I have a '06 F350, Banks Ram Air, Banks Six Guns with speed loader, and 4" exhaust. I have been having an issue with it blowing out coolant from the overflow. I have had it to a FORD mechanic and he ran the tests and proves my head gasket is blown. He is going to do the work on the side and is going to replace the head gaskets, put in ARP rods and studs, change out a weak FICM and clean out the EGR valve. What should this cost about with parts and labor. I do have the EGR Cooler which was replaced about 2 years ago along with the new OIL Cooler that FORD was changing them out with. Please advise as to what you think would cost for parts and labor.

 

I'm not too sure on the cost of all that, but have an idea. Instead of cleaning the EGR, why not delete it? It's going to be very accessible with all the other work being done, and will never be easier to do.

 

Tough to say...

Really need to know what exactly he's doing. What about the heads? They'll need to go to a machine shop for sure and be completely gone through.

What are ARP rods? I'm assuming you're just putting in ARP studs.

Don't have him put a new FICM on, send yours out for repair, much cheaper.

I would also have him do dummyplugs/stand pipes and the updated STC fitting, if they haven't been done. Also the turbo drain pipe has been updated, get that too.

I would delete the EGR cooler myself, no sense putting another back on. Delete kits are not expensive. I would also just buy an oil cooler rebuild kit anyways, it's $250 and cheap insurance. Put a coolant filter on that list too, to make sure it stays clean.

I've seen these jobs run anywhere from $1500 up to $5k, depending on who is buying parts and what is all involved.

Personally, I'd say source all of the parts yourself, and then just pay him labor to do it all.

 

i am at the point that this is what I am driving. My mechanic is a certified senior mechanic from FORD and has all of the parts. Sorry, no rods, it is the studs. He is going to put in everything that is needed. My FICM is running 43V to 45V. Batteries are good and pass load test. He is going to charge me 2500 for everything. I think it is a good price. I am getting the International fuel filters and brass plug for him to replace as well. I would do what I can myself, but working 7 days a week, 12 to 14 hours a day, dont really have energy to do anything else at the moment. he also recommends that if you arent doing daily hauling and towing NOT to do the EGR Delete. Any thoughts on this.

 

Do the EGR delete regardless, it's only going to cause issues later.

Price doesn't seem bad, but again, this depends what's included. What about the machine shop services for the heads? I know my bill was ~$500.

The heads will need:
Pressure checking (ensures no leaks)
decking (ensures flatness)
magnafluxing (checks for cracks)
a valve job
any springs/valves need replacing...
valve seals/guides possibly.

I would try and find a local machine shop/engine performance shop with these capabilities that have done 6.0 heads previously. You can only take a tiny amount off of the heads anyways.

Your FICM voltage isn't terrible, but could be better, there are options for that though. Definitely send it out though, don't buy another one.

I would also make sure you get those upgraded/updated parts from Ford I told you about, they're not expensive. Coolant filter for sure too. A coolant flush the day of or the day before he does the work is highly suggested.

I've been in some pretty heated arguments with "certified master Ford diesel mechanics" before. I can't believe how poorly trained most of them are. So when someone tells me they're certified, I take it with a grain of salt. No offense to your guy, because there are good one's out there, but for every good I've seen, I've seen 1000 bad one's. Most of my issues under warranty were made worse by not properly diagnosing the issues. Many times I dropped my truck off for some repairs, both minor and major, only to get it back 1-2 MONTHS later with the same issues, and tons of parts put on it for no reason.

Take it for what it's worth. Maybe ask if he has some references to similar jobs he's done? Also don't be afraid to ask him a lot of questions, you should be able to tell pretty quickly if he knows what he's doing or not.

Oh, btw, welcome to DB!

 

i totaly 100% agree with you for on that statement about mechanics. i have seen individuals get a job that cant change the oil with out assistance every step of the way!!! however, i am going out on a limb obout this one. he also does side work as i mentioned. at his side business they ONLY work on FORD motors. they also have several cars that they have stripped and made into drag cars and are pretty formidable in this area. they took a 2002ish mustang and put a diesel engine in it for drag racing. they are also pretty formidable with this one. he came right out and hooked up his equipment and was telling me all about the FICM being weak, asking me questions and as i told him he was telling me it does this and then this hitting all f the points on the head. i FEEL confident with him, but that is not to say he talks a big game. well see, as far as the heads being machined, i do not know if he is going to do that. i need to ask him when he returns from out of town. thanks for all of the info and assistance, as i do read the threads and use them towards my truck.

 

That's a huge first step, I rarely got that feeling with the clowns working on my truck when it was under warranty.