Ford 6.0 diesel; the good, the bad, the ugly?

[Hay Dude]

Used car salesmen.....

I was surprised when a young sales guy on a dealer lot told me the ford 6 liter diesel was junk, stay away. I had no clue.

I was buying a used rv, diesel pusher, the sales guy said....

these things are rolling earthquakes.

Must be bad if the sales rep is bad mouthing them?

The 6 & 6.4 can be made better with wrenching and parts, but I have enough work to do and why spend my money on a diesel truck that needs to be fixed to run right and reliably?
Those trucks are for the most part semi-relics now. The last 6.4s were built in 2010, 12 years ago.
I don’t think any of the trucks from that era were all that great. The GMs had an excellent drivetrain, but man o man could they rust!

 

[Egon]

Where I live there are a lot of old 12 valve cumins trucks in daily service.

 

[TMGT]

Ford was making the demands International Harvester was doing the design work and engineering.

To an extent, IH was providing engines, Ford had some involvement in the engines final systems. I can't remember the total involvement by each, I'll have to check with a friend I know that works in diesel engine development for Navistar.

 

[aczlan]

To an extent, IH was providing engines, Ford had some involvement in the engines final systems. I can't remember the total involvement by each, I'll have to check with a friend I know that works in diesel engine development for Navistar.

As I recall, the cooling system (including the infamous easy to clog EGR cooler) was a Ford only thing, the version of that engine used in larger vehicles (buses, medium duty trucks, etc) got a different system (which was somewhat better).

Aaron Z

 

[Jstpssng]

This thread sure has been resurrected in spades. I started it just before the Covid, because of the shutdown I never was able to go south to find a truck. At the time I was considering diesels because they seemed to be the only medium sized pickup which came with a manual transmission... Given all of the problems stated here I probably would have bought a gasser with an automatic instead.

 

[jocww]

I just sold my 07 6.0 cclb 4x4 xlt. I loved the body, but Ill never go back to one. Sold it for 12.6k bought it for 12k 10 years ago. Put a new egr and oil cooler, but it still ate coolant Miss it, but I want a dodge again. I had a 02lb7 ccsb and it was a POS.

 

[spitter]

I just got a manual v10 a year ago with 90,000 original miles. There out there you just gotta look . There usally gone in one day . Just lost a dually V10 stick Lariet Le cause it was a 3 hr. drive and I couldn't make it during the week .

Been trying to buy another 7.3 or v10 but a good one dosen't last a day on FBMP and are going for 5- 10 thousand more than a 6.0 or 6.4 . Craglist here is taken over by used car scam artests selling junk for 30-40 k offering no check credit for 25 %.. Just saw 01 dually cc lariet like mine with 110'000 mile .they were asking 44 k .

 

[Hay Dude]

I think we are blending the epic vehicle shortage problem with the 6L Ford diesels problems.
Most of the 2000-2010 Ford trucks were unreliable, but it’s funny to watch people climb over each other to buy them because new or clean used ones are in such short supply.
I wouldnt pay more than 7k for a nice 7.3L, 10k for a nice 6L, or 15k for a nice 6.4L, but shortages are doubling their current value.

Cat eye Duramaxs are selling in the mid 20’s and 11’-14’s in the mid upper 30’s.

 

[Jstpssng]

I feel bad for the people who are paying those prices now, hoping to trade when the current shortage alleviates.
The same goes for people buying houses...

 

[Hay Dude]

I feel bad for the people who are paying those prices now, hoping to trade when the current shortage alleviates.
The same goes for people buying houses...

Agree. I am happy to not be in the position of needing a vehicle. We renewed all our vehicles in early 2020 and got what we wanted at good prices. The crap hit the fan just a few months later.

 

[Jstpssng]

Last year when I was truck shopping I wondered if I would be better off waiting a year. Now I’m glad that Ixdidnt.

