Happyjax]

I can't imagine a run on the new trucks as they will be available for years. The 2016s might go quickly for those who don't trust the aluminum beds. I will buy based on options and what I feel is the best fit for me.
Obviously I want to save money but saving a couple thousand vs getting exactly what I want in a vehicle I will have at least 10 years and likely longer is not a deal breaker
Bronze Fire is a nice color......

 

[dharte]

I know this is an older thread but I want to add my 2 cents because I am sick of people bashing the 6.0. I love my 2005 F250 6.0 that carries my Hawk and has 100,000 miles on it, but several things must be done to make it a reliable motor. The plastic STC fitting on the high pressure oil pump will fail (at least on 2005 models-not sure about other years), which will require a major tear down of the motor. This part is now redesigned to be reliable. While it's apart, have the egr cooler replaced with a Bullet Proof Diesel cooler, and if you want total piece of mind, have the head gaskets replaced with ford gaskets and ARP studs. BTW, In California, i didn't have the option of the EGR delete since we have smog checks for diesels now. The injector issue is mainly due to low fuel pressure-there is something called the blue spring mod (about a $60 part) which raises the fuel pressure to about 60 psi, and as long as the oil is changed frequently (use Rotella T6), the injectors are not an issue. The other issue that a lot of people don't know about is that the Ford "gold" coolant is bad for these motors. It gels in the egr cooler causing a chain reaction of failures that can ultimately cause head gasket failure. Switch to a ELC CAT 1 rated coolant and add a coolant filter. My truck IS tuned and gets relatively good mpg, even when loaded and driven hard. I can easily stay in the fast lane on uphill grades and passing is not an issue, even when loaded with lots of gear and the camper. Besides the engine "bulletproofing",and a rebuilt fuel injector control module (which failed when I let the batteries die) the truck has been totally reliable. If you can buy a clean 6.0 and spend about $7K on the repairs I have mentioned, you will have an awesome truck at a much cheaper price than a new one.

 

[Happyjax]

Dharte,

While I hear what you are saying, most people don't want to buy something used that has a poor reputation but it's okay cause around $7,000 and a week or so in the shop it should be good to drive.....

I want something good to drive from the get go....lol

Not a gearhead so maybe I just don't get it....
Thanks for your insight though. Always good to get the other side of the story