Hello everyone,

I am new to the forum and i am looking for some advise on what to look for and what to expect with a 6.0.

If i buy a 06 with 115,000 miles what should i be concerned with and how much mone does it take to make them last forever?

I am not afraid to spend money on it but i dont want it to be a money pit.

Any help is appreciated...

Thanks!

 

Do a search in this forum for "bulletproofing". There have been countless threads on this subject on whats good to do for getting it right.

As a general answer though, the best investments I have seen are gauges to keep a watch on everything so you can diagnose problems you may be having AND/OR catch a problem before it arrises.

Have you already purchased the truck?

 

No I am looking to purchase one in the next few months and i am just trying to find out a little more about them...Thanks

 

Buy a ScanGauge now and take it with you when you do your "test drive". Drive it LONG and HARD! Search in here for what PID's to enter into the Scan Gauge.

 

First thing to know is the factory gauges are really idiot lights (engine temp, trans temp, and oil pressure) so don't rely on them. A ScanGauge ($160) or other device that plugs into the OBD port is your best bet to assess the condition of the truck. The first order of business would be to look at the oil temp vs the coolant temp. If there is more than 15deg difference the oil cooler may be plugging up. This is the beginning of a cascade of failures that can cost several thousand dollars to repair. When the oil cooler plugs, coolant flow to the EGR cooler is restricted enough to eventually cause it to fail (and/or the oil cooler can fail, allowing oil to enter the cooling system). Coolant from the EGR cooler enters the intake manifold and the combustion chamber causing extreme pressure that can stretch the head bolts and allow the head gaskets to leak. Without accurate info (gauges) all this (or just part of it) can happen with little to no warning.
Many people have used aftermarket parts to remedy some of these problems and you may find a used truck with head studs instead of the factory bolts, EGR cooler deletes or EGR coolers replaced with stronger units.
I'm backing up a little here but the beginning of these problem is thought to be a coolant issue. Good maintenance is the key to getting long service out of a 6.0 and ignoring the coolant can kill it. There is some debate about wether the coolant type is the problem or casting sand left in the coolant passages during manufacture is the problem. There is much reading you can do here on FTE on that issue. Look for white residue around the coolant overflow tank on any truck you are thinking of buying. That would indicate the cooling system may have been over pressurized by an engine problem or the cap has failed.
The turbo on these trucks is a variable vane design with no pressure relief valve. They have been a little prone to sticking if the truck sits a lot, spends a lot of time idling, or is driven easy all the time. It seems to help to "blow it out" every once in a while.
Fuel injector "stiction" can be an issue on a higher mileage or poorly maintained truck. Arrange to crank the truck cold and listen for very rough idle compared to a hot start, or the other side of that coin, a slow start or even no start that could indicate a leak on the high pressure oil system. There are other causes for cold start issues but be aware the fuel injectors are expensive (a whole set dealer installed can be $2k) and negotiate the price accordingly. So, oil cooler, EGR cooler, head bolt, head gaskets, turbo, and fuel injectors, just to name the biggies.
The good news is - under all these issues is a very good engine in a great truck. Many, if not all, of the thing I listed can be avoided by keeping up with services, so you're looking for a truck that has been kept-up very well. Lots of folks have lots of miles on their 6.0 without any of these issues. Some important things to know are; Use Ford/Motorcraft/Racor oil filters, many aftermarket filters don't fit correctly and allow oil to bypass the element. As a matter of fact, it's better to stick with Ford filters for the whole truck, an aftermarket oil filter would be a red flag on one I was looking to buy.
An Oasis report is a list of dealer repairs. It's good to know what repairs have been done and how many. You'll need the VIN of the truck to get it from a dealership.
I hope this info helps. It's pretty general. Hang around here on FTE and get into the Tech Folders and learn the "search" function for more complete info. There are many knowledgeable folks here and even a few Ford Techs that can help with specific questions you may have.
Good luck!

 

How much ya got?

Seriously, tho... the 6.0 has a half dozen or so upgrades that will "Bulletproof" the engine. Most are upgrade when repair items that happen over time with part failures like oil cooler, EGR delete and ARP studs. You could easily spend over $5K if you do them all at once.

 

Getting that ScanGuage and knowing what you are buying beforehand as suggested above will put you way ahead of the game. I am a relatively new owner of my truck (bought in March '11 with about 103k) and now it has about 126k. I did NOT even know about a scanguage at the time, but the truck Gods looked out for me. The question of how much you got it a good one, lol. I am not one endowed with a whole lot of money right now, so I do things as I go along or as things go out. So far I have done the FICM. Couple months after that I had a fuel leak and did the Blue Spring upgrade. Then a couple months ago, I did the High pressure oil pump (HPOP), and the dummy plugs. The good thing here is that the new parts are a LOT more reliable than the old ones. Next I plan to do the head studs. Many delete the EGR cooler, I will probably do that, but since it is working, I leave well enough alone.

Not sure how handy you are, but it is worth saying it can be significantly cheaper if you do your own work.

 

Thanks guys! I am getting a little better feeling about the 6.0 now.

I will definatley be purchasing the scan gauge. Once i purchase it i will have some questions on how to set it up. But I usually do all my own work so all problems will be fixed by me with a little advice from you all.

How do these truck perform compaired to a 5.9 cummins? I recently owned a 1999 24 v cummins with twin turbos so i am curious on how my new 6.0 will perform once i get it. I had a little over $8000 invested in that truck but i wanted to go back to a Ford because i think they are a better all around truck...

 

Check the video in this thread Lol.
https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/s....php?t=1168439

 

All I can say....WOW! 6.0, one hell of a truck, that whistle was music to my ears!

As far as the Dodge, OUCH! I wonder what happened to it?