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05 F-250 6.0L Safe Tuning Level?

37K views 21 replies 14 participants last post by  Ford_Fan1 
#1 ·
I have a 05 Ford F-250 6.0L. Finally got the EGR Delete done and all the boost issues smoothed out. I know the choice programmer here is the SCT, however, I already have the Superchips and am not going to get an additional programmer. With my 6.0L with the EGR delete, zoodad, and 4inch Straight, will it be alright to run the Economy Tune on the Superchips or should i stay with the Tow Tune. I want the best mileage combo, without worrying about lifting the heads or gaskets. I do not have Studs. Am planning on installing an EGT Gauge soon. Any advice would be appreciated.
 
#3 ·
Safe power level for a 6.0 ?

idling in the driveway and even then it's a crap shoot LOL










I ran Matts headstud saf SLR tune and still got heads and studs by the dealer after 10k with the tune ,, I was not sure if I needed them (no puke) but since they were offering
 
#4 ·
JOKES! lol.. Yeah i hear ya on that.. Luckily i have not had any gasket problems or coolant (other than the waterpump).. Trying to keep it that way.
I may just put it on the tow tune and leave it. I'm scared if i Blow it, I will be more tempted to buy a Cummins instead of redoing the 6L. Good motor when its running right though.
 
#5 ·
I can understand not wanting to get another tuner, but you would be money ahead to sell what u have and get a livewire or x3. Then get some custom tunes that would be you're best bet for security on a 6.0 along side of leaving it stock.
 
#6 ·
Just sell the Superchips and run it stock of you don't want another programmer. That Superchips is bad news.
 
#7 ·
My friend has a 2003 6.0 that he put a super chips on the day he bought the truck new, has 150,000 miles and only lost 1 injector, but he changed all 8 at the time, runs it on a tow all the time.
 
#8 ·
I read where everyone was having lower mileage with this programmer. I was able to calculate tonight and i got 19.6 running the economy (middle) setting. I was already getting this before the EGR delete so i am going to run it on the highway for a tank and see what i end up with running stock without the programmer.
 
#9 ·
Well....I say run it however you want. I am a believer that if your 6.0 is going to have headgasket problems it will do it with or without a tuner on it. Several of my friends have had issues with their bone stock trucks lifting heads several times under warranty. While another buddy has had a triple dog on his truck since the day he bought it, 5 years and 120k miles later his is still running great and never had an issue (besides 2 trannys) And he drives like he stole it everyday! we even tried to get it to go before his warranty was up so he could get studs installed but it wasn't

I really think the heads lifting is more from blown egr coolers than guys running tuners....just my .02! Egr blows, leaks coolant into cylinders, coolant turns to vapor, vapor makes extremely high combustion pressure thus stretching bolts.

Not saying that tuners are perfectly safe, just saying that I think if your going to have problems it will happen either way.
 
#10 ·
[/QUOTE]I really think the heads lifting is more from blown egr coolers than guys running tuners....just my .02! Egr blows, leaks coolant into cylinders, coolant turns to vapor, vapor makes extremely high combustion pressure thus stretching bolts.[/QUOTE]

:pointlaugh: im most certain that is 100% wrong. mines been deleted before it blew and now im having hg issues.
 
#11 ·
I really think the heads lifting is more from blown egr coolers than guys running tuners....just my .02! Egr blows, leaks coolant into cylinders, coolant turns to vapor, vapor makes extremely high combustion pressure thus stretching bolts.[/QUOTE]

:pointlaugh: im most certain that is 100% wrong. mines been deleted before it blew and now im having hg issues.[/QUOTE]

:bowfast:Wow 100%!!! REALY????? Maybe I didn't word it correctly. I am not saying that egr failures are the ONLY cause, I was simply expressing my opinion on the matter, and the thought most people have that tuners are the only cause for headgasket failures. In my experience that is what I have noted, many stock trucks with an egr cooler failure that goes unnoticed by the driver, drive it long enough like then the bolts stretch.
 
#13 ·
I am running Matts NO Headstud safe SRL tune from GearheadAutomotivePerformance.com.
I only have 5,000 miles, so far, but it runs good.

I have the same opinion about headstuds as some others have said. I believe that many of the headgasket failures come from failing EGR coolers. I installed the BulletproofDiesel EGR cooler at 80,000 miles. My original cooler never failed. I wanted insurance. So far no problem. At the same time, I'm not running a super high horsepower tune. I want the truck to go 300,000 miles before needing to do the head gaskets. At that point, I'll probably do the heads anyway and install the head studs sitting on my workbench.
 
