Hey all,

So I have a stock 04' F250 with a 6.0 PSD, and only 62k miles on it. In Sept of 2016 I started to get the P0401 code so I took it to the shop. They tried several remedies but the code kept coming back. The shop finally believed my EGR cooler was bad. So I decided to change out the EGR and Oil cooler to Bulletproof parts. I got the truck back a few weeks later and it ran perfectly.

Next day I'm driving it home and I start to lose power. I pull off the freeway and engine is shaking like crazy. I call the shop who did the repairs and I took it back to them. They found that cylinder #5 had almost no compression. They tore it apart and found that the head gasket blew and hydro locked cylinder #5. They suggested a new engine but after calling around, Ford wanted $18k for a new engine!!! The shop offered to rebuild it for a lot cheaper. So I went that route.

I finally got the truck back today and it is running awesome. While engine was apart they added ARP studs, and some updated fuel parts. I'm very happy to have it back.

My question is should I get an SCT tuner and intake? I want to bump up the truck but I don't want to blow the engine again.... I've been told and after some research it seems I should be ok especially with the ARP studs that have been added. But I'm scared to grab the tuner. What do you all think. Thanks all!!!!

 

What kind of warranty did they give you? Are they going to cover it if you run a tune? Just something to think about.
I personally, along with many, run Gearhead tunes. I loaded them on using SCTX3 handheld. I run the 8k Tow tune to be safe but the SLR tunes are an incredible difference in performance.

 

Be sure to consider other supporting mods if you do tune

Edit i see you had fuel system mods thats what i was thinking can you elaborate on what fuel mods were done

 

Not to be a Debbie Downer, but tbh unless you have the engine completely worked over from bottom to top I'd be very careful with tuning. Keep in mind these are 6 liters not class 8 big rigs, a little bit of a bump up is fine imo if you're studded but I read some of these guys that believe just because they're studded they think it's open season on the tuning. If you want big tuning and for it to be done right, open the wallet and crack the engine back open upgrading the pistons, crank, cam, heads, valve train, injectors, fuel system, exhaust, intake, turbo, and then go to town on the big 150+ hp tunes. But studded imo is just a cure to the ford f up of not designing the heads with enough head bolts (clamping force). Granted arp studs have a 25000 psi tensile strength, but does the block/head threads match that? I think not.

My daily driver is a 2000 volvo 770 class 8 tractor with a cummins n14+. It's turned all the way up to max on the pcm limitations of 550hp/1800tq since i bought it at 600k miles. Why you ask? Well because I have personally tore it down at 1.2 million miles to do an in frame overhaul & every single bearing/part i replaced could've been put right back in since they were all well within spec & only slightly worn vs the new parts. There were no signs of overdoing it. And BTW i dont even run ELC coolant in it! Liners had zero pitting. The cheapest green stuff $$ can buy. But that's what that engine & frame of the truck was built for, hauling heavy every single day. The 6.0...not so much. High maintenance gf type material there. These trucks were built to haul some things but also be a pickup truck/daily driver, not a race truck. Then again if I was in my 20s all over again I'd probably be saying crank it up

 

According to my receipt and these are all he suggested are blue spring, and a regulator upgrade.

 

Yeah, the block wasn't worked over by any means. Just rebuilt. Only real added feature are the ARP studs. I'm really not looking for any huge gains. Just a little bump. I heard the street tune for, SCT gains about 40 HP. That is enough for me.... I would be scared running the performance adding 150+HP on my engine.... I'm just wondering if the street tune would be ok for that little added help....

 

40 hp shouldn't be an issue as its only about a 12% bump up from factory tune. I drive like a grandma tho & rarely see north of 2k rpm unless under load. From my 1 million miles plus of OTR driving, an engine under a load can take getting into the pedal. It's when it's unloaded that you need to be cautious. But again 2 completely different vehicle's. Not trying to discourage you, but just be aware. I hate seeing guys have to dump major bux into these trucks

 

Correction - Navistar

 

If the studs were torqued properly, heads machined if needed and surfaces prepared correctly, you could run moderate tuning without too much added risk.

i also recommend a sct tuner with gearhead tuning. With head studs, the 8k tow tune is safe to tow 13k. I ran their srl+ on my studded 6.0 and loved it. It was a fairly aggressive tune. The regular srl tune would be a little more conservative if you are wanting to have some fun without worrying.
Srl is pretty much the limit for a "safe" non-studded truck tune. With studs and non-idiotic driving, srl would be a good choice for a good non-towing tune. Great fuel mileage, good power and the egr valve is kept shut, reducing soot-related wear. When i went to custom tuning with the egr disabled, my oil took a lot longer to turn black. I also saw a 4mpg improvement over the stock tune.

 

I have the original head bolts and have run sct street plus atlas 40 for a good 10k miles now. Even that mild combo turns wet roads into an ice rink. Wife thinks I always go sideways on purpose, but it's only 90% of the time 😎ðŸ‘