Hey all, just took my 03' F-350 6.0 in to the shop. She started pouring white smoke and lost almost all power. So I took her in and found out both heads were cracked , 2 injectors were bad and gaskets were bad. So i bought 2 new heads from Odessa cylinder head, black diamond head gaskets, 8 new RCD stage 2 injectors, ARP studs, oil cooler, Egr delete, and degass bottle. Just curious but how many hours would that take to replace by a professional shop? I was told that they do not have to remove the cab nor the engine. Thanks!

 

ive never heard of it being done without the cab off the truck but a good shop.... roughly 10-14hrs with the cab off

 

Diesel Power magazine has a good article on how to replace heads without lifting cab.

That at least shows that it can be done.

 

As for the rest of your question, it depends on if the shop is going by the hourly quote book or just going by the clock.

I assume you are getting an estimate in advance.

Are you having the oil cooler and the plugs, lift pipe changed also?

There are a lot of things that can be done while it is apart.

Good luck.

 

That's $1500-$2000 in labor if you supply all the parts. There are other incidentals that the shop will need to complete the work, so you'll see that on the bill also.

If RCD is tuning your truck you will need to do some work on the fuel system. Strong tunes can drop fuel pressure to dangerous levels with stock injectors.

 

IIRC OEM head-gaskets are the only way to go. Most shops remove the cab if the space is available.

 

Okay thanks. I bought 190cc injectors...but i would imagine i need a high pressure fuel pump? And as to your question MauleOne i did buy a new oil cooler but i didnt get a new lift pipe or plugs. Would that be something to look into now or down the road?

 

You want a fuel system that maintains at least 50 psi under any condition. Most rebuilders won't warranty injectors if they're damaged from low fuel pressure.

Stock MLS gaskets really have proven themselves. There isn't an aftermarket alternative that has proven itself.

What are you running for a turbo? With a stock turbo your EGTs will be unmanageable with 190s. Even turned down you're going to smoke and get hot.

 

Okay sounds good. I was told that i can run 190's with the stock 03' turbo. Supposedly the turbos are larger than the 04's-07's....?

 

A stock 03 turbo won't clean it up, or perform as well as a larger AM turbo. Stock turbos work best with 170cc and smaller injectors. A turbo is a bolt on, so you can make that choice after the heavy work is done. Until then, don't try to tow much more than an empty trailer with those injectors(if you do any towing).

 

DirtyDuty

Get as much done as you can while you are in there. No use paying twice for the same labor.
Having the plugs etc done while the turbo etc is off will be cheap.

Do it now and then you can forget about it.

 

whats the purpose of the huge injectors? You plan on making this a drag race truck or is it just to say you have 190 injectors??

 

Who doesn't like to go fast?