Most Ford dealers lift the body because it takes less time to do the work and less chance of damaging the customers truck. Also less stress on the mechanic. This is 6.0L don't know on the 6.4 and 6.7

 

Since this more common in Alaska, I'd look at the operation of the vehicle:

• Vehicle left idling while shopping.
• Plugged in for most of the year.
• Thermostat rarely needs to open, compared to the lower 48.
• Extreme temps.

What if a dead-cold engine with an exhaust/boost leak gets a hard run? Could the temperature shock stress that part of the cup?

 

Just a little update, I was able to get #2 out using air chisel to knock a cross and then fold the edge over, wasn't nearly as lucky with #4 as I nicked the side of the bore pretty good, so I ended up swapping heads anyway.

Thanks for all the ideas and thoughts though, I appreciated and considered all of them. New cups, and a different head all in, and truck is running good again.

 

It always feel good when you win the battle.

 

Big Al lost the battle but won the war.

 

What a pain... but at least it's up again. Congratulations!

 

This is old, but for anyone coming across this thread, would it have been possible to use a soldering iron to braze a little extra material to the inside of the cup? If so, the extra material would constrict when it cooled. Add enough material and it would pop it free. At least that is how I remove outer races when I swap out hub bearings.