Reseal or replace
Thread Starter
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Cargo Master
Joined: Apr 2018
Posts: 2,413
Likes: 1,124
I lean more this way as well. Given availability and the potential price/cost markups, it’s still likely so much cheaper to maintain/repair/replace parts on one you’ve had that long. No guarantees in anything, obviously, but the cost to do as above (especially at an independent shop vs dealer) is most likely a significant amount less than buying another one with taxes, fees, etc.
Maybe as another poster commented, stay ahead of some preventive maintenance a little sooner and keep chugging away.
Clearly not a direct comparison, but I was in aviation in the Navy for many years. The maintenance and upgrade plans on aircraft get decades upon decades of service out of them under similar load experience as what you’re doing with your truck. Apples/oranges a bit given budgets, crews, etc., but I learned as a young aviator from many folks maintaining the planes about the value of repairing/maintaining a vehicle, even my trucks and my wife’s Expedition and old Odyssey. Heck, back then I had an early 90s Nissan Pathfinder that I finally let go with over 600k miles on it. Had a crew chief talk me into using aircraft oil in it.
Interior didn’t look so hot, but that SUV never gave me any power train issues thanks to planning ahead and doing some repairs sometimes before they became an issue.
Pardon that tangent, but I’d at least get a quote from an independent shop on the various overhauls, repairs or as @Grass Lake Ron suggests a new power train. That should help inform a little more complete scenario to use in among your decision.
Maybe as another poster commented, stay ahead of some preventive maintenance a little sooner and keep chugging away.
Clearly not a direct comparison, but I was in aviation in the Navy for many years. The maintenance and upgrade plans on aircraft get decades upon decades of service out of them under similar load experience as what you’re doing with your truck. Apples/oranges a bit given budgets, crews, etc., but I learned as a young aviator from many folks maintaining the planes about the value of repairing/maintaining a vehicle, even my trucks and my wife’s Expedition and old Odyssey. Heck, back then I had an early 90s Nissan Pathfinder that I finally let go with over 600k miles on it. Had a crew chief talk me into using aircraft oil in it.
Interior didn’t look so hot, but that SUV never gave me any power train issues thanks to planning ahead and doing some repairs sometimes before they became an issue.Pardon that tangent, but I’d at least get a quote from an independent shop on the various overhauls, repairs or as @Grass Lake Ron suggests a new power train. That should help inform a little more complete scenario to use in among your decision.
The problem I have a local shops, which there are several around here. (After all the delete fines from the EPA, they need the work) Is the nationwide warranty. If the truck was local to the area they'd be a different story.
Either way I have to wait till the end of the month due to budget. Jan 1, I get a fresh allocation.
Fleet Mechanic
Joined: Mar 2021
Posts: 1,455
Likes: 607
Oil is cheap, if you owned a Volkswagen they would say a gallon every few thousand is normal consumption....
I would run it until you feel like it's time, then pop a new engine and 6 speed in it, and a fancy DPK. I wouldn't replace it for quite a few reasons. Downtime isn't an issue, it's only a 17', highway or highway-like mileage, you haven't had issues with it, you like the truck, vehicles are good for a long time if taken care of, you like the truck, you like the truck.
I would run it until you feel like it's time, then pop a new engine and 6 speed in it, and a fancy DPK. I wouldn't replace it for quite a few reasons. Downtime isn't an issue, it's only a 17', highway or highway-like mileage, you haven't had issues with it, you like the truck, vehicles are good for a long time if taken care of, you like the truck, you like the truck.
Tuned
Joined: Sep 2018
Posts: 313
Likes: 101
From: Western NY
That is a factor - if you can afford or work around downtime, that is a big consideration a lot of us do not the ability to enjoy. In this scenario, your calculation is much easier. Put money into and track it - get rid of it when expenses exceed the income it generates since you can essentially disregard the cost of downtime. I am talking downtime for repairs, not getting stuck on the side of the road. Any vehicle new or old can leave you stuck on the side of the road - that is just an inherent risk.
Cargo Master
Joined: Jul 2017
Posts: 2,300
Likes: 554
i was leaning to trade it in but i'm not even comfortable with those 10 speeds and i do like 7k a year in mine for landscape work lol. i cant imagine your mileage every year trusting in the 10 speeds.
can you order a HO crate and pair it with the 6 speed??????
can you order a HO crate and pair it with the 6 speed??????
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Brett Foote
FTE Leadership Emeritus
Joined: Sep 2000
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From: Stephensville WI
If it is just the upper or lower oil pan that is leaking, the cab does not have to be removed and the engine does not need to come out.
Transmission rattle, yes that's scary. I would replace that, but any shop could handle a transmission replacement.
Transmission rattle, yes that's scary. I would replace that, but any shop could handle a transmission replacement.
Laughing Gas
Joined: Nov 2007
Posts: 824
Likes: 179
Like stated at the 300k mark other things will need to be replaced soon. Wheel hubs, axle and carrier bearings and associated seals. Bushings on steering linkage and suspension, steering pressure hoses and pump. Fuel pump, transmission, etc.
On our 6.0 I lost the transmission at 246k and it was very well taken care of. I refreshed a lot of parts so I could use it reliably on a local scale, but ordered a new one as I didn't want an out of state breakdown. If blue book value is not high then maybe you can use it for local "beater" tasks. Good luck.
