6.0 Trustworthyness

[Bret+famx7]

I have an option to purchase myself a 2005 Ford Excursion for what I feel is a pretty fair price but I'm after some real world advice from folks that use their vehicles like I hope to. I have my wife and 5 daughters and a dog to haul around. I used to own a 2006 Durango but as you can imagine, there was room for us but nothing else. I've been reading up and going back and forth for almost 2 years about 7.3 or 6.0. This one has 208k miles and is bone stock, as in no egr,oil cooler or head bolt updates what so ever. Its exceptionally clean and is a 1 owner vehicle. I've heard there were some from 05 and newer that had much fewer/no problems than the earlier 03 and 04 model years. I also read that those items should still be upgraded for longevity and reliability but my biggest question is do you guys think it could be a trustworthy vehicle as is for a year or two so I could concentrate on other improvements(such as small lift and tires) or is it a ticking time bomb that you always hear on the other forums. I see it as it's already gone 208k with no known issues but I also fear I might be pushing my luck. I think deep down it comes down to my wife would never let me give it down if I talked her into letting me buy this only for it to fail me miserably haha. I'm really excited to get into another 4x4 and have missed the freedom that it gave us a few years ago but this next purchase for us will be my main ride for many many years(my youngest is 2 and oldest is 10 so I'm talking 15-20 years if not more hopefully) so I'm more or less trying to decide if this thing will be worth the risk. I really have no problem with spending money on it( remember the long term thing) but I just won't have a whole awful lot to throw at it initially. Any input is very much appreciated. An Excursion is 1st on my list with a 2003 or newer Suburban 2nd.

 

[alphaecho4386]

You will love it, but it will hurt your pocket book like few other vehicles.

I had an 06 F350. Had it from bought it at 31k sold at 60k the past few years. The truck, chassis, transmission, everything was solid on it, and damn near unbreakable. The 6.0 is a smooth and powerful engine. But holy cow, it will suck every spare penny you have. The price to pick one up is low, but that is only part of it.

I was meticulous on service, and spent many dollars and hours on it. That being said, you can correct all the issues in one swoop, bit it will come with a scary price tag. That being said, it's about as solid a rig as you could get all in for the money. But a bulletproof and full going over ($7-10k half of that is parts) will need to be done.

It's not that it ever left me stranded, it always got me and the RV home. But was annoying as I was wrenching on it myself, and didn't have the spend to do all the repairs at once, so every month or two the truck would sputter or give symptom that the next item on the list was coming up soon.

But if you have the time, money, and desire for a neat truck that keeps you on your toes, they are hard to beat. While it was an expensive endeavor, I'd have bought it again.

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[bknudtsen]

Potential nightmare. Probable headache.

Great motor, if you have the time and money to put into it.

 

[Buliwyf]

Just pull and clean or replace the egr. That was the source of my 6.0 failures.

 

[Bret+famx7]

So if I keep a close eye on things it should last as I save for the full bullet proofing. I had in my mind that I would just save and have the money at the same time as I purchased the Ex that way if something did happen I would all get taken care of but things have changed and we're at the point where we need another vehicle now and definitely don't have that coin laying around. I've tossed around the idea of a V10 but I just can't get that excited about them. Not after the diesel bug bit me. Driving my brothers duramax I think has ruined all hope for me to have anything else.

 

[vintageracer]

You drank the Koolaid of the Duramax diesel and liked it.

Why do you want to taste the vinegar of 6.0 diesel equipped Excursion?

Buy a Suburban with a Duramax diesel and save yourself all the problems associated the Powerstroke 6.0 if you now must have a diesel engine equipped large SUV?

The V10 Ford and the 6.0 LS Chevy will run just as long for a whole lot less money that either of these diesel engines with proper care. My daughter's daily driver Original 6.0 LS Engine in her 2001 1500HD Crew Cab PU rolled 360K miles 2 weeks ago and still runs strong. It's had 1 rebuild of the 4L80 transmission.

BTW I saw a beautiful Quadrasteer equipped Duramax Diesel Suburban yesterday in line at Wendy's!

 

[alphaecho4386]

You drank the Koolaid of the Duramax diesel and liked it.

Why do you want to taste the vinegar of 6.0 diesel equipped Excursion?

Buy a Suburban with a Duramax diesel and save yourself all the problems associated the Powerstroke 6.0 if you now must have a diesel engine equipped large SUV?

The V10 Ford and the 6.0 LS Chevy will run just as long for a whole lot less money that either of these diesel engines with proper care. My daughter's daily driver Original 6.0 LS Engine in her 2001 1500HD Crew Cab PU rolled 360K miles 2 weeks ago and still runs strong. It's had 1 rebuild of the 4L80 transmission.

BTW I saw a beautiful Quadrasteer equipped Duramax Diesel Suburban yesterday in line at Wendy's!

If you can find a DuraBurb let alone a quadrasteer variant, that's a heck of a find. They are all custom rigs, and go easily for $30K+

And that opens up the doors for a fummins as well (Cummins swapped Ford)

The diesel itch is a fun, but spendy itch to scratch

I traded the 6.0 on a Duramax Colorado. I get my diesel fix, but in a more economical package.



