Can someone give me a quick list of issues?
 

Was looking to see what the issues with the 6.4L are and
what are the options on dealing with them.

Thanks for the help.

Your opening yourself up to everyone elses opinion.

Yes they have known issues. (check fords TSB's). They are in my "opinion" a very nice platform to drive, enjoy and maintain. I'm old school 99 7.3 and with that said..........they are bulletproof trucks but they still have an eyebrow that dips. Face it, they all do.


Common issues are a lack of maintenance and care. Downfalls are emission related, (egr's/DPF) that's an easy get them the hell outta there unless you are tested.

Other than that, with timely fluid/filter changes and taking 20 minutes to degause the fuel/water seperator once a month. They are a blessing for guys that drive TRUCKS.

Best advise I can give, glean this forum, (it's like a ghost town compared to others btw) and pick up what u need to make your decision.

After driving a 7.3, still am for quarter million miles, when I do pry my way into the wifes 08 one ton, I feel like jed clampett shooting the family crude with a musket.

How many lawn mowers do you have to go thru until you just say, frick it, let it grow.

Hard question.

Denny

Sean,

No issues that Ford has not already addressed. I've put 40k on my 2008 since January, I love the motor.

I add fuel and drive it with no concerns. Changing oil and fuel filters every 10k.

One thing I do, I add a quart of clean motor oil into the fuel tank like every other tank full.

Delete, MiniMax with Tow.

12mpg at 80mph empty
14mpg at 75mph empty
16mpg at 65mph empty

4:30 rear gears.

Copper can you please explain that one?^^^

-early rocker wear
-early lifter wear
-fuel pump fragments metal particles into fuel system
-stuck injectors due to metal fragments
-hole in piston due to stuck injectors
-high fuel in oil contamination due to the regen process, oil level will rise, main bearings will fail, cracks in injector seats, oil leaks thru seals
-seal under turbo will leak
-coolant will enter oil system from water pump due to cavitation
-oring leaks at coolant tubing
-coolant leaks at egr, hydro-locks engine
-DPF clogs and puts the engine into wrench mode leaving you stranded.
-exhaust sensors fail and puts the engine into wrench mode, leaving you stranded
-water separator does not work very well
-engine work require cab off procedure
-oil cooler will leak into coolant system and vs versa
-coolant system clogs
-repairs are expensive
-too many ambiguous error codes


I also like the engine when it runs


the best fix is prevention as in don't buy one.

buy a 6.7 if possible. lifters are bigger, rockers have a new oil jet on them, waterpump no longer leaks into oil system, etc,

Dammit Fritz. Every time someone asks this...I wait...because I know your scathing response is incoming. And...every time I read it...I fill my pants with the saddest kind of oatmeal.

It is what it is. I just have to hope that it lasts me taking care of the maintenance the way I do.

I knew Fritz would bite like a perch on a minnow.

Love the slap fight!

BTW, pic did you circumsize the EGR's yet or are you waiting for me to do the nasty first??!!

This weekend I go there!!!


Denny

Ha! Denny...I just finished watching a video on EGR removal. I've definitely got the itch. I'm afraid I don't have the tools...and the work intimidates me a bit. I thought about liquid courage...but that probably wouldn't turn out too well. Passed out on the driveway...work gloves on...with a truck half torn apart...lol...now that would be a sight.

That would not be a good place to be if you have someone come home and
find you in that state. and on top of that also find you have drank everything
and none left for others. }>

Ha! Indeed...but I already had one too many...and it was too late.

What would be really weird is...they wake me only to ask why my pants are down and the neighbors are watching.

that was what was requested...a quick list....my not so quick list..is in paragraph form.

in all seriousness, the 6.4L truck can be a great truck if operated in a non extreme duty environment (to me city driving is extreme duty due to the drive 4 blocks, wait 3 minutes at a red light, drive 4 more blocks, repeat.) and the original owner did excellent maint with top shelf maint supplies.

we get a lot of folks who buy 6.x trucks and come on board and say this is happening so what can I do...

once the 6.x is neglected...it cant be unneglected...not very forgiving.

mine is going under the knife for hub bearings this weekend. I have a turbo return line leak that will have to wait. and I get fumes in my cab from some unkown source....probally the fuel line that runs thru the vavle cover body....no seal there and a pretty big gap. I have a lot of blow by, but its clean blow by ..,so my crank case vent into the turbo gets most of it....thinking about a vacume pump to pull the rest of if, but cant find a place for a pully driven vacume pump. all my front end linkages have play so Im doing the drive and wander dance on the high way. Id like to back flush the oil cooler / coolant exchange box soon.

wife wants me to just buy a new truck, but for now, id rather deal with the issues then shell out 80K for a new one.



im running B30 for the last 5K miles and I cant even notice when it regens.

I have a second set of exhuast componets for a someday project of going dual everything which will hopefuly get m more DPF capacity.

cant do deletes in my local due to emissions testing.

Crap dude...that's really getting you there. Wish you could delete. I appreciate the kind words about the 6.4 Fritz. Usually...you take a dump on them...lol...I know...You're just informing people who are asking the tough questions. I guess I just find it slightly entertaining.

Fritz, first off if this is the OK coral, (Pic is not my doc Holiday). (luv ya but ya know).

I feel your pain and suffering with your unit, but we as a clutch haven't developed into that.............YET. I'm sure we will from your excellant posts and forewarness. Fact is, I have a 2008 6.4 and I will leave no man behind.



