Do not get a 6.0 or 6.4 powerstroke lol i work in a shop and hear nothing but bi*ching about them get a 7.3 like your talking about or a dodge with the 5.9

 

yea thats what ive heard the 7.3 psd and the 5.9 diesel are the best and most reliable diesels but.... the dodge interior is lacking compared to the ford.

so those of you with either a f150 or a powerstroke what mpg are you getting?

 

Get rid of the EGR system on the 6.0 and you will be fine.
What wrong with the 6.4? Everyone I know loves them and they make awesome power

 

14 MPG winter - I let it warm up at least 15mins everyday twice.

20 MPG summer

 

My F150 is getting 12-15mpg right now.
It is leveled, on 35" mud terrains, has a canopy and a couple hundred pounds of junk in back. Stock gearing, intake and 93 octane performance tune. I let it warm up every day and often idle it for 15 minutes or so to power a fuel trailer w/ electric pump.

 

The 6.4 has many issuses, 1 being that the motors blow at around 60,000 miles, my dad is on his second engine and my buddy is on his third. He blew one got a new one and then blew the new one in less then 60 miles and had to get another.

 

I would like to hear a story on each one of these....I never heard of anyone having these type of problems.

 

Same here, I know of 10 F250's personally with the 6.4 that have over 150K on them....

 

They "blow" at 60k miles huh? What exactly happens to them when they "blow"?
I haven't heard of anything like that either.

 

well i am interning at the department of transportation and there new trucks have the 6.4 in it and they complain about it all the time. it has power loss issues and you cant ever work on the damn thing cause the stupid cowl comes over half the engine.

on the funny note they got a ****ty old 7.3 f450 that has no power what so ever it's really hilarious. i drove it into the bay and just to get it going i had my foot on the floor lol

 

a buddy of mine has a 6.0 and hasnt had any major issues except for the fuel pump going out but he only has 50k mi max.

ive been comparing the two and for about the same price i can get either a 04-06 f150 or a 99-01 f250. but the diesel is going to hold its value over time

 

what kind of problems will i run into with the 6.0 because ive found a few with low miles for great prices.

another question, what would a superduty be like a in a manual tranny 5 or 6 spd for towing and all. the main thing i would worry about is pulling the boat up the launch ramp. btw ive never driven a truck with a manual only cars which is why i ask

 

I would assume is the regeneration process causing the power loss. It can take 10 - 40 mins to complete.

And seeing how you all treat the old 7.3 I can see why. The older trucks need time to warm up more then the newer trucks. I am assuming you just started the poor 7.3 and put it to the floor.

 

I never drove a manual truck either so I can not answer that.


From what I have been reading if you get rid of the EGR system the 6.0 should be fine. I would also try to get a later year 6.0, not the first couple if possible.
I also read where the head studs like to stretch. Maybe some ARP studs if you plan on a chip and exhaust

 

If you get a 6.0L get either an 06 or 07. Get a coolant filter for it as well as newer EGR cooler. The more common issue is the head gasket/studs which normally become a problem when you start tuning it aggressively. Head studs are spendy and normally the cab gets pulled to replace them ($$$). Things is the trucks are cheap because the 6.0L has a bad name but it can be a great engine IMO. Do those things and it is a great truck. There are other problems that can come up but they are relatively rare.

 

i use to work for a company down here and they had a 06 f-450 with the 6.0L in it and it stayed in the shop more than it stayed on the road...kept blowing turbos and everything else you can think of.....Then they bought me a 2008 F-550 with 6.4L in it..I put over 35K miles on it in 1 year and only problem i had with the truck is the radiator formed a leak and Ford said it was a common problem with the 6.4L

IMO..Would be nice to get a F250 with a cummins to power it.

 

From what I heard that is from the EGR system. I guess everything starts getting clogged up and it all goes down from there.

People that use it everyday towing don't seem to have any issues.

 

Both of these cases happened with daily driving, no abuse, i would have to dig have to ask my friend what happened to his because he only told me it blew twice in 60 miles. Also don't forget the injector problem, which also happened to my dads twice in 120 miles, he got his done on recall after they went out before the recall notice, stranded on the highway in -30 C and then 120 miles after replacement they went again.

 

What's up with all the 6.0L and 6.4L hate?

A close friend has on '09 F250 4WD with the 6.4L diesel. He puts lots of highway miles on it with only occasional towing 5-7000lbs. It's been a great truck so far. It's reliable and has good power. The only thing that's not great is the fuel economy, which he reports to be in the neighborhood of 13mpg. Everything else is fantastic- great turning radius, smooth ride, monsterous towing capacity, good 4WD performance, and a spacious interior.

If a guy did want to mod a 6.4L diesel, Spartan makes tunes that let you loose the DPF, pick up MPG, and get uncanny power from just a tune.

Everyone hangs on to the beloved 7.3L like it's God's gift to diesel engines. They were great engines, to be sure, but the last one rolled off the line in about 8 years ago. Not to mention in stock form they're down on power compared to newer diesels. Low mileage 7.3L trucks are getting hard to come by. Most are either mint in some grandpa's barn waiting on spring to pull the camper down to the lake, or they're sitting all used-up in a used car lot on the side of the road with close to 200,000 miles on them.

It's like trying to find a wrecked Level II Ranger to rob out if it the rear axle and bucket seats.

The OP says his friend makes biodiesel which makes the F250 more appealing due to cheaper fuel costs. It is something to consider, but does your friend make enough biodiesel for you and him (and any other guys beside you)? How long will he make the stuff and what will he charge you? The 7.3L trucks do get the best mileage but don't forget the other things that contribute to the overall "cost-per-mile" expense of operating a 3/4 ton truck.

That said, I'd look at your budget and buy the newest and lowest mile F250 you can afford. Personally, the TorqShift automatic transmission and coil spring front suspension that came after Ford dropped the 7.3L are more compelling for a daily driver.

 

thanks for all the good advice. unfortunately my budget is tight and the most i could afford to spend on a new truck would be 20k so that being said an 04 with less than 100k is about all i could afford. so i will stick to my original plan and keep looking for a 7.3. i found a 97 crew cab long bed 4x4 and 7.3 with 55k for 15grand but it was a manual and im not sure about manual trucks and it was red and i wont drive a cop magnet lol.

my buddy has the equipment so all i would have to do is buy everthing that needs to be added with the veggie oil and help make it. it comes out to be about $1.25 a gal. he and a few other guys just get together on a weekend every couple of weeks and make a few hundred gal. and fill there 65gal tanks on the trucks plus a few barrels

 

well it had just been brought to the shop actually so it wasnt cold it's just a bad truck lol i thought it was funny i have nvr seen a diesel that lacked that much power

 

I know the 97 seems like a good truck, but $15,000?

My 2001 7.3 4x4 was only $15,900.

I would keep looking, you'll know the one when you see it.

 

yea well he originally wanted 18,500 and there was no way i was payin that so i talked him down to 15k with all the aftermarket parts or 13k stock

anyway ive been on the craigslit hunt everyday waitin for THE deal and i may have found one its an 01 crew cab 4x4 80k miles lifted 37s for $18,000 im going to see if i cant haggle the price down

 

That does not sound bad.

Be sure to check all the tie rods, ball joints, ect. Mine where out when I bought it and its expensive and a PITA

 

i will definately do a full inspection before. but its in portland OR so if i pay to fly up there im getting the truck unless theres major issues and every issue i see im paying less for the truck. from what ive seen its in great condition
heres the link
2001 ford superduty f350 crew cab short bed 7.3l diesel 4x4 80k miles
and something funny is the dealer selling it is Jordan motors and in portland. my name is jordan and im from portland lol