New to diesels, want to get a 6.0. Been doing lots of research, looking for input.

[jcm3]

Hey guys, great forum. I'm a forum junkie, and a Ford guy through and through, so I've been doing alot of research lately on getting a used Ford Powerstroke. My thought has been 6.0 or 6.4.

I think I'm leaning toward the 6.0, for a number of reasons:
- cheaper
- better mileage (CA guy, so can't remove the emissions stuff)
- fewer moving parts

I've done alot of research, and was looking for a later 6.0, and was trying to put money aside to bullet proof it right off the bat. I understand that this is not required, but would like to do it right, and do it up front so that I don't have an unanticipated cost later. I also want to have the same shop do an inspection on it before I buy it. I'd also have an Oasis report run before I buy it.

Any thoughts on:
- Which years I should look for? I'm assuming the later the better, as they worked out kinks as they go along.
- Anything specific I should look at, that I might not have picked up in my research so far?
- Anything specifically to avoid?
- Are these things solid enough that I can be more flexible with regards to mileage, considering that I am going to bullet proof it?

It seems like most of the nice trucks that I am coming across are in the $20k-30k range, not much outside of that range. The prices look good, but I'd want to tap into the expertise of this forum before I jump on anything without thinking through it. (not a strong suit of mine)

Thanks for any advice!

[Six0~Stroker]

First if you are serious about a 6.0 you need to get a moniotring solution BEFORE buying a truck so you can check it over while on the test drive...

The three most used from cheapest first: Scangauge2, Edge CS, Edge CTS (the CTS is the most preferred as it can monitor a few more things then the scangauge and is a touch screen compared to the CS which is not.

ok on to your questions...

Any thoughts on:
- Which years I should look for? I'm assuming the later the better, as they worked out kinks as they go along.

I would not be afraid to get any year because they all have their "issues" just different ones which just about equals out thier reliability...
I would personally go with the 05-07 as they have a coil suspension instead of springs in the front, newer exterior, newer interior, and an automatic trailer brake controller < This thing is Awesome!


- Anything specific I should look at, that I might not have picked up in my research so far?
- Anything specifically to avoid?

I would check the deltas, Ficm voltage, Smoke from exhaust, puking from degas bottle and oil leaks (rear main seal is common and a PITA to change!!!)


- Are these things solid enough that I can be more flexible with regards to mileage, considering that I am going to bullet proof it?

If you bullet proof a 6.0 truck correctly the first time I see NO problems or any reason to be worried about them... They are great engines for people that do their research!

If you are not going to delete your EGR cooler due to Emissions, I STRONGLY recommend getting a BPD EGR cooler that does not fail like the OEM ones

Good luck with your purchase

[jcm3]

Six0~Stroker, thanks for the quick response and the great tip. In my research, I have been seeing some trucks out of state (Az, not too far of a drive), so the tip to bring along something to monitor on a test drive is great advice. Thanks!

Thanks for your other input as well. This is a great forum, with very knowledgeable folks. I appreciate all of the info, and hope to be moving on something relatively soon. I'm a huge car guy and did all of my own work on my 500 rwhp 92 Mustang (pulled engines, heads, cam swap, rear end axle changes, etc.), but with three kids and less time, I'm not really into doing that stuff on my own anymore. So, I'll likely check it out very carefully, then have the bullet proofing done by a local shop in Orange County, CA.

GotTruck? in Arizona has some great deals, but it's hard to get a feel for something in pictures. 350-ish miles is a long way to drive to get there and be disappointed. Something local would be better, but they have a few with 50k miles or so (one with 41,000) that are in the $17k-20k range. Wow.

[new2deisel]

Whatever you do, DO NOT go to OC Diesel in Huntington Beach off Gothard to do any work for you. Those guys are complete retards. I am in OC and passed smog with my ID Extreme Street installed. I have the BPD EGR Cooler but it is blocked off in the back and I have a solid uppipe. My EGR Valve is in place but welded shut. Most everything looks stock, I even have my muffler and cat in place. I too would go with an 05-07 because of coil spring front suspension and Imo better looking body style.

[jcm3]

Originally Posted by new2deisel

Whatever you do, DO NOT go to OC Diesel in Huntington Beach off Gothard to do any work for you. Those guys are complete retards. I am in OC and passed smog with my ID Extreme Street installed. I have the BPD EGR Cooler but it is blocked off in the back and I have a solid uppipe. My EGR Valve is in place but welded shut. Most everything looks stock, I even have my muffler and cat in place. I too would go with an 05-07 because of coil spring front suspension and Imo better looking body style.

Good info, thanks.

To both of you, should I be too concerned about the deltas if part of the bullet proofing would be to swap out the egr and oil coolers? I'll have to double-check, but I think an egr cooler and a better oil cooler were on the quote. I'm still waiting for him to e-mail it to me to get the specifics.

I will get the scan tool, though. I'm leaning toward the CTS, since it can do the Ficm voltage also, but it's a bit pricey.

[Catron]

Originally Posted by jcm3

Good info, thanks.

To both of you, should I be too concerned about the deltas if part of the bullet proofing would be to swap out the egr and oil coolers? I'll have to double-check, but I think an egr cooler and a better oil cooler were on the quote. I'm still waiting for him to e-mail it to me to get the specifics.

I will get the scan tool, though. I'm leaning toward the CTS, since it can do the Ficm voltage also, but it's a bit pricey.

Just put in a CTS worth every penny of the $345 shipped I paid.

[new2deisel]

I would consider getting the FICM Tuner from PHP. It's a tuner and gauge in one for only $375 right now. I have on the way. If you are close enough to me and find a truck local then maybe you could use mine.

[Six0~Stroker]

Originally Posted by jcm3

Good info, thanks.

To both of you, should I be too concerned about the deltas if part of the bullet proofing would be to swap out the egr and oil coolers? I'll have to double-check, but I think an egr cooler and a better oil cooler were on the quote. I'm still waiting for him to e-mail it to me to get the specifics.

I will get the scan tool, though. I'm leaning toward the CTS, since it can do the Ficm voltage also, but it's a bit pricey.

What quote?
If they are replacing it before you buy it they will most likely do it wrong and will probably need to be changed again

If you are saying the quote to bulletproof using a BPD oil cooler which costs around $2k then you will NEVER have to worry about your deltas again

[smokersteve]

Check out my links for emissions.

[jcm3]

Originally Posted by Six0~Stroker

What quote?
If they are replacing it before you buy it they will most likely do it wrong and will probably need to be changed again

If you are saying the quote to bulletproof using a BPD oil cooler which costs around $2k then you will NEVER have to worry about your deltas again

I just received the quote, from a So Cal diesel shop. The quote has "oil cooler' in it, but it doesn't specify which brand it is. I can call and find out if it is a good aftermarket one, or if it is just a new stock one. I seem to remember that it was an aftermarket one, but since I'n still new to the Super Duty world, I don't remember which one from our phone call.

I just e-mailed them to find out.

Edit: Just found out, it is a stock replacement. He said that we could go with the bullet proof oil cooler system, but I imagine that would add a bit to the quote. I don't plan on going crazy with it, so should I be ok with a stock cooler after being bullet proofed? (bullet proof EGR cooler included as part of the package)

Thanks again for all of the input!