I'm considering buying a 2004 Ford F-250 with a 6.0L diesel and have been trying to educate myself on the whole 7.3 versus 6.0 debate. It sounds like the 6.0 is fairly reliable from about 2006 and later. Can I take a 2004 engine with 153,000 miles on it and address any issues that have not already been taken care of by past owners? Will this make it reliable like a 2006 engine? With this many miles has the damage already been done if past owners were neglectful (maintenance history is unavailable)? Or should I avoid this engine altogether?

 

In my opinion, if the 6.0L has/had issues and were not resolved by previous owners, I'd look for a different truck. Unless you have the tools and know-how, diesel maintenance is expensive when you outsource the work.

Given, folks on this forum and in the diesel forum are willing to help you and are great sources of troubleshooting and systems knowledge. The parts and mechanical repair are not cheap.

 

Thanks for the tip! I've never owned a diesel before and definitely do NOT have the know-how to do my own repairs. I've only worked on gasoline engines.

 

The whole run had problems, and there are more popping up regularly as the engines get older. As a whole they are just better to stay away from.

 

6.0s and turkeys do not mix.

Avoid ones that have been abused, improperly maintained, modded, etc.

 

Before I bought my '08 XL 5.4L, I looked at trucks with the 7.3L diesel; turbocharged and, according to a mechanic at the Ford dealership, practically bulletproof. To get a 7.3, though, you'll have to buy an '03 or '04 (I'm not sure which year they stopped production).

You might try the diesel forum on this website; I'm sure they will have good things to say about a particular diesel. I had an '84 XL with 6.9L; a pretty simple diesel engine without turbocharger. These days, with emission and electronic controls, I'm guessing mechanics for Ford have degrees close to rocket science.

Happy hunting,

 

The 6.0L and the 7.3L were available on the '03 model year. I'm not sure if they were available simultaneously or if the 7.3 was only available for the first half of the year.

I'm looking at a '02 7.3L in addition to the '04 6.0L. I like several features on the '04 bettter including the transmission, but the engine scares me a bit. Both trucks have the same number of miles and are about the same price. Features are very similar (Lariat, 4x4, towing package, etc.). I'm just trying to decide between the two. If the engine of the '04 didn't make me so nervous, I'd buy it because of the transmission, its newer, and it's an FX4.

 

My '02 has been a tow vehicle most of it's life. Zero tranny problems at 106 K miles. I believe the key is an extra cooler, and not ******* it. I also wouldn't be afraid of a 6.0 vehicle given a clean OASIS report. (Which could mean known problems fixed, OR never arisen).

 

rsmattish95,

Welcome to FTE! You have come to the right place to find the diesel that
best suits your needs. The 7.3's were available early in the model year, then they were replaced by the 6.0.
Seems some of the trucks were ok but a lot of them had problems. Read some of the post in the 6.0 forum as well as the 7.3 forum. It won't take long to see your best choice is the 7.3.

Good luck

 

Repairs on the 7.3 are much easier and less costly compared to the 6.0 engines. So, if you are willing to learn, then I recommend the 7.3 and you should be happy. The major deficit is the 4R100 trans, which can be improved but it's going to cost $4k ish to do the job right. If you can find a nice, well cared for manual trans 7.3, then that is a plus (unless you are set on having an automatic...)

If you are set on an automatic, then the TorqueShift trans are really pretty nice. If I HAD to take a 6.0 for some reason, I would prefer a 120k-150k vehicle because I figure anything bad would have happened already. I would still factor in about $4k for preventative mods to help ensure that I'm not stranded on the side of the road.

I was faced with the 6.0 vs 7.3 choice in October while purchasing a second truck and good 7.3 examples are getting hard to find. 6.0 trucks are much more common in my area and sometimes less expensive. In the end I just couldn't pull the trigger on the 6.0 trucks even though some of them were very nice. So, I went with another 7.3, mainly because my existing truck has served me well and been long lasting and super reliable. Plus they are pretty easy to work on if something does go wrong.

Just my $0.02....

Good luck with your decision.

 

Thanks for the tips from all of you! I'm still educating myself and shopping around.