Sometimes the best experiences a person can share, is through the grapevine talk.

The 6.0 has a bad rep for a good reason.

The 7.3 has an excellent rep for a good reason.

I find it laughable when people try to drag down someones experience with a particular vehicle or anything really just because they dont own one.

I know plenty of guys that own all kinds of trucks and dont know a damn thing about them, as well as I know many guys that are experts in certain areas, and also dont own the stuff that they are experts in.

Mechanics are an excellent example of this. You can bet your *** that most diesel mechanics out there dont own every type of vehicle they work on, yet are experts in that field.

Always seems to me that the 6.0 guys really feel the need to defend the 6.0's poor rep, I say who cares!

 

You made the right decision.

 

I have to agree. The only reasion I don't have one is my budget. A co-worker of mine has an 04 excursion 6.0 with just under 300k miles on it. He tows a 30' enclosed trailer since new. Its only needed a set of injectors, still has the EGR and the motor has never been opend up. You will find much better fuel Econ. With a 6.0 IMHO you should get it.

 

See this shows how ignorant people are. I am a diesel mechanic. And, GASP, I own 6.0s. The so called reason the 6.0 has a bad rep is cause people didn't know how to deal with the EPA required portions of the motor, or maintain it.

The 7.3 is a great motor, no doubt, but has it's fair share of common problems too. for every guy who has had a 6.0 and said they would never own one again because of problems, I could find a prior 7.3 owner that says the same thing.

Talk through the grapevine is usually exaggerated, and modified talk, also known as RUMORS. The best info ALWAYS comes from experience, not hearsay.

I am not defending the 6.0. I am just putting out the actual facts and not the same old BS from people who don't really know, and prove it with posts...

 

Please.

So can we assume you dont own a duramax, a cummins, or any other diesels, yet you probably know how to fix them, and know a thing or two about them right? Hence my point, ya dont have to own one to know lots about one.

Again, spare us.

There have been many well documented failures from guys that have maintained their 6.0 rigs very well, with alot of guys throwing around the word meticulous. The lack of maintenance arguement only goes so far. I will definately agree that in some cases it made problems worse though.

Yeah they are great motors. VERY few have such horrendously expensive problems from the factory as the 6.0 has had. About the "worst" stereotypical problem with the engine is the cps.

I know more guys that said they miss their old 7.3 rig after owning a 6.0 then anything else. Only guys that dont seem to miss the 7.3 trucks as a whole, are the guys that buy the new 6.7.

I agree with you that the best info comes from experience. Part of what I was meaning is indirect experience as well. I guess I said what I meant in a wrong way. Talking to other guys that have problems with trucks is what I was getting at, guess its not really the grapevine. I find the most exagerated talk comes from the guys that have had 20k worth of warranty work done to their trucks, then try to pass them off as "good" trucks, and they seem to want to justify them owning those 6.0 rigs.

You sure have a funny way of not defending the 6.0! Again not that I care, but lets not BS a BS'r haha.

When I was shopping for a diesel truck my options were an 06 lariat f350, or an 03 f250 lariat with a 6.0. I tell ya man, you can tell me anything you want to tell me, but Ive talked with more guys that have had a 6.0 truck and been dissapointed with the lack of reliability of it, plus I have seen personally through my old job, many of these trucks sitting on the edge of lease's and crappy rig roads, plus I came on here and read and a few other diesel sites and read and read and READ for hours about these trucks to learn which one I wanted. I never did own one (yet) but I sure learned alot from everything Ive read.

I dont care what ya drive, I really dont, but to say that there were no common expensive issues with a certain engine, that is well documented.. well, everywhere, is just funny as hell!

No BS here, I got no reason to BS about anything, Im far past needing to justify why I drive what I drive.

What do i know though, I dont own the mighty 6.0 haha

 

1.) The 6.0 is a crap motor because of it's overheating issues and cracked heads, four bolt per piston head design.

2.) I'll take that bet. Find one 7.3 person for each 6.0 owner that says they didn't love their truck or that the 7.3 is crap. I'm waiting < arms crossed, foot tapping, brow raised, whistling Dixie>

 

The 6.0 does not have any overheating issues, or head cracking issues. Next...

I'm first too. 7.3's are slow. Been stranded by 7.3's twice. Never by a 6.0.