#14 ·
My experience with 2 6.0s backs up the EGR coolers causing the HG failures, I never had a headgasket failure that wasn't preceded or concurrent with an oil cooler/EGR cooler failure, after my last headgasket job on warranty with stock bolts, I put in an EGR slug an ran a hypertech stage 3 for 50k miles driven like I stole it, and no failures. even after an egr cooler replacement, you do not know that your bolts weren't streched and holding with less torque and are a failure about to happen, unless they were replaced(read head gasket job) at the same time. I wish that I had studs, but after 50k miles(20k further than I ever went between head gasket failure without an EGR delete) I feel pretty confident. 80% caused by EGR cooler failure seems a good guestimate.
 
#15 ·
I have a 2005 f350 6.0l, I've using the SCT tuner without problem, I got a Superchips and tried it in the fuel saver mode, both times it only worked good for a little while, then I tuned it back to stock and went back to the SCT street tune - the first time this worked. This second time it is now skipping and not running over 45mph - any ideas, besides the obvious of telling Superchips what I think of their tuner?
 
#16 ·
Yes EGR coolers contribute big time to STOCK trucks lifting the heads, but it's not the only reason it happens. Mine was deleted for 50k before I lifted the heads. I don't care what handheld you use, a tune WILL increase the chance of lifting heads...economy, tow, or race....it's going to happen. I'd bet my house on the fact that every single person that has more power on tap with a tune will be more likely to drive more aggressively. It's just how we are made! You can say all you want that you won't drive it hard...but we all know that's BS.

As far as your Superchips...it's not that Superchips is a bad tuner. It's that they do nothing for trans tuning. Canned tunes are hell on a transmission. That's why everyone says go custom tunes with a SCT device. Custom also adjust/tunes your transmission to keep from torching it. If you want to be 100% safe (which isn't reality with a 6.0), ditch the Superchips and run it stock. Or, ignor our advice and keep running it. just don't come back and start fussing down the road because your transmission all of a sudden started shifting like crap....

As far as selling the 6.0 for a cumminGs....you honestly think you'll come out ahead by doing that?
 
#17 ·
I've always been curious as to why international or Ford thought it was a good idea to drop this motor in a truck. You can't tell me that Fords trucks when R&Ding them didn't have issues.
 
#18 ·
I actually wonder how much R&D was done.... Most issues with this thing don't show up until 30-40,000 miles at least. If not more in most cases. If they didn't put that kind of mileage on one, they never would have know of the impending issues.

What I find harder to swallow is how engineers though some of these features would actually work! It doesn't take a genius to figure out that two studs per cylinder on a Diesel engine that works off big compression and boost is a no no.
 
#19 ·
I remember seeing one time the amount of hours they ran a 6.9 for hours on end I believe it was like 400k. If u think about it them old 6.9s were fairly bulletproof .


I read that international said it wasn't susposed to make 300 or more horses like Ford wanted it too but ford just said do it. I know that its always been a close competition by numbers but to sacrifice that much in reliability is baffling
 
#20 ·
They few extra horses Ford wanted squeezed out of it didn't contribute to the problems. But still, I see what you are saying. I'm sure the 6.0 drove a lot of loyal Ford guys over to the dark side.
 
#21 ·
I knew a older gentleman had a 04 dually. It went threw 4 turbos, 3 sets of heads & a few egrs. All he ever did was pull a 1 horse horsetrailer. I wouldn't be thrilled with it having that many issues so I'd probably go elsewhere too. Not gonna lie my family a all Ford family but I've owned every diesel truck except a dmax & they were all good except the 6.2 with 35s but it did get good mileage
 
#22 ·
IMO, the best option as far as tuning for the 6.0 is an SCT with custom tunes that are developed to your individual truck with your mods. With this option, your truck will operate at its peak performance overall being as it is tuned specifically for you. A FICM tune (which is what I am using right now) can also be a very good alternative. It provides better throttle response as well as mpg. Many people believe that it is also a better alternative because it doesn't increase cylinder pressures very much. The single best way,however, to prevent head gasket issues is to control your right foot and try to keep the EGT's below 1400. No matter what tune you run, you will eventually have trouble if your truck is rodded around.
 
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