Do 2006 and 2007 absolutely need Bulletproofing?

[MikeP]

Do the 2006 and 2007 absolutely need Bulletproofing?

I thought I read on here somewhere Ford fixed most of the issues by then. I'm lookin for my first F250 and not sure if I should go 6.0 or 7.3

[Adamv7010]

My 06 needs an oil cooler as we speak...why not do the studs and gaskets and egr delete as a preventive measure?

If you use the truck to its potential, it will break...simple as that


But I must ad, I bought an 06 for the reasons you said...the issues were said to have been resolved by these years...

[MikeP]

I test drove a 2006 yesterday. Do you know what this thing is?

[Lilfarmrboy]

Yea someone put in a coolant filter. A must have for the 6.0 to get the trash out of the coolant to prevent or prolong oil cooler life.

[Lilfarmrboy]

Originally Posted by MikeP

Do the 2006 and 2007 absolutely need Bulletproofing?

I thought I read on here somewhere Ford fixed most of the issues by then. I'm lookin for my first F250 and not sure if I should go 6.0 or 7.3

The 06 and the 07 had the least amount of problems of the 6.0 family tree. With that being said there are still some things that owners should do to prevent failures. Coolant filter is a must. It traps all the casting sand and rust that seems to plauge most 6.0s. This crap will get stuck in your oil cooler and lead to a plugged oil cooler which in turn leads to a ruptured EGR cooler or a blown headgasket. Thats the curse with the 6.0, most failures are cascading starting with the oil cooler. Fix the root of the problem and your motor "should" run you many miles trouble free with nothing more than good maintenance and an occasional look over. There are aftermarket companies that make upgraded oil coolers, Bullet Proof Diesel is one that has many followers. I see you live in Cali, you can't delete the EGR system without getting the Po Po's on your azz so BPD also makes and upgraded EGR cooler that is a lot better than the Ford unit that will not burst. The 7.3 although more reliable, really has nothing over the 6.0 in terms of power and torque. The 7.3 can takes lots of crap and abuse where the 6.0 requires more maintanence but can be just as reliable as soon as the kinks are worked out. Also ARP head studs are a popular option as well as the OEM headbolts are weak. Stock trucks should be fine but if you max out your rig or add power they usually will fail at some point.

[Adamv7010]

I would check for studs on that one...chances are they might have done that as well...

Are the gaskets prone to blowing on the 06-07 provided the egr ans oil coolers are dealt with?

[MikeP]

Sorry to be such a noob, but how do I check the studs?

[Lilfarmrboy]

Look where the heads are just under the Alternator on the block. If you see bolts then you got head bolts, if you see a Nut screwed on stud then you got head studs. There should be a pic on here somewhere of just google it.

[dfuzz78]

Originally Posted by Adamv7010

Are the gaskets prone to blowing on the 06-07 provided the egr ans oil coolers are dealt with?

Depends on the gaskets, OEM gaskets are the best. Black Onyx gaskets will fail. Once the EGR cooler is gone and Extended Life Coolant (ELC) is put in, your failure points are gone. Now the oil cooler would need to be replaced after the chemical flush, because it will get clogged with all the crap in the cooling system. And putting a coolant filter will get all the other things floating around in the cooling system, like casting sand.

[Adamv7010]

Look at the front of the passenger side head...you would be able to see a stud with a nut clamping the head to the block. Otherwise you will see a hex head bolt. Studs are good. Oem bolts, not so much