Recommendations For F350

4808 Views 83 Replies 17 Participants Last post by bismic, Oct 24, 2021

Aeroscout

Discussion Starter · Oct 15, 2021

Hello all,

I recently received my Father's 2006 F350 4x4 four door longbed after his passing. He gifted me this truck in his will and I am looking for recommendations as to bullet proofing it (to a degree). The truck is bone stock and is the creampuff guys dream of finding. Bought new by my Dad in 2006 and has had the oil/filter changed religiously every 3000 miles since day one. He has all the receipts for the coolant flushes and PH tests (also done religiously) as well as various transmission, brake line, power steering flushes and refills. The truck has just turned 90k miles and 1996 hours on the engine.

I would like to know what I should be thinking of doing to keep this truck in the immaculate shape it is already in. I am aware of the EGR/Oil cooler coolant PH issues and am on the fence concerning an EGR delete/tuner or an upgraded cooler. Also considering changing out the what seems like tiny exhaust for a larger pipe from the turbo back. I rather doubt I will do a head stud replacement anytime soon as I have no means of lifting the cab to do so, and I am not sure I would want to pay the expense of having it done by a shop.

I was very impressed at the results of my friend who did a an EGR/Cat delete, exhaust upgrade and tuner on his 07 Ram 2500 Cummins. The power and acceleration is rediculous. That being said, I am not looking to increase boost and run the snot out of this truck. My Dad warned about not doing so, as the over torqued head studs from the factory and high boost sounds like a recipe for disaster. Just maybe let it breath a little better, increase the power a bit, most hopefully, get a few more MPG's out of it, and eliminate the EGR/Oil cooler failure.

So anyway, I would like to get the advice of the hive as to what the consensus says I should do to this truck considering my goals. And yes the boat and cabover Lance camper (barely visible under the pole barn) came with it. It is truly a blessing by Dad to me.

Thanks in advance.

Wheel Tire Automotive parking light Vehicle Plant

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Heavy_GD

· #2 · Oct 15, 2021

Drive it, monitor it, find a mechanic you trust, and save for the next repair.

www.powerstroke.org

Write Up: Monitoring the 6.0L PSD.

This topic has been requested a few times here on the ORG, but never a complete listing. This thread will be organized as its found on the Edge Insight CS or CTS units, but the variables apply regardless of the monitoring package used. ScangaugeII Users: You'll find a list of usefull...

www.powerstroke.org

www.powerstroke.org

Reactions: 5

Spirit

· #3 · Oct 15, 2021

Yeah, drive and enjoy the little gem! If and when certain parts fail, replace them with “real” Bulletproof parts. Good luck.

Reactions: 1

mlgjellybean123

· #4 · Oct 15, 2021

Aeroscout said:
Hello all,

I recently received my Father's 2006 F350 4x4 four door longbed after his passing. He gifted me this truck in his will and I am looking for recommendations as to bullet proofing it (to a degree). The truck is bone stock and is the creampuff guys dream of finding. Bought new by my Dad in 2006 and has had the oil/filter changed religiously every 3000 miles since day one. He has all the receipts for the coolant flushes and PH tests (also done religiously) as well as various transmission, brake line, power steering flushes and refills. The truck has just turned 90k miles and 1996 hours on the engine.

I would like to know what I should be thinking of doing to keep this truck in the immaculate shape it is already in. I am aware of the EGR/Oil cooler coolant PH issues and am on the fence concerning an EGR delete/tuner or an upgraded cooler. Also considering changing out the what seems like tiny exhaust for a larger pipe from the turbo back. I rather doubt I will do a head stud replacement anytime soon as I have no means of lifting the cab to do so, and I am not sure I would want to pay the expense of having it done by a shop.

I was very impressed at the results of my friend who did a an EGR/Cat delete, exhaust upgrade and tuner on his 07 Ram 2500 Cummins. The power and acceleration is rediculous. That being said, I am not looking to increase boost and run the snot out of this truck. My Dad warned about not doing so, as the over torqued head studs from the factory and high boost sounds like a recipe for disaster. Just maybe let it breath a little better, increase the power a bit, most hopefully, get a few more MPG's out of it, and eliminate the EGR/Oil cooler failure.

