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Considering a 2003 6.0...Bad idea?

4K views 23 replies 13 participants last post by  ftb28 
#1 ·
03, 6.0, auto, 171K, motor has never been opened, tranny is stock...But fits my budget...

This would be my first PSD, and from what i have been reading, the 6.0s can be a ton of problems...

My buddy has a 03 and all was well til he put put a box in it....Did the egr delete, then the head gaskets went....Had studs done, and now the tranny took a ####...123K on it....

He told me to leave it stock and should be reliable...I know i'm gonna lift it and go 35's...

Opinions??
 
G
#2 ·
I personally would not purchase an eight or nine year old 6.0 with 171K on the clock unless you know the owner and he or she knew how to maintain a 6.0.. It's a shot in the dark otherwise.. That's my opinion..
 
#3 ·
I bought my truck an 03 6.0 last summer had 155k on the clock. About 10 or 12k miles after I got it the damn egr and oil cooler failed and it started leaking coolant into my block I parked it in my driveway and didn't move it until I could afford a egr delete and cleaned out all my intake manifold and oil cooler. With that being said.. I learned my lesson and words of advice look at your engine when you go and test drive it. Look at the coolant reservoir and make sure it isn't brown colored. Your coolant should be gold and you'll know if its dirty. And another thing if you do end up buying it do the egr delete kit cause it will just be a matter of time before it fails it would be more wise to dish out some money 300$ or so to get the delete kit then have the egr trash your motor.
 
#5 ·
Oh ya I feel you on that I wasn't either it just kinda got dropped in my lap! Lol but I would say yes as long and you keep up the maintenance and such I heard that they can run with the best if you keep up the maintenance. Personally I would try and find a 7.3 or go with a Cummins those 2 are about the most reliable out there at the moment.
 
#7 ·
03's where the first year for the 6.0. Not a good year for that motor.
 
#9 ·
I have a 03 6.0 with 134K that is problem free since I bought it last year. The only thing that happened was the FICM took a dump and needed to be replaced. Ford took care of that for me and no problems since. It's never puked coolant on me and the egr is still good.
 
#14 ·
A thorough inspection should tell you if it's worth the money. how smooth does it sound on start up? if it sounds like it's missing (just on start-up) it'll likely need an injector or two before long. If it runs rough while warm, then she'll need some new injectors right away. '03 EGR coolers have a better success rate than the newer ones, but still are known to go out. How clean is the coolant? if it's dirty, or 'original' looking, plan on replacing the oil cooler, and doing an egr delete at the same time. The engines are actually quite good. There's just a bunch of tards out there that don't know how to take care of their stuff, or push it beyond it's limits. I know it doesn't help sell stuff for the shop I work at, but I tell anyone who puts a chip or programmer on a 6.0 to plan on doing head studs sooner or later.

To sum it up:

rough running only when cold= will need new injectors before too long, but not urgent, consider using rev-x to bring them back to life. it actually works.

rough running all the time= probably bad injector(s)

dirty coolant= better plan on replacing the oil cooler- do EGR delete at same time

Check condition of ATF. People who stay on top of servicing these trucks get tons of miles out of them. If it's bad, it could be an indication of how the truck's been treated

Use SCT if you plan on doing a chip/ programmer. others can destroy a trans. Also keep in mind that no matter what you buy if it has wheels or boobs, it'll have problems, but if it's been maintained, I wouldn't worry about it. let us know if you get it.
 
#17 ·
You will hate your 6.0 if you can't get past all the negative BS hype that is out there. It could make you a paraniod whine bag. LOL I love my 6.0

:psn:
 
#20 ·
I have 12K to spend....I need XLT, CC, 4x4....I have dodge parts from another project i will be selling shortley...Set of 60's, 383 BB, BB bell house, 6" rear springs etc....That will be my extra cash for a lift etc for the ford...

I know 12K dosent get me a low mileage PSD, but i have been lookin for 2 months on CL daily along with ebay...

I know the market for diesels is soft right now, but just cant find anything decent...( to me anyway)....

Heres one truck...

2003 Ford F350 Lariat
 
#21 ·
a firend of mine has a 03 not for sale but its got 150,000 miles pulls horse trailers and hay with it daily, stock head bolts and tranny, still has the facotry egr.

It doesnt have any kind of box or nothing its as stock as can be, he does maintane it now.
 
#22 ·
My dually has a dec2003 production date on the engine, just rolled over 226k miles.... I don't think there's anything to be worried about either.

I did trash all the unneeded crap and studded it but i also run hot tunes on it
 
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