buy a 6.0 or 7.3

[DustinP]

I am looking into buying a powerstroke and I am stuck on which engine to get. My dad has a 7.3 that has 300,000+ miles and it has been an awsome truck, but I would like to get a 6.0 cause of the better power and fuel mileage. The reliability issue has me scared though. Should I stay away from the 03-04s or if you put the egr delete, exhaust and watch the egts are you ok? I just hear all these nightmare stories. I have heard the 2006 are alot better and have less issues than the 7.3 did. Any input would be greatly appreciated.

[Nally7.3Powerstroke]

I have a 7.3 and both of my parents have the 6.0's. one a 2007 and the other a 2005. As far as problems with their trucks only the EGR valves and coolers have gone up to this date, hopefully everything else will be fine. I love my 7.3 though and would honestly take it over their 6.0's, not that its a bad engine just my personal opinion. If you know what your doing you can get plenty of power out of the 7.3 to make it faster than a 6.0 it just takes a little more money. hope this helped some

[96whitestroker]

well first id like to ask y you think a 6.0 gets better milege?

[2005F250]

Your concerned about reliability then get a 7.3. To make a 6.0 get on the same step as a 7.3 reliability wise it's gonna need studs and an EGR cooler delete and thats gonna cost time and money. With the 7.3 there is nothing to improve its reliability and all you'll do is fuel and service it. My 05 6.0 gets 12 mpg freeway at best. My 02 7.3 gets no worse than 17 mpg. If the truck doesn't have a warranty anymore then I would get a 7.3. 6.0's are great when they have a warranty but once it's up it can hurt the pocket.

[shu873]

Originally Posted by 96whitestroker

well first id like to ask y you think a 6.0 gets better milege?

Yeah... Mileage difference is negligible, and the 7.3 usually wins by a small margin. I have to ask, what is your intended use for the truck? If you plan on modding it what are your goals? Are you going to use it strictly as a towing truck or a daily driver? Lastly how willing are you to spend time and money to make the truck in to what you want it to be? I know, a lot of questions, and I'm a big 6.0 fan. But I ask them because not everybody's after the same thing in a truck. The truth is there is absolutely nothing wrong with a 7.3L powerstroke. They're damn near bullet proof. But if you want a lot more performance and are willing to overlook, or spend a little money on fixing what should have been fixed from the factory, then a 6.0 might be the better choice. Take your average 6.0, stud it and delete the EGR and I'll bet you anything that all the 7.3L swingers would change their minds about it in a heartbeat.

[DustinP]

use would be for daily driver and pulling a toyhauler with four wheelers. I thought I read the 6.0 got better fuel mileage than the 7.3, guess not? I would just want to do exhaust and a chip as far as mods. Whats the deal with the studs? Why does it need to be done and how much is it. Im sure pulling off the heads is not something I would want to tackle on a engine like that, but other small things I would have no problem doing my self.

[shu873]

Originally Posted by DustinP

use would be for daily driver and pulling a toyhauler with four wheelers. I thought I read the 6.0 got better fuel mileage than the 7.3, guess not? I would just want to do exhaust and a chip as far as mods. Whats the deal with the studs? Why does it need to be done and how much is it. Im sure pulling off the heads is not something I would want to tackle on a engine like that, but other small things I would have no problem doing my self.

Parts & labor for a headstud job and EGR delete runs in the neighborhood of $3k around here from a reputable shop. It's not something I would want to do myself either. You either have to pull the motor or the easiest way is actually to pull the cab off.

It doesn't necessarily "need" to be done, but 2 of the biggest, most common problems with the 6.0 are EGR cooler and/or valve failures and stretched factory head bolts resulting in popped gaskets.

The 7.3 is known to have far less problems in stock form than the 6.0.

[DustinP]

Is the head bolt a problem on the 05 and 06 too? So if you were too do the egr delete, install exhaust to keep the temps down and watch the egts, keep the oil changed, will you be ok or even if you do all that is there a chance you still might have stretched head bolts, blown head gasket or other big issues?

[shu873]

Originally Posted by DustinP

Is the head bolt a problem on the 05 and 06 too? So if you were too do the egr delete, install exhaust to keep the temps down and watch the egts, keep the oil changed, will you be ok or even if you do all that is there a chance you still might have stretched head bolts, blown head gasket or other big issues?

It's not temps that pop gaskets it's cylinder pressures. Truth be known the EGR is the cause of a lot more problems than the heads lifting. I myself wouldn't be worried about the gasket problem so much as the EGR. Just trying to help you make an informed decision. The head bolts in the later years are the exact same as the ones from early years. The difference is at some point Ford/Navistar started using a new method of torquing them from the factory which was supposed to help. I believe it did cut down on a lot of failures but didn't make them go away completely. Personally I think the '05 and up trucks are a lot better as far as driving and comfort than the earlier trucks whether it be a earlier 7.3 or 6.0. Another plus is the 5R110 tranny is hands down a better unit than the 4R100 from the 7.3's.

You mentioned oil and fluid changes too. On a 6.0, IMHO, it is extremely important to do timely oil changes AND fuel filter changes. A lot of other issues people have could have been avoided completely with this kind of regular maintenance. 90% of all injector failures out there would be avoided with this.

[ianstew]

The 7.3 is a tried and true ruggedly reliable engine. Emmisions were the only thing that killed the 7.3. The 6.0 makes more power, but as has been stated here, does have some issues. If these issues have been fixed, the 6.0 is an awesome engine surrounded by a great truck. Drive both and make your decision from that. I personally love my 7.3, it's old and cranky....but i wouldn't trade her for a 6.0 or a 6.4. maybe for an IDI tho........