in a 2003 Ford F-350? Good, bad, and why. Les

I think Redneck had one of the 6.0 diesel Fords. Hopefully he'll check in on this.

The 6.0 has the worst rep IMO. Head gaskets being replaced at 50,000 miles and so forth. It could be the best motor ever made, but since the poor reputation is there, dealers damn near can't give them away.

look for a 7.3 instead. It took some looking but that is what I went with and am very happy I did. I get an honest 18 MPG off highway driving and incredible pulling power to boot. Pre 2002 has the 7.3s I believe.

The problem with the 6.0 from Ford is the cooling water/engie oil heat exchanger down low on the driver side of the engine. The early ones have a horrible internal design and are prone to plugging and then overheating of the engine leads to TOTAL engine failure. There are aftermarket guys who can fix that. Ford eventually figured out the problem and did a in production design change and the problem disappeared but I don't know if there is any data out about what VIN's were where in the series re. the design change.

Pile of junk!!! Why do you think ford went away from it. I used to own a brand new 2005 6.0 power joke. Was in the shop three times before it had 18,000 miles. Cam sensor went out, bad injectors and don't remember the third thing. Always was a ford man, but after that truck no more. Traded it in on a used dodge cummins. Still have it after 6 years, and I bought another. Oh ya and I get 20 mpg compared to 13 in the 6.0!

avoid the 6.0 we had one with tons of engine problems, including a blown turbo, dead injectors, and head gaskets all before 10k miles.

I am wanting to find a pre superduty F-350 with the 7.3 with an extended cab, unfortunatly they are far and few between. I would be ok with a 250 but want a soild axle, and I don't want a superduty (I really miss my wing windows).

Running a 2004 crew cab long box, just hit 100K and have had no issues to date. With a 6-speed manual, it does an honest 20-21 mpg.

They are called a sick liter for a reason.

A good running 6.0 is a sweet engine.

Let it warm up for at least 5-10 minutes.


My dad has one and the farm pickup I drive has one.

Both '03 F350's, about 100k on each engine and they are good to go. His regular cab dually flatbed is like a giant four wheeler, turbo makes that thing take off.
Kinda weak for pulling though, a 7.3 seems like it pulled a little better but the 6.0 still works okay.


His pickup might have a chip I can't remember.

Test drive one and you'll know if it's running funny.

And FWIW, neither engine burns any oil but they both needed to be tweaked by the dealer when they were new. Used one should be fine by now.


Ford wanted Navistar(International) to add some (cooling?)chit that IH didn't think was needed and I guess that caused problems.

I have a 2004 F250 6.0L Supercrew and love it. No problems what so ever. I firmly believe most of the problems were operator caused e.g. poor driving habits, short hops, power chips, no fuel additives, lax on maintenance.

I get 17 MPG here and up to 22 MPG in lower elevations such as in Texas.

If they were so bad I wouldn't figure my local dealership would be trying to talk me out of mine so hard.

Good luck finding a 7.3L in decent condition

Only had 2 Fords and both had 7.3' they gave me good service in tow trucks, then I discovered the Dodge/Cummings combo and never looked back!

Pre 2003's have the 7.3. I have the 7.3 in a 2002 Excursion 4x4. Amazing vehicle as far as performance goes when you consider the weight. I get 21-22 mpg in the summer @ 65-70mph with predominantly interstate driving, 18-19 in the winter. Subtract 2-3 mpg with more city driving. Mine is bone "stock", I'm not sold on all of the chips, performance mods as it seems like the trannys suffer and make for $$$ in repairs. People back in 2004 said stay away from the 6.0's and I listened! My cousin had new Excursions in 2000 and 2005? He liked the tranny better in the 2005 but said he wished he'd just kept the 2000 because of the 6.0 problems. He's not a 6.0 Excursion owner now if that tells you anything!

Good luck!

Edited to add that the only thing I do not like about the 7.3 is the 16 quart oil changes... expensive with synthetic oil!

It took a lot of looking but I found a good condition 1999 7.3 manual with "only" 140,000 on it. It was worth the trouble!

