2006 Ford 6.0 PSD Opinion

clubhouse · 06-21-2012, 04:47 PM

Been towing our 26BH with either our 04 Tahoe 5.3 3.73 or 06 Silverado with same engine and gears. As everyone has reported this combinationg tows ~6K very well in flat lands, but then really starts to work in the California Sierrra Mts. Been thinking of upgrading the Silverado to a 3/4 ton diesel for some added weight margin and horse power in the mountains. It is primarily a TV, won't be a daily driver, so I am not to concerned about gas milage as much as capability.

I have an opportuntiy to buy a very clean F250 with 6.0 PSD w/ 68K for less thank $20K. Dealership took it in on trade, say they know the owner and it has been taken care of but won't tell me who it is. Seems like a good buy to me, but then I read all about the blown turbos and other issues commonly reported in the 6.0 PSD.

There must be dozens of folks on here with the same enginen. Anyone have any thoughts they want to share with perspective GM to Ford convert? Is the 6.0 PSD something I should just run from?

Also, sounds like a lot of issues may stem from folks using aftermarket tuners. How can I tell if someone has made some of these mods.

Thanks.

Jayco 228 · 06-21-2012, 05:29 PM

I work for GCL diesel here in Edmonton and I sell a ton of 6.0L injectors and High Pressure oil pumps. You are right maintenance is the biggest killer of the 6.0L particularly the oil changes. That fuel system is an oil actuated injector and if your oil is dirty it will effect the injectors. The emission system was also a weak point in this engine, problems with the EGR and Oil coolers leaking and plugging. They can be a solid engine and last if they are looked after. I would ask for oil change documentation and I would take the truck to a shop that is not the dealer that is familiar with ford diesels and have them put the ford IDS scanner on it and check the fuel contribution codes. I am not sure where in California you are but there is a gentleman by the name of Mike Cleary that has a shop in Fresno that is a 6.0L expert. If you PM me i can get you his contact info.

nylyon · 06-21-2012, 06:49 PM

I have a 2003 F250 6.0 just turned 130,000 miles. Most people will tell you to run and run fast from the 6.0 and they are right and wrong. In my opinion, the major flaw of the 6.0 is the oil cooler. The oil cooler is a liquid to liquid heat exchanger with the coolant side prone to plugging. When the oil cooler plugs it causes some very nasty things to happen. First, it restricts coolant to the EGR cooler (which is also weak) which will compromise the integrity of the EGR cooler and dump coolant into the intake. Once the EGR cooler ruptures there is a good chance that the head will lift and require gasket replacement and / or head replacement.

Second, the plugging oil cooler greatly increases the oil temperature. As mentioned the injectors are oil fired. The extreme oil temperatures will often cause damage to the components which are in contact with oil (injectors, turbo etc).

In addition the FICM (Fuel Injector Control Module) often will require repair or replacement due to internal components desoldering.

Now for the good news. Many of the 6.0 deficiencies are now understood and the aftermarket industry has solutions for these problems. Oil coolers can be replaced with external air to oil units, FICM's are now available with HD components and just about any other part in the engine has remedies.

So the question is, do you want to buy a truck where there is a possibility that you will need to spend $3-4K additional to insure reliability? If you're looking for a truck where you only have to worry about washing it, the 6.0 is likely not for you, but if you're anal about maintenance and like to do your homework, you can get one heck of a deal.

On my 6.0 I did quite a bit of research and am very on-top of my maintenance which (I hope) will prevent problems. So far I have had to replace my oil cooler 2 times, and other than a sensor that is all the problems my truck has had. I do have some concerns about reliability, but I too got a great deal on mine and so far it's been a great vehicle.

**norty1** · 06-21-2012, 08:08 PM

I have the 6.0 engine. Just turned 65k. It does all I want in the stock engine. I have recently had to replace the EGR valve ( warranty). No other problems. I changed the coolant at 50k but dealer put the same FORD brand coolant back in it. Oil change every 5k, fuel filters every other oil change.

