# Bullet proofing 6.0L



## Hunter2015 (Oct 1, 2015)

I got a 2005 Ford F-250 powerstroke 6.0L. Does anyone know anyone that does the bullet proofing for them and what they charge?


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## stuckduck (Jan 31, 2008)

It really depends on when you want to stop.... head studs, egr cooler upgrade or delete, high pressure oil pump upgrade with sts fitting. Oil cooler upgrade.. FICM upgrade. The turbo and injectors are almost a must to... A good start is 5k and up. It seems you can't pop a hood on a 6.0 with out spending at least a grand!


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## Critter (Mar 20, 2010)

Here is a web site for you to check out. Just do a search for bullet proofing 6.0 and you will find a lot of information.

And as stuckduck said expect to pay $5000+ to get it all done. There is a good diesel shop in Salt Lake but I forgot their name.

I just looked and are you close to Springville? If so check out RKL Diesel


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## 3arabians (Dec 9, 2014)

How is the truck running now and how many miles on it? Do you have a cold start issue?


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## 2full (Apr 8, 2010)

A guy I work with just got his 6.0 redone to "bullet proof".
Cost him 10 grand........


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## Critter (Mar 20, 2010)

2full said:


> A guy I work with just got his 6.0 redone to "bullet proof".
> Cost him 10 grand........


90% of the time you don't have to do anything to a Ford 6.0 to be able to keep driving it, but as you add power you are going to have to spend some money. 10 grand sounds about right if you have a shop do all the work on the engine for you.

It is as they say, "if you want to play you have to pay"


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## 3arabians (Dec 9, 2014)

Critter said:


> 2full said:
> 
> 
> > A guy I work with just got his 6.0 redone to "bullet proof".
> ...


Correct! This is why I asked the questions I did earlier to the OP. I have owned a 6.0 for years and they have their challenges but there are some regular maintenance tricks you can keep up on to avoid problems. It does become tedious but is better than dumping 10k unless you have that money at your disposal. At a minimum delete or upgrade the EGR because that is the biggest defect IMO and has the biggest potential to cause catastrophic failure. If you have a cold start (which the 6.0 will eventually have) the first thing to test is the FICM. If that checks out your problem is likely sticky injectors. They can be treated without replacing (very expensive) if the truck warms up and runs right.

Head stud upgrades are a must if you plan to increase power. For me, the 6.0 has plenty of power and there is not a need to increase power and I tow horses all over. I understand a lot of diesel guys love to turn up the power but IMO is not necessary for the 6.0. PM me if you want and I will go over the maintenance schedule I use to keep my truck out of trouble.


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## Critter (Mar 20, 2010)

I agree with 3arabians. The biggest problem with the 6.0 is that you do need to maintain it to keep it going. The International version of the engine is fantastic but then Ford took it and increased its power close to the breaking point, so adding more power is going to be the problem. This engine is also the reason that Ford and International parted ways. Ford wanted International to pay the warranty cost for the upgrades that Ford designed and wouldn't handle. 

If you do decide to go to the expense of "bullet proofing" the engine you will have a great engine, but you have to decide if it is worth it to you to do it.


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## 2full (Apr 8, 2010)

The guy had to redo his because it took a crap on him.
He had just bought it used not 3 months before. Had 200k+ mile on it.
He had not towed or pulled, etc with it at all yet. He just figured it was a diesel so it would go forever. 
I had looked at it and passed because it had the 6.0 and had 200+k on it. Had been warned by a couple of mechanics I know to stay away from the 6.0 motor. 

He ran down and bought it.


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## Hunter2015 (Oct 1, 2015)

3arabians said:


> How is the truck running now and how many miles on it? Do you have a cold start issue?


The truck is running excellent right now actually. Just broke 100k on it. I bought it from a old farmer up in Twin falls, Idaho who was the original owner. New FICM is on it, as well as an EGT gauge.


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## Hunter2015 (Oct 1, 2015)

Thanks for all the posts everyone. The truck is running excellent. has 108k on it, new FICM and EGT gauge. An EGR delete or upgrade is a must is what Im understanding after watching a million videos on youtube and different posts on the internet all agreeing that that is the main cause for problems. I dont plan on doing any real upgrades for power as the 6.0 has more than enough power for my needs. Is getting a gauge tower a must for monitoring the temps?


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## stuckduck (Jan 31, 2008)

The biggest cause for fuel injector failure is low fuel pressure. Ford has an update to address the issue. Get a new updated fuel pressure regulator. Very easy to install. The second most important thing is good regular oil changes. That engine is very oil dependent. If you don't add a programmer don't worry about the head studs. The only issue you really can't control is the poor turbo design. The Variable vain turbo gums up and really no way to clean it. Then the failure is right behind. I have replaced a lot of turbos. They have a lot of issues but show me a diesel truck that doesnt... All that power isn't free.


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## DallanC (Jan 13, 2009)

Problem is you dump that much money to bullet proof the engine, then the rest of the truck wears out around it. Almost any Engine goes 200k miles easy... but by 200k miles you need pretty much all new steering and suspension components, probably a tranny... are already on 2nd AC compressor, 2nd alternator, 3rd starter etc.


-DallanC


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