You didn't buy this one did you?



Fine '99 I drove around SW Montana for about 3 years during the concrete days, think it had about 140k when work ended. 7.3l/6 speed highway cruiser, great truck, never once stranded us.

More of a hill lugger than the 'quicker' 6.0 liter.

Nope. I got mine in Missoula but it is a white quad cab with a regular bed on it.

Make sure you get a copy of the Ford Oasis report from a Ford Dealer for the trucks you look at before you buy. You'll need the VIN for it. The Oasis report will have a record of maintenance performed by the dealerships which you can check to see if it has been a problem child. Not all 6.0's have nightmares, but some do.

Websites like Powerstroke.org, Ford-Trucks.com (Ford Truck Enthusiasts), Dieselstop, etc. will have more information and expert advice then you'll get here. Take what you're told with a grain of salt though because some guys have never seen a modification they won't do or a boogey man that they didn't believe in. There are some reliability modifications which are wise to do. But then, some 6.0 owners have left their trucks bone stock and strictly maintained them with no problems for many hundreds of thousands of miles. One of the best mods you can do is add a coolant filter.

Les;

PM CFVA. If I were looking for a Ford diesel, I'd listen HARD to what that guy has to say.

Diesel's what $4.29 for highway #1.



Les, how are you going to use the truck?

$3.79 here

Oh and Les....diesels don't make good short trip daily drivers. When mine gets started it is a 60 mile trip minimum.

There's the important question.

Les,
Been driving a 2003 F250 with 6.0 for 9 years and have had no major problems. They did down rate the engine PCU the first time I took it to the dealership for service-which I never did again BTW-which may have contributed to the engine's longevity, as the down rate cut the HP from 325 to 260. It's still adequate for what I use it, but not the head snapping accel that it was prior to the "fix".

Ergonomically, the truck is the most comfortable pickup that I have driven to date, but I haven't been in a newer one recently, so they may have come up with something better. Plenty of room, comfortable seats, and buttons in easily accessible places. In all, I like the truck, which is good, because all the newer diesel trucks require the Urea "cat pee" injection system for EPA requirements, and that adds complications and cost-and the truck won't run without it, so I won't have one.

If the one at which you're looking has all the mx records and one owner, I would consider it a buy. If not, I would probably look to an earlier year model, or the same year with the 7.3L PowerStroke. The 7.3 is probably the best engine Ford ever put in a pickup. I had an '88 which I wish that I had never sold.

We drove by the Toyota dealer yesterday evening, I slowed down and said " I like that white Tundra" My little son (18 years old) replied that Ole Blue would probably still be going when that one died. Don't even think about it! 96 F-250 2wd Crew Cab 159,000 miles. Garaged and more cherry than most trucks that are under 4 yrs old. Batteries, oil changes, an alternator rear bearing, starter rebuild, had the transmission gone through while it was still OK in order to prevent major damage later on last year, carry a 10mm wrench and a $25.00 spare cam sensor. Every time I get to thinking about selling it I fix or upgrade something such as leather flaking on the top of the steering wheel (new ford piece $170.00 5 yrs ago), window tint dulling (replaced last year too). Factory CD player acting up (new Pioneer system about 4 years ago), faded TSC Tool box (put on a new Weatherguard). I run Optima batteries, Rotella Oil, Stock sized Michelin LTX's and all the thing does is go.

A friend at work had a 97 Super Cab 5spd he traded in on a Dura Max, traded that one it in on a Ford 6.4 Dually...told me two or three weeks ago he should have just kept the 97. Either of the two he replaced have spent more time in the shop than the 7.3 which was only once for a air box recall and a cam sensor.

I have heard bad things about the 6.0 but I think the way I take care of stuff, I would be alright. Maybe when Blue gets to 250,000 I'll consider replacing it or somebody has to have it more than me. I ordered it in late February 96 and it has been all over the country on vacation. Hasn't pulled anything large since I sold the 24 ft enclosed trailer and the rear engine dragster back in late 97. All Utility trailer stuff since I think but who can remember everything you do with a truck!

