Didn't mean to scare you - the short blocks on these engines are way stout and rarely the source of problems - but you're talking major investment and it's easy to check compression, etc.

 

So I guess its safe to say I am stuck with the heat problem until I get the head gaskets done.

 

Sadly, the head gaskets aren’t going to fix themselves, no. Consider Fel Pro’s head gaskets, ARP studs and inner row bolts, rocket box gaskets, valve cover gaskets, intake manifold gaskets, shorter 6.4 push rods, HHC nipple cups and their corresponding o-rings, even new lifters and bed plate gaskets. There’s quite a lot more, too, but all of this is just options.

We carry all of this and far more, at prices that can’t be beat. We can even discuss new short and long block options.

Just don’t get convinced that there is a ‘right’ answer. The only right answer is the one that is right for you. None of this work is ‘hard’, but it is time consuming. Technical support from us is always free and we never hop on a discussion with a customer with a goal to anything other than help and provide options.

Let us know if we can help! 515-897-4459.

www.ficmrepair.com - we are far more than FICM’s.

 

BTW, we also carry a lifting plate that allows removal of the motor without pulling the cab or the front clip. Yet another....option.

 

Whatever ever option you go with, swap or Bullet Proof...I would Bullet Proof either way. There is plenty of options out there as far as parts and a good amount of technical resources. Good Wrenching!!🔧⚒

 

One consideration is that every time you get deep into a 6.0 it seems like you need to pull the cab off to do it. So If I was doing it I would only want to do it once. I have 5 of them in various stages of "bulletproofing" or in my case problem solving. My opinion, for what it is worth.

Issue #1 The heads or specifically the head bolts were never a good idea. They can stretch (cause they were engineered to do so) and when they do you have water where it does not belong. Studs, gaskets, head mods or new heads are the proven solutions. opinions vary on what works best for any particular situation. (my ranch truck is running bolts and shows no sign of failing with 150k plus miles)
Issue #2 The water and the exhaust gas and the oil all get processed through a single area in the engine and when that area starts to fail you get all sorts of stuff mixing where it should not. I am old school and believe that the water and oil should be cooled by air, and exhaust should exit the engine asap. I think the best solution is an EGR delete, aux oil cooler and filter, and keep the water filtered as well. Lots of folks will still run the water and oil through an exchanger, but it is generally thought that the factory part will clog, fail and mix your fluids or worse. Sturdy aftermarket parts are available, but I still like to keep my veggies out of the taters and my antifreeze out of my oil.
Issue #3 The injection system uses high pressure oil to fire the injectors. The system has some pretty sophisticated sensors that make sure that you can't get very far if the High-pressure oil system is not working properly. Although the system seems pretty reliable, when it quits, diagnosing the cause of a no start becomes the equivalent of reverse engineering one of Rube Goldbergs best inventions. Not really much in the way of aftermarket improvements, just find and repair or replace the offending part, but just try to find it first, go ahead, just try.
Once you get an engine set up, every dodge and chevy owner in the world will point at you and make a smart comment about what a junk engine the 6.0 is. But I have passed a ton of both trucks on the hills in my state. Their engines don't seem to pull as hard as my 6.0 when the 5th wheels are on the back. Maybe I just push on the pedal harder.