do 6.0 diesels have head gasket problems?
#16
Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: Plano TX and Brentwood TN
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YES, they have problems with the heads. If you run a tuner or tow heavy you WILL have head problems. Ask any ford service writer or diesel mechanic. My stock 05 blew two sets of head gaskets by the time it hit 80k. I tow heavy and it just could hold together. Some seem not to have problems.
Common 6.0 problems
Head Gaskets
EGR
Oil Cooler
FICM
HPOP
Injectors
Common 6.0 problems
Head Gaskets
EGR
Oil Cooler
FICM
HPOP
Injectors
I tow ~16k, I've got over 500HP at the rear wheels and I'm still using the stock gaskets. If the stock gaskets were an issue, not matter if I used studs or bolts or whatever, the gaskets wouldn't hold water.
EGR is also not the problem that people think it is.
Gaskets and the EGR Cooler are just easily identified symptoms of other underlying problems.
#17
It's not the headgaskets, I really don't know how to explain that any better.
I tow ~16k, I've got over 500HP at the rear wheels and I'm still using the stock gaskets. If the stock gaskets were an issue, not matter if I used studs or bolts or whatever, the gaskets wouldn't hold water.
EGR is also not the problem that people think it is.
Gaskets and the EGR Cooler are just easily identified symptoms of other underlying problems.
I tow ~16k, I've got over 500HP at the rear wheels and I'm still using the stock gaskets. If the stock gaskets were an issue, not matter if I used studs or bolts or whatever, the gaskets wouldn't hold water.
EGR is also not the problem that people think it is.
Gaskets and the EGR Cooler are just easily identified symptoms of other underlying problems.
#18
Sorry
Call it what you like but most 6.0 have had their head gaskets redone.
16k Towing on a 6.0 a year on stock bolts. How many miles towing? Where are you towing.
EGR is huge problem with the 6.0. Let us see exhaust gas at 1200 degrees meets coolant at 220 degrees what will happen. The egr delete is a great thing to do on the 6.0.
I know too many people with them and one does not have common trouble with the 6.0.
16k Towing on a 6.0 a year on stock bolts. How many miles towing? Where are you towing.
EGR is huge problem with the 6.0. Let us see exhaust gas at 1200 degrees meets coolant at 220 degrees what will happen. The egr delete is a great thing to do on the 6.0.
I know too many people with them and one does not have common trouble with the 6.0.
#19
Join Date: Feb 2005
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Spend some time on this forum and you'll notice headgasket and/or head bolt failures is a fairly common theme over in the 6.0 forum. To my knowledge the 6.0's that had these failures are typically hard used trucks that pull heavy loads constantly which pretty much excludes alot 6.0 users.
I think it's fair to say if you pull light to medium loads and you keep your EOT and ECT within a maximum of 15 degrees, your chances of failure is probably very low.
I'm at ~ 140k miles and I've not experienced a head bolt/gasket failure.
I think it's fair to say if you pull light to medium loads and you keep your EOT and ECT within a maximum of 15 degrees, your chances of failure is probably very low.
I'm at ~ 140k miles and I've not experienced a head bolt/gasket failure.
#20
Call it what you like but most 6.0 have had their head gaskets redone.
16k Towing on a 6.0 a year on stock bolts. How many miles towing? Where are you towing.
EGR is huge problem with the 6.0. Let us see exhaust gas at 1200 degrees meets coolant at 220 degrees what will happen. The egr delete is a great thing to do on the 6.0.
I know too many people with them and one does not have common trouble with the 6.0.
16k Towing on a 6.0 a year on stock bolts. How many miles towing? Where are you towing.
EGR is huge problem with the 6.0. Let us see exhaust gas at 1200 degrees meets coolant at 220 degrees what will happen. The egr delete is a great thing to do on the 6.0.
I know too many people with them and one does not have common trouble with the 6.0.
