I currently have a 2000 F250 7.3L turbo diesel, single cab, 6 speed manual transmission, 199,000 miles. This truck is unstoppable! However, I have been battling back and forth about selling it- I have basically rebuilt the entire truck mechanically from the drive shafts, tranny, ball joints, sensors, etc. but I want a bigger truck. The other day, I found a 2005 F350 6.0L crewcab, dually that has 101,000 miles on it. My mechanic was with me and he glanced at the undercarriage and said the truck was immaculate. The only thing we have noticed so far (without putting it on a lift and tearing it apart) is that it is going to need front axle seals. The guy is asking $23,000 for the truck. I would be offering a lesser amount but is it worth it? The truck has all the extras, lariat edition, gooseneck hitch, ranchos shocks, bumper hitch, etc. I am leery of it because I have not heard great things about the 6.0L engines but the 7.3L's aren't made any more and are very difficult to find- trust me, I've been looking! Does anyone know of any problems with the '05 6.0L's that I should know about? Does anyone know the fuel mileage- if it is different from the 7.3's at all? I pull a horse trailer so it needs to be a reliable truck- the dually is a little overkill but it would be definitely not be lacking anything! What are anyone's thoughts on the single rear wheel versus the dual? Sorry for such a long, monotonous post, I'm just trying to figure things out before I have to put new tires on my truck! Thanks!!

 

I prefer just about anything over the 6.OL. It has alot of problems with head gaskets, and head bolts streching. The newer ones don't see this problem as much anymore, but the difference in power compared to the 7.3L is quite alot. The 6.0L is a "dog"! As far as the dually/ Single (heavy duty) axle it doesnt really matter. You can get all of the same options with either truck. What really matters as far as towing goes is how good your suspension is, and how good your shockks are. Rancho shocks are Crap if you ask me! You should get a set of monroe "heavy duty" shocks, and you can add either air bags, or better leaf springs to get a better load capacity, and a little bit better ride than a dually. The gas milage will be fairly close to each other. With diesels the milage doesnt matter nearly as much as in a gas job. I have a 6.9L that has over 800,000 miles on it and still going strong. They are meant to last a long time, and if you take care of them they will! With bigger trucks (18 wheelers) it's not uncommon to see 1 million plus miles! Ive only heard of 1 light duty truck that had over a million miles on it, but it is possible as long as you take care of them! I hope this helps, and if you have any other questions let me know! Good luck.

 

Is there any way to troubleshoot the head bolt/ head gasket issues or is it hit or miss? I have heard about these issues a lot but I also know several people who own 6.0's and they love them. Does there seem to be a trend as far as mileage goes for when these problems occur? I really don't want to buy a brand new truck because I drive them pretty hard and I would feel too guilty doing it to a newby! But right now it seems all that is out there are 6.0's. I love my 7.3 engine but my truck and I need to part ways- we hate each other and it takes it out on me in very expensive ways. The engine itself is fantastic though and the torque is off the scales. Realistically, though I need a bigger truck, such as why I'm looking at crewcabs. Also, I have heard that the 6.4's have issues with fuel mileage because of the twin turbos. Has anyone else heard that? Sorry if I sound stupid but I am soooo nervous buying another truck because of the issues I experienced with my current truck. I'm trying to research all my options- while sticking with a ford- and trying to get as much of a sense of exactly what I want and need and what questions I should ask. Regardless of what I purchase, it will be getting checked out by two mechanics and completely gone through before I make offers but I want to have as much information as possible ahead of time. Thanks so much!

 

yeah there isntmuch wrong with the 6.0 aslong as all of the recalls on it have been done. they are going to get about 15-17mpg and they are reliable like i said as long as the recalls are done. you should have plenty of power. other wise a damn good truck. but if u want to build a truck a 6.0 is not a good motor to do it with.

 

Thanks for your help! I have decided to just keep my 7.3L and not get a new truck right now. I couldn't find another 7.3 anywhere so I'll keep mine until they come up with a better one or fix the issues with the 6.4L. Thanks though, your input definitely helped me make my decision to keep mine and not buy a 6.0. Dumb question now, do E-brakes come in different strength levels? My truck kind of rolled itself into a ditch last night- it sort of has a Stephen King crazed truck trying to kill me persona- and I wasn't even in the truck- and my issues with the E brake are number one, my ratchet bolt on my pedal snapped (oops) and number two, my cable seems to loosen way too easily and my E brake shoes seem too weak to be able to hold my truck- even on a small incline. Anytime I have to stop and get out of it, I have to put it in gear, shut it off and gently set what little E brake I have, to keep it from rolling anywhere. Would I be able to purchase stronger, heavy duty E brake shoes anywhere? Would replacing the cable make a difference in it holding better? I am also planning on fixing the pedal bolt when I get this done but after last night, it needs to become a priority! Thanks!