What did you BUY FOR your 6.0 today?

MtnTallPaul said:

I know this is a popular upgrade for the tranny on a 6.0, but I don't know why.

Can you educate me?

Click to expand...

The added fluid is not really anything. The original 6.0 system does coarse filtering at the pan and the finer filtering with a bypass setup using the little filter up in front. That works well for most of us through the transmission's life. But since the fine grade filtering is a bypass and partial, taking many routine fluid rotations in the trans to filter everything, there is the potential for debris to jam one of the control solenoids. That has happened occasionally.

The 6.4 design puts a finer grade filter in the pan, so all the fluid is filtered in one pumped fluid rotation, so there is less chance of one of the solenoids getting jammed. You can leave the original bypass filter in, it costs little to change it, and one could extend those changes, or you can buy a bypass setup from CNCFab to eliminate it. You can't just eliminate it or run without the filter.

At this point, it's not a bad idea to do a complete flush of the fluid if you are changing from the original SP. However, there is debate if going to a finer filter allows using SP longer or if the newer fluid for the 6.4L trans is what allows that version to have longer change intervals.

We all do things that may help or may help boost our belief we are doing something better. The 6.0L aftermarket is an extensive catalog of 'Mo Better' things that may not be the benefit we embellish. But, for me, it was an upgrade that I thought had the potential to help.

Yeah, there is a video from me......

In between all this, some variations had a filter between the trans and oil pan, so you are not mistaken. Back home from the farm, FT145 is the Motorcraft, the NTZ assembly NTZ09-C09B I buy for $12.99. I dislike doing things on the cell.

The concept of eliminating the TP filter considers the 6.4L filter taking its place, so there is redundancy. The replacement block is a suitable choice if one doesn't want it up there and deal with it (problematic for breaking its hex when not using an impact). The cost of an occasional $12.99 filter that I don't have an issue removing, and it's primarily unseen, doesn't make the elimination vital to me. I have redundant filtering, something I don't see as a problem.

I've bought many parts for my Ford vehicles from ANWB, but sometimes their parts shipping is high, so I may go to Tasca or Lakeland Ford, although I prefer ANWB. Occasionally FordPartsGiant (not an actual Ford dealer, but a better shopping catalog) when their price is lower. They seem not to update their pricing as quickly as the Ford dealers. And RockAuto gets its share of Motorcraft purchases from me, too, although, over the last two years, I don't think they are getting the Ford wholesale deals they used to get. But with prices increasing and availability waning, both that and the shipping costs have become part of the equation for me. DieselFiltersOnline is local (like XDP), but I usually bulk price items and vehicles to reduce shipping costs.

BeardedSilverback said:

Got the blue spring kit in and now I'm at 61 PSI at idle. Need to do a WOT check to see how far it drops. I'm also debating on getting the extra ground cable from the engine block to frame ground, but FICMRepair wants $40 for the cable which is reasonable, but then an additional $31 in shipping which is a little insane. I checked my alternator output, and it's at 13.6V at idle after the truck idled for about 20 mins. The additional ground is just to spread load the amp draw during starts a little more evenly between both batteries. (Watched TooManyToys vids on this upgrade/mod)

Click to expand...

BeardedSilverback said:

Wound up ordering 1/0 marine grade cable from batterycablesusa.com, cut to length with ends installed for the engine block to frame grou d and the passenger side cab to frame ground for $27.97 shipped.

Click to expand...

There are so many better choices than FICMRepair. Glad you found one.

Now you need an 8ga cable from the driver's negative terminal to the FICM/PCM ground. Some NAPA stores make up cables like that, so do some marine supply stores.

Another option, a little less expensive:

Frame to block (can be 24" too).




Ground to FICM/PCM




Voltage reading off OBD2 can be up to 0.5v low.

No. What I found was placing an 8ga cable from the drivers battery negative terminal directly to the ground locations for the FICM and PCM (also trans solenoids) has helped some people. Like me, some have seen the as a subjective observation the OBD2 voltage is reported higher.

