Every truck is unique, I have had trucks with 50K with issues and others with 300k and no issues. It is good preventative maintenance when you have the engine cracked open to change head gaskets, remove carbon buildup, check/replace injectors, check for block/head distortion and change head bolts with good ARP or comparable products. I recommend ARP 2000 head studs, a bit pricey but well worth it.

 

This should be interesting.

Ive got this video of @toren302 trying to answer the same question. :lol:

 

Although now that I am thinking about this, the 8 ball may need to be added to my service writers desk as I think it would be more self explanatory to the tide pod eaters.

 

Haha now that is funny!

 

I probably should have done the heads while I was doing the oil cooler/egr and all of the other stuff but to be honest that was a pretty big job for me. I had to really study up just to do all of that stuff. I am a teacher by trade and this stuff is a little beyond me although I am trying to learn. The heads are pretty intimidating to me if I'm being honest. I have never actually opened up a diesel engine before. I am willing to do it and I am hoping I have the time to find enough information/tutorials to study before the head gaskets fail and I actually have to do the job haha

 

They go bad when they go bad. When they do, there's lots on how to change them. If you don't have a good set of tools, tooling up can cost a bit. Not necessarily special tools, but the wide variety needed. I have not done mine, but I sent it to a good shop to have it done. When the time comes, I recommend you do more than just swap the gaskets, ought to send the heads off to a good machine shop.

I do believe in not fixing it unless its broke. I don't believe in adding ARP studs until after the heads need changed.

 

I've said this before and still stand by it... understand how to monitor the truck and drive it.
When issues arise (and they will) you will know via the numbers.

I would say, depending on how you use this truck, its more likely that you will have a stuck caliper, a cracked factory radiator, or a blown charge boot before a HG issue.

 

I use the Mechanics Dice.

 

I need a set of those to put on the reception desk. LOL

 

still laughing @toren302!!!

OP, If they have lasted 150k, celebrate. I have seen lots of older threads talking about 50K, 60K and then gaskets (don't shoot, but tunes probably had something to do with those). With no tune or super-mods, just do like Heavy said, gauge the thing and go.......

Keep us posted. I'm with you, not a lot of mechanical savvy, and tearing down a $5K engine in my driveway is not something I'm excited about. But, plenty of people on here are more than willing to give a hand/word.

 

It really is a crap shoot i just looked at one yesturday had 289k on it still had the egr and. Cooler and seemed to run fine owner said orig heads n gaskets and it towed alot it was a company truck used daily to tow tractors

 

As far as monitoring, I have used a scan gauge II for the the last five or six years. While I had the original EGR and oil cooler I never had delta greater than 6 degrees. The only reason I knew I had an issue was because I pop the hood every week to check fluids and I noticed that I had lost a little coolant from the degas bottle. The numbers never budged so I must have caught it early. I brought it in and the local ford dealership said EGR and the guys on the forum were able to help me confirm. Now that I have the BPD oil cooler/egr what should I be monitoring to keep an eye on the head gaskets?

 

Now that I have the BPD oil cooler/egr what should I be monitoring to keep an eye on the head gaskets?

Monitor coolant pressure.

 

I used this video:

6.0 Powerstroke head removal cab on. tips and tricks
to remove and this one:

6.0 Powerstroke Head Gasket install w/cab on
to install the heads. I used a harbor freight one ton foldable crane which I modified to extend the boom out as far as I could by drilling a hole about 2-3 inches from the end of each arm of the extendable boom. This is not recommended to be used for pulling an engine, but it worked fine for the heads. I also put a fifty pound plate on the back of the crane just in case. I used a load leveler so I could change the angle of the head as I lowered it onto the block. I jacked the truck up and supported it by the frame rails with 12 ton jack stands far enough back so as not to get in the way of the crane and removed the front wheels.

 

This is like asking how long does it take for paint to dry :hehe::hehe::hehe::hehe::hehe:

 

Stupid question but how exactly do you guys monitor your coolant pressure? I have a scangauge II but have no idea how to keep an eye on coolant pressure.

 

Lots of options take your pick
https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=6.0+coolant+pressure+tester

 

Can't do it on a SCANGAUGUE. Coolant Pressure is an add on like EGT or FUel Pressure. You'd T into a line, like the smaller Degas bottle line, and install a sensor to hook to a Edge or Pod Gauge. It is possible to use a purely mechanical gauge, but severe burns and a mess would happen if a leak occurred in the cab.

I don't monitor coolant pressure. It's not even on the list of wanting to add sensors." I'd like to see low oil pressure, but not coolant pressure. Maybe after an oil bypass filter, installing dynamat to dampen sound, getting the truck repainted, new front shocks, maybe I'd consider it. I have had heads done within the last 10k miles.