3'senough · 06-22-2012, 06:18 AM

I've had my 6.0 for almost 2 years now. One key killer of these engines is heat and that starts with exhaust. If your EGT temps are over 1100 and frequently you are going to have issues. One mod that I think is a must is exhaust. Turbo back exhaust kit keeping the cat will reduce one of the most major problems with letting the engine breath and reduce the EGT. Due to the recirculation of exhaust for emmisions and power the temps can be excessive and that's when the issues start to rear their ugly heads.

I flushed my coolant 2 days after coming home with it and there was casting sand in the bottom of the bucket which is also another issue. I installed a by pass filter kit for 100 bucks which does catch furhter sediment (I opened it after changing). Easy mod with 2 cuts of the hoses, clamps and two bolts. The anitfreeze is special for these engines and I used motorcraft on mine too.

All my fluids and filters were changed that week as well so I knew where I was starting from. Keep in mind on time as well when doing the changes. If this is going to not meet the mileage you should go with a time frame or season. Oil is cheap enough so I drop the fluids every 6 months or if I ever hit 4K first since I use full synthetic.

The tranny has two filters on it which the front (toilet paper roll) one you will not get off without an impact gun. Virtually impossible but a vital filter as this is on the return line from the radiator which will lead to higher temps if blocked. Many times it is overlooked for changing and based on the mileage you are looking at I would change everything if you buy it.

As Nylon said I too just had my FICM replaced due to some failures. Which brings me to my last point. If you get any truck I would strongly suggest that you invest in a tuner for mostly monitoring your engines temps and codes. Without this vital tool I would have not known that my FICM was going south and would have stranded me. My check engine light did not come on but my tuner told me that there were 12 fault codes. Those fault codes were related to teh ingector module but well ahead of failure so it was fixed under my warranty. With the tuner I can monitor 4 vital temps at once and set alarms for any that I want to be allerted to.

Overall my 6.0 has been good to me but I would strongly agree with above that you need to maintain it. If you do this it will limit your major repair bills.

clubhouse · 06-22-2012, 08:41 AM

Thank you all for the very good responses. I am not yet inclined to abandon the idea of this truck, but I certainly need a lot of assurances that it has been propoperly maintained to this point. There is a part of my, like nylon says, that wants a truck that just needs to be washed...but I am one who fusses of things and maintains my vehicles very well so the just maybe the 6.0 could work for me.

There is also a 09 6.6L Duramax I am looking at, certainly cost more, but has signficantly less milage and that engineen doesn't has as much back story as the 6.0L PSD. I plan to take a much closer look at both trucks this weekend and see if one will work out for me. The good news is I don't need the truck, just want it, so I am not feeling any pressure to hurry this process.

Jayco228, I live just 30 min south of Fresno. If I do go forward with the 6.0L I'll certainly hit you up for Mike's information. Great to know there is an expert close by...guess it makes sence there tons of these trucks on the farms around here.

3'senough, I don't have a tuner but I do have a ScanGuage II that I use on both my vehicless for exactly what you mention...watching temps that aren't displayed on the dash and catching error codes.

Again, thank you all very much for taking this time. This formum is great, and I hope I can help answer your questions at some point.

nylyon · 06-22-2012, 08:44 AM

I wrote a document a year or so ago to help people better understand the cooling system in these trucks and how to flush the coolant (which I would highly recommend as soon as you purchase a 6.0). Anyway, there's a lot of consolidated information for your enjoyment....

http://home.comcast.net/~lyon.family...ush%20v1-0.pdf

Panhead · 06-22-2012, 07:24 PM

On Oct 16th 2010 I purchased a 2007 F250 6.0 ltr with only 11,600 miles. This truck has had a bedplate seal replaced and the turbo rebuilt. Both repairs were done under warranty. Because of these 2 repairs and the low miles on the truck (I now have 34,000 miles on it) I just bought a 48 month/48,000 mile extended warranty. I do love the truck and maintain it using the extreme duty guidelines. I change the coolant at 30K and oil and filters at 5K with fuel filters every other oil change.

One thing you should do before you buy ANY used 6.0 or any Powerstroke for that matter, is to go to a Ford dealer with the vin# and run an OASIS report. This will give you a history of dealer performed repairs. This can tell you if the truck has a storied history or not.

Good luck with what ever you decide to buy.

Steve

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