So anyway, I would like to get the advice of the hive as to what the consensus says I should do to this truck considering my goals. And yes the boat and cabover Lance camper (barely visible under the pole barn) came with it. It is truly a blessing by Dad to me.

Thanks in advance. View attachment 778551

wow, that is amazing. Leave it stock lol. That thing will run for a long time and as long as you monitor your temps and voltages, you'll be good to go.

Reactions: 2

mlgjellybean123

· #5 · Oct 15, 2021

Aeroscout said:
Hello all,

I recently received my Father's 2006 F350 4x4 four door longbed after his passing. He gifted me this truck in his will and I am looking for recommendations as to bullet proofing it (to a degree). The truck is bone stock and is the creampuff guys dream of finding. Bought new by my Dad in 2006 and has had the oil/filter changed religiously every 3000 miles since day one. He has all the receipts for the coolant flushes and PH tests (also done religiously) as well as various transmission, brake line, power steering flushes and refills. The truck has just turned 90k miles and 1996 hours on the engine.

I would like to know what I should be thinking of doing to keep this truck in the immaculate shape it is already in. I am aware of the EGR/Oil cooler coolant PH issues and am on the fence concerning an EGR delete/tuner or an upgraded cooler. Also considering changing out the what seems like tiny exhaust for a larger pipe from the turbo back. I rather doubt I will do a head stud replacement anytime soon as I have no means of lifting the cab to do so, and I am not sure I would want to pay the expense of having it done by a shop.

I was very impressed at the results of my friend who did a an EGR/Cat delete, exhaust upgrade and tuner on his 07 Ram 2500 Cummins. The power and acceleration is rediculous. That being said, I am not looking to increase boost and run the snot out of this truck. My Dad warned about not doing so, as the over torqued head studs from the factory and high boost sounds like a recipe for disaster. Just maybe let it breath a little better, increase the power a bit, most hopefully, get a few more MPG's out of it, and eliminate the EGR/Oil cooler failure.

So anyway, I would like to get the advice of the hive as to what the consensus says I should do to this truck considering my goals. And yes the boat and cabover Lance camper (barely visible under the pole barn) came with it. It is truly a blessing by Dad to me.

Thanks in advance. View attachment 778551

oh another thing to add. Just put on a coolant filter. That will solve most of the common failures, especially this early in its life.

Reactions: 2

Heavy_GD

· #6 · Oct 15, 2021

Also, while I think about it, lets be informed on the term bulletproof.

What does "Bullet Proof" really mean?
The 6.0L is not a "Bullet Proof Diesel" engine unless four of the five main pattern failures are addressed with genuine Bullet Proof Diesel parts.

www.bulletproofdiesel.com

What does "Bullet Proof" mean?

What does BulletProof Really Mean? We are the authority and source of all things Bullet Proof when it comes to diesel aftermarket parts and services. Click on this web page and read for yourself so that you KNOW what it really means to have a Bullet Proof Diesel.

www.bulletproofdiesel.com

www.bulletproofdiesel.com

Reactions: 3

TooManyToys

· #7 · Oct 15, 2021

"..the over-torqued head studs from the factory".

They are not over-torqued, they are precisely where they were intended to be.

Reactions: 3

JustinOOO9

· #8 · Oct 15, 2021

Bunch of lillypads here! Throw a dual turbo kit on, KDD heads, BTS or Sam wyse stage 2 trans, custom tunes and some larger injectors and start having some fun!!!

I kid i kid but spend some time on the forum and become more comfortable with common 6.0l terms like ICP, HPOP, IPR, ARP, Deltas, ELC Coolant, etc.

Reactions: 4

Heavy_GD

· #9 · Oct 15, 2021

OPs next thread:
Anyone put compounds and non-VGT on a 6.0?

Reactions: 4

JustinOOO9

· #10 · Oct 15, 2021

Heavy_GD said:
OPs next thread:
Anyone put compounds and non-VGT on a 6.0?

sorry its Friday and im excited to actually not have projects/work on a saturday for once lol.

