
In order to keep the oil temps under control, a liquid-to-liquid heat exchanger (commonly known as the oil cooler) is mounted on the front valley of the engine right below the oil and fuel filter. Some of the notable issues you may run into on a 6.0 include head gasket failures (due to weak factory head bolts), sticking injectors, a failing VGT mechanism, and the usual assortment of sensor issues, the main problem we’re focusing on today is the EGR cooler and the engine oil cooler.īecause engine oil is used to lubricate the rotating assembly as well as actuate the fuel injectors, a lot of heat is created in the oil. Much like the 7.3 that came before, the 6.0 utilized a HEUI injection system, but now featured four valves per cylinder and a variable geometry turbocharger to produce tons of low RPM torque as well as higher RPM power as well. Initially, the 6.0 Powerstroke won a place on Ward’s 10 Best Engines list for 2003, and it produced 325hp and 560 lb.ft. Although it could run for nearly a million miles and easily get over 20 MPG, it lacked in horsepower compared to its competitors, so in 2003.5, its replacement the 6.0 found its way into the Superduty pickup. In contrast to the 6.0 Powerstroke, its predecessor the 7.3 was one of Ford’s most reliable diesel engines. But, with a little research and the correct parts, you can repair your Powerstroke once, and enjoy it for many miles to come.
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If you don’t do your research, or if you take your Powerstroke to a shop that doesn’t know how to properly diagnose and repair your Ford, you can wind up buying parts twice. One of the most common problems on a 6.0 is a failed EGR cooler, and while it’s not terribly difficult to replace on its own, the root cause of the problem is usually somewhere else in the cooling system. If you plan on buying or owning a 6.0, there are a few expectations you need to have, and a few key upgrades you must do, but overall, I think it can be a reliable powerplant once the issues are taken care of. If you buy one second-hand, they are now very affordable, and still efficient on fuel, and they don’t have a lot of problematic emission equipment to deal with.

While I do agree the engine had some inherent design flaws, I still think the 6.0 Powerstroke deserves a little more credit than we give it. It has earned a reputation for being one of the least reliable diesel engines produced over the last 20 years, and many owners will have received repair estimates which would cost more than the entire truck is worth. The 6.0 Powerstroke is an engine we all love to hate.
