TexPiggy,

I like to hear that you have 240k on your 6.0 excursion, any mods and any major engine work? I'm sorry you own a Fiat truck but before I say anything further at least you keep it equal and have Ford, Dodge (FIAT), Toyota and then GMC. So no discrimination there I guess.

 

I too service my own vehicles which is probably why they have lasted as long as they do!!

 

What about the 6.7 ceramic bearings in the Turbos, turning to dust sending all that good stuff through the engine ? Look it up !!

If you like your 6.0 keep it!

 

Yes the Ex has been almost completely redone my profile has all the mods. But it had 170000 on it when it was freshened up!
I also had a Isuzu (chevy duramax) for a short time. Very short!

 

I have a 2000 7.3 F-250 with 242,000 that runs like a champ. I have a total of about $14K into it including the $800 for tires. There was a thread on the 7.3 forum a little while back about the million mile truck where someone has linked quite a few (6 or so) news stories/articles about people selling their truck with over 1 million miles on them.

The fact is it doesn't really make any difference if you drive new, old, high miles or low miles. As long as you are happy with what you have and it gets the work done that you ask of it, that is what matters. Would I like to have a new 6.7, sure I would. Do I want the $60K bill that comes with it, not at all.

I waited and chose wisely on a truck. Since I bought it, my wife have put nearly 15K miles on it and taken it from GA to WA with a 10K lbs travel trailer in tow. I think our investment was a good one.

Will it make 1 million miles, no idea. I bet it will outlive some of these 6.7's though. I would like to fast forward a bit for just a glimpse at some of these truck 15+ years later, but just like everyone else will have to wait.

 

But how many people do you personally know that are currently driving a vehicle past 200,000 miles? I honestly don't personally know a single one.

I drive a '98 4Runner with 206K (showroom clean), a '99 Camry with 242K (kids' car, but zero rust, original engine/trans), an '89 Land Cruiser with 249K (head gasket has been replaced - engine/trans are original). My '01 F350 with a 7.3 has 181K on it - no engine work of significance. I also have a plow truck and another Land Cruiser with a ton of miles.

With care, you can easily drive vehicles well past 200K, and drop any collision/comp insurance. If my kids wreck the Camry (still worth $1800 around here), I'll just find another. Yes, I'm on the cheap/old end of the spectrum, and it's a fine place to be. My wife could care less, as long as the vehicle is reliable and I can maintain it. Most people get tired of a car, long before the car is truly worn out.

 

Manufacturers typically publish B10 and B50 lives for engines that cross over to medium duty applications; it's not a mystery that engines don't all last 500K+ miles, and it's because they're not designed to. International planned on over half of 6.0s having a major failure requiring a substantial repair by 375,000 miles, and that's before Ford turned up the power ratings.

Ford could make a million mile engine, but no one would drive it because to be that overbuilt but small enough to go into a light duty truck it would make 165HP and with a Super 10 behind it it would be the least exciting ride this side of an ox-cart. Buyers vote for fancy automatic transmissions and 400HP diesels and 9 second passes every time they buy an F250/350 and not an F450/550/650; they vote for performance now, not reliability and longevity 300k miles later. Towing an identical 10k# trailer, an F650 will do it easier, longer, for less maintenance than an F250, but the trade off is it'll drives like what it is; a commercial truck that's overbuilt for the job with less power that's less enjoyable to drive.

More power with less mass means engines that don't last as long. Less power with more mass is what built the over-built diesel reputation for longevity. No longer. Materials and quality of components haven't kept pace with power output.

 

I worked for a guy for a few years in the dallas metroplex area. We had several trucks. Anywhere from a halfton truck with a heavy service bed to 3/4 ton trucks with service beds to the kuv bed on a old school obs 7.3 that looked like a tank. We ran gas and diesel trucks. We routinely put 30k miles or more on these trucks in stop and go traffic doing hvac/r service a year. We did most of the maintenence on the trucks during the slow times in the winter. So litterally 1 time a year we changed the oil. New filter and amsoil. We did the rear diff and transmission as well once a year. Same thing new filter and fluid. We tested antifreeze and replaced as nessisary. So to recap these trucks ran at least 30k on oil and filter. The newest truck was a dodge cummins i drove that had about 160 when i left. It was by far the lowest mile truck with the other trucks having 260+ miles. In the 2 years i worked there we had 1 major failure which was a oil pump on a 1999 chevy 6.0 with over 300k. My point it the new stuff because of fuel injection and better timing will last alot longer that most think it will. Heck ive got a 330k 6.0 in the driveway that runs pretty dang good.

 

I know many people that do the same thing with oil and never seem to have any more problems then people that change oil every 3000 miles. I don't sweat it either. I have went 10-15k several times and I'm only at 105k on my 08 F350 with the 5.4. The truck since day one has used a quart of oil every 2000 miles so at least I know some fresh oil is going in during that time. The oil doesn't look, feel or smell any different at 3k or 15k

 

I personally cringe at extended oil changes on my powerstrokes since the oil is used for more than simple lubrication like in a gas motor. I personally think the oil changes on non heui engines could be longer but a oil filter change seems like a good prevenative since a dirty filter can lower the pumps effectiveness. Just one of those piece of mind things to me

 

My view of bulletproof is: Reliability, not being stranded on the side of the road, the least amount of shop downtime and $major repairs. That said, the 7.3 wins if this is a diesel only discussion of Ford. If we talk all diesels then the 12V cummins is by far the most bullet proof. Since its not, the 6.8 V10 wins. Introduced in 1997, still offered 20 years later in the 2017 SD, it is a clear cut winner. Looking forward, I could see the 6.2 taking over this position...but that would be at least 15 years down the road.