Well, I thought I'd wrap up my experience over 6 years and over 100k miles of using the 6.0 PSD. After that initial 'correct' fix of some skirt gasket and taking the advice of the diesel tech and having him install the ARP head studs and making the EGR valve MIA, I never had a single issue with the truck again while I owned it. I put a bit over 100,000 miles on it after that and I'd say that I was pulling between 15k to 20k behind it most times it moved. I ended up with the need for a larger truck and came across a 1999 F550 4X4 with a 7.3 PSD and 122k miles on it, so I bought it. My '06 F350 just sat around, so after mentioning I was going to sell it, I literally sold it for almost $1000 MORE than I paid for it back in 2008! Overall, I can't say that I'm the least bit displeased with the 6.0 PSD based on my experience. I did have to have an oil leak fixed early on under warranty and spent nearly $500 for those ARP head studs and EGR delete, but I got over 100k miles and 7 years use out of the truck and sold it for more than I paid for it. IMHO, it's hard to do better than that!
Now I have an old '92 Dodge SRW 1 ton pickup with the 12v Cummins in it that is the only 2wd (I did add a Detroit Locker to it) I think I've ever owned. It's plenty ugly, but starts as soon as I bump the key and purrs like it's brand new. It's 100% stock with extremely low miles on it and it wasn't even licensed for almost 15 years during which it never left the farm the previous owner had. I guess it's going to be my backup truck and likely my youngest son's first vehicle when he gets his license. I do have a "mystery" issue with the 1999 F550 though. Sometimes it will leave a puddle of antifreeze under the engine after being parked for a week or two and other times I can run it hard and let it sit for weeks and there isn't a drop on the concrete under it. Since I've never seen it leak, it is beyond me to figure out where it is leaking; somewhere up front either from the radiator area or the very front of the engine. Being that I've only seen the coolant on the floor and never even a spot on the engine, I have no clue where it is escaping. Oh well, I feel reasonably sure I'll eventually find it one way or another.
Anyway, that wraps up a 6 year and 100,000 mile ownership of an '06 F350 that, to be honest, was quite possibly the best truck ownership I've ever had. I know that seems to run contrary to what a lot of people post on the internet, but I can only report on what I've personally experienced. Those who know me know I'm not shy about telling it like it is, so that truck was a darn good one. I hope my '99 F550 with the 7.3 PSD will be remotely as close to as good as my experience with my '06 6.0 PSD was. It's older, but has lower miles on it. Oh, it too has had no modifications to the engine; just like the old '92 Dodge with the purring 5.9 Cummins. I've had both for less than a year, so I'm afraid to brag ANY on them at this point. Time will tell if they are just as good as the '06 6.0 PSD ownership experience. I sure hope so. Both seem to have rave reviews on the internet. I'm afraid with my luck, they will both be terrible after I had fantastic service out of an engine that most seem to despise.
over 200k on those engines.