Is the ford 6.0 realy that bad?
 

First off I am currently looking for a descent used 2500 Cummins. I realize asking this question in this forum might generate some... well... slightly biased responses, but my boss is buying a new E-450 cube with a 6.0 and was I wondering if the new ones are as bad as the first ones that hit the market. My current work truck a E350 7.3 is rather reliable but relay expensive on parts and bad fuel economy.

The 05's and 06's are supposedly better than the first two years. That said, when talking to someone with a silver badge of death (the 6.0 trucks have a nice silver badge on the front doors), I often ask how many injectors they've had replaced. Very few respondents have said none, and none of them have been offended. Also, none have wondered what I was talking about.

That said, the 6.0 is EASILY the least reliable diesel currently available in a pickup truck. In fact, it's probably the least reliable diesel ever installed in a pickup.

A duramax owner will brag when his truck hits 400k, and rightfully so. A 6.0 owner will brag if his truck hits 100k on the original motor. No kidding, I really mean that. A 7.3 owner will brag when his truck hits 400k, and a number of them go much further than that. A 5.9 owner will brag, well you know the story-many just don't seem to wear out.

In my opinion, if you do ANY research at all and still buy something with the ford version of the 6.0, you're an idiot. The 6.0 is far less reliable than the cheaper gas engines you can get in the f250 and f350. That isn't just me talking-that has been statistically proven.

so bascially ---- yes [laugh] [laugh] [laugh]

Yea... I kind of thought that was the answer I was going to get. My boss is a real great guy and we get along well but some times I just don't know where his head is at. [dummy]
His current 7.3 cube is starting to show its age and he just runs right out al lets a 20 year old ford focus driving salesman tell him how great the new 300 hp motors are.

I guess this means more overtime for me [laugh] while he sits waiting for the "new" truck to be fixed. Probably going to be a long wait because there is absolutely no room to work on the 7.3 in the ecnoline vans little own the 6.0.

But why.....why.....why would some bonehead put the oil filter right on the top of a motor then put it in upside down? Please.....somebody enlighten me. :o

If I recall correctly............the Ford Powerjoke 6.0 had something like 80 Technical Service Bulletins (TSBs) on it. Duramax had 8. Cummins had ZERO!!

I agree that they resolved some of the issues in 05 and 06 model year and they seem to be doing better. My brother-in-law has an 05 and hasn't had any issues so far.

But, would you really want to gamble on that track record?? I think I will stick with the Cummins.

The 6.0 is the most unreliable diesel ever put in a pick up is a bit over the line , Chevy put in a lot worse junk in for years and the current one in my book is the first semi reliable one they have ever used . I would take the 6.0 over every Chevy diesel used up till the Duramax . Ford has a least tried to fix the 6.0 problems with limited success , which is a lot more then what Chevy did in their early years . Chevy is the main reason diesel has had a hard time catching on in the US when comparing to other countries in which many have the diesel engine as their number one engine .

its a fine truck if u dont have to pay the bills

Nah. It ain't that bad if you consider headgaskets blowing, oil in the coolant, coolant in the oil, fuel in the oil, blown turbos, bad tranny's, rough idling, and hard starts on stock trucks with 15k miles on them bad.

im gonna have to dissagree. yes the old 5.7 oldsmobile diesel was unreliable, it would go alot farther than the average 6.0 can go without problems. as far as the 6.2 and 6.5, those were fairly reliable. the only real problems was head getting cracked, but that was fixed in later block designs.

Gotta agree with this one, though.

The early computer controlled 6.5 GM's probably tie for least reliable ever.

forgot about those. my grandfather had a '95 crew cab chevy 6.5. it was in and out of the shop after it hit 75K miles. had it about 3 years.

Some support for the 6.0
 

My little brother is a diesel tech at our local dealer. The engines he see's the most problems with are the ones that sit in the driveway more than running down the road. The ones that rack up the miles in a hurry seem to run very well all in all. That being said there are injector issues with some of the good run trucks on occation. I know the Cummins can easily be a high horse/touque motor but a the chipped 6.0's i've seen will out do a cummins with just a chip. I love my 7.3 Powerstroke and my 12 valve but as long as the 7.3 is running good I'm not going to trade it in on a 6.0.

Ben

They might out run a cummins with just a chip but who cares? Those motors need studs right off the lot. I knew a kid with an 03...had it in the shop on and off for a year...buddys dad had an 04, turbo blew with 1,500 miles then they get an 05, installed a quad chip and 5 inch exhaust. The headgasket blows along with the tranny at 10k miles. My father has service trucks at work that are 6.0s as well. Onehad ignitions problems in two weeks. Say no to the 6.blow!

A 6.0 van or E series is detuned for the trans. I guess. Something like 230hp and 440tq same with the Chevy vans to with Duramaxs. Maybe they will last longer detuned. My 97 F250 7.3 work truck has 240000 on it and not big problems other the replacing the water pump and glow plug relay. Tows a trailer 5 days a week. Knocking on wood as I type [duhhh]. Oh I think people beat the snot out of the 6.0s too because they like to hear the turbo. Listen too how people drive them always getting in the throttle hard. There still junk IMHO