I have an 06' 6.0 with 140K and I am keeping it for a good long while!

I tow almost every weekend and I want to keep this thing as reliable as possible.

I have done the EGR delete, new oil cooler (ford) with blue spring upgrade kit. 4" turbo back with the cat punched.

I need to do some work to the front end, it drives like a sail boat and rides really rough so I think shocks are in my near future.

Recently went from a 26' toy hauler that weighed about 6K dry to a 28' that weighs 7,500 dry. And I want to make sure I am doing the best I can with this truck.

Scanguage says the truck is happy towing. Just want to know what should be my next priority in the bullet proof list.

Need a coolant filter too.

Thanks!

 

I think you answered your own question, the coolant filter.

I would look into a fuel pressure gauge, and EGT gauge (since you tow).

Probably not a MUST have, but it would let you know where you are sitting with those to areas.

Other than that, I would just drive the thing.

There are other things that CAN be done, but not necessary at all until the need is there.

 

What is a common cause of the sail boat effect?

 

And what coolant filter should I go with?

 

Probably top of the list that I worried about was the STC fitting and while doing that I proactively did dummy plugs and standpipes, but it's the STC that was just too much of a: likely not going to warn you before it goes.... Type of problem for me to leave in there. My wife does a lot of horse camping on her own with a Gals horse club and also with her girlfriends -- kinda' like hearing the roar of the 6.0 coming up the driveway when she should be coming home...

 

I recently bought the one from xdp,very well made.i do believe you can spend more and not get any better.

 

oh yeah: I like the XDP Coolant Filter kit and they are always having sales -- it has the most complete hose kit (or did when I was shopping) and takes a very universal filter that can be found all over...

 

This is exactly what I was thinking of when I said there is more you "CAN" do, the STC fitting. I haven't had this done yet to my '06. Price is just to heavy right now for me to get this done with my mechanic. Thank God I have good towing service on my insurance, and I have a little money saved up for IF/WHEN it happens.

I do plan on having it done some day in the future.

 

Well, when you say "sail boat", I imagine your talking about when your on the highway and it kinda drifts back and forth by itself?

I have this problem with mine, and the steering seems loose. At first I thought it was bad ball joints, but I had them checked out and they were okay. Then thought I needed an alignment, nope. Then I started reading about adjusting the steering box and/or replacing.

I currently have my truck in at my mechanic's shop, and I have him looking at this very issue again, specifically the steering box this time.

 

You know what scared me? I ran into a guy at an Ace hardware and he was driving a truck just like mine but an '06 and not two-tone (I was in the Jeep) -- I struck up a conversation and asked how he liked the truck and he said he HATED it!

Asked him why and he told me of the STC blowing at 27K miles waaay up country coming back from hunting. it took out the rear cover too - lucky he was under warranty but he was without it for 3 weeks and is a contractor (had to borrow a truck).

So, I put it on my list. Then more stories came up on FTE and when I went to the shop I'd chosen to do the work, their 6.0 guru said "it's a damn good thing you are doing the STC, I've seen 'em go at 10K all the way on up and you maybe 1 in 100 times will get a warning", he then points to a Ford in the back lot and says "see that truck?, it's been here a month, and I still can't give the owner a finish date -- it took out the rear cover and THAT is what is on back order with NO fill date from Ford yet!", "if they aren't breaking en-mass, then why are there no rear engine covers?". He went on to say of all I was doing it was that shop's #1 thing they recommended to do on a 6.0 if I did nothing else.

Peace of mind: priceless...

But there are a ton of folks running their original STC with no issue. Then again Ford tried several fixes and the solid fitting is the end product, so obviously they were fixing them under warranty (why else would they do updates after the F series was done with the 6.0?), at least the vans got them eventually...

Now that I've made your day, you'll be: what's that?! or that??! all the way home

 

Yeah I will!
What does that normally cost?

And yes I think your right, steering box. its out of control most of the time.

 

I watched my mechanic do the stc fitting on mine when I had hg's replaced,looked like a very simple job,but then everything was off the engine.

 

It's not that bad. I did mine when I replaced the oil cooler. It wasn't acting up but I could see where the old one was starting to rub on the back cover at 120k. I guess I was lucky my oil cooler clogged when it did. Who knows though, it might have never given me trouble but it wasn't much more trouble to pull the HPOP cover and update it while I had the intake off. If the truck is new to you, you might see if you can get a oasis on it to see if it's already been done by a dealer. Wouldn't hurt to check.

 

I do not think it has been done. I have had the truck for three years and put a new oil cooler on it. But I will put that on my list to do.

Do the 08 mirrors directly swap over to the 6.0?

 

Not the factory ones (at least not without an EE degree ), but a bunch of folks have bought the ones from Anthony which are aftermarket but are plug-n-play to our trucks. He's SuperDutyService or Run6.0run...

I might get a set myself next time he has a sale