7.3 or 6.0 ford diesel?

[flyingcow]

Looking at some older trucks. Some have the 7.3 power stroke and others have the 6.0. Any pros and cons on theses motors?

I plan on hauling a 24ft gooseneck with my 8,000lb tractor and maybe another 1500lbs of implements.

 

[Dmace]

7.3l is a good reliable motor, not the fastest or most powerful engine but reliable. The 6.0l is a motor Ford wishes it never sold since it was so unreliable it caused the break-up of a major engine building contract between Ford and the builders of the Powerstroke diesels. There are a handful of people on here that have 6.0l's and have had good luck so far but for every 1 person who has had good luck, there are at least 3-4 people who had to have an $8k repair when the famous head gaskets go and require a full CAB OFF repair. :confused2:

I would stay far away from the 6.0l.

 

[BillBeyer]

I just bought a 97 F-450 with 7.3 Power Stroke and very pleased so far. Passed on several later model 6.0 trucks because of the head bolt and gasket issues they have.

 

[BobG_in_VA]

I just bought a 97 F-450 with 7.3 Power Stroke and very pleased so far. Passed on several later model 6.0 trucks because of the head bolt and gasket issues they have.

I've got a '99 F-350 SRW Lariate with the 7.3PSD. The reason that Ford had to "leave" the 7.3 behind was it would not pass the newer emissions regs. Since the diesel back then had much more sulfer content, folks were worried about the lack of lubricity in the new diesel fuel. I use a double shot of Power Service when I put fuel in it. I want it to last at least another 300K miles (110K now). Tows my Gooseneck like a champ...good luck with the 450, remember to flush the trans (automatic) every 30K miles if you tow a lot and it should last as long as you want it to...BobG in VA

 

[flyingcow]

Good info, thanks. When ford corrected the head gasket problem, did it go away for good, or was this a reccuring(sp?) item?

I'm also seeing some 6.7? liter diesel. I think i got the size right. Are these problem motors also?

Appreciate the feed back.

 

[WH401]

Definitely a 7.3 over the 6.0. The 7.3 is the best diesel Ford ever put in a pickup. It's very reliable, fairly easy to work on, and they have decent fuel mileage. While some people have had good experiences with the 6.0, those experiences are hit and miss. The majority of the engines were horrible. Timing chains shredding plugging the oil coolers or going back into the oil pan, the turbos blew up from no waste gate, the head gasket are prone to failure because the EGR plugs and causes the coolant to boil over...I could go on even more but you get the picture. Stay away.

The new Powerstroke is the 6.7, which was just released this year. So far it's proving to be like the 7.3 was. It's the most powerful diesel on the market at the moment and it gets great fuel mileage like most of the previous pre-emissions compliant diesels. I wouldn't hesitate to buy one.

 

[slowzuki]

The 6 L can be made reliable but it costs money and it still won't be as good as the 7.3. The late 6 L was better than the first 2-3 years but they still blow too. With a 7.3 you can get a reman engine right now for 3-4000$ if the worst happens or a used one for 1000$. There are no used 6 L to speak of and a new or reman is 10,000$.

 

[Diamondpilot]

I have owned both and both were trouble free. I still have 2 6.0's with no issues. I hear all the stories of the 6.0 issues but know well over 20 people with them and 1 had a tranny issue and another had a EGR issue. Not one single head gasket, turbo, timing chain, ect issue.

I think there were issues on the early ones but was quickly corrected then all the Ford haters blew it out of proportion on the net. Out of the 15 or so trucks I have owned in the last 20 years by far the worst was a 2005 3500 Dmax. It was in the shop right and left.

If you want power get the 6.0 It can be hopped up to run really well cheaply. If you want something that will last forever get the Cummins 5.9 and just deal with the Dodge part of it. The Ford 7.3 is a close second on being know for reliability.

Chris

 

[flyingcow]

All good posts, thanks

 

[ovrszd]

We actually missed talking about the intermediate Powerstroke edition, the 6.4L. It was touted as being the fix for the 6.0L and everyone was all excited for the first year, then they started showing up with their own set of head gasket problems. My local dealership says don't buy a 6.0L or 6.4L at just under 100K miles without buying extended warranty. I've never owned a 6.0 or 6.4 but have been driving a '00 7.3L that I bought with 100K for over a year now. As said above, it's not peppy or racey or anything like that but it pulls good and is just like the family dog, it's always sitting in the driveway waiting on you to drive it somewhere. :thumbsup: