I just purchased an '06 6.0 F250 and was reading several threads back that running *good* fuel, along with routine maintenance was key to longevity ... what is the best pump fuel to run and how can I tell where the availability is? I'm in south Florida.

Also I notice my new '06 (4x4) automatic seems to shudder a little whenever I accelerate fast, my old 7.3 2wd '02 automatic never did this ... something to be concerned with? The truck has less than 200 miles on it.

 

The best place to fuel up is a truckstop where the fuel turnover is high. If there is a lot of truck traffic it's probably good fuel. If diesel sits too long it can have a lot of problems (algae and condensation). Water is the worst enemy of your fuel system, by far. With the release of the new ULSD comes a better quality fuel. Also the use of fuel additives such as Stanadyne or DieselKleen Powerservice (available at Wallyworld) are also advisable,

 

Stevie Ray, Diesel and beer have a lot in common... The fresher the better.
Your best choice in fuel is from a local, high volume dealer. In regard to shudder under acceleration: Go easy on the accelerator for a while. It could be nothing. It also could be the driveline needs to be shimmed (common/easily remedied issue). As npcc mentioned, a good fuel additive is highly recommended. And Congrats on the new rig

 

I got a tank of ULSD, my first one, about two weeks ago at a truck stop. I still have half a tank and I can't believe it. Good fuel should go along way and it pays to find it. As those above have said, a good station that has a good turnover is a key find. Find them and use an additive EVERY time and you should be good. I use DK as it easier to get here. Don't forget regular oil changes with the best rated oil you can get. Unlike gassers, these engines breath the oil you fill them with. Lots of info here. Enjoy and get the 6.0 grin.

 

there is a tsb out for the shudder on hard accell from stops. it suggest adding shims to the center support to find that sweet spot in the driveline.

 

Thanks for the information all!

10-4 on the fuel ... with my '02 7.3 I always filled up at a local station that had a high traffic volume at the diesel pumps, I thought maybe you guys was referring to a specific brand.

Also regarding fuel, can the new fuel (ULSD?) be ran in this truck without any problems? I hear the term ULSD and 'DK' used ... may I ask a stupid question? What exactly is the difference (lower sulfur maybe?) than this and the fuel I've ran in my Dodge and Ford diesel trucks for the past 10 years?

And ...

Regarding the shudder and the shims, is this something I can do myself? What is involved?

Thanks for bearing with me.

 

The lower suphur fuel is mandated by Uncle Sam. The consensus is that it will be better for the motor long term because it will cause less carbon in the EGR which is a big issue in the 6.0. Adding Power Service Diesel Kleen or equivalent is also a good idea. I won't stop using it even with the switch to ULSD. Lots of threads here on the ULSD mandate. I don't have anything on the shudder issue but we have some of the best techs around on this board and they can help you with that.

 

Thanks Chili ... I'll do a search of the forums regarding the USLD fuel, also I guess I could have been a little more clear in my questioning.

Whenever I asked if the new USLD fuel can be ran in 'this truck' I was referring to my new '06 6.0 F250.

 

For sure. Pretty soon that's all you'll find anywhere.

 

Very important...IMO

 

the ulsd will be the only diesel fuel available inlate 07 or early 08. it will work in every diesel, but the older one may have some fuel leak issues due to the cleaning properties of the new fuel. there is alot of information on the web and i think maxium 4x4 has a link to ulsd info on his signiture.

if you are under basic 36/36, then the shims are free of charge under warranty. if you are out, you can either buy shims or the ones in the tsb and put them above your center support. if you need the tsb number let me know.

 

Alnog with what others have said concerning the fuel, another thing to look for is spin on filters on the pump itself. If they look like they have not been changed lately, you may want to pass on the fuel at that station.

 

Personally, I like to when i can use Southern States fuel. Super Gold is one of the best rated fuels on the market . Uf you have one close by I'd use it.

 

Due the "spin-on" filters go into by-pass mode if they clog up with sediment... or will the flow of fuel just become decreased?

Some of the stations I use do not have them and a few do... but they always look dirty... so no real way to tell how often (if ever) they get replaced??

 

BowTieHatr, I bought the truck earlier this week and it had 102 miles on it because my dealer traded with another dealer (102 miles is about right from where I live to where the truck was traded) ... I noticed whenever I picked the truck up it was showing 11.8 mpg in the information window, I have driven it just a couple of times around town and the mpg increased to 13, today the wife and I put a 200+ trip up to her moms place and the mileage increased even more (14.4). I'm thinking whomever drove the truck the 102 miles to my dealer must have driven the living daylights out of it to have the mileage be so low. Makes me want to thump 'em upside the head, if they would have smoked in it I'd never took the truck.

Anyway, after getting my first trip in the truck it *seems* as if the shudder isn't as bad but I believe it definitely has one and this being my first 4 wheel drive I didn't know if this was a characteristic of the 4x4s ... obviously not? I bought the truck Halloween night and after today's trip it now has a little less than 500 miles on it.

A couple of first impressions is that the auto dimming rear view mirror is neat as beans but takes a little to get used to, seems like depth perception is thrown off a little. The 6.0 feels very strong and has a different sound than my old 7.3 ... quite a bit more quiet, the cruise control is on the opposite side of the steering column than my old truck and I kept changing the radio station whenever I wanted to adjust the cruise ... that's gonna take some getting used to! Also it seems as if the radio doesn't sound as good as the stock radio in my '02 so I guess an upgrade is in order there.

Overall I can already tell that this truck and myself are going to get along just fine, I'm really liking it and I find that I'm not missing my '02 as much as thought I would have ... although that truck with the 251k miles served me very, very well.

Sorry for getting so long winded.

Rick