I've got broad shoulders so I can take some on line machoness. (New word BTW)

Anyhow, I'm on the ambulance 50% of the time on a 24 on 48 off schedule. IE-One shift I'm on the ambulance, the next I'm on the quint. But that ambulance is on duty every single day. In a typical day, it makes 8-14 runs. Usually the temp needle never makes it back to cold.

With out 04 F450 with 46000 miles alone, it's on its third set of head gaskets as well as a bunch of misc crap that happened before I got to this station.

The other 04 F450 has a little over 60000, and it's on its second set of head gaskets. It went out of service again last weak for a blown radiator.

I could go on and on, but that's not the topic here. The topic here is why do you have to drive them hard. The answer is that you don't and it seems like that line started with the 6.0's problems.

My personal vehicle is a 2000 F150 extended cab 4x4 with a 5.4.

Mike

 

Yup........ gonna run out and get rid of my 6.0 pos just because you say its
no good........you guys better listen to the diesel expert here.
go back to the 150 forums

 

I hate to say it but the guy is right. the 6.blow has a host of problems all ranging from blown head gaskets to faulty egr coolers and sticky turbo's. Does this mean they're a pos, no. It means they have alot of issues, some more then others.

As far as telling him to leave cause you dont like his opinion well maybe you should take your advice as well and leave yourself. As I told the guy on the last page, I nor FTE will except this kind of behavior, its against the FTE guidlines. Go read them and understand they will be enforced if this continues!

Cowboy Steve

Somebody tell me why its so hard to understand and follow the guidelines

 

gonna go grab some popcorn

 

Dont sound like many miles for 24/7 use trucks to me. My 04 already has 65,000 miles on it and I like my sleep.
I know theres issues with the 6.0L and yes I have one, and yes it has had work to it. It had the egr cooler replaced and both heads replaced, but that was before I bought it ,but still it was done. I dont see where your coming from. Theres alot of engines out there that has'nt had the first problem. I'm willing to put my 6.0L to the test. I'll put it against any other engine built by man. I'll say this if the other engine does more work, faster, with less fuel and stock it done something. This is'nt my opinion it is pure fact. Simple and easy. If one is in the north Al. area and thinks they have a stock truck that my 6.0L should fear holler at 'ol exiled here. I have plenty of proven grounds.

 

Mike clear ly has a right to an opinion. What the guys are trying to say is or rather what I gather is... Where does he base his opinion? Off of 2 6.0Ls? Then boldly state he has more experance with the 6.0L than most of us but yet on 24/7 service for 3-4 years the units dont have but 60,000 miles on them. Brother give me a break. 'Ol beach's probally has 100,000 miles on it now.Mike doesnt offer any expernces w/ 7.3L, 6.9Ls or cummins, durmaxs nothing but 2 6.0Ls. Mike hyjacked the thread by stating the enigines cant be ran hard. When in fact there is several of us that knows otherwise.

 

Ok, let me list some more diesel experience not counting the 2 6.0s I serve on now. Another edit: The 2 04s didn't actually go into service until 05. The maker buys the trucks, then builds the bodies, then they have to be striped and inspected. It all takes time. For example, we ordered our 08 last year. The company said they had to wait for an 08 chassis. It just got in service 1.5 weeks ago

1-05 E450 6.0 ambulance from previous department. In the shop multiple time for engine trouble before 10K. It once delayed my response to a pt having a heart attack while I switched to another ambulance.

1-04 F550 6.0 Hazmat truck. It currently has about 2000 miles on it because it never moves, thank god. No problems yet.

1-01 F250 7.3 XL work truck. Beat the **** out of it doing construction and plowing for city public works. No problems.

2-02 F250 7.3 XL One did above job, again no problems. Other was utility truck for same department as 05 E450. It has a pretty cushy life. No problems with either

1-96 E350 ambulance 7.3 Last I heard, no problems with the engine. It is on its second transmission though

1- 93 or 94 E350 ambulance 7.3 non powerstroke. Slow, but dependable. No engine problems AFAIK. It wasn't around long when I was there before it was replaced with 05 E450

1- 94 Simon/Duplex 110ft quint 12.7L Detroit60 Only problem was the ECU got fragged somehow.

1- 88 Sutphen pumper Older unknown Detroit engine 8v71? IDK, but noisy and slow, no problems

1- 76 Seagrave pumper Again, older unknown Detroit Loud, sounded like a firetruck should. No problems with engine, but truck needed two pumpshafts during it's life

1- 02 Swarze A7000 Street Sweeper. Ford LCF body with 190HP Cummins ISB. Total tank. Tons of power. Beat the crap out of it and couldn't stop it.