Especially this time of year.

I miss my old F150 for most things unrelated to work, way smoother ride. More like a big car compared to the F350's.


Blackie.

SamO;

Want another F150?

I have a 2000 7.3 with only 110k on it. Both inside and outside look almost factory new. Every so often I think of getting rid of it but then I think what it would cost to replace it.

I kinda got the maintenance thing down...still running a 1994 Ford Explorer with 315,000 miles on it and a 1996 F250 with 115,000 miles on it. 2004 F250 SuperCrew has 32,000 miles on it and never takes a short hop. Run Power Service in every tank of fuel and regular oil changes. No power chips as it has power to spare.

Two acquaintances on the Front Range had them as company trucks. They frequently made fast blasts up and down I-25, sometimes several times a day. Both engines cracked the blocks with less than 20k on them.

Conclusion was the engines weren't up to 80mph runs........of course Les, you would never drive 80mph.......


Casey

I want my wife to trade her Honda car off on one. But she knows I'd drive it all the time and get it dirty....grin

Only truck we(the fam) will own is a Ford. Local dealers are friends and neighbors plus Ford makes a great pickup.

Hey, my 2000 Silverado just clicked 200K no worries!

Highest maintenance cost, worst economy, and most down time of any engine I've ever had in the fleet. I thought the last of 'em were gone (thankfully), but danged if there isn't one left - in an '04 F550 service truck. That one doesn't get the miles on it that our day-to-day service trucks do.

The 6.4's -- which replaced 'em -- were equally as bad. I'm hearing (and reading) better things 'bout the current diesel, which I think is a 6.2, but I'm not wadin' in 'til they are proven.

In short from the last of the 7.3's ('02?), 'til now, Ford's diesels are a catstrophe looking for a place to happen.

My 91 Silverado had 285k when sold--I never opened the engine on that truck. Just the usual water pump, alternator replacement stuff....but the aluminum case tranny was junk.

96 Silverrado has 185K and the engine has been flawless too.

Now, my 01 Silverado only has 40k on it, so I'm withholding judgement........


Casey

Pre 2005 is better as the EGR valve problem is easily fixed in those models. Son-in-law has a 2005 that he left here as he is stationed in Korea which the EGR failed on. Put the blocking kit in it but the turbo failed 100 miles later. Pricey. I,m still driving an '02 Duramax with zero problems. Pre 2005 you can just unhook the EGR....

Be for pulling an 19 foot Camper.

6.7

It's freaking amazing!


(so far)

BTW - Les, it's about damned time you actually looked at getting a real truck.

Gonna keep my little Dakota, still really like that truck, but the camper is almost too much for it.

Look at your phone.

After my dad and I both got rid of our GM diesels, all I have are gas motors. My 01 GMC (I mistakenly called it a Silverado in previous post but it's a Sierra) with the 5.3 pulls my 26ft camper (probably 6k loaded) suprisingly easy even up here at altitude. MPG won't be as good as a diesel when towing, but otherwise everything else will be cheaper....a lot cheaper.

I've pulled three horses in a 4 horse trailer and was surprised how well it did too. My 5.3 is rated at 285hp. Empty on the hwy I can get 18+, even up here at altitude.

Casey

Les;

Just buy my F150, and you'll be fine...

So far no issues with the transmission. No more chevies for me sorry to say, my next truck/trucklike will probably be either a Sequoia or an Infinity Q86

My .02 here, Les. Unless you really want a diesel for some reason there's no reason to get one for towing a 19' camper. There are lots of half ton trucks out there now with plenty of power for towing campers even bigger than yours.

Again, just my two cents. TIFWIW

7.3 Ford or pre-07 5.9 Cummins.

I wouldn't touch a 6.0 with a stick, it's got to be the most problematic engine ever made.

Diesel's getting so high priced that it's almost not worth it to buy one. My 1998 dodge diesel stays parked unless it's needed to pull my gooseneck anymore. For a 19' travel trailer you don't need a diesel, I'd buy a toyota tundra and be done with it.

