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04 F550 6.0

rondig

Senior Member
Joined
Jul 24, 2013
Messages
517
Location
fort macleod alberta
Occupation
excavation
Well i can tell u this....when 99 % of the responders on this site agree on one question....that says something lol...first time i have ever seen this..
It is always cat vrs cummins /ford vrs dodge/ pete vrs kenworth....you get the point....so for 99% to agree is pretty much all the advice i would need lol.....now can we get back to the fun stuff and have some friendly differences in opinion...this is kinda freaking me out lol...
 

TVA

Senior Member
Joined
May 14, 2018
Messages
2,245
Location
USA
Your cheating.....everyone knows the 7.3 is awesome....your just rubbing it in lol.
The thing is - I got another 96 7.3 on f250 4x4 - that one when it gets below 50F turns into ether addict!

And last thing - all me medium duty trucks will be Ford 7.3, I know - they are on the “hungry” side, but I hate aches in my head and soft tissues!
 

dporter

Active Member
Joined
Jan 15, 2010
Messages
39
Location
midland, ontario
Occupation
landscape, project manager
Brandon
They are not all bad.
I have an early 04 - 03 model block, truck has 820,000km on it. Working on Engine #2 first went 760,000km then eat a lifter.
The heads lifted at 200000, redone all stock, has always been stock. Second engine I bought from a scrapyard, it was the identical block from another 03. It now has 60000km on it since installed, I did nothing to it but install and run it.

In its like it had its problems. Head gaskets, 2 oil coolers, 3 sets injectors. A bit more trouble than my previous 7.3s.

Good engine though runs very strong, pulls like a train. You could not get me to give it up, despite age related up keep costs now.
Ya its an early 04 engine, bad coolers, weak HPOP, blows turbos among other things. changed oil cooler twice, original HPOP still in both blocks, original turbo still in use, needed one FICM. There are some that are real horror stories, but some are reliable. I would say more good than bad, once you learn how to maintain them they not so bad as everybody thinks.

Don't be to afraid of them, but do do your homework for sure and check over well.
 

rondig

Senior Member
Joined
Jul 24, 2013
Messages
517
Location
fort macleod alberta
Occupation
excavation
All my 7.3 started good once i upgraded the glowplugs...they were loud and drank fuel...but for the year they beat the 6.2 chev and 6.5 for that matter...the cummins was pretty much always good in that generation
 

TVA

Senior Member
Joined
May 14, 2018
Messages
2,245
Location
USA
All my 7.3 started good once i upgraded the glowplugs...they were loud and drank fuel...but for the year they beat the 6.2 chev and 6.5 for that matter...the cummins was pretty much always good in that generation
7.3 nowhere near as loud as 12 valve!
That 5.9 is a ear popper!
 

Brandon_M

Well-Known Member
Joined
Sep 3, 2016
Messages
218
Location
Eastern Kentucky
Occupation
Self employed
dporter... Thanks & thanks to everyone as fas as that goes. I understand that all will need work at some point. I by no means am looking for pure trash, it wouldn’t be a everyday work truck just kinda use it around my place piddlin on my own Equipment. I’ll go check it over the best I can & base my decision from there. I hate so many bad things have been said but I’m glad too. At least I know what I may be getting into.
 

TVA

Senior Member
Joined
May 14, 2018
Messages
2,245
Location
USA
dporter... Thanks & thanks to everyone as fas as that goes. I understand that all will need work at some point. I by no means am looking for pure trash, it wouldn’t be a everyday work truck just kinda use it around my place piddlin on my own Equipment. I’ll go check it over the best I can & base my decision from there. I hate so many bad things have been said but I’m glad too. At least I know what I may be getting into.

I heard that if you delete everything unnecessary on that engine it can be really easy on fuel. Around 20gpm empty riding, don’t know if it’s true. IRP bolts could help with heads, but what to do with constant oil leak problems - I still don’t know that secret!
 

rondig

Senior Member
Joined
Jul 24, 2013
Messages
517
Location
fort macleod alberta
Occupation
excavation
Yep you to can be a 6.0 genius for less than the cost of university..i am sure more than a few of us have that degree...i have learned a lot about engine because of the 6.0....an education i use everyday on different engines....and i have the advantage of not fearing any engine anymore lol...
 

rondig

Senior Member
Joined
Jul 24, 2013
Messages
517
Location
fort macleod alberta
Occupation
excavation
I heard that if you delete everything unnecessary on that engine it can be really easy on fuel. Around 20gpm empty riding, don’t know if it’s true. IRP bolts could help with heads, but what to do with constant oil leak problems - I still don’t know that secret!
Mount a couple 45 gallon drums on roof....like those beer redneck hats?
 

