Ford 6.0 Diesel

[rightisright]

I know the early models of this engine were rife with problems. Did Ford ever get them straightened out?

I need another work truck and took a look at an '07 F250 4x4 manual w. the 6.0 today. I'm looking for a truck that can tow 10K for around $20,000. This one had 72K on it and the guy was asking $20,000.

[HTRN]

Yes, they straightened out the problem - they stopped making them and went to the 6.4L!

[Precision]

my exposure is second and third hand. Having said that, no one that I know who had problems was ever able to get the problems completely fixed. Those who didn't have problems didn't seem to notice much. That includes one guy who had 3. Two of them had no end to troubles, the third never had an issue.

Personally, I would avoid it or buy it LESS the cost of replacing the engine with something else.

[rightisright]

Yeah, the more I read on the 'net, the more I don't want a 6.0.

[TheIrishman]

If you can find one, just get an early '03 with the last of the 7.3 powerstrokes. They're probably the best diesel ford used(although I hear the new 6.7 scorpion is a monster, it hasn't been out long enough for reliability data).

[rightisright]

If you can find one, just get an early '03 with the last of the 7.3 powerstrokes

I've had 3 of the 7.3s of the years. Great engine. Now, the transmissions...

[blackeagle603]

I have an '03 7.3L. Just rolling over 200K. Great engine.

The key with the tranny is to get an aftermarket billet torque convertor and a shift module. The torque convertor for the weakness, the shift module to match the trans to the engine torque curve (vice the stupid "momma go get the groceries" shift points).

I went with Banks for both items after I cooked my trans backing a heavy load uphill. A buddy killed his just backing his 30' toybox over the curb into his sideyard parking. Others out there like ATS have good reputation as well. That was over 130K ago. I already had a shift kit at the point my trans failed.

Love, love, love the difference in driveability the billet aftermarket torque convertor made. No ballooning out of lock on heavy pulls -- really uses the engines torque better. No, nada, zip, zilch temp rise on long heavy descents (like downhill the Grapevine with a 25' trailer). I turn off OD and it holds downhill speed just above 65mph. Used to be it would accelerate well past 70mph and I'd have to get into the brakes -- a lot, while also watching the trans temp rise due to the inefficiency in the factory torque convertor with it's stamped impeller shape.

As for backing loads up my hill (the guys coming to the SD meetup will get a perspective on that next week), I put a "Hidden Hitch" receiver on the rig's nose and push it up now. That was an excellent spend. It's saved my bacon multiple times in campgrounds too. Esp national parks where the tree huggers won't let any trees be cut back around campsights. I can turn it on a dime from the front hitch -- like parking it with a ball on a fork lift.

[HTRN]

I've had 3 of the 7.3s of the years. Great engine. Now, the transmissions...

Ford has never had great autos, at least in RWD/4WD applications. Meanwhile, Dodge went from having quite possibly the best 3 speed in the 60s(727 Torqueflite), to endless problems with their OD autos... despite the fact that they're based at least partially on the Torqueflite. GM meanwhile, despite having some early issues with the 700R4, has largely straightened them out, and went on to produce some seriously strong slush boxes(The 4L80e, for example, is basically a Turbo 400 with an OD and some computer control), and when that wasn't enough, the starting using Allisons..

[blackeagle603]

The planetary gears in the Dodge OD grenade on ya.
The unit alone costs as much as the new dealer installed trans in my Ford.

My framing/concrete contractor brother in law has been driving Ford diesels exclusively since the 6.9 indirect injected. Most of them have been automatics. He puts 40-60K/year on 2 of them and is always running heavy + hauling trailers on weekends to horse events or moto-x races. The only trans he had trouble with was a 94(?) 5 speed that had been adapted from the 460 gas motor application. It wasn't up to the task. The 6-speed that replaced it in later models was a rock.

[HTRN]

The 5 and 6 speed manuals are most likely New Venture units NV4500 and NV5600 repectively, The former has a fantastic rep, especially behind High output Diesels(800+ft lbs of torque), the latter has something of a mixed rep.

They were used by all 3 of the Big 3, and the only differences in any of them is the input shaft.