More important to me, that’s saying voltage supply to the electronics are improved. A moderator on another forum who tried it felt the transmission shifted better. I did not notice that. All of this relatively subjective.

Basically what it does is improve the pathway for the negative side. By the cable, and by reducing the minor resistance of connections by having one each off battery. Resistance in series, is halfed.

It’s an inexpensive modification that can have a benefit. Those who have dual alternators do not need this 8ga addition, nor the drivers frame to engine block. Ford already did that with the dual alternator system by using the same negative battery cable on the passenger side on the drivers side. Although the 8ga wire goes to the body tub, not directly to the FICM/PCM.

Again, some may not see anything, I always see that possibility. And I’m not sell the cable.


The video for that modification.

I did the 24” one to the FICM/PCM ground by the strut mount at the inner fender, then continued to the PCM, trans, fuel pump, etc. at the firewall. For one, I did not want different negatives at the two reported PCM ground points. But to me, it was also important to have the other items well grounded.

Some people see the drivers battery as the primary power source during startup for the electronics, and there is some validity to that if you want to dive deep into the current measurements I took on all the cables. It can’t be if there is no direct cable from the battery to the ground plane.

Which brings us to the point of the ground or negative cable from the alternator ground post to the inner fender. As shown in some of my data, that is really a bad idea, especially if the 8ga cable off the passenger battery is the primary connection to the ground plane.

During starter engagement, that hungry beast draws amps from everywhere. The additional ground cable of any significant size from the alternator to the inner fender provides an addition series pathway for the starter, and that additional current flow though the 8ga cable. The more current you throw through the 8ga, the lower the voltage. And since that is the primary for the ground plane, the lower the voltage for the FICM.

It’s just a poorly conceived design, and at one time when Ed and I were havaing a hard disagreement behind the doors, I was insisting he change the layout for the expensive cables he was selling. At the time he said he would alter the instructions to bring that cable to the frame, and would add the short 1/0 cable for the drivers side frame/block. I thought he followed through, but never checked after that from years ago.

This entire system is dependent on a hidden layout, where the “bonding” cables at the back of the engine and under the passenger footwell are integral to the ground plane, but no wher in the Ford diagrams does it show them. Instead we are to believe a 4ga positive cable from the drivers battery to the CJB is balanced with an 8ga negative cable from the passenger battery to the inner fender. And because of the way Ford uses the frame as the connection between the drivers battery and the passenger battery, it gets whacked and things get weird when you start looking at current flows. When I started to measure the flow paths, and how they reverse through the “bonding” cables from starter engagement/battery supply to alternator supply, I had never seen anything like this in my career.

It is a complex layout and you can’t just take pretty, oversized cables and throw them places where they look impressive. Especially if you are trying to project the FICM is better served.

Sorry, cut my post short as I had to leave for the Christmas tree farm.

To the question of adding a layover cable for the 180 amp alternator, you’re getting to the edge of where it’s needed at full output.

There’s only a short time when high amps are being used by the truck., depending on your setup. Most times the alternator is only in the 25 to 40 amp range. Lights wipers and additional electronics especially the blower motor peak the amps. With all electrics turned on with my truck my total amps is about 100. Excursions with their rear heaters can have a little more. And of course additional amplifiers or other things will add to that.

But, if we want to design to the peak amps and have the lowest amount of voltage loss than a layover cable can be added. It can be added from the alternator post to the passenger battery or to the drivers battery. It doesn’t need to be a large cable although the driver side cable being longer needs to go up a gauge. I don’t have my calculator handy for wire size t a four gauge cable to the passenger battery or a two gauge cable to the drivers battery would be more than sufficient. All cables though should be fused in some manner, either by an actual fuse or by splicing in fusible links. Two 12 gauge 4 inch long fusible links would be fine or something around a 100 amp fuse. You could up that two three 12 gauge fusible links or 200 amp fuse if you were concerned that you would lose the original factory circuit to the battery.

Again this is off the top of my head as I’m in the middle of Christmas tree sales don’t have any of the data with me.

Edited as I see my dictation was mis-read.