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[Bassman770]

I modded my 05 6.0. That truck would pull like hell. I had weigh slips up to 38k combined gvw. At was pulling on and off Pikes Peak area at 11,00ft plus some. This was before Bulletproofing was a thing. Motor had no issues until 90k miles and injectors were swapped under warranty.
I know a diesel mechanic that has several 6.0 at or pushing 1,000,000 miles.
I do miss the comfort of the Ford. I’ve had Cummins since 09.

 

[bknudtsen]

A well documented maintenance record is worth its weight in gold when buying a 6.0

 

[drumguy_18]

I have a 2005 Excursion with 6.0 PSD, it's a great engine with proper maintenance and the Motorcraft updates installed on the engine.

I just passed 220K miles, it's doing a great job. I had ARP head studs installed by a local shop. I personally installed the updated Motorcraft oil cooler, rebuilt the turbo charger due to a stuck unison ring, replace turbo up-pipes, installed a coolant filter, installed high-output alternator and updated the battery cabling, run Rotella T6 oil and have lots of modifications and Innovative Diesel Performance custom tunes for the truck.

Maintenance is key on these engines. Keep up on oil changes, fuel filters, coolant changes and it will take care of you. I have a young family and love the size of the Excursion for adventures, road trips, hunting, camping, etc.

Let me know if you have any specific questions. I've dealt with a lot, it can be a high-maintenance rig, but I enjoy working on it and making it ultra reliable.

 

[EMrider]

My 06 SMB 6.0psd has been the most reliable vehicle I’ve ever owned. 125k and it has never given me any trouble. Mine is 100% stock and I am very diligent about maintenance. I have had to clean the EGR once, replace a glow plug wire and rebuilt the turbo at 120k miles. I know their rep, but love mine.

R

 

[kodiak-black]

Had a 2006 6.0 and I was always waiting for the other shoe to drop. Had 2 small items fail that left me stranded, the FICM failed and the ICP sensor. Both ruined some vacation time. That was enough for me. I went back to gas after that. First and foremost the vehicle has to be able to get there and back. Power and torque are both meaningless if you're stuck on the side of the road.

 

[19psi]

Sheesh, yeah i went through the same process and ended up with a V10. I love diesels and had a Duramax for the last 7 years. It was a great truck and the only thing that ever failed was a glow plug and a wheel bearing. I spent a ton of money on it but it was all upgrades.

I tried to talk myself into a diesel Excursion but the idea of an old diesel isn't appealing. they're great when they're running well but the newest one is 13 years old, going on 14. No matter what's been done, it's going to need more, it's old. Period. Old diesels are a pain, which is why I preemptively sold my Dmax. I wanted out of it before it started needed headgaskets, turbo's, etc. I don't like repair work as much as I used to so if I'm going to be working on something, I want it to be upgrades, not repairs.

That's why the V10 was the best choice for me. The'yre reliable, easy to work on and parts are cheap. there's plenty of room in the engine room as well. I had to put a radiator in it after I got it and it was done in 45 minutes. I've worked on 6.0s before and I know just the radiator is a lot more than a a 45 minute job.
Put it this way, I miss diesel when I'm pulling a trailer but if you're not towing anything over than about 5000 lbs, you won't hate the V10. I just put 5.13 gears in mine to help with the pulling power. I don't see the point in owning a diesel if you're not towing anything very heavy. Yeah, they're cool, they sound awesome and smell good but when yo'ure talking about an old diesel, I don't think it's worth it.

 

[Dalko43]

I have a 2005 Excursion with 6.0 PSD, it's a great engine with proper maintenance and the Motorcraft updates installed on the engine.

I just passed 220K miles, it's doing a great job. I had ARP head studs installed by a local shop. I personally installed the updated Motorcraft oil cooler, rebuilt the turbo charger due to a stuck unison ring, replace turbo up-pipes, installed a coolant filter, installed high-output alternator and updated the battery cabling, run Rotella T6 oil and have lots of modifications and Innovative Diesel Performance custom tunes for the truck.

Maintenance is key on these engines. Keep up on oil changes, fuel filters, coolant changes and it will take care of you. I have a young family and love the size of the Excursion for adventures, road trips, hunting, camping, etc.

Let me know if you have any specific questions. I've dealt with a lot, it can be a high-maintenance rig, but I enjoy working on it and making it ultra reliable.

I've heard two perspectives when it comes to the 6.0 Powestroke:
One camp says avoid it like the plague. In fairness to that camp, the 6.0 had significant problems in factory form, which Ford never truly addressed.

The other camp says that if you preemptively do some work, they can be turned into reliable engines. And I see some merit to that as I've seen more than a few older Fords in my area using them; the owners reported few, if any, problems. It costs money, but I suppose it could still make sense, seeing as that the 6.0 can be had for somewhat cheaper than comparable Duramax's and Cummins from that era.

You kind of need to know what you're getting into when you pick up an older diesel (especially something like the Powerstroke). For some, that might be part of the fun. For others a gasoline engine may work well enough and doesn't require as much research and know-how.

 

[ClovisMan]

Take the money you were going to use on buying the 6.0 Excursion, save up the 10 grand you would spend on bullet-proofing and then find a decent lower mileage Excursion with a 7.3 and be done.