Trading in/up. What say you?

[staggart]

2003 - F350 - 100K. Well last month I dumped a Grand in the old girl and now this month she would not start only to find out the FICM needs replaced at $950.00. After reading treads on this forum, I'm pretty much convinced it time for the old 6.0 to go before I have a turbo breakdown.

I've owned Ford trucks all my life and need your help deciding gas or stick with diesel. Are the 2008 powerstrokes more reliable that the 6.0 or should I consider gas? I value your wisdom.:

[ToMang07]

Originally Posted by staggart

2003 - F350 - 100K. Well last month I dumped a Grand in the old girl and now this month she would not start only to find out the FICM needs replaced at $950.00. After reading treads on this forum, I'm pretty much convinced it time for the old 6.0 to go before I have a turbo breakdown.

I've owned Ford trucks all my life and need your help deciding gas or stick with diesel. Are the 2008 powerstrokes more reliable that the 6.0 or should I consider gas? I value your wisdom.:

Prolly gonna catch flack...but the 6.0 is the least reliable, IMHO. I would Go with the 7.3 or the 6.7 Diesel. I will NEVER go back to gas. Plus the Ford gass engines have spark plug/head problems.

I filled up last night, and even after plowing a few times, I was still getting about 15mpg. With my old truck, (5.7HEMI) I would get 10-12 highway, and 8-10 plowing.

Diesel ROCKS!

[venturesomerite]

Perhaps you just got "that truck". I had a Dodge Dakota that was $200 every other week consitantly to keep it going.

There's always the 7.3, but I assume you're looking for a newer truck.

IMO avoid change over years, IE the first year of a new motor. That way if you give it a year or two generally the kinks are worked out of the new designs, and they are done mish moshing new and old parts to get them off the shelf, example: the 99 trucks.. Just food for thought., my truck is a 99 and is this way.

I have driven a dually v10 f350 and man would I NEVER buy one with that motor, thing sucks gas just looking at it. Gets 6-8 mpgs consitently, mostly highway. Just my experience. I'll never go back to gas.

[diablos30]

they are only unreliable if you dont address the well known issues they have. they have all been well documented on here so all you have to do is read.

also, if your buying your parts from ford (like your ficm) your getting raped. you could have tried re-soldering it using the instructions in the the tech section or bought from swamps and saved.

[fordpwrstroke7]

The 7.3 is a great motor. However, after owning 2 of them and now driving a 6.0, there's no doubt that the 6.0 is my preferred motor between the 2. I have had all the typical 6.0 problems and I still prefer this motor to the 7.3. As someone else previously stated, if you have a motor that addresses the issues that have plagued the 6.0, you'll be much happier than you would with a 7.3.

[bfrank81]

It's just my opinion but I would say get yourself a good FICM from Swamps or someone else and call it a day. That is of course if you still like your truck. If you want an upgrade go get a new one.

[Bart_3500]

Good Morning! Only my opinion, but (like my guns) you couldn't pry the steering wheel of my 02 (7.3) outta my cold dead fingers I know that finding a low mileage 7.3 is tough, it's worth the look and price. My rig has 105K now and just coming into it's own. My best friend has an 06 6.0 and it's in the shop about as much as it's out. I can't tell you the number of times he's asked me if we can trade. As for performance, the few times he's driven my truck he LOVES it's get up and go. Good luck in your decision and stay diesel if you accurally use the truck. If it's a commuter then get a gasser. About 75% of the time my truck tows a 5th wheel with a '66 Bronco inside. All total, bumper to bumper it weigh in at 28K pounds. Yea, I know it's overloaded, but to date it has never batted an eye about it. The automatic is doing just fine. Even though John Woods of JW automotive says the automatic behind the 6.0 is super wonderful. I like my 4r100. It's only a 4 speed auto, but I can control what gear it's in to keep my engine R's in the power band. From my experience with my B.F's 6.0 I'd have a stick trans so that I didn't lug the engine. Diesel's do NOT like to be lugged, (low rpms and high power requirements). I sometimes wonder if that's not part of the problem of the 6.0 rigs. When pulling a grade I can drop a gear and pull at close to 3K rpms. My B.F.'s rig is blowing black smog and chuging up the hill at speeds lower than I'd like (keeping my r's high enough so as to not lug it). Food for thought

[ToMang07]

Originally Posted by diablos30

they are only unreliable if you dont address the well known issues they have. they have all been well documented on here so all you have to do is read.

also, if your buying your parts from ford (like your ficm) your getting raped. you could have tried re-soldering it using the instructions in the the tech section or bought from swamps and saved.

True....problem is, you don't know what has happened to it before you got it... could have had a plugged EGR and had extra pressure/heat on the heads.... might not be blown, but I'm sure it would be weakened.

There is no doubt that a properly maintained 6.0 is a powerful engine... its just your kinda rolling the dice when you buy a used one.

I went with an older truck because I specifically wanted the 7.3... and I couldnt afford the 6.7 Ford/Cummings, lol!

[tuckman]

Originally Posted by staggart

2003 - F350 - 100K. Well last month I dumped a Grand in the old girl and now this month she would not start only to find out the FICM needs replaced at $950.00. After reading treads on this forum, I'm pretty much convinced it time for the old 6.0 to go before I have a turbo breakdown.

I've owned Ford trucks all my life and need your help deciding gas or stick with diesel. Are the 2008 powerstrokes more reliable that the 6.0 or should I consider gas? I value your wisdom.:

Send your ficm to swamps and save yourself some $$$.
Any truck has problems so fixing one and then dumping it 3 or 4 times is gonna get expensive pretty quick. If you have spent the time reading here to figure you are going to have turbo problems. Somewhere along the line you should have seen a few threads on how to make your 6.0 a pretty reliable motor too!

If you really want to get out from under the 6.0, I would say get a GM or Chev with an 8.1L in it. Just get ready for some expensive front end parts from what I hear.
You asked about the 08 trucks, it sounds like the 6.4 has its own set of problems that end up costing a whole motor. I would say check the 6.4 section before going up that road.

I personally would keep the 6.0 and fix it, it's only a ficm.

[legionxxii]

I would just keep the 6.0. Buy a used FICM or send yours in. If you want tear it apart and re-solder it (how to on here). Remember any truck will have issues my brother had a 7.3 that was always having issues. Off the top my head he killed a tranny with 100k miles, injector harness or something sending it into limp mode something broke with the oil system ontop of motor dont member what just pumping oil all over the top of the motor, front end was causing all sorts of issues. Thats from what I can remember him doing within 20k miles of owning the truck. Needless to say there so gutless compared to a 6.0 stock for stock. My 6.0 is at 203k miles and still has stock injectors, head gaskets and egr. FICM I am not sure if its still stock or not. I just had my HPOP go out but I cant really complain or be to mad cause its made it this far.