Hi everyone, I'm new to the group and am seeking a little info. I'm looking at 2005-2007 6.0 4x4 crew cabs and was wondering what is too high of mileage for dependability. Or if buying a high mileage one and having it rebuilt or "bulletproofed" would be a good move. It will be a daily driver and I will only be doing light towing (never anything over 4000 lbs). Any insight and what to look for would be highly appreciated, thanks!

 

Moved to the 6.4L forum.

 

Hahaha, thanks but I think that may be more than what I am trying to spend. This will be my entry into the diesel life.

 

Whoops, that's a typo. I moved it to the right place though!

 

you get up in the 750k+ range and you might be looking at a rebuild before a million miles.

Up at the top of the 6.0 forum is the Tech Folder. Inside there is a wealth of information about the 6.0. No kidding: start reading and you will learn a ton.

The basic mantra would be: buy the: 1) Best Maintained, 2) Best Condition, 3) Latest Year, 4) Lowest Mileage 6.0 you can afford, 5) Do preventative fixes as required or as your conscience dictates, 6) Get yourself set-up with a monitoring system before you even start looking at them, and then plan to use that while you enjoy the truck.

#6 will help you pick the right truck and decide what "needs doing" in #5, versus what you might want or decide to do.

Education is key, this forum is key and welcome to it and to FTE

 

Diesel_Dan, thanks for the info.I know these motors are supposed to be very tough and last a long time with common sense maintenance.

 

You should be willing to pay a hefty premium for a well maintained and bulletproofed 6.0L with maintenance records. Buying a used one from a dealership is going to be hit or miss and you could be in for some expensive repairs. All the bulletproofing is expensive and time consuming - cheaper if you can do your own work. You should figure the bulletproofing would run $5-7K if nothing at all has been done.

 

With only towing 4K I'd look at a gasser.

If you're stuck on a diesel, I'd second the Tech Folder review. I wouldn't buy another one without a Scangauge and coolant pressure setup. Those two items can help you determine how quickly you may be looking at big dollars.

Crawl up underneath and look at how much oil is visible. They like to leak and chasing leaks can get expensive fast.

 

Welcome to the 6.0L forum and FTE.

I think Tom has had too much Eggnog. No more Eggnog for Tom tonight.

Well he did drop you in the right place for getting the info you need.

One thing about the low milage trucks. They can have lot rot. The turbo does
not like to just sit and cool it's jets. It has some cast iron parts that rust and
cause boost issues. But if you find one that is low miles and is having a turbo
problem it's an easy fix just a little time on your part to clean the turbo. The
Tech Folder has a lot of very good info on what to look for and what needs to be
done to fix a problem and how to make changes top prevent problems.

I have a 2006 F350 with about 213K miles on it. I run a tune and have the
BPF EGR cooler with the EGR turned off. I also have a Scanguage II aka SGII or SG2.
It or something like it is a must have tool to watch live data for keeping the truck healthy
and diagnosing any issues that could come up.



Sean


6.0L Tech Folder

 

Buying one off a used car lot is scary. That's what I did and boy, have I ever paid for it in time and money. Two oil cooler changes, BPF EGR cooler, 3 injectors, glow plug module, MAP sensor, EBP sensor, degas bottle, degas Y hose, new radiator, STC fitting, IPR valve, coolant temp sensor, thermostat, glow plugs, LF wheel bearing, hub seals, U joint. Knock on wood, it's doing well now. It's an '05 with 218k on the clock. I hope it will last a long time but I'm still watching PIDs like a hawk and driving with pins and needles.