All these post have me scared
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All these post have me scared
I purchased a 2007 f350 about 3 months ago with about 100,000 miles on it. I have been doing a lot of reading about the truck since this is my first diesel truck. The one thing that I keep reading about is the failure rate of the head gasket, and it has me concerned.
I was was planning on putting on a 4" exhaust and removing the cat all together combined with a SCT tune for gas mileage. Is this a mistake for this truck to do this without doing the arp studs in conjunction? I am not racing this thing. I just drive it back and forth to work and plan on towing a travel trailer every once in awhile.
If any of you that have the 6.0 with a lot of mileage that haven't had any issues could please post it sure would make me feel better about my purchase.
Thanks a head of time for any advice you might have.
I was was planning on putting on a 4" exhaust and removing the cat all together combined with a SCT tune for gas mileage. Is this a mistake for this truck to do this without doing the arp studs in conjunction? I am not racing this thing. I just drive it back and forth to work and plan on towing a travel trailer every once in awhile.
If any of you that have the 6.0 with a lot of mileage that haven't had any issues could please post it sure would make me feel better about my purchase.
Thanks a head of time for any advice you might have.
Hotshot
Joined: Aug 2006
Posts: 17,398
Likes: 317
From: Whittier, CA
Did you check the history of the truck via an Oasis report? If so, has it had any HG problems? If not, seems like you've got a pretty solid truck.
But why would you want to screw it up with a tuner. I just don't get this, and we hear it all the time here. Your stated use for the truck certainly does not need a tuner. Just leave it alone.
Put some money aside for repairs. You are going to need it anyway. These pigs are not cheap to work on. If you get a tuner, put even more money away and then if you need studs, so be it.
But why would you want to screw it up with a tuner. I just don't get this, and we hear it all the time here. Your stated use for the truck certainly does not need a tuner. Just leave it alone.
Put some money aside for repairs. You are going to need it anyway. These pigs are not cheap to work on. If you get a tuner, put even more money away and then if you need studs, so be it.
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I can live without the tuner but I was actually adding the exhaust to have better flow as to remove heat. Is my thinking wrong in this matter? Or is this just going to add more horsepower and cause issues with the heads?
Hotshot
Joined: Aug 2006
Posts: 17,398
Likes: 317
From: Whittier, CA
Exhaust is fine. No HG issues with that. It does lower EGT a bit, which is a good thing. Just don't go over 4", because you might not like the loss of low end response.
I'm not "anti-tuner", although I might give that impression. It just seems like so many people buy these trucks and for some reason, they think they just have to get a tuner. Maybe they've been told they need one by people, I don't know. But tuners are not without risk, and it is a hell of a motor without adding a tune. Drive it for a year and see if it doesn't satisfy you. You can always play later, and that's all a tuner is really, something to play with.
I'm not "anti-tuner", although I might give that impression. It just seems like so many people buy these trucks and for some reason, they think they just have to get a tuner. Maybe they've been told they need one by people, I don't know. But tuners are not without risk, and it is a hell of a motor without adding a tune. Drive it for a year and see if it doesn't satisfy you. You can always play later, and that's all a tuner is really, something to play with.
Posting Guru
Joined: Sep 2009
Posts: 1,739
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From: Virginia beach, VA
people say the SCT with a custom tune will be fine with the stock head bolts, but i would just play it safe and keep it all stock. unless of course you can afford to burn the money. most (not all) of the horrors stories you hear are from people that abuse their vehicles and/or dont keep up with regular maintenance. just enjoy the truck. remember, its a machine anything can be fixed.
Junior User
Joined: Oct 2009
Posts: 95
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From: Fargo North Dakota
My brothers 05 has the bully dog tuner and outlook monitor and has had 0 problems, aside from a bad pyro, he was registering 1600 degree EGT's at idle lol. He mostly uses to pull his trailer for work, and doesn't abuse it much. It has 70 or 80k on it iirc. Mind you I'm knocking on wood but his runs great.
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Postmaster
Joined: Oct 2008
Posts: 3,924
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From: Richmond BC
keep in mind ALOT of the 6.0 headgasket issues were with the first few model years...
ur 07 "should" be ok...
i dont think its the tuners that cause the issue its using a tuner to add LOTS of power.. with a basic return to something thats for better drivability/MPG, i think you'll be fine..
