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What did you BUY FOR your 6.0 today?

280609 Views 3819 Replies 389 Participants Last post by  wpg_f250
A little off-shoot from the "What did you do to your 6.0 today?" mega thread.
Very simple idea here, show what you bought for your 6.0 today.

Today was an expensive one for me:
-Upper and lower balljoints, both sides
-Center links
-NUC Oil by-pass filter kit
-Couple bottles of Archoil

Looking forward to posting install photos in the "What did you do to your 6.0 today?" thread.
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In the last week or so, I bought me a NoCo Genius 10 battery charger/power pack, a Glowshift MaxTow fuel pressure gauge (white face, green lighting to match the instrument cluster), interior color matched A-pillar pod mount, an EGR o-ring/gasket kit, a fuel filter kit, and an oil filter. Tomorrow is a maintenance day and trouble shooting for a crank no start issue I'm having. Oil change will be next weekend though.
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Got my Glowshift fuel pressure gauge installed, chasing down a fuel pressure problem. Apparently the fuel system has never been touched aside from filter changes. Blue spring kit on order. May just wind up being a tired fuel pump, so that is potentially next on my list. I'll eventually get to my cab mounts, of which, 75% of them are dry rotted. Will be looking at the S&B cab mount kit for that.
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I did the blue spring and thought "all good" until a year later i put in the fuel pressure gauge. 55 psi at idle and 25 at WOT. :oops: 425 beans later all good with 65 idle and 55 WOT.
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)
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Head to a local welding supply for some cable. They should have the copper lug ends and shrink tube.
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.
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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).

View attachment 789456


Ground to FICM/PCM

View attachment 789457


Voltage reading off OBD2 can be up to 0.5v low.
The two cables I got. - one was for the passenger side cab to frame. The other will be from the engine block to frame on the driver side. I think thats what you were referring to, correct?
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.

Should ground cables be run from the driver side neg terminal to both the G100 and G101 locations or just the one for the FICM? Also, since I'm going up to a 180A alternator, should I look at additional cables? - i.e. the additional ground point on the alternator to the passenger fenderwell ground point (I think thats what was in the video)
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.
Just so I'm clear on what I'm about to order. A 24" 8 gauge cable for driver side battery negative terminal to FICM, and what was the length from that ground point to the one back on the firewall (8 gauge as well I'm assuming)? Also, will the 1/0 cable I have be ok for the passenger footwell, or should I go with a smaller gauge wire. The short 1/0 wasn't expensive and I want to make sure I'm not over doing it there. Same question about the 1/0 from the engine block on the drivers side to the driver side frame rail point. Is 1/0 ok or should it be a smaller gauge. I watched and rewatched your YT videos, but want to make sure I'm getting this right for the best possible result. I definitely appreciate all the detailed information, even though it's well above my paygrade. (There's a reason why I didn't do aviation electronics in the Marine Corps, I was a mechanical components guy - fuel, engines, flight controls. Lol)
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24” of 8ga drivers batt to FICM ground screw.
18” of 8ga FICM ground screw to firewall ground screw.
12ga braid or normal wire frame to body under pass footwell.
1/0 ga drivers frame to engine block. However, if you are replacing the drivers negative battery cable, you can get a longer 1/0 and go directly to the engine block and skip the frame rail.

A future design of the main cables will change all the major batterycables that are 1/0 and above. What I’ve posted were cables that supplement the factory cables.
Would the 1/0 short cable I already have for the passenger footwell cause issues? I'm running down to a local boat shop to have the other cables made today. Alternator just showed up about a half hour ago.
As long as you’re keeping the upper bonding cable firewall to engine it probably won’t but of course, I never tested that. The worst that could happen is probably burning up that 12 gauge wire which would be a cheap repair.

And that’s less likely to happen since you’ve got the 1/0 cable drivers frame to engine block
Found a boat store near me today, they have a section to make the cables yourself, cost $20 for both cables - 8ga black Ancor wire, terminals, and heat shrink. Got the alternator swapped out for the DC Power 180A that showed up (early) today. Voltage on a cold start held, at the lowest point, at 14.2V. Oddly enough, my fuel pressure rose a couple PSI as well, from 61 to 63/64. Installing all the additional ground straps and coating the ends with NO-OX tomorrow at some point. @TooManyToys, I really appreciate all the help and direction that you've given me over the past week or so trying to get this thing sorted out.
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Friday is gonna be a good time. Most recent purchases for the ole 6.0.
Electrical wiring Wire Electrical supply Font Cable
Electrical wiring Gadget Cable Wrist Wire
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Bought a new crankshaft position sensor to go along with the new engine harness I ordered a week ago. Figured if I'm going to be that deep into the engine bay doing the harness, I'm gonna replace this as well just for good measure. Already installed a new Motorcraft CMP sensor Waiting on the callback from my local dealership to confirm it came in. (they show it has, but the parts manager is talking to his shipping and recieving folks to find out where it is). Ordered the harness from the Ford Parts website. List price is over $1200, paid $872 after Cali taxes for it. Bought the Motorcraft CKP sensor off of Amazon for like $30 or so.

Update: Engine harness did in fact come in, picking it up after work today. 8 days from ordering it to my local dealership recieving it.
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Hope it wasn't part of the Amazon counterfeit club.
Motorcraft packaging looked authentic. Motorcraft and Ford part number on the package matched. Package didn't appear to have been tampered with and the sensor looks correct. Fingers crossed I reckon.
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Bought an all aluminum, 2 row radiator from Radiator Express. Should be here tomorrow or the next day. Paid just under $500 after taxes and shipping.
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Bought a tuning package from Gearhead yesterday, uploading them this afternoon. Unlimited tow, 8K tow, and SRL+ (my heads are studded). Stacking the PCM tuning on top of the Atlas40 FICM tune I already have.
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Back at it again. New Fox 2.0 steering stabilizer and the aluminum wire loom from Blessed Performance on order. Have a new 4wd actuator and windshield washer reservoir motor that I've been putting off installing.
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I seriously need to keep off the Ford Parts website. Ordered new engine cowl pieces as mine are cracked and worn ( both left and right sides), new push pins for them, new retaining clips for the dash around the instrument cluster since i exploded like 4 of them when i was last checking the instrument cluster wiring, and a new radiator shroud emblem (mine is just worn looking). Just trying to clean her up and get her looking close to new again. Add this to the list of better than a half dozen things I have sitting around that need to get installed on the next nice weekend that I'm not busy. Also gonna prep and repaint the windshield wiper arms while I have them off.
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Annnnndddd...im back at it again. S&B body mount kit coming in on Weds. Kit cost $538 after taxes. Shipping is free on orders over $98. At least half my cab mount bushings are rotted. Not metal on metal, yet. Trying to stay ahead of the curve on resolving some of these things before it gets bad bad.
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Picking up a set of glow plugs and harnesses from the dealership today. Ordered this morning. Popped a code for the #3 a couple days ago. Truck starts and runs fine. I don't feel like repeating this over and over...so out with the old and in with the new.
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Any chance you could do a how to write up on this procedure with pictures?
Possibly, although there are several good YouTube vids on how to do it that I've watched in prep for doing this myself.
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