I just figured out why my Tow/Haul is so much smoother after the last flash. It is not downshifting to 1st gear! It downshifts from 4-3-2, but not to 1st. That is what was slamming so hard before the flash. Now, it just does not downshift to first. I knew something was different, just couldn't put my finger on it until reading this post. Not that I am complaining, I'm happy to get the engine braking down to second gear, but now I'm pretty sure the flash took out the downshift to first gear. I tow a 20ft.tandem axle bass rig. Don't know the wt., but it is not a lightweight. V6 outboard and 50gal. tank. Not much stress for my motor. Maybe someone else knows more about the change in the flash for the tranny. Haven't read anything with more details. Didn't mean to get off the thread, but Paclik's post got me thinking.

 

04 F-350 6.0L cc loaded
I drove my truck quite a few miles before buying. I bought it because of the full range downshift 5>4>3>2>1. It was very smooth had no complaints. I tow a 30' housboat, Quad trailer, 14' aluminum fishing boat, horse trailer, and heavy cabover camper. Usually not at the same time....well we have put the 14' Valco & trailer on the Quad trailer and loaded the Quads over it. Of coarse lots of Ice to keep the beer cold.
Anyway, I was completely happy with the original Tow/Haul, but FMC had it flashed #3U7A-12A650-FVC April 30, 2003 and took out 3>2>1 downshift. Really p***ed me off. After the flash,crap started happening.
Now last week they flashed it again #3U7A--FUE and I still can't get it to downshift in Tow/Haul below 3rd gear. I think there is a later flash than the one they did on my truck, and don't know why they didn't do it. Now with heavy throttle it has (5 upshifts--yes a 6-speed auto) and medium throttle it has (4 upshifts--5-speed auto) It has improved the fuel mileage according to the overhead console, will check using old math, just filled up to top of neck. It does however have what I think is called the turbo fart now and it is really bad. What is the flash on your truck?

 

I have an 05 PSD F250 and pull my 12,800 lb 5er over the "Rock" west of Chat.,TN and can gain speed all the way up to the point that I have to whoa up a bit for safety. No problems to date worth complaining about. Gets approx 17-18 mpg empty, 13 or so pulling.

Luv It.
Bill in KY

 

Before the flashing on my truck, I had really good engine braking in Tow/Haul. Now it gains speed and still have to use brakes even empty. Didn't seem that I had to last year with the 30' houseboat. I have been a little gun shy pulling the houseboat in the hills because of the unexpected high speed downshifts. Will take it out soon, once the rain stops.

 

I think some of you are being unfair. It seems that a great deal of the time when someone talks bad about a Ford many of you just want to slam him. I worked as a mechanic for a company that leased 750 Ford trucks worldwide in the 70s & 80s. Today, they run Dodge with Cummins. My old boss now sits in the home office and makes the decisions as to the trucks they buy & lease, and he has always been a hard core Ford man and because they run Dodge's tells me that he doesn't think too highly of the Ford diesel, either the 7.3 or the 6.0. Again, these trucks are used or should I say abused badly. I have a friend that is a mechanic for UPS and he tells me Ford couldn't GIVE HIM one of there diesels. I have owned Ford's since the 60s, but have never liked the Power Stroke, I have said I'd give the 6.0 it's chance, but I hearing alot of complains about it. A friend of mine is a partsman at our local Ford Dealer and he won't say much about the 6.0. What does that mean, I not sure, but I tend to think it's not all good.
It's good that people here like their Fords, but just remember not all of Fords better ideas were good.

 

I just bought my 05 f-350. i like it. came from a 02 8.1 2500hd. I have a 86 buick t-type, had it since 1988. i have a 04 gto, a 03 road king, and a 8 second procharged mustang. and even a 04 Kubota BX23. I have post on about 10 different boards and i must admit, this board is the most degrading, sarcastic, of them all. If it wasnt for a handful of helpful people on this board i would move on.

 

****EDITED****
Excessive brain fade.

 

He gave you guys a vin, he checked out. WTF? do you want him to drop off a quart of blood?

 

OK guys time for me to chime in. I pull 13K+ with my F-250 every weekend. I have not had one problem with my truck since I had the VGT Solenoid replaced at 2000 miles. I pull over steep grades, can pass others while pulling this grade, and gain speed while pulling it and that was when my truck was stock. It is not safe to assume that all 6.0's are horrible. I haven't been thru 14 injectors, knock on wood, but, like PSD said, there is a problem somewhere else. The techs are failing to inspect other parts of your truck. Diesel in the engine oil is suicide on any engine. I had a race engine last year that we blew up because we had a faulty fuel pump and it was pumping fuel into the crankcase and thinned the oil out. It locked up after only 3 laps. We drained the oil and it only had 1/4 of a quart extra and the oil was like water. So this to me, explains your engine failure. However, I have no clue on your injectors. Have you had the FICM replaced? A local tech told me that they had a FICM that was shorting out the injectors on a 6.0 and they went through several injectors before the problem was diagnosed. I hope this helps explain to an extend that you are in "a league of your own" on some of the problems and that not all 6.0's are junk.

 

When I was talking with the Ford Engineers last Tuesday one told me it is normal to gain 1 quart of oil between oil changes. What do you think? Sounds like a lot of fuel getting into the oil to me...

 

ive never gained any to my knowledge. I have my drain pan marked at 13 quarts and it has never exceeded that.

 

If you ever get the chance, you should get him/her to elaborate more on that. I have never heard a statement like that before. I would be interested to hear more.

 

I have post on about 10 different boards and i must admit, this board is the most degrading, sarcastic, of them all. If it wasnt for a handful of helpful people on this board i would move on.

To bad you feel that way Hardware...Obviously you have not read the thousands of other posts in the 6.0 forum. It seems you judge pretty quickly.

Surely the 9 other boards you are on will be more enlightning for you than our little degrading, sarcastic board here.

I doubt many here will note your absence when you "move on".

Have a nice day.

 

Degrading and sarcastic? Sounds like some projection to me. Do I need to explain what that means? I hope not.

 

My point EXACTLY.