Thanks for the reply,
But with all the hype surrounding changing plugs on the v10 are these Denso plugs safe? Ive have read in many a post that say stick with the factory original plugs which I beleive are Motorcraft Platinum AWSF 22E plugs.
I appreciate the advice but will I notice a difference with the Denso plugs.
Now Lets say that I break down and bring my truck to the dealer to get the plugs changed and lets say that after they are done my truck experiences the flying plug syndrome, Will the dealer be responsible for fixing the truck or will I be on my own?

 

Yah the dealer will be responable, a good macanic will use a torque wrench and will know what he is doing, as far as the Denso's go, they are the best plugs money can buy, they produce the most spark and are just really good plugs, they don't last to long though, I am going to stick with the Motorcrafts for the truck, thats what most people do. Now if I had a blower and other mods the Denso's would be the only way to go (KenneB)

 

I know a 92 f250 that towed a John Deer Backhoe with the 300 six and towed it for about 4 years, Over a 100,000 miles,never had an issue,he never got in a hurry, LOL, (he couldnt have been in much of a hurry),, But seen him everyday for several years going down the road,he said it just took a while to get it rollin, those 300's were tough without a doubt.
I have had 3 sd's, each with a different motor. I now have the PSD, and will buy another one for sure,i could do just fine with another 5.4 or v10, they would be more than i ever needed but can you ever have enough truck?? Now I've got all the truck i could ever need. If your ever gonna tow the boat and the travel trailer at the same time you need the PSD. If your really going to keep it 10 yrs, and you can do some simple math i think its a no brainer for the Power stroke. The resale will fix the higher initial cost, then after about 5 years the mileage will by far overcome the so called higher maintenance. Nothing wrong with the v10 or the v8,I've had them both but I think if you really put a pencil to it you will see without a doubt you will come out ahead in 10 yrs with the PS. My Personal preference is the PS, I dont mind the noise or the smell, Kinda like it actually and it just seems like a much cooler truck than my previous SD's did.

 

Making lemonade?

 

Well O.K., here we go....

Lots of good points here for gas and diesel. Having owned both and similar towing circumstances I would recommend the PSD for the following reasons...

- the diesel does hold value through the life of the truck helping recoup initial cost

- I started 2 years ago w/ a 3000# trailer towing 6 times a year, now we've upgraded to an 8000# 33' about 12 times a year and driving farther. Not saying you will, but it tends to happen!

- I get 17-18 mpg all the time, up to 20.5 (restrained) highway, 14mpg towing 8000#

- while many have had problems my '03 6.0 has had zero problems and maintenance, if you DIY, is only marginally more $$ than a gasser.

- as a paramedic driving and riding in (all Ford diesels) ambulances 12-16 hours a day I have to say reliability is unbelievable. With our own maintenance dept. (NOT dealer serviced) and a different yahoo behind the wheel 2-3 times per day, and truly HARD driving regardless of temp, etc.
These heavy vans/boxes run 280-300k before being replaced (every 10 years or so) and I've only seen 1 with an engine replacement. We have 22 diesels on the road, 4 new6.0's, with minimal problems and the 8 small SUV's (S-10 and Explorer) although basically stock weight can't stand up to the use. Engine and tranny probs are unfortunately common with little age.

Again, just my $0.02 but unless the initial cost is truly prohibitive I have to vote diesel, with no disrespect to the V-10.

Mike

 

If you don't have any significant mods I would not recommend the Denso's. The only reason I went with them is because they can withstand higher temps and they are the plugs that Kenne Bell recommended for use with their supercharger. No mods, I would just stick with the Motorcraft's, a lot cheaper as well. Any work that a dealer does to your vehicle, whether it's under warranty or not, they are responsible for, usually 12 months or 12,000 miles if out of warranty. Check with the dealer you use and ask them what they charge and use that figure to determine whether you want to attempt it yourself or if you are not comfortable with doing it yourself, definitely take it to a dealer.

 

to respond to tthree, it is your money and our choice and hope you make the decision you can live with. You asked for opinions, and here's mine.

-you drive 12 miles back and forth to work, barelly enough time to get the diesel warmed up, V-10 is a much better commuter/dailly drive, less noisey, no warm-up/cool down. get in and go.

-you niether own a TT or a boat, so you are towing nothing. if you do purchase one or both in the near future, $5000 initial savings on the V-10 sure will help get those toys into your garage sooner.

-avg mpg empty as posted on this site and the diesel site is about 14.5 for diesel (4x4 cc) and 12 for v10. 2.5 mpg difference. Diesel costs more at the pump.

-oil change for diesel at stealership $75+ , gas $25, also add on the cost of new fuel filter for diesel

-read the posts and you will find numerous people looking to ford for buybacks on there 6.0 diesels, can't find one for the V-10.

ask wrenchtraveller why, after a long love affair with diesels, he switched over to a V10, pretty compelling.

