Looking for a diesel truck to haul some horses. Currently doing it with my F-150 5.4L V8 truck. Just need more power and more reliable truck. My F-150 only has 120,000 miles but failing coil packs have given me trouble. I've also blown a spark plug out of the head. Makes me not want to take it far from home.

Been looking for a diesel and just found a 2005 Ford F-350 XLT Powerstroke 6.0 Turbo diesel. Long bed dually. Perfect condition inside and out with 90,000 miles.

I've been reading about trouble with some Powerstoke 6.0 engines. Is this going to be a more reliable truck than my already unreliable Ford?

Any recommendations would be appreciated.

 

Obviously a diesel is better for towing than a 1/2 a 6.0 is a great motor once all the issues are adressed, I'm not Gunna lie I talked the most **** about the 6.0 till I bought one and have been working on a lot of them all I do is tow or haul with my trucks I custom built a 500hp 95 f359 with a Cummins 12v and I love my 6.0 over my fummins little things here and there to make them reliable but once they are they are a decent platform

 

What needs to be done to make them reliable? I'm not towing a lot of weight. 3,000 lbs 2 horse aluminum trailer and two horses. With a diesel I might upgrade to a trailer with living quarters but thats it.

The truck I'm looking at is almost perfect with only 90,000 miles. Asking $17,000 for it which seems a bit low to me. I like the low price but makes me worry something is wrong with it too.

 

before you buy have a good powerstroke shop check it out, theyll be able to check ficm voltage, eot vs ect, excess cooling sys press. and can give you an idea of what kind of condition the engine is in. You will wana do a egr delete/upgrade, depending on eot you might have to install a new oil cooler when doing your egr fix. if your oil cooler is ok you can put that money towards a coolant filter kit wich will help your cooler last longer. Also while the turbo is off you should pull the hpop cover and see the hpop has the stc fitting update. You can also check the fitting on the fpr, if it has a brown oring I would go ahead and get a blue spring upgrade. Aside from that the rest will be fix as it breaks (injectors, head gaskets, etc.)

 

Just be aware when it's time for headgaskets it will require removing the cab, so when it's time for that you either have to be able to remove the cab or spend the money to have a shop do it. I personally would avoid a 6.0 unless I got a steal of a deal on one.

 

Not true I did my head studs withought removing the cab and I have done close to 1/2 dozen sets withought pulling the cab even the guys at diesel power mag did a artical on how to do it a few months back

 

You pulled the heads and did gaskets, or just installed studs ?

 

I would defiantly have someone that knows a thing or two about the 6.0 look at it before you buy one the 6.0 is a Badass motor once all the issues are addressed

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Yank the heads out did gaskets then reinstall with head studs had to do an 04 a couple weeks ago that needed both heads replaced after I got them back from being magnafluxed there not bad to do leaving the cab on as long as you have another set of hands while pulling and replacing the heads after the first couple sets you learn a few tricks

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Wouldn't recommend just doing studs on a 6.0 withought doing gaskets and having the heads checked or may be doing it again

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Diesel power mag October 2012 issue page 126 if anyone is wondering if cab on head stud install isn't possible

 

I've never worked on one but everything I had read to this point said you gotta pull the cab, learned somthing new today

 

Yep I didn't believe it either till a guy I know walked me threw it last year and been doing it that way ever since works great a few f bombs go flying and a couple tools but it is doable