I have a 2004 4x4 F350 with the 6.0L PSD. It has a 4" exhaust but otherwise is stock,it has just turned over 80000 miles. We tow a Jayco 23B hybrid trailer and have been less than impressed. I can do 60 to 65 but if there is any head wind or hills that is about it and then it seems to be really working. I figure my trailer is 5500 lbs and the truck has about 500 lbs including passengers in it. How do guys pull a 10 or 12000 lb trailer and pass me doing 75mph on the interstate in the same wind when this 23B seems to be a tough pull. OR am I simply expecting too much out of a 6.0 just because it's a diesel?? Thanks in advance

 

A custom tune would probably help. Do you have any gauges? Maybe you're not building enough boost?

 

It doesn't sound normal. You should haul that 23 footer like it's barely there. You need to get the truck into a dealer and get it checked out for low power. Check out the 6.0 forum. There are some posts on this very subject. A custom tune can only mask a problem that could be fixed under warranty. Sorry about that Riggz, but he needs to fix what's wrong before the mods.

 

The 2004 to 2007 6 liter Ford Diesel has more than its share of problems but power is not one of them.I have a completely stock 2004 with 48,000 miles on it and it pulls great. I have pulled 13,000 pounds with no problem. With my current fifth-wheel at 11,000 pounds I rarely drop below 60. I also think you have a boost problem.

 

Did you mean to say 2003-2007 6 liter diesel?

 

you really shouldn't have that much problems pulling that trailler. Somthing is wrong. Before I put the programer in my truck I would pull my 15000 pound trailler at 60-65 with no problems.

 

Something is wrong. Do you see a lot of smoke when pulling hard? I would have it looked at, it could be a turbo (under 5/100 warranty) or a sensor (may or may not be under warranty). It should pull 5500lb like it isn't there.

 

That's why I suggested that maybe he wasnt building enough boost.

 

Yes I pull my 26' around 8,000 and if I wanted to I can and have pulled at 90-??? don't know what she'll run, but like it wasn't there. My 1/2 ton would only do 65-70 With a strong tailwind & on flat ground at 3500RPM Thats why I bought a diesel. But yes you're problems is something other than the truck!!!! Get it fixed before even thinking of a programer!!

 

I have a 2009 forest river sierra 5th wheel with an overall legnth of 40 ft. It has 4 slides and weighs 12,000 dry. My F-350 with the 6.0L tows it like an animal.

 

My '04 is my first VGT diesel...but not the first diesel I've run. What are the symptoms of stuck vanes? No power until high RPM seem to come to mind. How often do you drive the truck and do you hear the turbo "winding up" when you driving? I can hear my stock turbo at 1,500 when tooling around town and if I don't have the jukebox on (radio) I can hear it when the truck climbs a grade on the interstate. I'm no PSD tech, just through some thoughts out there.

 

Weight wise you are pulling nothing ( relatively speaking )
I load a flatbed behind my 05 on occasion weighing 10k, including trailer.
I can roll smoke off the tires with the trailer hooked up. Power is not a problem with the 6.0L get it checked out!

 

I am bringing it to my local dealer for their diesel tech to look at next week. Thanks for the advice. We have gas 1/2 tons at work that would work less pulling this trailer but I just wanted to make sure I wasn't missing something. I will post an update when I get the truck back next week.

 

I would definitely agree on a boost issue...Just went thru the same issue on my 04,,,Wouldn't pull my 30ft 11K touyhauler worth a damn....Dealer changed ICP and another sensor and its connector,,,,Now it pulls it great...I dont even know its there until slowing down....

 

There may be nothing really wrong with the OP's truck. Let me relate my tail...

My 2004 6.0 towed really well when I first got it, plenty of power with my 8000 lb trailer. Over the next three years of new engine calibrations from Ford (reflash of the PCM/TCM) the power progressively got lower and lower. Each time a new flash (around 5 total over the 3 years), more power was lost. The truck ran "good" each time, just less overall performance. I had gauges installed from the first, and boost was around 27 max in all cases. Complaining to the dealer never resulted in anything good happening, all checked out well in each case. Some trucks just seem to be susceptible to loosing power with the newer flashes then others, mine included...

I kept reading here about all the power potential of the 6.0, and what mine used to be like new from the factory. Got an SCT X3 with pre-programmed heavy tow tune, and the performance was back to the way it started new. The custom heavy tow tune provided from Spartan (yes I got mine from him with the X3 back when he could support the 6.0) with the EGR turned off is wonderful to tow with. Boost max is around 25, EGT never exceeds 1300 on the worst 7% grades holding speed at 60 with my now 14K 5th wheel. Putting the truck back to stock makes it a real slug!