6.0 longevity question

[Big_ern_101]

Both of my 7.3s left me stranded. One had a water pump die and glow plug controller decided to go bad (2 separate instances) and the other one ejecto-seato'd the entire guts of the HPOP all over the valley and the clutch. That was pretty awesome.

My 5.9 Cummins also lost a water pump and a starter, fortunately it was so easy to change on those I was able to do it on the side of the road (water pump) and auto parts store (starter) that it was more of an inconvenience than a hassle.

My 6.0 has so far been reliable (knock on wood). It had the IPR act up on me but I was able to limp it 200 miles back home by pouring water on it every 10 minutes or so to keep it from heat soaking.

I guess what I am trying to say is even the lauded 7.3 and 5.9 can be sidelined and personal annecdotes are exactly that.

[kbeefy]

I agree, I have seen failures with all the major diesel manufactures. I have also seen as many failures with gas engines, typically at far lower mileage.


I currently have a 2000 F350 7.3 w/175k, a 2004 E350 6.0 w/91k, a 2005 F250 6.0 w/ 200k, a 2005 F350 w/ 225k, and a 2004 VW 1.9 tdi w/ 235k so I may be a little biased towards diesels.

[Bosco53]

Great info on this thread. It's all about maintenance. And NOT letting it sit. You should drive it at least once a week. Keep things moving, lubed and happy. I take mine out at least that much even if it's just a grocery store run. I'm just passed 104k miles but I am hopeful for many, many more! Do you due diligence and preempt the known weak links that you can.

https://www.sportsmobileforum.com/forums/f33/6-0-e350-upgrades-32001.html

[jquevedo]

Many people complain about 6.0 power stroke and while they are a pain in the back end to work on, major issues can be prevented if you treat your van right.
Major issues are oil, coolant and air filters.. EGR circuit is a part that tends to fail due to bad designs, if you live in a state where you need to keep it, then maintain it frequently and if needed upgrade the components.
Turbo, many people struggle with them sticking since they do not let the engine cool down at idle before shutting it down, lack of sulfur in diesels also contributes to lack of lubrication, there are many products to add to diesel to help in lubrication.
Treat the engine with care ( I do not use engine tuner) use good oil and keep air filter clean and it should last a long time, I got mine with 35 k miles and have put 135 K miles with no major issues, most of them in some desolate roads and still trust it to take me to remote places in Baja wher we spend a lot of time.