 

[Tomtint]

I posted in another thread about my 17 Platinum diesel 4x4 F350 with 24K miles on it that I just traded.. I bought it new for something like 75K,,got almost 70K for it 4 years later. Crazy times. I have had 4 or 5, 6.0s back between 04 and 09. Never really had any problems but got rid of them with less than 60K miles. One that I did keep was a 06 F350 4x4 King Ranch F350. I really liked that truck, But at 95K miles it died on the highway and it ended up being a fuel pump issue. It was fixed under warranty and I traded it when I got it back. I had a few 7.3s as well. They were loud, slow, and had ongoing small repairs all the time. Oil pans rotted faster than you can believe. I have a 17 V10 F450 now that has been ok.. Manifolds have been replaced as well as all the calipers due to rust. ..Truck pulls good but loves fuel..6.5mpg average. The new truck is a 2020 F450 Limited with the diesel motor...This truck is flat out amazing.. 19-20 mpg empty on the highway..12.5 pulling a 12k camper and it barely knows its back there.

 

[crashz]

For Harry Homeowner or Sammy Side-job like me, the gas trucks and old diesels are just fine. Love my 03 F450. It has the 7.3 and stick shift. Yeah its loud. Yep my gasser 3/4ton pulls the doors off it. But its fun to drive, fairly easy to work on and I don't make my living with it. I know I'd learn to hate it if I had to drive it everyday.

You want to talk real turds: the 6.2 and 6.5L GM Detroit Diesels. UGH! I still have my last one (the truck in my avatar). Of the three I had, each left me walking at least once. Had just enough power to pull a donut out of a wet paper bag. And we sent those monstrosities to our military!

Edit - I tried to come up with a reliability joke but can't. They were just so freaking bad that it's not funny.

 

[spitter]

If you want to talk about the biggest pos diesel engine ever produced don't forget the GM 5.7.

 

[4570Man]

If you want to talk about the biggest pos diesel engine ever produced don't forget the GM 5.7.

That was back in the 80s at least.

 

[spitter]

That when the 7.3 's came out and there still running. gm 6.2 came out in 82.

 

[Frankenkubota]

That was back in the 80s at least.

didn't gm convert gas engines to diesel back then? slugs?

my dad bought a buick riv with one of those, took it out west and it could not get up the steep mountain roads.

brought it back and traded it in for a gasser.

 

[Jstpssng]

didn't gm convert gas engines to diesel back then? slugs?

my dad bought a buick riv with one of those, took it out west and it could not get up the steep mountain roads.

brought it back and traded it in for a gasser.

Yes. They were slugs, but got about 25 mpg in a ton truck. That was just after the gas shortage, and mileage was a consideration.

 

[TMGT]

didn't gm convert gas engines to diesel back then? slugs?

my dad bought a buick riv with one of those, took it out west and it could not get up the steep mountain roads.

brought it back and traded it in for a gasser.

It was based on the Oldsmobile 5.7, they had a number of reliability issues due to being rushed into production. A few small changes and they were actually pretty reliable but all stock they got a bad reputation quick. 2 biggest were head gaskets due to poor machining/ inadequate clamping force, and the lack of a water separator which caused a lot of inj. pump failures (diesel fuel quality was pretty bad back then)

At least they gave us Olds guys a nice heavy duty Olds block that can handle some power.

GM also made a smaller V8 (4.3L i think) and a V6 version between 78-85.
Surprisingly at 120hp /220tq the 5.7 were about the same output as the early 6.2 Detroit's (130/240).

 

[Cacinok]

This thread sure has been resurrected in spades. I started it just before the Covid, because of the shutdown I never was able to go south to find a truck. At the time I was considering diesels because they seemed to be the only medium sized pickup which came with a manual transmission... Given all of the problems stated here I probably would have bought a gasser with an automatic instead.

The 6.0s have a horrible reputation and were honestly not great from the factory, but can be "bulletproofed", though it's costly to do so. My son just bought an '05 F350 w/ a bulletproofed 6.0. The previous owner put $7k into it to bulletproof it. It runs and tows amazingly well.

I have an Excursion with the 7.3 and absolutely love it.