 

Both times on my truck they lasted until I pushed them beyond their capabilities. LOL!! In short a 5 mile pull towing around 8000 trailer at about 3/4 throttle. I didn't consider that "pushing it" but it was.


k

 

As mentioned get a psi gauge and T it in on the small hose going back to the degas bottle. You can just rig this up temporarily with a manual gauge, run the hose thru the back corner of your hood and just tape the gauge to your windshield so you can see it going down the road. I like to do this test with a trailer. WARNING this test is likely to cause depression and/or thoughts of suicide. Lol. i have 2 6.0s and neither actually puke coolant but both will make 15-16 psi So both have blown head gaskets, I think if everyone tested their coolant psi we would find an unbelievable amount of head gasket issues

 

229k, stock head gaskets, injectors.

Never been chipped though and always changed my oil every 5k with Valvoline premium blue extreme. I also got rid of that stupid EGR and switched to Rotella ELC coolant like 180k ago.

I've seen a lot of stock 6.0s burning miles up in the 250-300k that have never been touched. Too many variables to say how long but start asking around or searching some threads on the forum and you'll see, 300k on stock HG is not uncommon.

 

Have you tested the pressure in your cooling system?

 

If aint broke don't F with it is my motto.

I keep a very close eye on my vitals and she don't eat coolant so why be nervous about it?????

I'll be nervous when my temps go wacky or my over flow bottle is empty one morning.

 

347k on this truck,heads never been off, 255k on another truck no gaskets,180k on one same thing,all deleted,all no tunes, tow for there upkeep almost every day, all tty bolts, for every one you see on forums with blown gaskets prob a thousand no problems but no tunes also,if you read enough these 6.0 forums youll see a pattern .

 

Yep, been on this forum for like 10 years and I've been noticing the trend also. You really notice it when your looking at used ones on craigslist. I've been keeping my eye out for a 6.0 Crew Cab MANUAL tranny one. I'm not afraid of a 200k stock 6.0. I steer clear of a 70k tuned 6.0 though, unless its a good price.

 

And I think with the redundant gasket thrower the block prep needs to be considered. It's easy to have the heads machined, and hopefully they are done with good flatness and surface finish. But so much of the time the block deck, 50% of the sealing area, is field prepared. And in my personal opinion, what is done there is all over the place, and Ford's stance is lacking too. What you can do with a gas motor with a 25% lower combustion pressure, or other motors with higher clamping force or less flexible heads you just can't get away with here.

 

I’m just saying before anybody raves about having good headgaskets check you coolant pressure! Just because your not puking coolant doesn’t mean you have good head gaskets. Will it run with high pressure? Sure, Mayb even a long time if not used hard but is it right? No.

 

All my trucks run pressure gauges along with the normal gauges inc fuel, but you can build one these and with enough boost see 16 lbs easy,nature of the 4 bolt beast, i just bought a little switch to lower the boost while towing so not to make over 23-25lbs yet can mash to floor so trans takes over and does the work ,get up the hill slower but get up same hill in a year same gaskets.

 

Mashing it to the floor, even with reduced boost is still creating much higher cylinder pressures and, no doubt, reducing the mosquito population. I disagree that these engines should see 16 psi of coolant pressure "easy" even with the 4 bolt design. I am not running a gauge right now, but I can assure you I'm not seeing anything near 16 psi of pressure in my coolant system even after towing or leadfooting it. I'm guessing by my calibrated fingers squeezing the upper radiator hose , it's probably in the area of 4-5 psi without bleeding off the thermal expansion pressure from a cold start. I run the SPD tune, but I have new o-ringed heads, Fel-Pro gaskets and ARPs. IMO, if you are seeing double digit coolant pressures, your gaskets are leaking under higher loads. It may not be enough to puke or even notice for the most part, but they are leaking. How long they hold this particular level of leaking without fully blowing is the mystery.

Just to be clear, I was in denial for a long time too. Now I know how it "should" be.

 

Mashing it to the floor, even with reduced boost is still creating much higher cylinder pressures and, no doubt, reducing the mosquito population.= wondering how you got that, maybe on a tuned truck but not on a stock truck, the map sensor gives fuel and takes fuel,slow the map=slow the fuel=no smoke,no extra cyl pressure.

 

I guess it all depends on exactly what your "little switch" does and how it communicates with the PCM. The MAP sensor is one input the PCM, and FICM by extension, uses to meter the amount of fuel delivered, but not the only one. Blow a boot on a stock truck and see how it smokes. Reducing boost without reducing fuel will result in smoke. That's how I got that. It seems you have it covered though. However, you are increasing cylinder pressure if you're accelerating or pulling a higher load and maintaining speed. Maybe not to the extent that you would without your switch, but they are going up. It's just physics.

I still maintain, if you are seeing 16 psi coolant pressures, you gaskets or your EGR cooler are compromised. Maybe not blown, but leaking.