I'm looking at a 2007 F350 Powerstroke. It has 98000 miles. I'm not sure if anything has been done as far as bullet proofing. What are some things to look at under the hood to see if there's problems? At what kind of mileage does the head gasket problems start? Right now I have a 2001 7.3 with 294000 miles. My dilemma is I'm wanting something newer or should I stick the money in the my 2001 and fix all the little problems. I would definitely like some input on your guys end.

 

Howdy,

I'm surprised someone hasn't jumped right on this!

The most obvious visible "problem" is usually the evidence of the plastic radiator coolant tank leaking around the cap. (actually venting due to excessive pressure or a failing cap)

That can then be evidence of the beginning of an EGR failure, oil cooler being partially clogged and impending head gasket failure etc......

You can "easily" determine if the oil cooler is clogged by connecting a (properly programmed) ScanGuage II, getting on an open stretch of straight & level road fully warmed up. Then driving 65mph and observing the EOT and ECT to determine what the "spread" is. [ EOT-ECT=? ]

I.E. How much higher the Engine Oil Temp is compared to the Engine coolant Temp.

That will indicate the level of obstruction (clogging) in coolant/oil heat exchanger (oil cooler) If the temp difference is 15 degrees F or more the oil cooler is (According to a FOMOCO SB) clogged and should be replaced.

It would also probably be a good idea to inspect the coolant. If it's dark, it's probably not been changed in a while. if it's green, someone put the wrong "stuff" in there.,

if it's "red" it might be correct. But it indicates that someone has changed it.

It would be worth it to get a OASIS print out from the dealer on what service has been done (if it's a Ford dealer) but in the last 9 years, there's no way to tell what was done if a NON-Ford dealer (or a DIY job was) worked on it.

If it has ARP head studs, you can usually see them by looking. Its difficult to tell the other stuff that most of us want to do. STC, "Blue Spring", Dummy plugs, stand pipes, etc.

Some of this stuff is not needed on the newest (last) 6.0L engines. The 6.0L engine ended in trucks in the 07 model year but continued in the Econolines until 2010 I think.

There are a LOT more people here that know a LOT more than me. They should be jumping right in here pretty quick!

Here's a couple of good links.

https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/3...ch-folder.html

Ford Truck Enthusiasts Forums - View Single Post - Just bought 06 F350 FX4 6.0!!


Cheers,


Rick

 

Thanks for the advise Rick I really appreciate it