I wish that were true.

The seats in particular were significantly redesigned in the '11-up trucks, there are other minor changes too.

 

Alot of the aftermarket stuff is interchangable so just saying. If theyre not exact we can agree theyre a far cry from the older style.

 

I'm thinking this started out as what DIESEL to buy not what TRUCK. So I would say after reading this too much

7.3 if you are not made of money
6.7 if you are

 

correction. assuming you are looking at 1999-2013 models only

7.3 if you have a $5-20,000 budget and don't mind a 9-11 yr old truck with around 200,000 miles and needs alot of repair work

6.0 if you have a $15-30,000 budget and want a "lower" mileage truck that won't break with you repairing stuff left and right

6.4 - I wouldn't touch one because of the DPF. Maybe...maybe if DPF was deleted

6.7 - if you feel like paying $45-60k for new....and only a used if under warranty. Wouldn't touch with a 10 ft pole if outside of warranty




With how complex these motors are getting, you are running real risks of huge repair bills as they get newer. Read up in the 6.7 forums about the fuel pump horrors some guys have recently undergone. The 6.4 isn't "plagued" with issues either, but the DPF really kills your mileage and they aren't cheap to repair either. I'm a DIY guy and can repair anything my 6.0 decides to blow. A $1-2k repair bill is the worst I'm looking at short of catastrophic failure. A 7.3 would be nice, but lets face it. They're old and the HP/TQ levels are way way down there compared to the newer ones. A fully modded 7.3 is on par with a tuned 6.0/6.4

It's been mentioned, but also look at the transmission you get with the motor. You can have a great motor, but craptastic trans (ie: 7.3 with 4R100). The 6.0 gets a 5R100....great trans. I know the 6.4 had it as well, but not sure if it later got the 6 speed. The 6.7 has the new 6 speed that does amazing stuff to allow MPG's and haul some heavy stuff



several variables to look at. Don't just focus on one thing

 

You sacrifice a lot with a 7.3 Sure they're reliable, I can only imagine how reliable a 6.0 or 6.4 would be if you deleted the emission stuff and tuned it to 270 HP.

 

It's still gonna have a valvetrain and fuel system that can fail in a catastrophic manner. Neither are uncommon, nor are they related to power output.

Just my opinion though. I used to have a 6.4L truck, and when bought new with 280 miles the truck had already seen an engine replacement. I would not own another.

 

@ 280 miles that had to have been a defect, not a failure.

You're opinion is very solid.

My point was incomplete, although at 270 HP you could reduce fuel pressure a ton, and without the massive boost, you could run lower pressure springs on the valve train, reducing strain.
Likewise, a 7.3 tuned to 350 HP, i doubt would be even close as reliable as a 6.4 deleted running a stock tune.

 

Maybe 170 hp...lol

For all the 6 liter hate I believe the Ford power and rpm levels seem to contribute to the issues. In my experience the VT365 which IIRC was offered at 175, 195, and 215 hp and around 2800 rpm governed speed was a whole lot more reliable.

I say avoid 6.0 and 6.4. If low dollar is the issue I'd say 7.3. If you are getting a 6.0 or 6.4 make sure it already has the relevant things done (head studs, egr del, dpf del) or plan on spending a few grand to do them.

Or, if you are made of money, spend more than my house cost and get a 6.7. Just make sure you peddle it before the warranty is up. I'd hate to know what that Saturn V rocket they call the exhaust system will cost to replace. Or the DEF heater. Or the HPFP. You get the idea

 

Some good thoughts here, but I'm not sure. For example is fuel delivery pressure a requirement of high power or an efficient burn? Something to look into I guess.

Completely agree with you about the 7.3L though. They weren't designed for that much power!

 

You need higher pressure for better atomization for cleaner and more efficient burn. You need fuel and air volume for power. Same principle as a gasser. You can up the pressure to deliver more fuel (such as when installing a supercharger) or you can put in bigger nozzles.

You don't necessarily need high fuel pressure to make big power in a diesel. Lot's of big power P-pump Cummins trucks out there show that. However, in the same package you'll ultimately get a better combination of efficiency, emissions, and power with the better atomization as well as better control (i.e. multiple injection events) with a high pressure CR system. Oh, and you can make a CR system terribly quiet too - vis-a-vis the 6.7 powerstroke.

 

Lot of us complain about high new trucks cost, but the costly technology save us money on long run. Ford might not be the best sample here, but common rail with 200,000 psi in it makes the fuel really atomized, while $2000 (a piece) injector sounds outrage, but 25 mpg on heavy truck is not coming from the sky.
Sad part is that we are on Ford forum and choices of good diesels with this brand are sketchy at least.

 

Never heard of one of those, which engine has a 200,000 PSI fuel system?

 

The 200k psi is still speculation about new engines used in F1. So far the cdi cars leaving production lanes in last 7 years run on 30,000psi, while turbos run at 200,000 rpm. There is wide lane of manufacturers, from VW, Audi, Peugeot, Citroen Fiat.

 

The really sad part is how sketchy some of this information is, and even why it had to be a part of this thread.