I owe and pay on it and you are exactly the person's brain I'm taking a probe to.

I look forward to, and write frivelous notes to run right out and check or do each weekend.


Long story short, I pick my shoulders up like I have sunburn and know someone's going to slap my back.

Luv ya!


Denny (and really, thanx Fritz)

Hey now...I think we're all on the same page here. :-drink

I'm probably not qualified to help you, good luck.

I think you are quite qualified. Wait...what? You can't explain your comment? Are you just kidding?

Diesel is very dry, the 6.4L is high Presure fuel not high Presure oil like the 6.0L. Adding clean oil to help with lubricant is just what I do - I'm not interested in a debate with everyone selling snake oil so don't ask.

My truck is the best I've owned, it works for me and I trust the motor which is more than I can say about the three 6.0L I owned.

Copper...Thanks for the reply. I wasn't interested in any kind of "snake oil" conversation. I just wanted to know more about your methodology for adding motor oil into the fuel tank. It sounds interesting.

Yahiko, DON'T DO IT!

I know the 6.0 can be a headache sometimes, but at least their issues can be fixed and they can live long lives. The 6.4 is a whole can of worms you don't want to get into. Think huge $$$ repairs and an engine that wears out very fast for a diesel and is also rarely rebuildable, due to them usually failing catastrophically. There are relatively reliable 6.4s out there, but they are few and far between. It was the engine that made Ford sever their ties with International.

I don't think there is a quick list of issues. It depends on how you drive and how hard people drove the truck you are buying. Some people here had a lot of issues. Others bought a truck that was well maintained and still going strong at double the mileage of the ones with issues.

Well, Denny invited me to this line of thought while I'm pondering where to go with my existing 7.3... EITHER
1) prepare to throw about $6K into it over the next year or so, OR
2) buy a lower mileage replacement 7.3 w/ 4WD and take care of it like my current one, OR
3) buy and bulletproof a 2007 6.0, OR
4) jump into the low-priced fear market of 6.4's and make the most of it.

I believe that I have now, after reading this thread, ruled out the 6.4 option for myself. I still have to decide between the first three choices, but that will develop in the coming months.

OH, BTW... using engine oil as a fuel lubricity additive is not very smart... the oil additives are NOT good for your engine's combustion path. If you want the best down and dirty choice to avoid snake oils, just stick with a much simpler 2-stroke oil instead and you'll get the same lubricity benefits without the potentially damaging additives.

Sean,

Just like most of the questions asked to compare one motor to another, the thread results in snake oil and fear - and fear of snake oil, or oil.

My 6.4L works for me, better than any of the 7.3 or 6.0 motors I've owned - your experience will vary.

lube test results

Lubricity Additive Study Results - Diesel Place : Chevrolet and GMC Diesel Truck Forums

So I do have a lot of 6.0L time and
Now that the insurance CO has come back with a total on the 6.0 I will
be doing something and I want to stay with diesel.

So I do understand the care and maintenance part well. That is why I
wanted the info. I am seeing this so far.
Good fuel not a lot of short drives (likes to be driven) stay on top of
things maintenance wise and it can still like the 6.0 bite you in the ass.

The big difference between the 6.4 and the 6.0 is how bad it bites you in the ass. The 6.4 is a great deal more expensive to fix when things go wrong. They also seem to lose the engine a lot more often. Cracked pistons, stuck open injectors, cavitation eating through front cover, excessive valvetrain wear, sequential turbos, head gaskets, HPFP, lifters, emissions equipment, etc. All these things are known common failure points and cost a hell of a lot more to fix than most 6.0 repairs.

Yahiko, if you have already ruled out another 6.0, a 7.3 would probably cause the least amount of headache. If you can financially swing it, a 2013+ 6.7 would be much better alternative to the 6.4. They cost less to fix and break a lot less often. They also make great power stock and don't need to be deleted to be reliable.

Believe it or not, the 08-2010 duramax has proven to be the best of the DPF equipped trucks without the DEF. I am by no means a duramax fan, but the LMM has a good reputation going for it.
The common rail 5.9 cummins (2003-2007) are reliable, but a stuck open injector can roast a piston in a matter of minutes. It happens all too often and that risk was a factor in me selling my 03 cummins. The overall build quality of the dodges is not nearly as good as the fords or chevys either.
The cummins 6.7s are decent, once deleted. They do have a weak 6-speed automatic that is very expensive to rebuild/replace though, unless you can get your hands on one with an Aisin tranny.

When i bought my current truck (late 99 7.3) i had the 6.0s and 7.3s on the radar. I could afford a 6.4, but not a lower mile 6.7. I could not find a studded 6.0 that wasn't either overpriced or beat on. I ended up finding my 7.3 with 121k miles and never been tuned and had no aftermarket parts at all. The only major problem is a clogged tranny cooler, that has led to the previous owner overheating the tranny severely. It's still in the truck, but it's obvious the ol' 4r100 is on its last leg. It gets up to 230f just driving around unloaded for 30 minutes and flares and/or drags the shifts.

Could not have said it better myself!

I have put almost 36,000 miles on my 2016, and I couldn't be happier. Yes, every now and then I do miss the "clatter" of my 2007, but hitting that skinny pedal of my 2016 still puts a smile on my face every time. My diesel repair work has decreased significantly since the 6.0L/6.4L engines have gone out of warranty by now. That should tell you something about the 6.7L, which has now been in production for seven model years by the way.