I assume your definition of "most 6.0" is more then 50% I kind of doubt your estimation that most of them had head gaskets replaced, and I will guess less then 10% I know 3 other people besides myself that have 6.0 Fords 2 2003 1 2005 and 1 2006 and none had any head gasket problems. 1 guy has 2003 Excursion with 190,000 on it and tows a good size boat from Phila. to the Jersey shore each weekend during the warm months. Been doing it since 2003 the only thing he replaced on and that was last year was a ICP. My 2003 has 130,000 the ICP was replaced if I remember back in 2004 under a recall, and a alternator was replaced in 2009. The 2005 had a EGR cooler with a oil cooler replaced along with turbo around 60,000 The 2006 has nothing replaced on it so far.
#22
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Spend some time on this forum and you'll notice headgasket and/or head bolt failures is a fairly common theme over in the 6.0 forum. To my knowledge the 6.0's that had these failures are typically hard used trucks that pull heavy loads constantly which pretty much excludes alot 6.0 users.
Mine never failed, I put studs on mine because I am pushing over 500HP.
#23
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BTW...The stock head gasket itself is a very high quality part in my opinion.
#25
It has been called several different names within the Navistar camp. VTG 365 & 365 VGT are the two most used terms. Both names/terms mean the EXACT same engine....365 (displacement) equipped with a Variable Turbo/Variable Geometry Turbo....which is what sits above the flywheel/rear of the valley. As much as I don't like to use Wikipedia...they do have a decent resource of photos
Yes, they use the engine in the Military/Defense world....
File:Army mxt.jpg - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
But it's main use/purpose was the school bus chassis...
File:ICCEIllinois.jpg - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
(just like the 7.3L/444TE)
And the medium chassis trucks....
File:MuncyTruck.jpg - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
As well as Navistar's attempt to enter the consumer truck market...
File:International CXT pickup.jpg - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
As far as my questioned knowledge about what Navistar designed the engine for... The certifications I carry mean nothing on this forum (I'm not going to waste my time listing them). But I remember allot of things that I read...both manuals & articles on a variable of subjects. Several years ago I learned that you can get some OEM parts at a Navistar dealership "cheaper" than FoMoCo. But you have to know that your talking to them about a 365VGT...eh 365VT and not a 6.0L. Tell them your looking for 6.0L parts they're going to tell you to call Ford, they don't sell Ford/Motorcraft parts. If the guy at the counter wants to know what your buying the parts for...tell 'em it's a roll-back wrecker or "old school bus" you bought at an auction. Usually that gets 'em off your back for a serial number. If you give them the serial number of the motor in your truck (can be found on the sticker on the FICM & below the driver's head stamped into the block) they'll know in a heartbeat it's Ford applied motor and the conversation is over. Otherwise you have to take the old part in there and hope that they can get a part number off of it.
If you want to bash me...knock your self out.
Yes, they use the engine in the Military/Defense world....
File:Army mxt.jpg - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
But it's main use/purpose was the school bus chassis...
File:ICCEIllinois.jpg - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
(just like the 7.3L/444TE)
And the medium chassis trucks....
File:MuncyTruck.jpg - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
As well as Navistar's attempt to enter the consumer truck market...
File:International CXT pickup.jpg - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
As far as my questioned knowledge about what Navistar designed the engine for... The certifications I carry mean nothing on this forum (I'm not going to waste my time listing them). But I remember allot of things that I read...both manuals & articles on a variable of subjects. Several years ago I learned that you can get some OEM parts at a Navistar dealership "cheaper" than FoMoCo. But you have to know that your talking to them about a 365VGT...eh 365VT and not a 6.0L. Tell them your looking for 6.0L parts they're going to tell you to call Ford, they don't sell Ford/Motorcraft parts. If the guy at the counter wants to know what your buying the parts for...tell 'em it's a roll-back wrecker or "old school bus" you bought at an auction. Usually that gets 'em off your back for a serial number. If you give them the serial number of the motor in your truck (can be found on the sticker on the FICM & below the driver's head stamped into the block) they'll know in a heartbeat it's Ford applied motor and the conversation is over. Otherwise you have to take the old part in there and hope that they can get a part number off of it.