Mike @ 5Star knows his stuff... i'd trust his fuel maps better then a stock Ford one...
now if u wanan throw another 150HP/TQ at that stock 6.0 then i'd be expecting to see HG issues...maybe not right away...
ur 07 "should" be ok...
i dont think its the tuners that cause the issue its using a tuner to add LOTS of power.. with a basic return to something thats for better drivability/MPG, i think you'll be fine..
Mike @ 5Star knows his stuff... i'd trust his fuel maps better then a stock Ford one...
now if u wanan throw another 150HP/TQ at that stock 6.0 then i'd be expecting to see HG issues...maybe not right away...
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I've never been tuned and blew the head gaskets on my '06 with only 35,000 miles. I too pull a travel trailer, but not a big one-only 22' and about 6,000# max. You can blow em stock too, just luck(or lack there of) of the draw I guess. Also, I don't rag on my truck and drive hard or try to race, just drive it and take good care of it, still had HG issues. The tuner will definitely up your chances of problems.
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Joined: Jan 2008
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From: Maine, Virginia
I purchased a 2007 f350 about 3 months ago with about 100,000 miles on it. I have been doing a lot of reading about the truck since this is my first diesel truck. The one thing that I keep reading about is the failure rate of the head gasket, and it has me concerned.
I was was planning on putting on a 4" exhaust and removing the cat all together combined with a SCT tune for gas mileage. Is this a mistake for this truck to do this without doing the arp studs in conjunction? I am not racing this thing. I just drive it back and forth to work and plan on towing a travel trailer every once in awhile.
If any of you that have the 6.0 with a lot of mileage that haven't had any issues could please post it sure would make me feel better about my purchase.
Thanks a head of time for any advice you might have.
I was was planning on putting on a 4" exhaust and removing the cat all together combined with a SCT tune for gas mileage. Is this a mistake for this truck to do this without doing the arp studs in conjunction? I am not racing this thing. I just drive it back and forth to work and plan on towing a travel trailer every once in awhile.
If any of you that have the 6.0 with a lot of mileage that haven't had any issues could please post it sure would make me feel better about my purchase.
Thanks a head of time for any advice you might have.
Tim
Posting Guru
Joined: May 2003
Posts: 1,990
Likes: 1
From: Middleburg, FL
I've never been tuned and blew the head gaskets on my '06 with only 35,000 miles. I too pull a travel trailer, but not a big one-only 22' and about 6,000# max. You can blow em stock too, just luck(or lack there of) of the draw I guess. Also, I don't rag on my truck and drive hard or try to race, just drive it and take good care of it, still had HG issues. The tuner will definitely up your chances of problems.
Post Fiend
Joined: Feb 2007
Posts: 5,078
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From: Rural WV
LOL...welcome to the great debate...to chip it or not to chip it....that's been the question!
FYI, I have one of the very early 6.0s...number 812 off the line. I bought the truck back in Feb of 07 and it had 34K miles on it. Today the truck has 99,600 trouble free miles on it. The truck is bone stock except some mirrors.
I too tow but very infrequently (I probably had almost 5K on several towing trips) mostly the utility trailer full of crap. Mine has been great. As a matter of fact, I just replaced the original factory batteries this past Saturday. I kept one of them to put in my 72 International dump truck because they were still registering better than 750 CCAs.
Do your homework...read everything you can find on this site...then make your decision. I've kept mine unchipped because it would be a major expense for me. I've got all the horsepower I need, I'm getting 16 MPG on a F250 crew cab with a short bed, and when I cruise down the interstate, I'm the guy in the green King Ranch doing 75 to 80 and she does it like she loves it!
My personal opinion is to leave it stock...but it is YOUR truck!
Joe
FYI, I have one of the very early 6.0s...number 812 off the line. I bought the truck back in Feb of 07 and it had 34K miles on it. Today the truck has 99,600 trouble free miles on it. The truck is bone stock except some mirrors.
I too tow but very infrequently (I probably had almost 5K on several towing trips) mostly the utility trailer full of crap. Mine has been great. As a matter of fact, I just replaced the original factory batteries this past Saturday. I kept one of them to put in my 72 International dump truck because they were still registering better than 750 CCAs.
Do your homework...read everything you can find on this site...then make your decision. I've kept mine unchipped because it would be a major expense for me. I've got all the horsepower I need, I'm getting 16 MPG on a F250 crew cab with a short bed, and when I cruise down the interstate, I'm the guy in the green King Ranch doing 75 to 80 and she does it like she loves it!
My personal opinion is to leave it stock...but it is YOUR truck!
Joe