It was the aluminum case 5spd manual I meant to say. I MUCH prefer manuals in a truck. But of course, that's not happening anymore now that trucks have been thouroghly yuppified.......


Casey

I would never ever pay a penny of my hard earned dollars for another one of those polished turds in my life.
Worst truck made in history.

Your choice...mine works fine

When it comes to 6.0Liters you either get a good oneor a bad one, and bad ones are too damned expensive for me to be gambling on.

We wound up with a good one. 6.0 in a 2003 F-250. Turbo seized at 1,600 miles, warranty replaced it. Front end rebuilt at 115K miles, alternator replaced at 132K miles, we're at 139K right now with no other problems
It gets used for hauling a 32', three-horse-slantload trailer with living quarters.

Ed

Ex certified ford diesel tech, The issues with the 6.0's are head gaskets and egr coolers. Buy one the the previous owner deleted the EGR and replaced the head gaskets (and put a stud kit in) and you'll be good to go.
I'm an ex certified diesel tech because of the 6.0. I managed to let my certs slide in diesel , got away with it and never looked back.

Toyota?

I don't [bleep]' think so...grin

Last Winter(Spring?)...this year is a cakewalk(so far).

Two round bales???....or more?

Tom, 2 bales per trip, 2400-3000lbs total, 5 trips every morning.


Last year was 10 trips a day(straw), redoing my math....[bleep]' JD....grin


Truck is still going but it needed some work. Here's a real hint, don't ever buy a second hand pickup from a rancher!

Got 243,000 on the '96 7.3! 4,000 miles between oil changes and doesnt use one drop. I did an oil analysis and its healthy as a horse. Love the 7.3!!

Geez dude...I know last year was a hard winter, but thats a bunch of work in bad conditions...

And I know what you mean about ranch trucks..Grandpa had an old black flatbed dodge...every year for 20 years I prayed that damn thing would finally die...

I did lose a turbo, but was covered by warranty. The truck was used to pull my horse trailer and 31 foot duchman trailer. The 6.0 has good power and got 10mpg pulling the traler at 70mph. I dont have the travel trailer and have the horses where the dont get moved so I sold the F250 before it gave me much trouble.

Mine too, and I have owned 7.3. 6.0. 6.4 and now the 6.7. Never had a lick of trouble with any of them, but only kept them till 100,000 miles.

my 97 F350 had just under 300,000m on it when it calved[T boned in thebox at 50 mph kind of did it in ,would have kept it another year or so,
Sam O it also hauled R bales somtimes 3 @ 12-1300 lbs,35 mile trips,or 2 hundered gal fuel tanks and tool box,fuel tank and 1 1/4 yard excavator bucket, hard to kill a Ford .
istayed away from 6,lit for replacement and went to the 6.4 ina 2009,350,super duty crew,had 56000 when i bought 64000 now runs good

norm

I was hearing all the horror stories , I was scared to keep it past 100,000 miles when the warranty ran out.

Norm, last Fall my dad bought an '08 twin to the '03(same previous owner). Same bed but of course it has the 6.4, it's been parked all Winter. Nice truck but the 6.0 keeps running. I want to tear around in it but my old man is keeping it nice so far....grin

Oh and BTW, it had deep engine trouble under warranty but should be fine now.
Slack in the transmission when you hit reverse though, lag right after you shift(auto).


What do you think about the 6.4?

so far its been good ,hauled my 37' 5th wheel loaded to the max plus another 1500 lbs of gear 800 miles
got about 12-13 mpg,through in 3 mountain passes.. nice ride ,its got the old man tail gate ,back up camera which is hard to get used to and trust after using mirrors for 50 years, nav system ,snyk system for phone ,all those extra gagets for an old fart to worry about failing But i sure like it

norm

120k on my 05 350 6.0 with no problems. It's lifted, chipped, full exhaust and isn't babied but is maintained properly. Been a fine truck for me thus far

Guess my '06 F350 doesn't read the 6.0 press clippings, as it's been just fine since new. Runs fine, starts fine, no leaks, pulls fine.

