kingofdodge7131

my oil gauge goes a lil above 40 at throttle and at idle drops almost down to the bottom of the operating range

one4speed

The biggest problem with the 6.0 isn't the problems it's the diagnosis of them. The dang engine is so complex the average tech can not work on them. The dealers with the really good techs seem to have WAY fewer come backs. The bad techs just throw parts at it and hope they hit the problem. I have a friend with an '05 6.0. The truck has been sick since 18,000 miles. It has 48,000 on it now. The truck has had 19 injectors installed, 3 fuel pumps, several flashes and one or two oil coolers. The ***** haven't figured out what is taking the injectors out. The truck went to the 2nd dealer for the last 8 injectors. They put 4 in it and called to come get it. The guys picked it up and made it a quarter of the way home. They put 4 more injectors in and a fuel pump. They called him to come get it. He said NO, you drive it for awhile. When it racks up some miles and is ok I'll come and get it. They took it to lunch that day and it never made it back. They told him they were talking with some national tech guys. He doesn't care and never wants it back.

The end of the story is this. The few folks I've discussed this with don't believe the truck is bad but the techs are missing the root problem. We gave the techs some suggestions (from other Ford techs) and they look at you with a smug "we know everything" look. They have admitted to not checking some of the common stuff.

I could go on but it's really sad. I still think the truck is fine but they just don't know how to work on it.

one4

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NukleusX

Uh oh, dad's only has about 12000 miles IIRC, hope things dont go down south at 18k. With how he drives though I dont think we have much to worry about

RAMRODD

It is for the 05 also. I have recieved several notices from ford on my 05.. Their is no way I am taking that 6.0 to the dealer this one actually runs quiet well (Not as good as the Cummins ) all they will do is screw something up.

FirstDodge

It is really too bad they are having problems, because in the end, it all hurts the American market. I was so furious that they couldn't keep my '03 6.0 running right . . . had $60K in my F450 . Had to sell it with 53K on it. My dad went out an bought a Tundra after seeing the problems I had with the Ford . . . pretty sad that we can't build a handful of reliable diesel engines to put in light trucks. I'm so pleased with the Dodge so far . . . I got out of that Ford just in time!

Ilikebikes

I cringe everytime I see a 6.0 in an F-550. If it can't hold up well in an F-250 or 350, what makes them think it will hold up in a bigger, heavier truck that is going to get worked hard?

On the other hand, I would love to have a Cummins in a new ford.

NukleusX

I saw a funny truck while riding in my buddies rig yesterday, it was apparently a F550 that was turned into a pickup (why people think they need these things as pickups is beyond me really) and the tail lights were molded in, and looked like ones off the previous generation F150s (TINY). I laughed and laughed at it and wished I was in my truck so I could have blown the guy a huge cloud.

FirstDodge

Take a look under your dad's and there is a 50% chance that the bell housing is wet with oil. I hope not (for his sake), but that is just the beginning.

NukleusX

FirstDodge, what does it mean when the bellhousing is wet with oil? I had a valve cover gasket leak (well 4 out of 6, stupid mechanic), and my whole compartment was dirty, and there are some traces of oil under the truck as well. I am hoping it is all just from that leak and not something else.

As for my dad's truck, I will have to pray tonight and look under it tomorrow and hope nothing goes wrong. That service truck is his livelihood, and if it went down he would get his gun and go postal at the ford dealership, he hates those edit.

FirstDodge

I took mine in the first time at 12K because there was motor oil in the transmission bellhousing. To make a long story short, they replace the rear main seal three times, the front crank seal twice, several sensors and it was still leaking oil. I finally called the Ford Customer service line, and the next time I took it in, the dealer pulled the entire engine out of the truck and there was a plate on the back of the motor that was leaking oil, running down the back of the engine and dripping off of the bellhousing. They did fix it. However, I got it back, and in two days, the fuel pump went out . . . I almost went postal in my front yard when it wouldn't start and it had to be towed. It also started leaking coolant (but it didn't drip anywhere . . . bad news).

Anyway, I have several friends that have 6.0's, and about half of them are leaking oil. Some care . . . others don't. A small oil leak at 12K can be a big problem someday when you are pulling a heavy load through the mountians, etc. I didn't want to deal with the hassle any longer. I was without my truck for over two months straight that past summer. CRAZY! On the flip side, some of my friends have very few problems and love it. When it runs, it is a good motor. I hope your dad's is fine.

340duster

My 04 f450 service truck with a 6.0 has held up well for 2 yrs & 52k with no major problems. It's had a couple minor oil leaks but so far OK. My truck weighs 15k EVERY day. I think FURD detuned the 6.0's in the F450/550 because both 6.0 trucks we have top out at 80 mph & the boss's 04 f250 with the 6.0 will run up to over 100 mph. The boss's 03 f450 service truck 6.0 is leaking oil from both mains, when it had less than 1k on it, it was in the shop for sensors & other crap. Some times my truck will have no power when I'm taking off from a light & wont get out of its own way untill I shift to 2nd gear, other times it runs great We got a recall notice on my truck for a flash but we haven't taken it yet, kinda afraid to, they might mess it up. Also our f450 service trucks have 4:88 rear gears in then to get that mass moving, that might be why they top out at 80 mph

one4speed

I have a few other friends that drive 6.0 Fords. One of my buddies has and '03 6.0 that has been flawless. It has 80,000 miles on it and gets the pee worked out of it. It has had a tuner on it from 20,000 miles. His only complaint is the GROSS lack of low end power. He has smoked one clutch due to the lack of low end. You have to rev it pretty high and slip the clutch to get the pig rolling in 1st gear. You can't start in 2nd gear even empty. It is funny that once it's rollin' you can mash the throttle and nothing happens until 2000rpm. The 6.0 doesn't have enough low end torque to unroll toilet paper! That said, once the load is movin, it pulls GREAT! I am not sure which engine pulls better between the 6.0 and the Cummins. I do know that you will get to where you are going 99.9% of the time with a Cummins.

Of all the folks I know with Fords I figured out one thing. DON'T baby the 6.0!! Work the heck out of it and get it hot on a weekly basis. Using a 6.0 for a commuter vehicle isn't a great idea. The VGT vanes get sticky, the EGR carbons up, the injectors get carbon build up...

Work them hard!!

Some suspect that the new "flash" from Ford is cutting back the power to help engine life. There have been several people complain of less power after the flash. I would read the TSB before you have the dealer perform the flash. If you know a tech, that is reliable, ask him/her about it. This is speculation only with no facts. Do the diggin' on your own.

I am a little scared of the EGR stuff coming in the 6.7 Cummins. I hope Chrysler corp had the brains to consult Daimler on there existing egr systems. The European diesels have been running egr for quite awhile. The egr system has plagued the 6.0. Those gasses are meant to go out the pipe not in the engine. Dodge could have the same issues with tech training/diagnosis as Ford did with the 6.0. The only main difference is the fact that there are far less parts on the Cummins. That alone should help their odds.


one4


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SOhappy

My buddy* just got his '05 6.0 reflash done. It runs the injectors for 20 seconds after shut down to purge the oil out of them !

Sounds really, really strange..tappity, tappity, tappity. He reports no loss of power.


*I know, I know. Friends shouldn't let friends drive Fords....