Reactions: 2

mlgjellybean123

· #11 · Oct 15, 2021

Heavy_GD said:
OPs next thread:
Anyone put compounds and non-VGT on a 6.0?

lmao

Reactions: 2

Aeroscout

Discussion Starter · #12 · Oct 16, 2021 (Edited)

Reading through the threads it looks like we may have spent some dough that was not necessary. On the trip back to TX from OR (where my Dad lived) we were passing through Hurricane UT when I noticed the front brakes smoking....going uphill. We turned around and limped it back into town. I did a down and dirty brake job in the Napa parts parking lot (and didn't even get kilt by the hi-lift jack....those two 6x12x18 blocks of pine I threw in the boat sure came in handy). New calipers, rotors and pads on both front wheels. After tearing it apart I figure it was actually only the front right caliper that was sticking. Going across the desert towing the boat with the camper on we weren't going to take any chances. Both fronts got swapped out with Napa premium parts. Had I known ahead of time, just pumping/jabbing the brakes a few times may have cleared that up.

The truck clearly didn't get a whole bunch of miles driven on it and I have read that can cause the brake fluid to absorb moisture and cause rust inside the caliper...thus the sticking. Is this the issue we experienced?

Also wish I had known about the turbo cool down when making a stop. Been here only a few hours and have learned a lot......and seen stuff that causes me to have more questions.

I already own a Scangauge II, (used on a different vehicle....till after reading here) but it sounds like the Insight gizmo might be a dandy. (Figuring out post #51 in the "monitoring the 6.0" thread has got me scratching my head on how to set it up. AFAIK that device only allows 4 points of reference to be monitored at one time....seems like that is not enough of the critical info to be monitored.

Going to do more reading to try and keep the repetitive newb questions to a minimum.

Dad also told me about the VGT turbo.....and to stick my foot in it from time to time to keep the vanes running in their full range of motion and advised to continue using the Diesel Kleen Cetane boost.

I have no idea what a compounds are.

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Aeroscout

Discussion Starter · #13 · Oct 16, 2021 (Edited)

Do all posts require moderator approval? Or Just edited ones? This is a test.

ETA: My above post is still in limbo....If I edit this one will it go into the pokey also? Another test.

ETA: 2 Edits

ETA: 3 Edits.....still testing.

ETA 4 Edits

ETA: 5 Edits

ETA: 6 Edits

ETA: 7 Edits

ETA: 8

Okay.....I have no idea why my last post ended up needing Moderator approval 15 hours ago. Can someone please let me know what the parameters are to avoid being censored?

ETA:......Reposting below.

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Aeroscout

Discussion Starter · #14 · Oct 16, 2021

Reading through the threads it looks like we may have spent some dough that was not necessary. On the trip back to TX from OR (where my Dad lived) we were passing through Hurricane UT when I noticed the front brakes smoking....going uphill. We turned around and limped it back into town. I did a down and dirty brake job in the Napa parts parking lot (and didn't even get kilt by the hi-lift jack....those two 6x12x18 blocks of pine I threw in the boat sure came in handy). New calipers, rotors and pads on both front wheels. After tearing it apart I figure it was actually only the front right caliper that was sticking. Going across the desert towing the boat with the camper on we weren't going to take any chances. Both fronts got swapped out with Napa premium parts. Had I known ahead of time, just pumping/jabbing the brakes a few times may have cleared that up.

The truck clearly didn't get a whole bunch of miles driven on it and I have read that can cause the brake fluid to absorb moisture and cause rust inside the caliper...thus the sticking. Is this the issue we experienced?

Also wish I had known about the turbo cool down when making a stop. Been here only a few hours and have learned a lot......and seen stuff that causes me to have more questions.

I already own a Scangauge II, (used on a different vehicle....till after reading here) but it sounds like the Insight gizmo might be a dandy. (Figuring out post #51 in the "monitoring the 6.0" thread has got me scratching my head on how to set it up. AFAIK that device only allows 4 points of reference to be monitored at one time....seems like that is not enough of the critical info to be monitored.

Going to do more reading to try and keep the repetitive newb questions to a minimum.

Dad also told me about the VGT turbo.....and to stick my foot in it from time to time to keep the vanes running in their full range of motion and advised to continue using the Diesel Kleen Cetane boost.

I have no idea what a compounds are.