Les, Les, Les............

http://www.farmshow.com/view_articles.php?a_id=646

Go with a 7.3L!!! Mines at 407K and still truckin, and its treated like a farm truck. Haulin 20,000lbs of cows or 30klbs of hay doesn't bother it. Its just now getting to the point of replacing injectors but tows strong no matter where I go. It aint purty, but its a hoss of a work truck!!

I have a 2004 with the 6.0. Only problem I have had was the turbo went out - under warranty. I only have 66K miles on it, but most of that was pulling a 9K trailer. Pulled that trailer all on several 3K trips each trip crossing the continetal divide several times. Point being lots of mountains and engine stress. Averages about 10.3 MPG pulling the trailer. About 19 on the freeway without the trailer, 16 MPG around town. I realize it has bad press, and maybe deserved, but a lot of what you hear is internet rants from people who have never even owned one. I don't know the engine failure rate on the 6.0, and most of the people regurgitating how bad they are compared to various other similar vehicles usually cannot come up with any objective statistical data either. Point being, if you read on the internet about anything, whether it is a TV, car, or dog breed, what usually pops up is problems they have had with whatever it is. But the majority of the people owning that same TV haven't really had a problem with it. Or like I mentioned, most people are just regurgitating the info they have read somewhere else without direct knowledge or experience. Anyways....

One of my Buds has a 6.0 and has spent 6 grand on it. It is back in the shop now for $5200 more work. He is on hard times now and can't afford to replace it. He sure misses his old Duramax.

I would agree and add the 2002-2004 Duramax equipped pickups in the pool of candidates. I say that as I have a 2002 Duramax with 214,000 miles on it and it has been a relaible vehicle with little expense other than normal maintenance and replacement of the usual wear-and-tear type parts.

I don't know what you plan to do with it, but I would do something other than the 6.0. A friend of mine runs a small construction company and had either 9 or 10 of the 6.0's in his fleet plus some 7.3's and 6.7 Cummins. We were talking one day in mid-October of last year and he had already spent over $100,000 on repairs for the 6.0's. I don't know where they finished the year. I know he was working his way out of the 6.0's little by little as he was able to find good replacement units for them.

Uh, isn't the duramaxx a Chevy motor, sorry, Chevy Diesel's have never impressed me, least the 6.0 was made by a diesel company. Worked on enough of the old 350 based chevy diesel's, it turned me off of ANY Chevy diesel engine. JMHO Les

My son has a friend who is a diesel mechanic. He used to love the Ford 6.0 diesel because he made so much money working on them. He said they had a lot of problems with electronics but the problem with the head gasket was caused by the fact that each cylinder only has 4 head bolts. I think Ford finally came up with a head gasket that holds better.

The duramaxx was designed by Isuzu which makes better diesels than navistar ever thought about making. It is manufactured in house by GM in a factory that was a joint partnership with Isuzu I think, but might be wholly GM now.

I generally hate all things GM but have to give credit where it's due and the duramaxx is a good motor. The 6.0 Ford/Navistar most certainly isn't.

Good advice, but just putting studs in isn't an easy option. I have seen several places that quote a labor bill of upwards of $3,000 plus the cost of the studs. I think it is easier to remove the cab in order to do it properly.

I have a 2004 F350 with the six point oh no! I bought it specifically to pull out and replace with a 12 valve Cummins...when the 6.0 craps out. The damn thing won't die! It just keeps going and going.

I wouldn't buy one to keep because I feel they are extremely weak right off the bottom. Mine has a much harder time moving heavy loads as compared to my other truck that had a Cummins. The Ford even has a lower 1st gear and more gear in the rear end 4.11 vs. 3.54 for the Dodge.

