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I posted this about a month ago on the Org, but it fits here also. It is my latest UOA (at almost 250k miles). Except for the first 5 oil changes (15W40 at 3-4k mile intervals), all the others have been 5W40 oil (at 5-7.5k intervals), in HOT S. Texas. I have done analyses on ALL of my oil changes (this is the 48th change).
This result is on Mobil Delvac ESP 5W40 CK4 oil and is a fantastic report.
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Man…after reading your first post here I think I don’t want to figure that out for mine…bought my 2005 Excursion 6.0 in early 2014 with 84k miles. Odometer is now at 344k miles…and I mostly stopped driving it in 2022 😬
So that’s at least 52 oil changes, 26 fuel filters, 10 trans fluid/filter, 5 diff and transfer case fluid changes, at about $…nope, not gonna do it. Especially once I start to think about fuel cost… lol
Previously, I meant to say congrats to you on your mileage as well, sorry I left that off!
IIRC, you made it a LONG way on your original injectors also. What was that mileage if you don't mind me asking?
Yeah, I’m pretty surprised they’ve lasted this long…I figure it’s at least partially due to oil/filter changes every 5k miles with 5w-40 full synthetic, fuel filters every 10k, getting lucky with mostly clean fuel at fill ups, and using cetane booster (I only used Motorcraft cetane booster) for most of those miles.
Ha ha I try…I truly am incredulous that it still runs at least as well as…actually probably a little bit better than…it did when I bought it at 84k miles in 2014. Only issues have been a replacement radiator, had a clogged oil cooler when I bought it, headgaskets (yup…after I tuned it lol), cracked degas bottle, and a cam sensor.
And of course wheel hubs/bearings with the large tires…but that’s not 6 oh specific 😉
I've said it a few times before - I really don't believe in "fluke reliability".
By that, I mean that I don't believe that you can accidentally turn a bad part into a good one by accident. Same with the entire truck.
It is sad that there were some initial design issues, some very weak parts, and some extremely poor business decisions by Ford (thinking mainly Gold coolant here)! All that said, between some good work in redesigning most of the weak parts (by International and by some by the aftermarket industry), we have seen things change. No doubt, the consistency of quality in parts manufacturing is a constant issue that has to be watched, but by buying official OEM parts (where it makes sense) helps a TON to offset some of the parts manufacturing inconsistency in quality!
No doubt, across all these years, the 6.0L has been plagued with a number of failures and it certainly has developed a reputation, lol! It hasn't JUST been an International/Ford issue though (although they both should take responsibility for some weak components)!!
Some responsibility for that reputation belongs on the shoulders of the owners - from too many power improving modifications and/or poor maintenance. Some responsibility belongs on shops, and owners again, due to very poor repair procedures and techniques. No doubt that some 6.0L trucks/vans were simply poorly made from the beginning, but I believe that these "complete lemons" weren't extremely common (and they exist in every make and model).
I truly believe that time has shown us that the 6.0L could have been a pretty big success if just a few things would have been done differently from the start, or at least early-on in the 8 year production run (including the e-series). With the right parts, and those parts installed properly, and with proper care and preventative maintenance, the 6.0L has had some very good success. We owe the early techs a lot for helping us learn most of this stuff. And also some key aftermarket businesses and some talented individuals for improving parts and techniques. Some of this learning is still going on (thinking standpipes @Hartwig ). For me, it has been fun to own one and to be on (a few, lol) 6.0L forums.
Here in Germany, HEUI technology is unknown. Many of these trucks here are in poor condition and have a bad reputation because incorrect diagnoses are made and work is carried out without sufficient knowledge. This leads to many disputes between sellers and buyers here. In four weeks, I will be dealing with another such dispute. A court-appointed "expert" will watch me work until the issue is found. The judge will then pass sentence. Unpleasant things happen here.
As Mark said, with the right maintenance, they are great trucks. I am more than satisfied with my two rigs.