If you used this truck to tow a lot or put large numbers on the odometer then you would need the diesel. But, you don't. For your application, the V10 will do whatever you want it to do.

 

Has someone written what a typical (if there is one) scenario is for this diesel 'warm up' procedure and how long it takes? IF not, maybe the 6.0 owners could chime in on what their typical 'get in the truck, let it warm up, and go' experiences are. I presume warm up time is based on the air temp of where the truck has been parked. Remember, I've never owned a diesel, but keep hearing about having to warm up the engine, but was kinda hoping that a modern diesel didn't require that. Also, is this warm up procedure something you have to do every time you go somewhere, or just if the truck's been sitting for X hours, etc. Thanks again for all the responses.

 

Just if it's been sitting really, diesels take some thick oil. They are big bucks and most people don't want to just hop in them and take off. You don't have to warm them up I guess. One thing that sucks in a diesel is that it takes it forever to warm up. I let my gasser warm up if it's cold out at all, but that is just me, you can do as you want...

 

I usually fire it up once my wife says she's ready to go. By the time she actually gets out of the house it's ready to go. Could be as long as 30 minutes but never less than 5.

Seriously though, the longer it's been sitting the longer I let it warm up. I have found that it is not a get in and go vehicle in the morning and that is even the case with the brutally harsh Houston winter wheather (sarc). I may go three or four days without driving mine. In those instances, I give it more time to warm up but I never need more than five minutes or so. If it's only been sitting an hour or two, I have found that the warm up is not really necessarry. I cannot explain why this is, it just is (on my truck anyway). If my truck has been sitting for five or six hours or a morning where I drove it the night before, I may give it a minute or so then do a rolling warm up by idling out to the main street. Previous owner said it took a while to warm up when he had it. If you try to force the issue and drive it cold there is little or no power, acts as if there is no turbo. Anyway, I have just chalked it up to this being a quirk of the truck. It forces me to take it easy until the truck has warmed up which is probably a good thing. It runs great once it is warm. This is my first diesel and I have only owned it since Thanksgiving so take what I say for what it is worth. There are many others here that are much more knowledgable than I on the subject. All you got from me was a novice's approach and it may be wrong.

 

I use my F250 as a daily driver. It usually sits for about 12 hours a night. There have been times that I give it 5 minutes to warm up, but more times than not I start it and go.

 

Here is an actual time value of money (the ONLY way) difference between what a diesel costs per month versus the V10 gas motor:

For comparison, I am using a fully loaded, ‘04 F350 Lariat CC LB 4x4.

Cost for 6.0 $ 37,500
Cost for V10 $ 32,500 ($5000 less than diesel)

Monthly loan payment @ 9% for 60 months:

Diesel $ 768.06
V10 $ 664.27

The diesel costs $ 103.79 more per month on the loan payment.

On the subject of oil changes. I always took my truck in (gas) for the oil changes, and it usually cost around $30.00. However, for apples to apples comparison , I will compare the two as if doing them myself. 6 gallons of Rottella diesel at Sam's cost $33.00 and a filter is around $11.00. Castrol 10w40 is about $1.50 per quart.

Diesel: $ 16.50 for oil + $ 1.00 filter equals $ 27.50. At 6000 miles per oil change and 3000 miles per month, it costs $ 13.75 per month for the diesel.

V10 $ 1.5 x 5 quarts plus filter equals $ 15.50. At 3000 mile per interval and 3000 miles per month, the gas costs $15.50 per month.

Diesel $ 13.75
V10 $ 15.50

The V10 costs $ 1.75 more per month for oil changes

For resale, the diesel will get you a minimum of $ 3,000 more than the V10. If you put $ 40.00 per month in the bank, earning 9% (high) for a total of 60 months, you would accumulate a future value of $ 3,000.00. This $40 per month needs to be factored into the cost of the V10 to obtain equal future values at resale to compare to the $5000.00 up front cost of the diesel.

The V10 costs $ 40.00 more per month for lessor resale value.

I have talked to many V10 owners, and here in Houston driving, they all seem to get a BEST of 10-12 mpg. The diesel seems to get 14-16 mpg. Using 2000 miles per month at $ 1.89/gal (Houston prices):

Diesel 15 mpg $ 251.99 fuel cost
V10 12 mpg $ 315.01 fuel cost

The V10 costs $ 63.01 more per month for fuel.

At 3000 miles per month, the V10 costs $ 94.60 more.

So, in actuality:

Diesel $ 768.06 + $ 13.75 + $ 251.99 = $ 1,033.88 per month

V10 $ 664.27 + $ 15.50 + $ 315.01 + $ 40.00 = $ 1,034.78 per month

Based on 2000 miles per month, the V10 costs $ .98 MORE per month than the diesel. If you drive 3000 miles per month, the V10 costs $ 32.38 more per month than the diesel.

Buy what you want (its your money), but if you base it on cost, the diesel is cheaper.