Possible Diesel owner
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Possible Diesel owner
I'm looking for a new family vehicle. We have a small SUV and my kids are old enough to start camping. we went this past year and I had to start renting a bigger car to haul all the stuff. I want a Excursion and I want a diesel. I have a split 50/50 on weather to go with the 7.3 or the 6.0.
My question is with all the crap that I hear about the 6.0 what has to be done to make them go 300k+? I heard something about the head gasket, head studs and an EGR delete.
What would I be getting my self into with a 6.0? Please forgive me for my ignorance, I have been a petrol head my whole life and never owned a diesel and figured now is the time to jump in.
My question is with all the crap that I hear about the 6.0 what has to be done to make them go 300k+? I heard something about the head gasket, head studs and an EGR delete.
What would I be getting my self into with a 6.0? Please forgive me for my ignorance, I have been a petrol head my whole life and never owned a diesel and figured now is the time to jump in.
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Junior User
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I want the diesel because the company I work for has some of the best tuners in the country and they can make it really fun to drive and maybe get some better mileage out of it than stock. I'm on here because I want some pure facts on what i would need to do to not run into any major issues down the road.
Post Fiend
Joined: Jul 2005
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Tuners?
You are into an expensive hobby
Any tuner that promises extra power mean extra stresses on a system it is not rated for.
There goes reliability.
Get better mileage than stock?
5% might be doable, 10% at the edge.
Any more than that.... and you are into snake oil.
IMHO, there is a fundamental conflict between your goals of a tuned (meaning hopped up) toy, and a reliable ride for 300,000 miles.
If you want the latter, the mods should ONLY address durability and reliability, and not do anything to the performance boost (either power, mileage, or whatever).
Get a gasser.
You are into an expensive hobby
Any tuner that promises extra power mean extra stresses on a system it is not rated for.
There goes reliability.
Get better mileage than stock?
5% might be doable, 10% at the edge.
Any more than that.... and you are into snake oil.
IMHO, there is a fundamental conflict between your goals of a tuned (meaning hopped up) toy, and a reliable ride for 300,000 miles.
If you want the latter, the mods should ONLY address durability and reliability, and not do anything to the performance boost (either power, mileage, or whatever).
Get a gasser.
Cargo Master
Joined: Apr 2010
Posts: 2,405
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There is a common denominator with the 6.0 (and to some extent the 7.3) and longevity issues - tuners. Changing the program without doing the appropriate mechanical upgrades severely shortens the dependability of the engine. If you need a family camping truckster, be conservative with the tunes. If you are going to build a 4 ton hot rod, make sure you build it right.
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I have seen tuned 6.0s easily going into the 250-300k range. I've been a mechanic for a while now and know that if I want a car or truck to last a while then you baby the hell out of it. BUT I also know that you still can have some fun with it on rare occasions and make them put down some impressive power. There are 6.0 school buses that have the same motor and basic CPU as the trucks and vans that have the same towing tunes on them that SCT uses to make more power and they are in the 400 500k range before a rebuild.
Forget all this tuner stuff. I want a diesel and that is the end of that argument. What needs to be done to them like I posted originally so that I don't have massive engine failure. My Uncle had one in his 350 and it had 100k on it when he traded it in and about a month later and it needed a complete rebuild. I just don't want that to happen to me.
(SCT has some stock tunes that come on the tuner that can increase power close to 200-300 tq and 100+hp. I would maybe use that once just to see what it could do. AND most of the time my family would be in the car and my wife would hit a tree with all that extra power.)
Forget all this tuner stuff. I want a diesel and that is the end of that argument. What needs to be done to them like I posted originally so that I don't have massive engine failure. My Uncle had one in his 350 and it had 100k on it when he traded it in and about a month later and it needed a complete rebuild. I just don't want that to happen to me.
(SCT has some stock tunes that come on the tuner that can increase power close to 200-300 tq and 100+hp. I would maybe use that once just to see what it could do. AND most of the time my family would be in the car and my wife would hit a tree with all that extra power.)
Last edited by Richie.Rich; Sep 28, 2010 at 12:00 PM. Reason: added something
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Post Fiend
Joined: Jul 2005
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Well, if we failed to dissuade you... and you really want it...
There are a number of threads for check lists before you buy.
IMHO, the best deal is a vehicle that was an urban city delivery truck that did get some occasional (once a month) WOT to clear the crud.
A block that has 200,000 miles on it... well seasoned, and ready for a custom rebuild.
There are a number of threads for check lists before you buy.
IMHO, the best deal is a vehicle that was an urban city delivery truck that did get some occasional (once a month) WOT to clear the crud.
A block that has 200,000 miles on it... well seasoned, and ready for a custom rebuild.
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Senior User
Joined: Jul 2007
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From: central valley, CA
Most mods that help reliability involve arp head studs, egr delete or replace with bulletproof egr. Bulletproof also makes a remote oil cooler. Coolant filter, STC fitting and stand pipe upgrade kit. Turbo drain tube, bb fuel mod or upgraded fuel pressure spring. Gauges are a must as well. EOT vs ECT and EGT's, tranny temps eg cetera.
Posting Guru
Joined: Nov 2009
Posts: 1,522
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From: Liberty, NC
Go for it and check out the excursion forum also. For me, its maintenance, maintenance and staying on top of the maintenance. I haven't ran into any problems yet, but I do have a oil leak that never hits the ground that's been like that for 9 months and could be atleast a $2000 job. I'll take care of it when it finally decides to hit the ground. With your company vehicles being 6.0, you kindof know what you're getting into and will find out that the X will take you down the road a long ways. Throw in the egr delete and the other mods the guys have mentioned.
I'm hitting easy street
Joined: Nov 2009
Posts: 6,395
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From: Central Oregon
What ever you look at, get the Oasis report on everything you look at. I would buy a Scangauge II or Edge insight to go shopping with. Scangauge II = $160 Edge insight with out EGT = Not sure on the current price of Edge
Test ride until it is warmed and start checking ECT+EOT and every thing else either one will test. The oil cooler is a big culprit of problems with the 6.0L's EGR system.
Have fun shopping! Let us know what you get!
Test ride until it is warmed and start checking ECT+EOT and every thing else either one will test. The oil cooler is a big culprit of problems with the 6.0L's EGR system.
Have fun shopping! Let us know what you get!