1-94 GMC 8500 Dump with Cat 3208. Lots of turbo lag, but dependable

1-2000 GMC 8500 Dump with another Cat (3228?) anyhow 230HP, pretty fast, but the rest of the truck suffered from electrical problems

1-08 F450 ambulance with 6.4. Awesome. Powerful, quiet and clean. Good ride and awesome turning radius.

1-Freightliner ambulance (Maybe FL-40/60) Unknown HP 24v Cummins

1-1999 F350 Ambulance. No problems with engine, tranny just crapped out @ 90K. (Our ambulances only run 2-3 years frontline before they go into reserve status)

1-2005 Seagrave pumper 500 HP Detroit 60 14L. Tons and tons of power. No problems.

I'm sure that I've let many, many more out like various backhoes, bobcats, generators, etc, etc, but you get my point. This isn't my first rodeo.

Also, the 04 with only 45ish on the clock was wrecked and OOS for about a year and a half. Also with ambulances, the miles are deceiving. They idle a lot and have a lot more hours than you'd expect for the miles.

Mike

Edit: Oh and I'll say it once again, since everyone seems to miss it and instead goes straight to blasting my opinion like I just slapped thier honor student-

You shouldn't ever "need" to drive them hard. If you had to, it would be in the owner's manual.

 

It sounds like some of you think that low miles has some kind of bearing. I would venture to guess that 40,000 on an ambulance would be about 200,000 on a personal vehicle.

BLK94F150 shows his good character by not lashing out at the uncalled for attacks in this thread. That in itself makes his opinion worth quite a bit.

 

For example, our new 08 has 112.8 hours and only 1293 miles. Also take into account that it had around 400-600 miles on it when it got in service and the hobbs meter wasn't installed until after the finished vehicle was complete.

Mike

 

I gather this much. What did I say 3-4 years? I dont know the time it took to build the ambulance. but still if you had to travel only 3 miles to respond then 3 miles to hospital thats 6 miles 10 calls a day 24/7 thats still 43,680 miles in 2 years. I'm willing to beat yall have plenty of calls over 3 miles 1 way. Did you notice I did'nt even figure in you getting back to the shed. I value your opinion, I just dont agree with you. I got some good friends in fire and rescue and emts. I think tonight I'm going to go visting.
To get back on topic your opinion doesnt answer the question to why people say to run them hard. The poster might not be planning to follow the advice but just wants to know why they say it. You know. whats the reason? not if it would holdup.

 

Play nice now boys. A Ford is a Ford. They're all good. Don't care if it's a diesel or a F150. My first car was a Pinto. It was all mine and it was a Ford. I don't come here to hear people bashing Ford. I come here to get solutions that resolve Ford problems.

 

^There is my reason. That's when I first heard eveyone saying that you have to drive them hard. It was to blow all the crap out of the 6.0s.

Look, I'm just telling you what the facts are with our ambulances. They are on duty 24/7 and make between 8-14 runs per day. One has about 46K on it as it was OOS after being wrecked. The other has somewhere in the mid 60s on it. IDK exactly as I haven't been on that unit in a while.

The 7.3s had no problem with this life, the Cummins (over 155K) has no problems, the 6.4 in all it's 1311 miles has not had any problems. The 2 6.0s here and the 1 6.0 at my old department had tons of problems. Those are facts.

You don't have to like my opinion. That's why it's my opinion. It's not like I don't like the engine for no reason. I really, really liked it on paper. However, in real life it has let me down.

Mike

 

Can you get some for me. Please. I ran out.

 

[QUOTE=BLK94F150You don't have to like my opinion. That's why it's my opinion. It's not like I don't like the engine for no reason. I really, really liked it on paper. However, in real life it has let me down.

Mike[/QUOTE]

I did'nt say I did'nt like it I said I dont agree. I said I valued it matter of fact.

 

Unfortunately with these diesel trucks being so expensive a motor issue is a little scary, but every vehicle has it's issues.

The transfer case has been a wrestling match on my 1976 highboy since I bought it in 1982, 25 years and a re-build later it's still a problem. Sometimes it wants to go into 4 wheel drive no problem, and sometimes I have to rock the truck back and forth with use my foot on the lever. The power steering is also a joke, you drive it around town and you feel like you just came from the gym...LOL!

The brakes on my Tahoe are just terrible from day one, and are totally inadequate. I don't like to tow with it because of the total lack of stopping power.

My sister's Audi A6 Quatro takes the cake as the all time biggest money pit on wheels. The car is a disaster! You name it and it has been repaired.

I have never owned a 6.0, and thus have no opinion on it, but there are a lot of negative posts on this site about them?