best year ford 6.0 power stroke

ATXzombie

Observer
I am curious to know if there is a better year psd to buy. I am aware of the head problems they have. does anyone know of a tell tale way to see if the heads been done without getting an oasis from ford.
kinda crazy I work for gm but I don't really trust the duramax way too may injectors and injectionpump problems.
 

jluck

Adventurer
I am curious to know if there is a better year psd to buy. I am aware of the head problems they have. does anyone know of a tell tale way to see if the heads been done without getting an oasis from ford.
kinda crazy I work for gm but I don't really trust the duramax way too may injectors and injectionpump problems.
None is the short answer. If you fear the Duramax any 6.0 will be a living nightmare! Google it. You can throw many thousands at one and get it reasonably reliable. I always vote Cummins.
6.0 problems go way beyond heads.
 
None is the short answer. If you fear the Duramax any 6.0 will be a living nightmare! Google it. You can throw many thousands at one and get it reasonably reliable. I always vote Cummins.
6.0 problems go way beyond heads.


Your logic is flawed. Yeah the Cummins is a good engine but it is cheaper to have a 500hp 6.0 PSD than a 500hp Cummins or Duramax of the same era.

If you plan to make big power then the 6.0 is an excellent choice because it is mated to the 5R110 transmission which is much stronger than the Allison and TorqueFlight. A built Allison or TorqueFlight will cost you between $4000-5000. For that same cash you can solve all the issues on a 6.0 and then some.


Issues you will want to address. All this can be done for cheaper than building up an Allison or Torqueflight tranny.

ARP head Studs
EGR Delete
DIY 185cc Injectors 70% Nozzles
Power Max Turbo
Regulated return
Air intake
Exhaust
Upgraded oil cooler.

In the end you will be ahead by going with the 6.0 PSD because the 5R110 is bullet proof.
 

jluck

Adventurer
Your logic is flawed. Yeah the Cummins is a good engine but it is cheaper to have a 500hp 6.0 PSD than a 500hp Cummins or Duramax of the same era.

If you plan to make big power then the 6.0 is an excellent choice because it is mated to the 5R110 transmission which is much stronger than the Allison and TorqueFlight. A built Allison or TorqueFlight will cost you between $4000-5000. For that same cash you can solve all the issues on a 6.0 and then some.


Issues you will want to address. All this can be done for cheaper than building up an Allison or Torqueflight tranny.

ARP head Studs
EGR Delete
DIY 185cc Injectors 70% Nozzles
Power Max Turbo
Regulated return
Air intake
Exhaust
Upgraded oil cooler.

In the end you will be ahead by going with the 6.0 PSD because the 5R110 is bullet proof.

I apologize, I didn't see where this was about making big power. I was answering with a "best year"/ reliability stand point.
 

EMrider

Explorer
I know that a lot of the early bugs had been fixed by the 2006 model year.

Whenever a question is asked about the 6.0psd, the chorus of criticism immediately hits their keyboards.

My view of the facts is that a lot of the design problems were fixed by 2006, keeping up with maintenance is critical and the 6.0psd needs to be driven hard.

Mine is stock with 90k and has given me zero trouble. It has been by far the most reliable vehicle I have ever owned.

Luck? Who knows.....but for me the 6.0psd has been a great experience.

R
 

C5dad

Observer
Later is better. Upto 2005 there were issues on a hit and miss basis. I would go with a 7.3 - I researched the snot out od trucks and decided on 7.3 as they are rock solid.
 

Larry

Bigassgas Explorer
kinda crazy I work for gm but I don't really trust the duramax way too may injectors and injectionpump problems.

histerical.gif
That is ironic because I work for Navistar (the manufacturer of the PowerJoke for Ford) and I would not own a 6.0L, 6.4L or even the beloved old 7.3L let alone one of those engines bolted in a Ford vehicle. Although those engines are perfect for a Ford truck, two less than sterling engineering marvels rolled up into one convenient package.

