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Opinions on buying 6.0L w/200K miles

27K views 4 replies 5 participants last post by  rick5150  
#1 ·
Hello

I read up on all the issues of the 6.0L from the oil cooler, injectors, VGT, ipr, icp, FICM, stand pipes and dummy plugs and the HPOP to the blown headgaskets.


My question is if an owner follows good maintenance and does some preventive steps like frequent coolant flushes (or filter), keeping fresh engine fluids and filters (OEM), keeps it stock and doesn't beat on it does that minimize potential for the 6.0L problems or can they still pop up?


I have read some reports that the FICM can be from low batteries, the gaskets from plugged oil cooler (sand castings) to bad programmers/tunes. The VGT and EGR soot problems are from excessive idling or granny driving and injector issues from water in fuel from aftermarket fuel filters (no membranes). I just don't know what can be done to prevent HPOP issues.


I have been looking for F250/350 and Excursions focused on 7.3L but found a 03 Excursion from an owner that has had it from 100K to 200K and has been very strict on following maintenance and has had no problems with the engine. He says he owns a fleet of 6 6.0Ls for his business and only has had to replace one HG once because of driver error (low coolant). He swears by the 6.0L's and is about to take his on a 2K trip unless I buy it first. Any info/help is appreciated!
 
#2 ·
6.0 with 200k miles would give me good faith in that truck... It means that (not 100% meaning but) the truck has worked out all the issues with it if any. I would not be worried about a 200k mile 6.0... I would be worried about a 50k mile 6.0 though:thumb: Ask me how i know... My uncle picked up a 6.0 tonight- just finding this out.. 2005 with 62k mile on it... What a piece of goo.. the previous owner did not take care of it BUT... The ole "low mileage" sells! It has a blown egr, turbo is stuck, coolant is brown, and who knows what the deltas are(he hasnt got that far yet).. ANyways just to give u an idea as to low and high mileage..
 
#3 ·
Sounds like a good truck to me! Just keep up on the matinence and youll do fine!


Tom
 
#5 · (Edited)
Here's a horror story for ya....
Bought my 03 196xxx miles same thing company vehicle 100% of its life serviced at same dealership with records to prove it, and all miles were superintendent hwy miles.
2000 miles later got a head gasket leak...bad fuel injector...blew a hole through the exhaust or intake valve (can't remember which one) and took a little chunk of piston with it. (Side note these blocks are amazing!! Quick light rehone and as good as new and all cyclinders still showed factory hone marks at basically 200,000 miles with 0 leaks and 0 compression loss)
Along the way of repairing the truck we found sooooooooooooo many hack jobs by the ford dealer, icp harness clips broke and attempts to zip tie it on, turbo bolts missing oh it's goes on and on....not enough time
My moral of the story is dont buy one of these trucks without the fixes already done and done properly unless your getting a steal of a price like I sorta did. It can happen at ANY time! My old man services a fleet of 30 something 6.0's they all break randomly and dif times with the same service schedules on each one! He's got one that's 350,000 miles that's only had one egr and oil cooler replacement! Just keep some money on the side for the standard issues with these 6.0's..after you do all the mods and reliability isues and a tune:) oooooh these motha fukas are baaad!!

Id say if you know the owners not bull****tin you and you know the maintanace history is true and good and your getting a great deal..you've done the best you can do...GL and set money aside for the eventual if your keeping it for awhile.

Edit: there were no signs of overheating ever taking place and oil cooler egr and turbo were all factory replaced in 07 around 95k-100k before warranty ran out