It's hard to beat an inline 6 for low end oomph.

i bought an 05' new after hurricane katrina wiped out my expedition. i have a 115,000 on it and so far i have had zero problems with it. I disconnected the EGR valve before i pulled off the lot and have run an additive in every tank of gas since it left the lot.
For me it's been a fantastic truck but obviously a lot of people have had issues so take it with a grain of salt. I think every truck made should have something added to every tank of gas to restore lubricity and that the EGR system is an engine killer.

If you are saying you got over 400K miles on original injectors, all I can say is...WOW!

Les-
Lots of good info on Wiki if you haven't been there yet.

1983�2010 Ford/Navistar Diesel V8

1983�1987�6.9 L IDI (indirect injection)
1988�1993�7.3 L IDI
1993�1994�7.3 L IDI with Turbo
1994�2003.5�7.3 L DI (direct injection) "Power Stroke"
2003.5�2009�6.0 L DI "Power Stroke" (E and F-series vehicles)
2008�2010�6.4 L DI "Power Stroke" (F-series only)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Ford_engines

and here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ford_Power_Stroke_engine

The GM diesels prior to the Duramax were every bit the piece of junk that Ford diesels were/are since they quit the 7.3 liter; except that when they did run, they got reasonable economy.

The new Ford is getting better reviews but - once again, it's a new motor - and only time will tell.

The Duramax for GM (Isuzu engineered) has proven itself to be a great motor, long life, great power, and great economy.

Dodge, with their Cummins is the best of the lot in terms of proven, reliable, and obtaining great economy.

Wish there were a way to start a Ford, Dodge, and a Chevy from three directions at wide open throttle, coverging on a singular point. The resulting crash could produce a truck with GM's ride, Dodge's power train, and Ford's looks.

My dad drives a '03 6.0L F350 with about 85,000 on it. Not a hint of engine trouble so far.

Les, if all you are pulling is that little camp trailer you mentioned, I certainly wouldn't pay the price penalty for a diesel pickup over a gasser, or the price of diesel over gas.

Anything from a mid eighties Chevy 5.7 Vortech on up will handle that kind of load very well with 3.72 or 4.11 gears. The mpg will be a little lower on the gas engine, but dollars per mile will be very comparable. Purchase price will be far lower on the gas truck........and so will repair bills.

My buddy has an 02 K2500HD 4X4 EX-cab GMC with the 6.0 Vortech. He pulls a 24 foot camp trailer up and down Hiway 95 in central Idaho with it. The truck is simply amazing in the power and torque dept.

And he has pissed off a couple of his buddies when their 7.3 power stokes would not out pull his gasser on a steep hill with identical loads. The gas engine just needs a few RPM to get the job done, but you already knew that.

Oh, and he recently sold a mid nineties Toyota V-6 (pre-Taco)4X4 PU because the GMC got better mileage as a commuter. 15 to 17 on the hiway.

The only thing ever done to his truck was at the dealership. They installed the Escalade engine tuning program for him during the first six months after he purchased the truck new.

Also the Chevy 4L80E tranny seems to be absolutely bullet proof with stock engines. But I still prefer the five speed manual in my 96 K2500 GMC.

I have limited experience with the 6.0 which isn' t good ( service trucks at work).

I would also agree that a diesel isn't necessary in this application. I think plenty of the gas engines would be preferable in your scenario.

I run both and if it weren't for pulling horse trailers I would nix my diesel although I do love it's power.

QUESTION:

What are you guys doing if anything to your diesels that sit for long periods of time besides routine maintenance?

2003???

Run - don't walk - from that model... MUCHO problems with the first year's and early-built second year's models.. They only became relatively decent during the late-built 2004s... My previous truck ('04 F-350 DRW CC LB PSD) dumped the turbo at 11K, but once that was replaced it ran perfectly for seven years.. BUT - I had a EGT and trans-temp gauge installed in a cubby mount under the dash so I could keep track of temps.. I did NOT EVER consider putting a chip in it - that was a sure-fire way to have problems and void any warranty..


Bad seals, bad turbos and fuel problems nearly made the 6.0 as popular at the old 5.7LD that GM had in the '70s...

If you're really looking for a PSD, get an '05 or '06..


added: (then I read further and found out you're towing a 19 footer)..

