Hi Everyone. I have recently become a member of the Ford family. Used to drive a 2004 Dodge 2500 cummins and absolutely loved it. Then, somehow......my wife started getting pregnant!! i dunno how that stuff happens. Anyway....had to trade that bad boy in on a grocery getter toyota vanthingy for her and I was relegated to the Jeep commander....need I say more. Well with 3 kids (and wild ones) I started looking for a larger svu to haul the troops and since a regular truck was out of the question....I came to the logical conclusion that I "needed" an excursion. Well, the battle was on with my wife but I won!! yipee. I now have a 2004 Eddie Bauer 4x4 6.0. It was very well cared for and has less than 40000 original miles on it. I have recently found this forum and the more I read about the 6.0 diesels, the more disheaertened I become. I was on top of the world riding around in this sweet ride but now I am a bit concerned....sounds like everyone is very wary or outright anti 6.0. Did I make the wrong choice....i was intending to drive this thing until it dies, I die, or my kids drive me insane (the most likely outcoume). Now that it's a done deal.....what do I need to watch for, are there any ultra improtant modifications that NEED to be done? In short...any advice or assistance would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.
Jon

 

Welcome to fte, you now have the Godzilla of suv's! There are a lot of good people on this forum willing to help you out. First mod would be a coolant filter to remove the sand leftover in the casting. Then good gauges that show the delta between coolant[/oil temps, and then...

 

i have an 03 6.0 and well let's say if you maintain theses things properly they will treat you well. I love the power and comfort of the massive rigs. I have been caught up in the worry, but mine has 201,xxx and still pulls like a dream. Just relax and enjoy

 

I feel your pain. I opted for the 2000 2wd excursion 5.4 liter Triton v8. doesn't get any more basic than that. I wanted the v10 4x4 gas but the wife wasn't too exited about gas. the v8 5.4 was in our price range and it won my hear when I drove it. With only 137k miles She rides like a dream.

Before my Ex i had a 96 dodge caravan that I purchased for $2000 after selling my 04 4x4 suburban. Ironically the suburban was the same color as my Ex. The caravan throu a rod out of the oil pan on the highway with all five kids in the van. The truck was a prayer request to God and we are grateful for it.

My advice is, you can always put it back on the market and maybe turn a profit. But If you love the truck and It runs as sweet as you say then just keep it. Not everybody has the same fate. Some take better care of their vehicles then others. Keep up with scheduled maintenance and you should be fine.

Set up your profile and ad some pics. Good luck..

 

After reading about all the problems with the 6.0L repeatedly for years now,

this is the first time I have ever heard the word SAND mentioned. Please explain???

 

Thanks for the encouraging words guys. I guess I was not aware that the 6.0 diesel could be such concern. Ill maintain the best I can and try to find a good diesel mechanic in San Diego who is honest and knows his business. Its nice to know there is a great group of "X" enthuasists out there. Despite the concern about the 6.0, Im still in love.
Cheers!!
Jon

 

Maintenance is not all that is needed. What is also needed is modifications to several trouble points. You'll need to sit down here one night and search all the 6.0L threads of discussion. Without these modifications to the original Ford setup you have a 50/50 chance of having major issues that require a lot of money to fix. Of the 4 engines used in Excursions, the 6.0L is the dog in the opinion of most people.

5.4L V-8 OK
6.8L V-10 OK
7.3L diesel great engine
6.0L diesel dog

There is a Class Action lawsuit somewhere in which a lot of people are suing Ford over the engine. I saw it mentioned here in these forums just the other day.

 

Hey new guy, welcome to the family.

 

Took the words right out of my fingers...

Always start with a coolant filter to clean up whatever casting sand is in the cooling system. But if you have someone nearby with an AE (Auto Enginuity) have them monitor temps and see if they notice an 11-15 degree delta between coolant and oil temp. You'll know if you need to have your oil and EGR cooler replaced.

You may have an early '04 with may have an '03 engine below the hood. The '03s and early '04s have whats called the round style cooler and are less prone to failure due to casting sand. If anything, you'll need the oil cooler replaced and not the EGR cooler. Check the passenger side valve colver and you'll have your answer.

6.0s are nothing to be afraid of, with proper care they will last you a long time. As long as you keep clean fluids, filters and fuel in them, you won't have a problem.

Enjoy your new truck!

 

Welcome!!! You will love this site, it has info you could not even dream of having like the tailgate strut mod!!!! That's pure genius

 

Head studs,oil cooler, EGR cooler..........read about these..........and you will be bullet proof..........google"bulletproof 6.0"
Welcome to the Excursionhood !

 

Well, actually, this mod was created by some tall dummy

who walked into his tailgate while it was raised.

 

Don't forget the step latter mod. With out it you wont be able to reach you hood or roof when washing your truck.

Don't worry!!! Most of these mods are mostly optional and don't generally mean everybody will suffer the same outcome. You cant compare two truck when it comes to general maintenance and repairs.

Example:
Billie lives in rural kentucky and has to climb hills, haul a horse trailer, dials in 100 miles a day and puts it on Lot's different terrains. Joe, live in Miami. No trailer, drives on flat terrain, drives it to work, picks the kids up from school and only clocks 40 miles a day at most.

Who's gonna need more repairs?

Don't get discouraged bubba. Not everybody suffers the same fate.

Ohhh. Don't forget the gas prices app mod. It will come in handy when looking for the best prices in your city. Good luck.

 

Most of the (key word is most of) the issues with the 6.0 come from modding, Bullet proofing the 6.0 is a must if you intend to mod. If you just plan to use it for everyday use and nothing extreme then you shouldn't have any major issues.

I would personally however plan to follow the bullet proofing guide as it will give you a guarantee and prevent some of the major failures that are thoroughly discussed here. Welcome to the club.