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Reactions: 1

longjohn

· #15 · Oct 16, 2021

Aeroscout Welcome to the Org! You will find the most Knowledgeable and Friendly Folks Here.
I too recently came by my Pops 05 F250 Supercab fX4 longbed. After a Ocean to Ocean 4200 mile trip it turned 30k about 100 miles from home.Here is some reading for you that will make much more familiar with your Truck

http://www.powerstrokediesel.com/docs/EF_456.pdf

http://www.ford-trucks.com/ford-manuals/2004 6.0L Updated Coffee Table Book.pdf

http://www.ford-trucks.com/ford-manuals/2005 6.0L Updated Coffee Table Book.pdf
The above information was shared with me Bismic. You will see his name quite often along Heavy, ZMANN Jokester Justin and many,many others. One of the key things to do is get a monitor so you will know what is going on with your Engine. Most here use Forscan it's downloadable from Playstore or Appstore. there is a Bluetooth Dongle ( i can not remember the brand) that is preferred by some , all in all about $30-40 and you are in the know. I am positive that others will chime in and share more expert advise. Enjoy your Truck, every time i turn the key i Think of Pop. Congrats, nice boat and Lance . Pictures we like pictures.

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TooManyToys

· #16 · Oct 16, 2021

Brake fluid absorbs moisture if you drive it or not, but going in the rain accelerates rusting of the piston bore, the slide pins, or the pad ends where they fit in the bracket. Any one of those could have been the cause of the brake drag.

The 6.0L turbo does not need a cooldown; it doesn't hold oil in the bearings like other designs. But it does need to have the vanes exercised to prevent them from sticking. The same is true of the valve guides; school bus VT365s showed that issue sitting during the summer.

IMO, Forscan for a cell phone would be a better monitoring tool.

Reactions: 1

6riders

· #17 · Oct 16, 2021

Forscan for reading codes, preferably on a laptop, torque pro for monitoring the engine. ELC coolant to keep the oil cooler from plugging (get rid of the Ford gold coolant asap imo).
If the egr goes, a bullet proof diesel cooler is a good choice.
When I did my 4" exhaust/delete, I found running a tune was "needed" to keep the power where it was at originally. It seemed to loose low end torque with the big exhaust (to me). These trucks are plenty fast in stock form.... So performance upgrades aren't really necessary IMO (they are fun though).

Sent from my Redmi Note 9 Pro using Tapatalk

Aeroscout

Discussion Starter · #18 · Oct 17, 2021

TooManyToys said:
The 6.0L turbo does not need a cooldown; it doesn't hold oil in the bearings like other designs.

IMO, Forscan for a cell phone would be a better monitoring tool.

I first learned of the cool down here, on this site, reading these forums. This seems to be in direct contradiction to other posts I have read..........???

Which dongle to use with Forscan?.......there are multitudes to choose from.

TooManyToys

· #19 · Oct 17, 2021

Please point to the 6.0 posts, I'm all ears. My 7.3L, yeah, I would cool down.

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Aeroscout

Discussion Starter · #20 · Oct 17, 2021

6riders said:
Forscan for reading codes, preferably on a laptop, torque pro for monitoring the engine. ELC coolant to keep the oil cooler from plugging (get rid of the Ford gold coolant asap imo).
If the egr goes, a bullet proof diesel cooler is a good choice.
When I did my 4" exhaust/delete, I found running a tune was "needed" to keep the power where it was at originally. It seemed to loose low end torque with the big exhaust (to me). These trucks are plenty fast in stock form.... So performance upgrades aren't really necessary IMO (they are fun though).

Sent from my Redmi Note 9 Pro using Tapatalk

As I just changed the coolant before our trip to TX, I am going to leave it be until time comes to change it again. Then going to do the flush procedure I read about here and change it to ELC.

This also rather solidifies leaving the truck stock for me. I don't want to change to a larger diameter exhaust (even though it is my understanding that this should allow the turbo to run cooler) then be chasing tunes to get it to run right.

Perhaps it is a matter of perspective, but one word I would not use to describe this truck would be fast. It will pull the heavily loaded camper and boat straight up a hill without a hint of struggling, but fast?...Not so much.

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