Ok so I'm pretty much a Cummins man all the way, but I'm sending my Cummins down the road just because the truck isn't me. I came across a Powerstroke the other day and it's the first I've ever really liked, I know a lot of people hate the 6.0 including me especially the 03 because it had the most problems. But this one I think has all the mods done to fix the typical problems. Can I get some honest advice on what to expect? I don't want any bickering about how Cummins sucks or how Powerstroke is sent from the heavens... Oh and can I expect good fuel economy if I drive it right? My Cummins got usually 21 on the hwy and up to 24 once or twice. Its gonna be a daily driver and I need reliability. This is what I know about the truck:

The Ad Reads:

FULLY BUILT POWERSTROKE FLATBED WITH 6 SPEED MANUAL TRANS AND 6 INCH LIFT AND 36 INCH DICK CEPEK TIRES! Take a minute to read how we made this truck BULLETPROOF!

We started with the 6.0 diesel engine that has a real bad reputation because of it's EGR system and other faulty components. All engine work performed less than 5000 miles ago. Here's how we fixed it:

Black Oynx 18MM Dowel Head Gaskets (2)

Black Oynx Gasket Kit

Black Oynx Exhaust Manifold Gaskets

ARP 250-4202 Head Stud Kit

EGR Delete Kit with Turbo Up Pipe

Brand New Ford Oil Cooler (includes screen)

Full Set of Injector Orings

Turbo Gaskets and Hardware

Ford Fuel Pressure Regulator Upgrade Kit

8 Dual Coil Fast Heat Glow Plugs

Oil Filter

SCT Programmer

(includes 4 programs, shuts off check engine light)

Turbo Boost Fooler

Full Gauges

5 inch Straight Pipe Exhaust to 10 inch Black Stack

Truck has a newer Bradford built flatbed with built in gooseneck and fold up sides. Bradford built is hands down the best in the business. Coming through the bed is a straight pipe to a 10 inch black smokestack exhaust that sounds better than any other diesel truck I've ever heard...seriously.

Brand new fully rebuilt ZF6 manual transmission installed recently. The 6 inch lift has built in track bars so the truck still rides straight when pulling. Tranny comes with 2 year warranty.

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Sounded like a pretty sweet ride and I'm a huge fan of full four doors.
Any advice would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks!

J

 

Sounds like a good truck, almost too good. Do you know the person selling it? Has he pulled with it (Sled/Trailer) at all?

 

Sounds like someone built it who reads DPM too much and not enough forums.

Black onyx gaskets, so you can expect to do head gaskets, again, sometime down the road. usually less than 10k miles.

Not sure what the dual coil glow plugs are, I would stick with motorcraft only, heard of aftermarket units burning up and dropping pieces in the cylinders, though I wouldn't let that keep me from buying a truck, new GP's are cheap from Ford and not hard to replace.

They got an SCT, but didn't say they have tunes from anyone, so probably just generic? You SHOULD buy some custom tunes.

turbo boost fooler is meant for stock trucks, not to be used with a programmer, that'd I'd toss out...

They didn't say who built the lift either... could be a nice kit, could be junk, who knows.

All in all, sounds decent, depending on price sounds like a decent truck, at least a good platform to work with, but I would fully expect to have to tear it apart for gaskets again honestly.

A coolant filter would be a good addition on it, and I would like to know what gauges are in it. I'd also like to know what coolant is in it.

If it's a really good deal go for it, but the BO gaskets (I'm talking specifically the headgaskets) would be a deal breaker for me, unless you don't mind doing them again.

Oh, and you will never get 21mpg out of that truck. Ever. I get 15-17 typically, been as low as 13 unloaded driving like a tard on winter fuel.

 

I havent even heard of those gaskets

 

theres a few things i wonder bout.
if u havent looked at it in person yet, id check it out real good. make sure it has head studs.
the black oynx are nothing but junk like mdub said. i have yet to hear one good thing out o them besides in magazines.
also the lift. since its a leaf spring front suspension, id make sure that used new arched leaf springs instead of a 6 inch block for the lift. if it is a lift block, i wouldnt even consider the truck.
also, if they just dumped this much money into this truck, 7-10k way i figure it, why are they wanting to sell it now? HG already poped?
and also, on an 03, you dont need a programmer to turn the CE light off.

 

he's asking $14500 which i thought was pretty high. Also thats what I feared on the gaskets was that they are junk. Also mileage is a huge deal for me. I love the Ford body but I'm too young to be blowing money like that in mods and fuel since i've got another year of school and trying to start life, i love the look of this truck but maybe i'll just go to a twelve valve i was offered if we're talkin that kind of mileage.


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And I'd post pics of it but I can't figure out how

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How does Black onyx stay in business then? I mean MKM customs uses them all the time for their "solution kits" Also I have a friend that i asked last nite with an 06 thats getting consistent 20 mpg hwy and has gotten 22 now and again.

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I don't mean any disrespect or say you don't know what you're talking about cuz i don't know much about Pstrokes but I've had ppl tell me so much different stuff, for example i've seen with my own eyes, my neighbors 6.4 gets 28 on hwy so i'm just wondering if i could improve it or whatnot

 

If anyone is telling you they are getting more than 24mpg with a powerstroke they are most likely lying. A tuned 6.0 CAN get 20-22 hwy at 68mph with stock tires but thats about it IMO. The black onyx gaskets will fail, im pretty sure they arent as thick as OEM and then there is the fact that the heads may not be flat or may have not been checked out at all. the 2003 Hpops were prone to failing unlike the later models. Ford trucks and the torqshift transmissions are stoudt. As far as black onyx there have been guys on the org that have literally had the heads machined, magnafluxed and everything and the gaskets still failed. I dont think there is one person on the org that has had BO gaskets and they havnt failed and the ones that do have them and are still running dont seem to have many miles on them

 

I dont see anyone with a PS getting that high of mileage. How are they figuring it out? Ive run 2 different programmers with different programming from performance to fuel economy and never got anything better than 18 mpg.

 

Anyone that tells me they get 20+mpg in a 6.0, I have real hard times believing.

A 6.4 is not getting 28mpg. I've seen some get an "instantaneous" 28 on the over head reader, but don't forget those things are the opposite of accurate. I have seen tuned/deleted 6.4's get 20-22 though, but not a 6.0.

I've seen some 2x4 6.0's with big injectors and a different turbo get closer to 22, but not stock injectore'd 4x4 trucks.

Just my personal exposure...

As far as how they stay in business.... not everyone is on the forums man. Lots of "sheep" out there... blind leading the blind. Today with the internet, anyone who reads a blog can suddenly become a "diesel performance shop" and rip people off. MKM is a decent company, it's possibly they never really see the end result of the BO gaskets, but I bet they at least have an idea, I know some guys call and order the solution kits but get the OEM gaskets substituted in.

 

mkm doesnt make the black onyx. its a different company. mkm just sales them.

i have never used them personally, but cale thompson at tyrant, formerly of BTS has used them a few times, and have had to warranty 6.0 HG jobs because of it on all. one truck three times because of the black onyx gaskets. he got the factory gaskets back on and no issues. he said would usualy get 3-10,000 miles out of the black onyx gaskets.