On our 6.0 I lost the transmission at 246k and it was very well taken care of. I refreshed a lot of parts so I could use it reliably on a local scale, but ordered a new one as I didn't want an out of state breakdown. If blue book value is not high then maybe you can use it for local "beater" tasks. Good luck.
Tuned
Joined: Nov 2018
Posts: 253
Likes: 32
Your kind of stuck between a rock and a hard place. New trucks are hard as heck to find. The 6.7 long blocks and short blocks are on and will continue to be on back order. I have 5 in the shop currently just torn down and waiting for new long/short blocks to arrive lol. Your 4k idle hours ramps your total mileage up quite a bit. Ford equates 1 idle hour to 30 miles of driving so add about 120k to your total. With that said in this current parts shortage I would probably order new rings, new crank bearings, new lifters, and slap a set of heads on and go. Heads are cheap. Like 500 a side and they come loaded with new valves etc.
Hotshot
Joined: Jun 2003
Posts: 12,353
Likes: 4,388
From: SW VA
Sounds like you've got the spare funds to try a few things. I'd drop a reman engine and trans in the truck and see how it does. If that starts to give you fits, dump the truck and buy a new/lightly used one.
Thread Starter
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Cargo Master
Joined: Apr 2018
Posts: 2,413
Likes: 1,124
Your kind of stuck between a rock and a hard place. New trucks are hard as heck to find. The 6.7 long blocks and short blocks are on and will continue to be on back order. I have 5 in the shop currently just torn down and waiting for new long/short blocks to arrive lol. Your 4k idle hours ramps your total mileage up quite a bit. Ford equates 1 idle hour to 30 miles of driving so add about 120k to your total. With that said in this current parts shortage I would probably order new rings, new crank bearings, new lifters, and slap a set of heads on and go. Heads are cheap. Like 500 a side and they come loaded with new valves etc.
Took two months.
Over the summer, coolant was disappearing. Nothing on the ground, no leaks just disappearing.
Dropped off with Ford, said hey coolant is magically disappearing. My thought was cracked head, gasket or EGR cooler. Coolant looked good, no bubbles,etc, so EGR?
Ford said it was something else, "did repair" and get us the truck back. Week later, I loaded for a job in Texas, didn't get a 110 miles and it failed. Ford paid for the tow, (it's a loaded 24Ft box) back to our shop to be unloaded, then to theirs
Guess what, failed EGR cooler, motor locked up with only 45K on it.
No fight, no trying to get away from it. They covered it.
More Turbo
Joined: Jun 2020
Posts: 715
Likes: 337
From: Texas Hill Country
Took two months.
Over the summer, coolant was disappearing. Nothing on the ground, no leaks just disappearing.
Dropped off with Ford, said hey coolant is magically disappearing. My thought was cracked head, gasket or EGR cooler. Coolant looked good, no bubbles,etc, so EGR?
Ford said it was something else, "did repair" and get us the truck back. Week later, I loaded for a job in Texas, didn't get a 110 miles and it failed. Ford paid for the tow, (it's a loaded 24Ft box) back to our shop to be unloaded, then to theirs
Guess what, failed EGR cooler, motor locked up with only 45K on it.
No fight, no trying to get away from it. They covered it.
Cargo Master
Joined: Nov 2020
Posts: 2,073
Likes: 1,027
From: Michigan
I lean more this way as well. Given availability and the potential price/cost markups, it’s still likely so much cheaper to maintain/repair/replace parts on one you’ve had that long. No guarantees in anything, obviously, but the cost to do as above (especially at an independent shop vs dealer) is most likely a significant amount less than buying another one with taxes, fees, etc.
Maybe as another poster commented, stay ahead of some preventive maintenance a little sooner and keep chugging away.
Clearly not a direct comparison, but I was in aviation in the Navy for many years. The maintenance and upgrade plans on aircraft get decades upon decades of service out of them under similar load experience as what you’re doing with your truck. Apples/oranges a bit given budgets, crews, etc., but I learned as a young aviator from many folks maintaining the planes about the value of repairing/maintaining a vehicle, even my trucks and my wife’s Expedition and old Odyssey. Heck, back then I had an early 90s Nissan Pathfinder that I finally let go with over 600k miles on it. Had a crew chief talk me into using aircraft oil in it. Interior didn’t look so hot, but that SUV never gave me any power train issues thanks to planning ahead and doing some repairs sometimes before they became an issue.
Pardon that tangent, but I’d at least get a quote from an independent shop on the various overhauls, repairs or as @Grass Lake Ron suggests a new power train. That should help inform a little more complete scenario to use in among your decision.
Maybe as another poster commented, stay ahead of some preventive maintenance a little sooner and keep chugging away.
Clearly not a direct comparison, but I was in aviation in the Navy for many years. The maintenance and upgrade plans on aircraft get decades upon decades of service out of them under similar load experience as what you’re doing with your truck. Apples/oranges a bit given budgets, crews, etc., but I learned as a young aviator from many folks maintaining the planes about the value of repairing/maintaining a vehicle, even my trucks and my wife’s Expedition and old Odyssey. Heck, back then I had an early 90s Nissan Pathfinder that I finally let go with over 600k miles on it. Had a crew chief talk me into using aircraft oil in it.
Interior didn’t look so hot, but that SUV never gave me any power train issues thanks to planning ahead and doing some repairs sometimes before they became an issue.Pardon that tangent, but I’d at least get a quote from an independent shop on the various overhauls, repairs or as @Grass Lake Ron suggests a new power train. That should help inform a little more complete scenario to use in among your decision.