If you want to bash me...knock your self out.
No need for all that, you could have just said you had no real knowledge of what International designed the engine for, its ok.
#26
IMO the 6.0L headbolt issue (which has obviously been mis-reported as a head gasket issue) is greatly exaggerated. Under certain situations the stock 6.0L can have issues but many of the problems exist because of owners who have added additional HP without realizing the consequences.
#27
It was a simple question
I assume your definition of "most 6.0" is more then 50% I kind of doubt your estimation that most of them had head gaskets replaced, and I will guess less then 10% I know 3 other people besides myself that have 6.0 Fords 2 2003 1 2005 and 1 2006 and none had any head gasket problems. 1 guy has 2003 Excursion with 190,000 on it and tows a good size boat from Phila. to the Jersey shore each weekend during the warm months. Been doing it since 2003 the only thing he replaced on and that was last year was a ICP. My 2003 has 130,000 the ICP was replaced if I remember back in 2004 under a recall, and a alternator was replaced in 2009. The 2005 had a EGR cooler with a oil cooler replaced along with turbo around 60,000 The 2006 has nothing replaced on it so far.
Just thinking about I know of 11 6.0. Only one has not have the heads redone. That one is on his original EGR-Oil Cooler and head gaskets,he tows two times a year with a trailer weight of 6k. That being said all trucks are over 80k miles. I don't count trucks when the person has not put 50k on it themselfs.
The people that I know with diesel tow large combination horse trailers. Hundreds of miles per week and thousands of miles in a month. Most have moved on from the 6.0.
The tread started with a simple question so that is how I answer. I also told him to talk to some that works on the trucks daliy.
And let not forget this is the engine that caused Ford and Internal sue each other over warrenty claim on this issuse. So the simply answer is still yes.
#28
I think this is unbelieveably blown out of proportion.
So many variables, tuned, if tuned ... then what tuner, maintenance practices, was the work done to avoid a perceived pronblem, etc .....
Of the people I know personally, none have had an oil cooler fail and the only ones w/ EGR deletes did so prior to adding a tuner.
#29
IMO the 6.0L headbolt issue (which has obviously been mis-reported as a head gasket issue) is greatly exaggerated. Under certain situations the stock 6.0L can have issues but many of the problems exist because of owners who have added additional HP without realizing the consequences.
#30
Just the other night I had dinner with two fellows that own businesses and use 6.0's.... I'm new to the 6.0 world so I started asking questions like it was my job!
One had three 6.0's in F-250's.... The first went lemon law after head/EGR issues and was replaced with the 2nd. That too had head issues and was replaced with a third that he traded off for another make. He towed heavy and modified here and there with exhaust, intake, and possibly a tuner in one if I remember correctly. He swore there was never a good 6.0 made.
Sitting straight across the table the other fellow has a fleet of 10 or so starting with 2004's I believe. No mods, high highway miles with towing and hauling. Excellent maintenance routine. Not one had head issues and some are over 200K. He had a couple with EGR's replaced and two with a bad injector or two. He seemed very happy with the performance and dependibility.
You be the judge.... but I'll agree with the majority... most problems are asked for!
One had three 6.0's in F-250's.... The first went lemon law after head/EGR issues and was replaced with the 2nd. That too had head issues and was replaced with a third that he traded off for another make. He towed heavy and modified here and there with exhaust, intake, and possibly a tuner in one if I remember correctly. He swore there was never a good 6.0 made.
Sitting straight across the table the other fellow has a fleet of 10 or so starting with 2004's I believe. No mods, high highway miles with towing and hauling. Excellent maintenance routine. Not one had head issues and some are over 200K. He had a couple with EGR's replaced and two with a bad injector or two. He seemed very happy with the performance and dependibility.
You be the judge.... but I'll agree with the majority... most problems are asked for!