Those engines do work well in boats though. You just push the engine off the side of the boat with a chain attached and you can fish in the same spot even through a hurricane
histerical.gif
 
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redthies

Renaissance Redneck
Ahhh! Larry! I knew your response would be entertaining to say the least:sombrero:

I have also heard from my one friend who has a 6.OH! that you do need to run them hard. He has an '04 and I have never seen anyone drive their truck so hard. Smoke shows are common, and he has never had a single issue with the engine.
 

surlydiesel

Adventurer
The later years are better but the EGR Cooler, Oil Cooler and Variable Vane Turbos are weak links. I would look for an Oasis report for excessive warranty work or find a cheap one and spend a few dollars "bulletproofing" the engine. You can also find very well cared for trucks out there, fully stock with no problems at all. Honestly, I would pay a little more for one of those trucks, delete the EGR system, upgrade the oil cooler, put in a real oil filter system and also a coolant filter. This is strictly a preference for me but I like the fit and finish of the fords from 2005-2007. The 7.3 is a great motor, I've had 2 but they don't have the stock get up and go of the 6.0. Yes you can make big power with one but we are talking stock trucks. I've spent a great deal of time behind a 2006 6.0 truck, it never had a problem until 107,000 miles when the owner of the company gave it to one of his workers and that guy babied the truck. Lost the EGR within 6 months. The motor really seems to like to be driven but sometimes you just get one with a bad EGR system and if you don't catch it in time, you can blow head gaskets and do some real damage.

As I'm prone to pointing out, unless you're towing every day, hauling a big load, "want" a diesel, need more MPG, running a gas truck is cheaper for many people. I'm on the fence about what I would get next time. I know it will be a F350, just don't know if it will be a 7.3, 6.0, 5.4 or a 6.8. I really like the 08-10 trucks but I wouldn't get a diesel unless I became a tech and could fix it myself, so that would be a gasser. 05-07 prob a 6.0 "bulletproofed". Anything older would be a 7.3 truck.

That's more than 2 cents worth but I hope it helps some?

Best,
Jorge
 

UHAULER

Explorer
What is wrong with the 7.3 ? I have an 02 with 135k miles and no problems, my brother in law has an 02 with 180k miles no problems, I even have a buddy with a 99 work truck with 540k miles on original engine,turbo,injectors and inj. pump. As far as bodies and chassis goes we have had quite a few chevy and gmc from 95 to 01, the 95 to 98 are mostly POS, the 01 with the 8.1 is Good
histerical.gif
That is ironic because I work for Navistar (the manufacturer of the PowerJoke for Ford) and I would not own a 6.0L, 6.4L or even the beloved old 7.3L let alone one of those engines bolted in a Ford vehicle. Although those engines are perfect for a Ford truck, two less than sterling engineering marvels rolled up into one convenient package.

Those engines do work well in boats though. You just push the engine off the side of the boat with a chain attached and you can fish in the same spot even through a hurricane
histerical.gif
 

CumminAlong

Observer
Okay my opinion may be a little biased here, but...

I would never own a 6.0 PSD. They just have too many notorious problems for my taste. Sure, with lots of work you can have a reliable truck, but the idea of band aiding a motor prone to failure doesn't seem like a good idea. I do apologize to the Ford guys about my rather "harsh" opinion of the 6.0, but I don't see the reason when there's a perfectly good Cummins sitting under the hood of a Dodge.
As far as the Duramax goes, they also are plagued with injector / IP failure and VERY poor fuel economy. I have talked to more than a few people that are Dmax owners (mostly of 05s, the LLY, supposedly best year) that couldn't get over 13 mpg empty! A scary thought...
And this leaves Dodge. Now, there are plenty of Dodge haters out there, that say the truck falls apart around the Cummins. This is the case with more than a few trucks, but get one that hasn't been super abused and its fit and finish is great (in my opinion). My personal rig is a 97 with over 300k on it, and it is by no means falling apart. There is a reason that all the long hauler guys that haul vehicles or travel trailers drive a Dodge. My personal favorite is the P-pumped 12 valve. These motors are damn near indestructible. I worked on one of these trucks that had over 200k which was running the original oil filter, fuel filter, air filter, valve adjustment, etc. The motor still ran great but was a little down on power (imagine that!) and after some maintenance it woke right back up and now has another 100k on it, trouble free. The 2nd gen dodge in particular is an excellent rig. They can be had from between 4k-12k, and the NV4500 is a great trans. Admittedly the 47RH and RE are slushy pieces of trash, but if you don't mind shifting your own gears (and I know most of you dont) then you've got an excellent rig. Sure the front ends are junk, but there are companies like Moog that make parts with lifetime warranties. And sure, the paint and the dash leaves something to be desired, but the rest of the truck leaves me very few complaints. These trucks are by no means rare and parts are always easy to come by and generally inexpensive (however the Dodge stealership is very proud of their parts) and there is tons of aftermarket backing and a HUGE knowledge base online. Not to mention, these motors can make excellent power and still be reliable and fuel efficient. Heck, I routinely get over 20MPG on a 4x4 7000+ pound truck. You just cant beat that. :sombrero:
 

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