Just rolled over 180,500 miles on my 6.0 Excursion and I knew I had a slight head gasket leak since I got it at 150,000 miles. I’ve dumped almost $15k in parts alone since then and now it’s about time to weigh my options on what to do next...I can hear a slight lifter tick but she runs great other than the head gasket(s) pressurizing coolant.

Replace heads with Kill Devil Diesel O-ringed heads and Felpro head gaskets with the cab on

Pull the motor, replace lifters and pans, re-seal front and rear covers

Pull the motor, replace lifters/pans, re-seal rear cover, upgrade to front cover with 100mm water pump and replace LPOP

Pull the motor and have it rebuilt then do above

Replace motor with new long block with stage 1 Colt cam and o-ringed Kill Devil Diesel iron heads

Other recommendations for a 6.0 that’s not a daily driver but I need to be dependable and last another decade or more...light towing and some longer road trips pulling my small poling skiff (I’m a part time fishing guide)...

Yessir that’s the problem! I don’t have a whole lot of time to pull the motor and do a bunch of tear down and inspection of parts that might look fine but end up failing in no telling how long from now. I either need to install new heads and gaskets and see how far she takes me, do a little more and pull the motor to replace all the lifters, have a full rebuild done or just buy a long block and send in my core. It’s a tough decision. My lifter tick might not even be that, it’s just what Charlie Fish at KC Turbos heard when I sent him a video of my truck idling. 180k on a 6.0 that’s been taken care of isn’t a lot of miles. I’d like to hear more opinions. I’m sure most guys would just drop heads and gaskets on it and drive it until it dies but I really don’t want that day to be even a couple of years from now. A full rebuild or long block swap sounds better to me. If I go that route I need a reputable shop to get it from too.

Mine was referred as an injector tick, its a deep hole.

For me, the plan was pop one head and replace the lifter. That turned into both heads removed, fixing problems, finding more problems, then finding more problems., finding more problems..... On and on.

The process should have been almost full teardown and assess but I was trying to do this with the least expense, thinking things can't be that bad. In hindsight, a replacement short lock would have been better at the least in time if not cost. I don't want to total this up. What you are saying, a long block from Ashville or Kill Devil, or whomever you choose IMO would be best.

I don’t really hear any odd ticks...

You Tube

I’m not scared to use that method to pull the heads but at 180k I’m almost dead set on replacing lifters which requires pulling the motor to remove the rears unless you drop the transmission and remove the rear cover with the engine in.
I just popped the hood and listened and don’t hear any odd noises either.
Yessir your noise was definitely well defined!

I appreciate the insight. Reading the horror stories about collapsed lifters and needle bearings trashing an engine I guess I got spooked...I should be used to it by now because I had a pretty good idea what I was getting into when I bought a 6.0!
If I could get Jared at KDD to return a call I’d be a little more motivated to buy his heads but I’m not dropping that kind of coin on someone’s product without a little more information. I know he’s up to his eyeballs in heads in the machine shop but that’s all because of guys that buy his heads. I’ve read enough on them on the powerstroke.org forum to make a man cross-eyed. I’d rather buy his o-ringed iron heads than a remanufactured set from anywhere else but I need a few minutes of his time to confirm a few things...

I’m trying to decipher your message...haha
I think replacing lifters while I’m doing all this would be a good idea but if I pull them and they are in fine shape I still don’t think I’ll leave them. It’s not my style.