How many miles on the truck now?

 

Getting gauges is very important (as indicated in Bryan's list). In fact, getting gauges BEFORE you buy a used 6.0L is VERY wise.

First thing to check is for a plugged oil cooler. Get engine fully warmed up, check coolant temp and oil temp at 65 mph. The oil temp should not be more than 15 degrees higher than the coolant temp (personally I don;t think it should be more than 10 degrees higher).

Thoroughly flushing the coolant (if it still has the Ford Gold coolant in it) is VERY important (again as indicated in Bryan's list). Then switch to a CAT EC-1 rated ELC coolant.

 

I'd pass on that one actually. I had one, it's outdated and not nearly as useful as cheaper options.

If you use an Android smart phone, there are two apps: FORScan and Torque Pro. If you use Apple there is Dash Boss. These all show more information and allow real time data logging. There are several threads in this engine forum that cover them, maybe someone can link to them since I don't have my list of info handy.

 

 

Welcome aboard, start a new thread.......folks here will point you in the right direction for anything.

 

I live in the Phoenix area. The first thing I saw when I read that you said you live in an area where truck values are super high, I thought to myself "this guy clearly doesn't live near Phoenix" then I saw that you do.haha. the prices people ask for trucks here is ridiculous. Many places have rust free low mileage trucks and ask thousands less. I've been looking at dodges and people want 15k + all day for a 20 year old truck with cosmetic issues and mechanical issues. But because it has a Cummins it's worth more than most new cars?

I've been seeing that the super duty 7.3's and 6.0's are plentiful in the 12-15k Range in good shape and below 200k miles here. Granted, everybody who doesn't know anything about Ford's automatically hates them, especially the 6.0's. I have read that if you bulletproof them, they are basically a 7.3 in reliability but much more power and you get more out of every mod. I consistently see this. I see a lot of 6.0's on the road too which leads me to believe that they are way better than a lot of people make them out to be.

I have always been a Dodge fan boy and my 97 f250 is the only Ford I have ever owned. And I will say a majority of stuff is easier to replace on it than any Dodge I have ever owned. But, I still love 2nd gen dodges. I think your decision to buy that truck will prove to be a good investment. I had no idea you could get a 6.0 with under 100k for 15k, let alone a 4x4 DRW anywhere near Phoenix, but I may start looking myself.

 

Well, to be sure, I think it runs rough, but I don't know much about diesels. It sounds astonishingly loud like my dad's international harvester 4x4 did back in the 60s. So much so that I pulled over to see what was up under the hood.. and I saw a major accident unfold right in front of me. I am trying to decompress from PTSD.

I had pulled over on the side of the road, and when I was about to take a video and sound of my truck to post and ask opinions, this guy comes swerving down the road at about 80 mps, hits the shoulder, spins, then flips UP the side of a hill and rolls back down. A huge plume of dust came with it all - and the motor racing at max RPM. I watched the whole thing happen, kinda freaked. Some guy came driving up and I told him I didn't want to approach the vehicle - and frankly I didn't see how the guy could be alive. He was an EMT and ran down, the dust settled in a bit he came back and told me he had killed the engine. The guy's body was wedged under the dash, pinning the gas - but he appeared to be alive.

I took some pics... but I noticed his front alloy 8 lug wheel was broken, and broken off, with all the lugs still in it.

I am still shaking.

The police took my info and will be stopping by here Im guessing for further information, but boy oh boy do I need a beer right now.

 

wow... that would freak me out to see that too... wonder if the throttle actually got stuck causing him to go out of control... been known to happen with alot of vehicles lately...


as to the loudness on yours.. it could be they either changed the exhaust to a straight pipe or somethings not connected right under the hood.. also the flex joints in the factory up-pipes on the back side of the engine are known for splitting so would be a good idea to check those out too.. dont get me wrong the diesels are not quiet (nor are the 6.8 v10 gassers lol).. but one of the first mods alot of diesel owners tend to do is rip the exhaust off to straight pipe it...

why you might ask?? 1. theyre told ripping the factory exhaust will keep them from blowing up... False.. there are many 6.0's out there with still intact exhaust systems running perfectly fine out there... 2. some just like the louder noise they get from getting rid of the muffling and emissions stuff... 3. theyre told theyll get more power out of it by getting rid of the mufflers and DPF (no its not a catalytic converter thats under the truck... its an earlier version of a DPF under there).. can it eventually get plugged up?? sure... especially if your rolling coal at every light and hill climb.. could it also never cause you a problem? certainly..

 

I have a Scan Gauge II installed on my 2007 Ford F350 (6.0L DRW CC Lariat) so I can keep an eye on all the gauges.while driving and especially while towing/hauling..

 

Hey Mike!

I'm in Dewey, just over the mountain from you. I have a IDS clone and 2 6.0 trucks that I work on myself. Let me know if you need anything

Gary

 

It's an '04 with a '03 design level motor. Nav couldn't get the new design motors up fast enough for Job1 so they continued to produce a reserve of '03 motors. Once the supply chain of new '04 motor design parts were on hand, they flipped, but had to use up the reserve. What really got hung up was the new design HPOP. Ford was pissed as they wanted the emission updates with Job 1.

 

Hey Gary - thanks for the offer, I'll probably be bugging you now! I'll message you - for starters I'd like to know who the best local diesel tech is. I really need this truck looked at to see what was done to it already, as apparently there are a number of non OE parts on it, like that cold air intake and the oil filter assy.

 

In my opinion, the best local diesel tech is going to be yourself, if you're willing. Nobody knows your own truck more. Granted, it's not your truck(yet), but at the same time, if that guy let's you bring it to that tech, that's usually a good sign that they aren't intentionally trying to hide anything.

Loud exhaust could be a lot of things. Mainly, check to see what the rpms are at idle and at freeway speeds. I'm not sure what they are supposed to be on the 6.0's with what gear ratios, but I'm sure you'd be able to find that out here pretty easily. If the rpms don't seem off then you can move on to checking for things like a leak or fittings, etc. I test drove a Dodge last week that the kid mounted the aftermarket exhaust up against the cab, so it shook the entire cab with the engine. It wasn't violent, but the entire cab was shaking quite a bit and it was very loud. Almost as loud as my 7.3 is.

Where at are you looking? I'm in the Phoenix metro area looking and I have actually started expanding my search to include Ford's and GM's with a Duramax because people ask way too much for dodges here.

 

Looks like you can't get pm's yet so text me first and I can call if in between jobs. 928.220.5504
There are a few shops I would take mine to around here if I had to or didn't feel comfortable doing the work on mine but that hasn't happened yet. Once you dig in and get familiar with them they aren't that bad. I can take a look at yours and connect it to my clone Ford IDS scanner to check it over