ok I've had a number of 7.3's and sold the last one 3 years ago and couldn't afford a diesel and bout a 13 f 350 gas. very impressed and it towed pretty well our 13000# fifth wheel and motorcycle trailer but i can't get used to the high revving and 6 mpg when towing and 11mpg daily driving. having said that it is a really nice truck and has been amazingly reliable. looking now at a17 cab and chassis with the 6.7,realizing there were issues early on are they resolved? I'm having trouble locating any used ones and having trouble looking at spending 40k on a used truck with over 100k on it . are there any suggestions out there?

 

replying to my own thread but also considered a low mileage 7.3, really liked my old ones but i think the new truck id so comfortable it would be hard going back to the old style,thoughts?

 

The 6.7L is a great engine. It's basically as reliable as a 7.3, except with more power and a lot quieter and smoother. The cab & chassis models have derated horsepower and torque compared to the pickup models, even though the engine is the same. There were actually several different ratings for 2017; I think 330HP and 750lbft were the max. We have a 2011 F-550 6.7L in the family and 2011 was the first (and most problematic) year. 80k and its still running very well. But I have another buddy with a 2012 whose 550 6.7L broke its crankshaft at 38k.

 

how does the 2011 pull? i looked up the specs on the 2017 and they looked good, don't know much about the specs for the 11

 

You can go to this Ford website and review or download any of the different model year Towing Guides. It might answer your questions

https://www.fleet.ford.com/towing-guides/

Also, the chassis/cab is considered a narrow frame truck. The frame rails not as wide as the pickups. You might run into problems finding or availability of some tow items for it.

 

The 2011 moves weight fine, just don't buy one. Stick to 2014 or newer if you can or at least 2012 or newer. Too many growing pains with the 2011.

 

thanks you all for your replies, i have been looking at 2015 and newer and all in my range have 100 plus miles it seems the engine does well after that from my review of the threads here, I'm very strict on maintenance and have no trouble there, just concerns me spending 30-35 on a truck with that many miles

 

It pulls very well. The engine has a nicer (more diesel-like) sound than my 2017 F-250. It is smooth. You hear more turbo sound. Of course, moving a 550 dump is more work than moving an empty 250. The 550 has a pintle hitch on the back of it. Its no rocket, but does the job very well. So far, no major engine issues.

 

thats awesome i miss the 7.3 sound,and i realize the 11 trucks did have some issues, I tried to find the percentage but could not.

 

I see in your signature you listed your truck as a job 1. I'm curious what all you have had to do to yours?

I am at 156,000 miles on my job 2, 2011 MY. The "issues" I've had related to the engine are 3x clogged EGR cooler cores, on my 4th one now, and the notorious radiator leak. I had one EGT sensor crap on me in the driveway one winter - killed the engine until it was replaced (I didn't have a code reader at the time, or spare sensor.. I do now). Aside from that, with regular maintenance, it has been very reliable.

Upgrades in the near future - metal lower oil pan and Fumoto drain valve (going in while my truck is in the garage for the steering system replacement) and upgraded CAC pipe. There are a few other things on my list, in time...

 

My engine has been fine but the 2011's have an elevated risk of expensive issues than 2012+, more the cab and chassis model (exhaust valves).
I switched to a local diesel shop for repairs this year after only using the dealer since new and the technician I request for the work said they have repaired more of the early cab and chassis models than the pickup models (still not many).
I do want to be clear I think these 6.7L engines are a home run for Ford, I would buy another. I just have a hard time recommending an early 2011 that has an elevated risk for one or two significant issues when there are plenty of newer model years available used at this point.

• I had the early transmission issues (gear 2-3 shift issue) that took 32,000 miles to resolve over at least eight trips to the dealer. That's finally after FoMoCo engineers figured out it was the solenoids.
• Towed to the dealer when the VGT became unresponsive on the highway. At the time I didn't understand how, if the engine was running, the turbo wasn't spinning but now I know the vanes were most likely stuck closed. It still does this a few times each year but a restart fixes it.
• Driver mirror replaced twice (passenger mirror is now dead)
• Front differential leaking, resealed.
• Primary water pump failed.
• DEF heater unit failed.
• Coolant line to turbo failed.
• Vacuum pump oil leak (loose screws, self corrected for now).
• CAC duct partially failed (didn't explode like some have experienced thankfully, was just cracked on both ends and leaking air, down a few PSI on boost)
• Wastegate solenoid replaced.
• #5 fuel injector failed, replaced.
• DEF injector (doser) failed, replaced. (this caused it to pour blue-ish smoke during active regen until EGT4 temps were above 950°F)
• Upper radiator hose leaking, replaced.
• EGR cooler (core) clogged (once)
• Replaced MAP sensor.
• A/C warm air. Vacuum, refill. (last week) No prior A/C work.

That might be everything or at least what I can remember. Of course several of these are any vehicle.
Turbo often sounds like a mini table saw in the cold months but it's been doing that for eight years now so I guess that is "normal" for this early turbo (most don't so a bit of sarcasm).
I have another issue where the cab or bed is clunking while driving I can't figure out but the cab bolts are tight.
The next expected engine related repair will be injectors #7 and #8. When watching the injectors on a graph over various RPMs after the #5 replacement, those two are below spec but they weren't bad enough yet. The tech recommended I run them a little longer. The ECM isn't reporting an issue so those are within the tolerances of the programming at least. I'll probably have #6 replaced if 7 and 8 do eventually fail and that'll have the entire side replaced.

My truck has 106,000 miles. I like the plastic oil pan and still have the twisted metal dip stick.

 

That was a great reply! Info is very much appreciated. For a trouble free motor that seems like a lot of stuff, and I have heard the same issues with the early 11 model. Do you know what year cab and chassis the issues improved?