I shoulda read more first..

???? A puny 19 footer?? You can drag that with a Civic..

You don't need a diesel for that Les - seriously.. Most F-150s will tow that w/o a hiccup - just check on how they're set up.. You'll save a lot of headaches.. Anything over 5K, (if this is a TT ) make sure you have an anti-sway hitch installed..

My '11 6.7 PSD is rated to tow a 26K 5er.. My 30' 5er now is a 12,500 GVW camper.. I'm looking to trade it for a toy-hauler of 35' and a max GVW of 16,000.. This truck won't even know it's back there.. Saw one beauty at the RV show in Murderapolis on Saturday..

A 41 footer - max GVW of 19000. And a pricetag of $111K..

completely agree- one of my cousins has been pulling a 30' Jayco (not a fifth-wheel) all around the country with an F150 for the past six years since he and the wife have retired. He gets all of the factory tow gear and Reese hitches, and has had no problems whatsoever. I think he trades every couple of years since there is a Ford dealer owner in the family back in Ohio.
I've kept my 7.3 only because it's paid for, runs great, and pulls well when needed. I certainly wouldn't buy a 6.0 PSD- equipped Ford, especially for what your towing requirements are. The newer F150's are great trucks and will work just fine for you.

I know a couple people who had '03 6.0 trucks and had problems, but I had an '04 and '06 F350 with that motor and put over 100K on both with absolutely no issues what so ever.

I am currently driving a '09 F450 with a 6.4 and have 80K on it with no problems.

I have heard of good and bad in every brand and with every motor.

The early 6.0 had some injector problems. I haven't experienced them. I love my 6.0 F350

I've had 2 and driven thousands of trouble free miles towing my 36 ft fiver on both. No complaints here.

Hey Les, just get what you want. Want a Diesel, buy a diesel.
You may not have just a 19'er with growing girls in the future.

The 7.3L was a better engine, specifically in the fuel economy & longevity areas. That said, I've a 6.0L which has been 'ok' but did have more problems which were corrected under warranty than the 7.3L. Right now given the cost premium on diesel I wouldn't purchase a diesel pick up unless you really need the pulling power as with federal clean air requirement and low sulfur diesel most don't give the fuel economy earlier models did. My 6.0L does NOT give the fuel economy that my 7.3L did. My (albeit limited) experience for what it's worth to you.

My buddy had a 05 6.0, he put 2 transmissions, 3-4 turbos, a few EGR's, and finally the head gaskets let go at just over 100k. He finally gave up on it on sold it. He was pulling a 4k delivery trailer around town, not much of a load for a 3/4 ton. Normally they get 200k-250k out of their trucks.

My dad has a Ford 3/4 ton with the V10 gas and has had very few issues at 100k. Good truck, bad engine.

Stopped buying Fords when the went away from the 7.3.

Life is too short for all the [bleep] produced by the 6.o.

For everyday work trucks that actually get used every day, the 6.0 is a good engine if it's been worked over. I would look for one that's had the bugs worked out.


The '08 6.4L pickup has already been worked over and should be good to go(still under warranty).


The '03 has run great all Winter. Rear lug nuts on the duals will work loose though.

Agree with others about gas/diesel. 10k loads and under, stay with gas.

A hundred yards from my front door are around 12-14 trucks. All GM.
Engines range from 4.6 v8 to the Duramax. Years from '04 to '11. 1500's to 5500's.

Loads avg. 5k to 20k trailers.

No more Fords or Dodges for me. Been there, done 'em all.
Overall cost per mile( fleet use) GM wins, by a lot. The little crap is a pita. Headlights, door locks, window cranks etc. Something every day.

In the last 8 year the GM's have lost one cam(4.6l) and 2 injectors in a '04 Duramax.

I have driven all of them and for my personal use, I go with Toyota.

I have several employees with Dodge and Fords and every week or so someone is down over a trans or something.

I tried a 6.0 for about 6 months and traded it in on a 3500 Duramax.