There's a short little thread on here about my adventures with my 03 6.0 w/202K I bought in June '12. My best advice is to find the nearest GOOD 6.0 mechanic. A plain old diesel mechanic won't cut it and a dealer will charge you up the wazoo and not give you the education you need and you seem like you are eager to learn. Look for someone who works on a lot of 6.0s and likes them, if the mech hates them or says they're POS just walk away and keep looking. This engine can be good but its very finicky, sometimes even if a fastener is tightened too loose or too tight it can cause a no start or worse. Find that good 6.0 wrench and buy him a drink, a meal or just adopt him into the family (like I did ), it will be invaluable. and stay on this forum lol

 

Monitor VGT on the scangauge while driving (when you say it has low power). If it hits 15% or 85% while driving, then your turbo is probably sticking and needs cleaned. THe turbo has to be pulled to do this.

 

it seems like it isnt the turbo more or less from my knowledge, seems more like just a basic little girl, when the turbo kicks in you can hear the whine and the boost it gives, but before it kicks in off the jump it isnt a quick truck at all, "Not that im drag racing or anything like that, but i do want to know if there is a pedal lag on this year model and or if this seems like a common im just freaking out case, i pick the truck up in 8 hours from now " Cant sleep"!!!!! and before i sign over the next 3 years and 14,000 of my life, i want to make sure i am making the right decision, i know that i have to make the final on the truck itself but from what i have said you guys have been a great help, and just this last question.

(Until i buy the truck and start getting skizto thinking when i hear my blinker i just blew a head bolt...!!!) thats where i will start piling them all up and learning the true 6.0...

Thanks again all
Joey

 

Bottom line, when 6.0 diesels run correctly, people love them and do not sell them very often. Thus, apparently, 6.0 diesel owners do not sell their vehicles until/unless they need a new engine. Mileage is age means little. A 6.0 diesel engine with 10,000 miles on it can be bad. So one cannot go by mileage or age.

The only way to be safe when purchasing a used Ford vehicle with a 6.0 diesel is to deduct $10,000 from the sales price for motor work and know the correct place to do the work.

 

I have a 04 F-250 with a 6.0 with over 317,000 miles on her. Like someone said, take it easy until she's warmed up, then drive her like a work truck. These trucks weren't made to get groceries. They like to work, and they like to work long and hard. If you take it too easy on her too long, she'll hurt you in the wallet. You have to also remember, these engines are diesels, not gassers. They don't do well at high RPMs, especially for long periods of time. Install aftermarket gauges, and pay attention to them! High temps will kill the engine and transmission. I have a small bulldozer (John Deere 420C) and a farm tractor I pull over Snoqualmie pass. That's a grade between 4-7% for several miles. My 6.0 pulls my dozer over the pass at or above the speed limit without complaints. It seems to run better afterwards when I do. If I take my truck to the grocery store every couple of days without working her for a month or so, she starts sounding like she's starting to miss in a cylinder or two. However, that's not what these engines are designed for.

Work her like she's designed for, and understand she's not a gas engine, and you need to know how to drive a diesel, and she'll do you right.