TVA

Senior Member
Joined
May 14, 2018
Messages
2,245
Location
USA
I didn’t work on many 6.0s but the last one it was sweet engine, starts in 1/4 of the second, smooth like silk, pulls really good! But boy is it a dirty b*****d! Started with a front seal, had to replace it three times, I believe last two with wear sleeve, than started leakage oil from right head, then the left head, finally it leaked from somewhere between the heads and my friend who owned it pulled the plug on it!
Ex BNSF truck, still had those rail wheel brackets on.
 

Brandon_M

Well-Known Member
Joined
Sep 3, 2016
Messages
218
Location
Eastern Kentucky
Occupation
Self employed
I’m bout to think maybe if this one has 300,xxx plus miles maybe all the updates have been done & problems fixed to be able to have that many miles. It’s also been a company fleet maintained truck, so maybe the maintenance has been kept up a little better. Ahh no need to worry about it till I ask some more info on it.
 

wornout wrench

Senior Member
Joined
Feb 17, 2012
Messages
740
Location
canada
All joking aside, I know several guys that have them in personal trucks and do okay, minor problems.

The industrial setting is what seems to do them in in my part of the world.

I have run a few of them in F550 shop trucks. I HATED the gear jammers. The 6.0 likes to rev so the automatic made it much nicer, would let it get up into its power band. I did lots of off hiway mountain driving on logging roads.

I bought a 98 Chevy with the 6.5 in it against all of my friends advise, it was 5 years old when I got it.
They are not the best engine either but here it is 2019 and I still have it. I have 3 of the magic black boxes in my glove compartment ready for the next time it decides to crap out on me. We have a real love hate relationship.
 

RZucker

Senior Member
Joined
Jul 7, 2013
Messages
4,077
Location
Wherever I end up
Occupation
Mechanic/welder
All joking aside, I know several guys that have them in personal trucks and do okay, minor problems.

The industrial setting is what seems to do them in in my part of the world.

I have run a few of them in F550 shop trucks. I HATED the gear jammers. The 6.0 likes to rev so the automatic made it much nicer, would let it get up into its power band. I did lots of off hiway mountain driving on logging roads.

I bought a 98 Chevy with the 6.5 in it against all of my friends advise, it was 5 years old when I got it.
They are not the best engine either but here it is 2019 and I still have it. I have 3 of the magic black boxes in my glove compartment ready for the next time it decides to crap out on me. We have a real love hate relationship.
Funny, my main work truck is a '98 Chevy K3500 with a 6.5 too. 220,000 miles now, 1 injector pump at 160,000 miles, 1 PMD (since relocated) Not much else so far. Oh, 5 glow plugs last winter.
It's not a powerhouse, but it's been reliable. and hits 15 MPG most of the time.
 

TVA

Senior Member
Joined
May 14, 2018
Messages
2,245
Location
USA
I’m bout to think maybe if this one has 300,xxx plus miles maybe all the updates have been done & problems fixed to be able to have that many miles. It’s also been a company fleet maintained truck, so maybe the maintenance has been kept up a little better. Ahh no need to worry about it till I ask some more info on it.
It’s all comes down to price! At this point pay more attention to crane and body, I wouldn’t get anything less then 6000# crane! My 6000# only rated 675# fully stretched out, 6000 is fully redacted and lifted high, basically right at trucks side.
Only ones that can go higher on rating is “maintaners” but those have turrets mounted not on top of cabinet - but straight on the frame! So you loosing a storage space!
I wouldn’t give more than $5000 for that truck and even that in very good service body and crane condition! Just a price of body and crane. 4x4 does count for something, depending on conditions you are planning to work in. What transmission is in it, 5speed or Eaton autoshift?
Does it have hydraulic driven compressor and welder on?
 

TVA

Senior Member
Joined
May 14, 2018
Messages
2,245
Location
USA
Funny, my main work truck is a '98 Chevy K3500 with a 6.5 too. 220,000 miles now, 1 injector pump at 160,000 miles, 1 PMD (since relocated) Not much else so far. Oh, 5 glow plugs last winter.
It's not a powerhouse, but it's been reliable. and hits 15 MPG most of the time.
Those old Detroits as far ask know not that bed beside controller, but if you relocated -shouldn’t give you much trouble. Is your transmission manual?
 
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