F250 .. whats better 6.0 or 7.3 Diesel?

I contemplating getting a tow/Home Depot/hauling vehicle .... A guy at work says stick with an older 7.3 Diesel because they are better ... any input?

 

dan, i have the 6.0 in my 2004 f250. got about 18k on it. haven't had any problems. there were a couple of recalls. got them fixed. ther was a lot of talk about the 7.3 being better but like i said i haven't had any problems. i did get the 100,000 mile bumper to bumper warranty, basically because i only wanted it to tow with and i found out the tranny was over $4k to replace. might want to check awebsite called dieselstop.com. lots of info there.

 

CUMMINS




7.3 hasent had the problems the 6.0 has had...

 

Thanks ... I'm going to check out both a 2003 6.0 and a 1999 7.3 on Friday .... both have 100K miles ...

 

my 6.0 is a 2004. i think most of the problems were the 2003's. i think you can get a report from ford on what has been done to that engine. sort of a history to see if there's been some major problems.

 

Oh really ... maybe I'll skip the 2003 then .....

 

6.0 can haul some a$$ though


i didnt know there were a year problem , i know when i worked at the ford dealership from 2003-2004 i seen ALOT of 6.0s having problems

<----- not a diesal mechanic so i dont know , just what i hear

 

I have a 2000 F250 SD....got 105,000 on it. The only problem i have had is front brake rotors, and one day i lost the camshaft position sensor. try to drive that big truck at 30mph without the engine.
Robert

 

6.0's have a bad reputation...mostly becase of the 2003 model years, which had all sorts of problems. If they're left STOCK, they're good engines. Put a chip in them and cylinder pressures can rise to the point where sometimes they can lift the heads.

The 7.3 WAS a great engine. My boss has one in a 03 F250, 62,000 miles and not a single problem whatsoever. But, 2003 was the last year they could be had and it's looking like they are getting some miles on them just due to age/use. They aren't bulletproof, but they are good engines.

If I were buying a new diesel truck (not likely....) I'd look at the 7.3. Mostly because they're cheaper to maintain compared to the 6.0. Cam position sensors are common failures with the 7.3, as are the o-rings between the turbo pedestal and the block (leakage). Not big problems, just annoying. Personally from experience, I would look hard at a gas powered truck. Not only does diesel cost $.50 more/gallon (in this area), maintenance costs are outrageous for most diesel pickups. They hold 15-17 quarts of oil, the air filter gets dirty FAST and usually needs to be replaced often, oil filters are not as cheap as gas engine filters, fuel filters need to be changed more often, etc. Buying a used diesel is like gambling...90% of the time you'll do OK. The other 10% of the time there those big problem trucks...injection pumps, HPO pumps, nozzles, glow relays, etc. That is what scares me away from diesel trucks! Besides, a friend has a '98.5 cummins dodge...runs good, but it's no more economical than a comparable 5.9 gas engine. Plus, the thing is an absolute TURD (as most all diesels are) just driving around with no load. The times I have had to drive both my boss' truck and the Dodge, I always felt like I was the slowest smelliest thing on the road. It got old quick. If I were in the market for a new 3/4 ton pickup, I'd get a new one with warranty. No way on this earth would I want to have to cough up a couple grand for an injection pump or something like that.

 

my 6.0 gets anywhere from 10-13 mpg owing my 28' enclosed trailer. i got over 20 alone driving on cruise control to see what it would do. my old chevy 1T with 454 got about 3-4 loaded. i like the 6.0 diesel and it is pretty quick around town. i have to watch the speedometer.

 

I really like my 7.3 although I have had to replace the water pump, cam position sensor and the fuel/water separator drain valve. As mavman said, none of these are major issues and are relatively cheap and easy to fix but annoying nonetheless. That said, this truck has never left me stranded and pulls like a freight train. I've had this truck for almost 7 years and would only consider getting rid of it to get a crew cab.

Also, if you don't mind driving a manual transmission, the 6 speed is bulletproof. Well, the trans itself is durable but the hydraulic clutch system is a bit marginal.

Mine gets about 18mpg in town and just over 20mpg on the highway (provided I keep it below at 70mph or slower).

 

The early 6.0s had a lot of problems, though they've been refined in recent years. The 2008s will be an all new 6.4 the is unrelated to the 6.0. I'd vote for the 7.3. Having said that, I doubt I'd ever own a diesel due to the aforementioned fuel and maintenance costs. I love my V-10. It will pull my fully loaded car trailer without even knowing it's back there, and yet behaves in a car-like manner when just commuting. In my opinion, the only cost effective reason to have a diesel is if you're going to put several hundred thousand miles on it running up and down the highway earning money.

 

Where my uncle works, they have an older crew cab F350 dually with a 7.3 and 5 speed. It has over 450,000 miles on it and still pulls a large goose neck trailer loaded with sky lights to job sites all over the eastern U.S. on a regular basis. The only problem he has ever had out of it, was the original starter went out up in Chicago last year when it was like 10 degrees outside... Laying under that truck in a motel parking lot in the snow and changeing the starter wasn't much fun from what I hear.

For just general use and some towing, I would look at a F150 with the 5.4. My grandpa's '05 F150 just turned 55,000 miles with no problems. It gets around 23 mpg hwy unloaded and got 16 mpg average pulling my '73 Maverick over 450 miles back from South Carolina. You know something is back there on large hills, but it really pulls great.

 

I agree with some of this... but I've ridden in both 7.3 and 6.0s and the Dodge diesels also and they seem to run good around time. Even better pulling. I would not buy a v10 gas engine to save my life... If im gonna get bad gas mileage i want to do it at a consistent rate... From the dually chevrolet i rode in, it got crappy gas mileage, and even worse loaded. Atleast a diesel gets about the same all the time.

I second the buying a new truck, even if its a lil bit more due to the warranty.
The horrors w/ the injections pump arent near as bad as they used to be, but still are costly when time to replace.

 

I just bought a new car ... a new truck is out of the question ... I just want something for infrequent towing, Home Depot runs and shooting range visits ...