Looking at new truck....

[e-town22]

The 04 I was looking at sold. I am now look at an 03 and 2000. The 03 is a 6.0. Is there aby stuff I should be worried about the 03?? It only has 97,xxx miles on it. Would you rather have a 7.3 with 176,xxx or a 6.0l with alot less? If the newer tranny more reliable when left stock? Please help a newbie out.

[Rotbody]

Get a Oasis Report on the truck, 2nd thing is If you possibly can spend 4 grand after the purchase later on then go with a 6.0 just in case things start goin wrong.

[WOLFMAN45]

The 7.3 has proven itself time and again as a VERY reliable engine. Heck 176,000 on it? It's just getting broken in man!!! Take care of it, and it'll still run good at 500,000.

[dazdillenger]

After owning both trucks, I'd never buy a 7.3 over a 6.0 again. The power, delivery, and more importantly the transmission is better. The 6.0 can be reliable with the proper upkeep, but I would expect to do headgaskets/studs/oil cooler/egr cooler eventually. Get a scangauge from autozone, drive the truck until it's warmed up and measure the difference in oil temp vs coolant temp at cruising speeds. That, and check for signs that coolant has been coming from the degas (overflow) bottle-white residue would be telltale signs. Ultimately it's your choice, do a bit of research, but take what you read with a grain of salt. Opinions are like a#@holes. Everybody has one.

If you're looking for a truck you can neglect, get the 7.3. They tend to survive lack of maintenance much better.