It is a fair comparison. The comparison between a 6.0 and 7.3 on reliability.


Notice that I did not mention head bolts other than the fact they are too small? The stock head bolts are fine so long as they are installed properly and the truck does not see high boost levels on a regular basis. Ford should have never programmed the engine to allow those high boost levels. Navistar trucks rarely have this issue since the VT365 does not see the boost level a PSD 6.0 sees. As for the robots not installing them correctly? That is a legitimate complaint on reliability. Navistar is at fault there since they built the engines. The only real way to permanently fix the EGR cooler is to replace it with an aftermarket one or install a coolant filter and hope it lasts. It is a poor design. There are trucks that must idle and if you run cetane boost or find 46-52 cetane fuel you can likely avoid a sooted up egr valve. Most people don't realize that and assume its better to idle a diesel. I also believe the VC7B gold antifreeze is partly to blame too. Ford has a special service message which states that vehicles with over 100k miles should service their coolant at 50k mile intervals from then on. I can beat this dead horse all day long. The facts are we have never seen as many failures on the 7.3s as we have seen on the 6.0. The dealer I work for was the #2 selling Ford truck dealer in the nation for quite a few years. Our truck shop has over 30 bays alone. We have 11 Ford Certified Diesel techs. We work on an extraordinary amount of diesel trucks so I see what is good and bad.

For the record I only support using aftermarket parts to fix something once its a proven fix. I use OEM parts first and foremost.

Glad you 6.0 has treated you well. You are one of the few that has followed the maintenance book and made yours last. If you are running a aftermarket tune you are playing with fire. Good luck.

I am off the soap box.

 

Once again, how do you show that people weren't running a tune that would allow for high boost levels? During the early years of the 6.0, things were overlooked a little more then in the later years.


No, that is an issue of quality control. You said that as long as they were installed correctly, they were fine. That means that the design is sound as long as they are installed correctly. If they aren't then it's the problem of not watching the quality of the installation. It's the same exact issue with ARP studs. ARP studs don't do squat if the installation isn't up to snuff.


First off, it's the oil cooler that people complain about on the design. Too small of passageways. However as long as there isn't any casting sand(which mine did not have), you won't have a problem. That is also a quality control issue. Which is what the coolant filter is supposed to filter out. The EGR cooler is not the issue. Repeat EGR cooler replacement is due 99% of the time because the oil cooler was not replaced. The EGR cooler is fine.

I do not advocate, nor do I use a coolant filter. I don't believe they are necessary. Given the fact that I have both my EGR cooler and my Oil cooler intact and the stock ones, I can say that with the upmost confidence.

I have never once used nor advocate fuel additives. I highly suggest a high idle circuit installed though. Did you not read my post about the evils about assuming what could be gotten away with the older diesels versus the new ones? I've already touched on the evils of over idling without a high idle circuit on the 6.0.


Once again are you actually looking into the specifics as to what went wrong? It's quite a different thing to just say the heads blew on the 6.0. However, you find out that the 6.0 had an Edge Juice that would lead one to a different conclusion then just saying the 6.0 blew heads. Do you see the difference between the two? How many people would actually bother to go beyond the surface in determining things like this?

Unfortunately, that doesn't ultimately mean that the dealership is a good one to deal with or the quality of the techs. We have a Ford dealership here that owns most of the vehicle dealerships(not just Ford) in this geographic region, until recently they had a very bad history of cheating people, but they had a monoply over the region so they survived. Plus I'm only taking you on your word(no offense, just have to mention that).

I'm afraid not. You advocated specifically an a/m EGR cooler, that really isn't needed as the main cause of concern would actually be the Oil Cooler and that would only be a concern if there was casting sand left in the engine after manufacture.

I'm putting down 508HP and 721FT/LBs of TQ and have been for the last 3 yrs. It hauls ~16k in horseflesh regularly and not a lick of trouble.

I'm more likely to get rid of my 5.4 then I am my 6.0. By the way, I've owned my 6.0 since it just had 20 miles on the odometer. So far I'm it's only owner. Statistically speaking, if the 6.0 is as bad as you say it is, something would have given on it by now. I have had to only replace the a/c control unit and one FICM after 5 yrs. Both of which were done under warranty.

 

Guess we will have to agree to disagree.

 

I say buy a dually, once you tow with one, you will wonder how you went without it for so long.
I dont care what engine is in it.

