what to look for 2004 ford 6.0 diesel

The dreaded 6.0L Ford. It's been the truck that people have feared and loved for years. They are now getting to the age and price where they are an affordable buy for many that are looking to get into their commencement diesel fuel. Every year of the 6.0L is unique and seems to have their own pros and cons, just either manner, ownership a vi.0L will probable cost yous a few bucks in the time to come. That existence said, here are a few things to wait for when searching for that perfect half-dozen.0L.

The half-dozen.0H

The 6.0L was introduced in mid-2003 while the 7.3L trucks were even so trailing off, the 6.0L came in and took over equally a replacement for the aging 7.3L Powerstroke. At the time, the half dozen.0L was a healthy jump in power over the 7.3L and a welcome replacement. When it was released, it was considered to be the new benchmark for diesel fuel engines. It was released with the Highest Horsepower & Highest Torque Diesel fuel in its class making an impressive 325HP & 560lb-ft.

However, these new engines notwithstanding came sporting the HEUI (Hydraulic Electronic Unit of measurement Injector) which tends to crusade some common cold kickoff issues and makes them sensitive to oil viscosity and quality. HEUI injectors are run past engine oil beingness sent up to a secondary pump, this secondary pump brings the pressure up to 500-3000PSI. This high-pressure oil is fed to the oil rails and into the top portion of the injector to create the power needed to disintegrate the diesel fuel in the cylinders. This organisation works great when it's all sealed and new, but as the o-rings and other seals wear out over time, the oil can leak by and first causing driveability issues. This is the lifeblood of the vi.0L engine, then information technology'south a good affair to know before going out and purchasing i of these trucks.

Without a doubt, the most common result we meet on these trucks is headgasket failure. This is a well known and well-documented result with these trucks. They can run forever in stock form equally long as you stay upwardly to date with your maintenance. Yet, once y'all plunk a 10,000lb camper behind it or start adding some ability and begin to take some fun, you'll commencement to see some issues on those hot summer days. It begins with your caput bolts, they will start to stretch with the added cylinder pressure level and crusade frazzle to first entering the coolant system through your headgasket. This begins to pressure upwards the coolant system far college than it'southward designed to handle and next thing you know you'll starting time to meet coolant getting pushed out the cap on the degas bottle.

In one case you're at this point, there's really no fixing it, it's time for new headgaskets. When doing headgaskets on a half-dozen.0L we always replace the factory bolts with high quality ARP Studs. The studs allow united states of america to clamp the head far tighter to the block and keep cylinder pressure nether control past keeping information technology in the cylinder where it belongs! Once the studs and gaskets are installed, they are much more reliable and tin can actually handle the added ability y'all'll likely exist throwing at them.

We can't talk about the 6OH without talking almost the EGR Libation Failures as well. The EGR (Exhaust Gas Recirculation) Cooler takes your exhaust gas and runs it through a heat exchanger which uses engine coolant to cool information technology down. The now cooled gases are spit back into the intake manifold where it's so mixed with fresh air and re-burned in the cylinders. Ordinarily, this is only active when you lot are idling or under deceleration.

Not just does this clog up your intake with soot, simply your EGR Cooler itself tends to plug really quickly and will inevitably crevice. When this happens, it volition brainstorm to leak coolant into the intake and exhaust of your engine. EGR failures volition also lead to clogged engine oil coolers, as the sediment that builds upwardly in your cooling system begins to make its way into your oil cooler and will rapidly plug it and cause cracks and failures. When your Oil Libation begins to plug and neglect you'll typically detect a spike in oil temperature while driving or y'all'll start to see oil in your coolant.

2003-2004 6.0L

The 2003 & early 2004 trucks are known for having loftier-force per unit area oil pump failures. The Bosch HP032X pump was merely used for these ii years and is best known as the pump that volition go out y'all dead on the side of the road. If you lot're looking at a 2003-2004 6.0L, the first thing I would exercise is ask if the oil pump has ever been replaced. If y'all're noticing your oil pressure low-cal is coming on when idling and the engine is warm, or the truck has a hot start result, information technology may have an issue with the pump. Continue in mind, this can easily be a $2,000 chore at a shop.

The ICP (Injection Command Pressure) Sensor on the early models is located on the loftier-pressure oil pump (HPOP) housing and will cause a huge mess if information technology begins to leak. You lot can check the sensor by removing the harness and seeing if there'southward oil on the connectors, or if you meet a flood of oil coming from the back of the engine, there'south a good adventure it's the ICP Sensor. The loftier-pressure rail are unlike in these early trucks and actually had significantly fewer issues than the later on trucks, they still chew through injectors like the rest of them, simply that's fairly normal.