 

6.0 Power Stroke

Main article: 6.0L Power Stroke
The 7.3 L (444 CID) Power Stroke was replaced by the 6.0 L (365 CID) midway through the 2003 model year. The 6.0L Power Stroke was used in Ford Super Duty trucks until the 2008 model year but lasted until 2009 in Ford Econoline vans (Model year 2010). The engine has a 3.74 in (95 mm) bore and 4.13 in (105 mm) stroke creating a displacement of 365 cu in (6.0 L) or 5954 cc. It utilizes a variable geometry turbocharger and intercooler, producing 325 hp (242 kW) and 570 lb·ft (773 N·m) with an 18:1 compression ratio, with fuel cutoff at 4200 rpm, but having a redline of 4500 rpm only attainable with aftermarket performance programming.
Some of the 6.0 L Power Stroke engines have proven to be problematic,[2] and speculated to have cost Ford millions of dollars in warranty repairs and buy backs. They led to many recalls and the repurchase of at least 500 trucks, particularly in the first year. However, aftermarket parts exist to address these issues and, with them installed, the 6.0L engine's reliability improves greatly.
[edit]Key specifications
Fuel Injection system: Split Shot HEUI (Hydraulic Electronic Unit Injectors)
Valve Train: OHV 4-valve
Turbo configuration: Single Variable Vane Geometry (VGT)
[edit]Design problems
[edit]Intake & Exhaust
Some of the problems encountered, was the possibility of the variable geometry turbo charger to stick due to carbon deposits and/or rust buildup. This could potentially cause over boost and under boost conditions, which could lead to headgasket failure. Other problems include sticking Exhaust gas recirculation valves, restricted oil coolers, which lead to leaking EGR coolers, and in turn blown headgasket.
Carbon deposits can be an issue with any engine with EGR, but had a tendency to lead to a Domino effect of problems for the 6.0.
Most of the problems with the 6.0 were all caused by the domino effect. For example, Ford uses sand cast molds; the residual sand in the system would clog the oil cooler, in turn taking out the EGR cooler with it because both use coolant in their design to function properly. When the EGR cooler failed, it would pump coolant through the engine. If enough coolant entered the engine, it would stretch the head bolts allowing the head gaskets to blow. These trucks mainly got a bad reputation because of repeat failures. These repeat failures were due to improper service bulletins. When Ford first started experiencing problems with the EGR coolers, it was not standard procedure to also replace the oil cooler. This led to many repeat failures until Ford found the domino effect and implemented new standards for fixing the trucks.
[edit]Cylinder heads
The major problems with the 6.0L was the torque-to-yield head bolts, which in an overboost condition would lead to a blown head gasket, and eventually a cracked cylinder head. The 7.3 and 6.7 Power Stroke engines both have 6 head bolts per cylinder (as well as the 6.9 and 7.3 International Harvester IDI engines). By contrast, the 6.0 only has 4 head bolts per cylinder.
[edit]Electrical & Fuel
Numerous PCM recalibrations, fuel injector stiction along with several other driveability and QC problems have been problems for the 6.0 as well. The FICM (Fuel Injection Control Module) has been a problem.

NEXT!

 

I'm still waiting for you to find these 7.3 owners who you say don't like them or were crap or whom wouldn't own another one. Remember now Nancy , you said one 7.3 owner for every one 6.0 owner.

 

Out of curiosity, what was the problem when the 7.3 engine stranded you?

 

Right, show me overheat, and crack then we will talk...

However what your post does read, is the problem with the 6.0 was poor repairing by Ford that lead to repeat failures. None of these things happen anymore once Ford actually figured it out. The shortcomings of the 6.0 were (past tense) the engineers at Ford. Nowadays, that doesn't happen. The most common failures now relate to tuned trucks...

 

First one blew out an injector.

Second one had the UVCH melt and short out.

 

Okay, not overheat, but cracked heads and gaskets just the same. It's right there.

Now find these 7.3 hater people, ratio 1:1.

 

Interesting. Both kinda uncommon failures for a 7.3. Although once ya get more miles on the engine the one harness under the valve cover does seem to come loose.

 

Oh, and preppy rephrasing your grapevine statement makes way more sense that way. I understand what you mean.

As for people having failures on well maintained rigs. I take what those people say with a grain of salt. Some of the really do, some say they do. All I can say is I maintain mine like they need, and I've never had any of these "common problems". Never replaced an EGR Cooler, Oil Cooler, never done head gaskets or a turbo.

I'm not knocking a 7.3. But they have plenty of common problems too. Like the UHVC, CPS, Pedestal, Oil Pans, and so on. We could also bring transmission into the discussion too. But this is all pointless.
.
You guys don't want 6.0's fine by me. It keeps them cheaper for me. There are people that know enough and I don't have that problem. It's the people who say the 7.3 is god's gift to trucks and the 6.0 is evil. If you want to be honest and look at it in both ways fine.

The 6.0 and 7.3 have pluses and minuses. I'm just tired of bashers. It gets old when 95% spout off cluelessly with things like overheating and cracked heads...