 

Thats awesome with that history. When i bought my 6.0, the oasis said it has only been in the shop once for a VSS sensor on the diff in 75k. I bought it with that many miles last feb. It now has 96k. and has been in for a STC fittin, and 2 inject and degas bottle. I personally think i got a good truck but i think im paying for the previous owners arrogance on maintenance. Although STC fittings where a common problem and not due to maintenance errors, so thats outta the pic. But im startin to think my FICM is goin bad. When i brought the truck home, the fuel fitler was abosolutly terrible, which says the prev owner never replaced em and one of the batts were bad a month later which explains the soon to be bad FICM. What my quest is tex, do you think since im taking good care of it and doin maintenance religiously that its to late and that my truck will suffer with problems down the road? related to poor maint? Sorry to get off topic op

 

I think you might be playing "catch up" for awhile. Bad batteries, bad fuel filters etc. I'm not surprised that you've had FICM issues and injector issues. Bad batteries would play hell with the FICM and the FICM could play hell with the injectors compound that with bad fuel filters and boom bye bye injectors.

There might be other marginal injectors just waiting to go out on you, I don't know. There may not be, but that's what I would hold out on for awhile anyway.

Either way, I would keep up with treating her right and keep up with all the service and do it when it needs to be done. Use the severe service schedule to, doesn't matter if you truly need it or not, it helps.

The 6.0 is expensive arm candy. Take her out every once and a while, let her get some type of workout and treat her right and you'll be the envy around town. Don't treat her right and she'll let you know right quick.

 

lol i drive it about 700 miles week. 85% of that time is towin 7k+, so she gets worked out. Previous owner towed alot to. She gets warmed up for ten mins before i drive it if its a cold start by high idle nor do i hammer it when cold. Oil changed every 5k, Primary and secondary Fuel filter every 10k, just did air filter all OEM filt + oil, two brand new optima yellow tops. Im thinkin about gettin the extended warrenty for another 48k, when mine 5yr/100k expires in the next couple months. You think thats smart? Hopefully shell get caught up breaking from the previous owners arrogance by the end of the extended warrenty being up lmao

Edit: BTW the injector issue and bad batt issue happend to months ago and every morning for the past 2 or 3 days shes startin to exhibit cold/rough start again, but fine when warmed up. But not alotta greyish blueish smoke like last inject issue. So im guessin since i had those two bad batts two months ago, that the FICMs startin to go cause of that

 

That sounds good right there. What might help cold start to, if you haven't already done it is switch to synthetic after you check out the FICM. I know synthetic helped my cold start. It just depends on how cold is cold start. I'm talking winter cold.

I wouldn't rule it out, that's for sure.

 

Im 3,000 on my current change. But next change ill try it. What oil should i get syn? I heard 5w40 was good for that prob to?

And im for sure not gonna rule it out. Since i replaced injectors last month, thats second on my list to look at. But since my tech said i only had one functioning batt when my batt went bad, thatll make me check the FICM first. then inject. But thats when i get time lol since i basically live in the truck during the day

EDIT: When i say cold start, my trucks doin this stuff in 50 degree weather

 

I'm with franko......get the dually, and for being in style the KR for sure.

I'm also not going to get into what engine is best

 

That would bring the thread to 8000 count fast
Might be worth pointing that dually not only is having higher load capacity, but also less problems with trailer fishtailing.
Good points about 6 liter, but I disagree about high prices on 7.3. I've seen one F250 with less than 200k sold for less than 5 grands a month ago.
I dive lot on deserts where nearest service station can be 300 miles away. Reliability for me is #1 and I can live with 7.3 noise for that.
BTW one explanation why 7.3 is not selling too many of OEM parts might be, that not too many owners run them stock and there is huge aftermarket for parts for those engines. I have a feeling I am the only one with stock 7.3 on this forum.

 

5w40 is good. As to what oil you should go with, that'll be another lengthy thread in of itself. I like Mobil 1, Rotella seems to be the more popular one.


I would say that synthetic should help you out. 50 degrees is starting to get down there. It's not like starting cold in the middle of summer, that would be a different situation.

 

Ok thanks. ill let ya know how the cold starts are when i change the oil!

Edit: No it isnt cold starting in the summer. With the bad injectors it was

Barebones, were talking above zero

 

Oh yeah, fifty degrees is really starting to get down there........ Wait a minute, are you talking ABOVE zero, or BELOW?

 

I pull a 30' 4 horse Sundowner Trailer with a 10 foot living quarters and enclosed generator. Loaded with horses, hay, fuel, people, water, and food the truck and trailer weigh 24,000. I use a 2000 F350 4wd srw 7.3 extra cab air bags auto. I also owned a 2002 F350 crew cab dually auto 4wd 7.3. I preferred the dually but it was stolen and wrecked. I would like to have a dually version of my truck, but I can not justify all the money involved with a new truck and I can find nothing wrong with my 2000 and it has 180,000 miles.