Another consideration when looking for a 6.0L is the suspension, the 2003-2004 6.0L has a leafage-sprung front end compared to the whorl-sprung front end on the 2005+ trucks. This might not affair to some, merely I personally would go with a roll-sprung setup as they are not merely easier to elevator/lower but they tend to ride amend too.

2005-2007 6.0L

In my opinion, 2005-2007 are a fleck nicer, the coil spring front end tends to ride a bit better out of the gate. This gives you a nicer platform to start your build on. Yet, it's quite common to see high-pressure oil leaks on the later model oil rails. Usually, we can pinpoint a seal leaking under the valve encompass when a customer tells us that their truck starts and runs fine when common cold, only won't offset if the engine is hot. In that location are quite a few seals on those rails, and the most common is the standpipe or dummy plug that will begin leaking and showtime to cause bug.

The 2005 trucks accept issues with fuel getting into the coolant system, it's somewhat rare, but nosotros see information technology more often at present.  This is a casting issue with the cylinder head that allows fuel to get effectually the injector cup and into the coolant arrangement.  It's e'er a skillful test to simply accept a whiff of the coolant and see if it smells like diesel. Also, take a wait at the seal in the coolant cap. If it's swollen up and looks too big for the pigsty it's in, it could be leaking fuel into the coolant. Diesel fuel Fuel in the coolant will cause all the seals to swell upwardly or come up apart as it begins to weaken them, the cap is merely the easiest mode to see this.

Headgasket Problems

Now that we've covered the specific years, here's what you need to know about when buying a half-dozen.0L, regardless of the twelvemonth. The first question y'all're going to ask is the condition of the headgaskets, have they been replaced? If they have been replaced, were studs installed? If so, who did them?

If the head gaskets take been replaced, make certain that you know who did the labor. It'southward quite mutual to run across less reputable shops, even dealerships skimping on the job, if the heads weren't machined, yous'll likely be doing information technology again.

Unfortunately, even after you've establish a 6.0L with studs, new gaskets, and freshly decked heads yous're far from bullet-proof equally near guys on Facebook Marketplace will claim. Check for any sign for coolant coming out around the degas bottle cap. THEY Tin can STILL Blow HEADGASKETS Later THEY Take BEEN STUDDED. Even if it's spotless under the hood, brand certain you take it for a drive and put some good load on it to brand sure the coolant system isn't pressuring upwardly.

I first by taking the cap off, letting the pressure level out, and taking it for a good drive then check it again. They will always make a scrap of force per unit area, but if it blows the cap out of your hand, walk away.

EGR Cooler & Oil Cooler

Has the EGR Cooler been removed or replaced? Has the Oil Cooler been replaced? You can look downward beside the intake manifold on the passenger side of the truck, you'll be able to see if the EGR Cooler has been removed and it'south being bypassed. This is i of the first things to bank check equally they will inevitably cause bug. If the EGR is cracked, you lot'll be able to tell considering the truck volition probable be puffing white smoke at idle when the EGR valve opens upward. This is because the truck is now burning all the coolant that's leaking into the intake manifold.

Listen Advisedly when you showtime turn the fundamental on, the FICM (Fuel Injection Control Module) will buzz all the injector solenoids. It should sound like a overnice electrical buzzing racket from under the hood. If you're hearing a more erratic clicking or the odd click here and there than the injectors may exist getting weak. This is fairly common, these trucks are known to chew through injectors every 150,000-200,000kms.

If the injectors take been replaced, ask for receipts and discover out what injectors were installed as there is no shortage of cheap 6.0L injectors on the market. Call up, when it comes to injectors, you get what you pay for.

If you're after a 6.0L, just make sure yous sympathize what you lot're getting yourself into. If you experience confident that everything above has been completed and completed well, it might exist a neat buy. They can be a blast to drive and they audio amazing with some pocket-size modifications, but we often see 6.0L'southward come in where people but didn't know what they were getting themselves into. My personal recommendation would be to find a 2006-2007 6.0L that has had the studs and injectors done at a reputable shop that volition stand behind their piece of work. You may discover a gem that runs forever and never gives yous grief, but you always run the risk of finding one that is always needing new parts.

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Source: https://www.dirtydieselcustom.ca/blogs/powerstroke/what-to-know-when-buying-a-used-6-0l-ford-powerstroke

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