7.3 powerstroke or bulletproofed 6.0?

Hey all, 

I'm looking at excursions. They were made from 2000-2005. In 2003, the diesel changed from a 7.3, to the much maligned 6.0. It's been well documented that these motors likely need a set of head studs, egr delete, oil cooler to be reliable. I have owned two 7.3's, my current one in a 97 f250 with 140,000 miles that I will be selling, I like the 7.3 quite a bit- but a more modern diesel motor is appealing. 

before anyone suggests not getting a diesel, I want a diesel. I'm well aware of the benefits of the v10 and have towed many miles with one, I still want a diesel.

the later trucks had some creature comfort upgrades that I'd really like, but that only come with the 6.0. So if you could find a bulletproofed and documented 6.0, would you make that purchase? Who has experience? thanks and happy thanksgiving. 
 

I have owned and towed my race car with 7.3s in an F250 and Excursion.
I would definitely consider a bullet proofed 6.0 for the extra power, 5 speed trans (iirc), better coil suspension etc  

fwiw, I now tow with a Tundra with a 400 lb/ft 380hp v8 and a 6 speed tranny. it's better than the 7.3 Fords in every way. I think most any truck with this mix of hp, torque and gears is a great answer for towing a race car. 

amg_rx7 said:

I have owned and towed my race car with 7.3s in an F250 and Excursion.
I would definitely consider a bullet proofed 6.0 for the extra power, 5 speed trans (iirc), better coil suspension etc  

fwiw, I now tow with a Tundra with a 400 lb/ft 380hp v8 and a 6 speed tranny. it's better than the 7.3 Fords in every way. I think most any truck with this mix of hp, torque and gears is a great answer for towing a race car. 

As a reference point, did you chip your 7.3 at all? I've got a ts6 in my 97 and it made it much more useable in city traffic. 
also, how was the excursion to drive compared to the f250? The 5 speed auto is a great point. 

I currently have a stock 2000 7.3 excursion. Before that, I had an 2006 f250 with the 6.0 that was also stock. I think the 6.0 is better in every way,  but I've never had any issues with mine so maybe my experience is rare amongst 6.0 owners. My excursion is at 235k miles and still chucking along, I plan on driving it to Virginia and back for the holidays then I'm going to sell it. If it was a bulletproofed 6.0 excursion then I'd probably keep it lol

Diehard 7.3 lover here. 

Buy the 6.0.  It’s better in every way. And bargain priced.  With a caveat.. “bullet proofed” has many, many meanings. Being “bullet proofed” doesn’t mean all the issues are dealt with. 

I drove my 7.3L. Nearly 600,000 miles.  Now I drive an Ecoboost. Don’t miss the 7.3L at all. 

SVreX said:

Diehard 7.3 lover here. 

Buy the 6.0.  It’s better in every way. And bargain priced.  With a caveat.. “bullet proofed” has many, many meanings. Being “bullet proofed” doesn’t mean all the issues are dealt with. 

I drove my 7.3L. Nearly 600,000 miles.  Now I drive an Ecoboost. Don’t miss the 7.3L at all. 

Agreed on that. I'm looking for papers. Haha. 

yupididit said:

I currently have a stock 2000 7.3 excursion. Before that, I had an 2006 f250 with the 6.0 that was also stock. I think the 6.0 is better in every way,  but I've never had any issues with mine so maybe my experience is rare amongst 6.0 owners. My excursion is at 235k miles and still chucking along, I plan on driving it to Virginia and back for the holidays then I'm going to sell it. If it was a bulletproofed 6.0 excursion then I'd probably keep it lol

I'm blaming you for this search. 

Thanks to working EMS I have some experience with 7.3s and 6.0 diesel Fords. Like SVreX says, as dead-nuts reliable the 7.3 is and unkillable it can be, it is still very expensive for what you're *really* getting, sometimes commanding a price above $1,500 for one that just runs. The problems with the 6.0s have been figured out, and they haul harder and faster than the old 7.3s. With their bad reputation making them cheap, i'd go for one of them.

I own a tuned 7.3.  It has treated me well and runs fantastic.  If “bulletproofed” really means bulletproofed, I’d take the 6.0 every time.  For one thing it’s a whole bunch quieter.  The problem is that 90% of the bulletproofed ones ain’t.  

A stock Ford issued 7.3 is a dog.  They set the injector timing so conservative that they would not have to ever, under any circumstances, pay a warranty claim.  You don’t have to put up with that.  Just an “economy” tune is transformative and won’t kill anything unless you get stupid.

In reply to yupididit :

Aren’t you the one who bragged how great it ran stock and then discovered a hidden tuner on it from a previous owner?

If I'm not doing a bunch of heavy towing, does a 6.0 need more than an oil cooler and egr change? It seems that studs seem to be an issue of high powered tunes and heavy loads. I'd likely keep the motor untuned 

There is a member here (Java?), who is running a 6.4.  If you think a 6.0 has issues, it pales in comparison to a 6.4.  The positive side of a 6.4 is that if you can keep it together it’s a berking beast.  I know that’s not what you asked, just thought I’d throw it out there.

Edit: we need a diesel section on this forum.  I hate going to the standard diesel forums because most of the posters are Richard swinging berk-tards. 

A 401 CJ said:

There is a member here (Java?), who is running a 6.4.  If you think a 6.0 has issues, it pales in comparison to a 6.4.  The positive side of a 6.4 is that if you can keep it together it’s a berking beast.  I know that’s not what you asked, just thought I’d throw it out there.

Edit: we need a diesel section on this forum.  I hate going to the standard diesel forums because most of the posters are Richard swinging berk-tards. 

Agreed.  A diesel side would be rad. 

I prefer the 6.0 by approximately 150hp. 

A 401 CJ said:

In reply to yupididit :

Aren’t you the one who bragged how great it ran stock and then discovered a hidden tuner on it from a previous owner?

Yeah, but it doesn't run any better than other stock ones which means it runs great. I drove a buddy of mine stock 7.3 rwd excursion and concluded that yup mine is as slow as it's supposed to be. This was after I removed the tuner, there was no difference. So, I think the tuner was defective or something. Also, my excursion seems to be a lot happier when I'm pulling a trailer rather than just driving. Which I find weird. This xmas break will be the first time I've driven it more than 2 hours without a trailer behind it so I'm excited to see how well it does. It was getting about 600 miles to a tank while pulling 6k lbs all highway. I hope to get 800+ on this trip. 

The only reason I'm selling it is because it's 20 years old and starting to have 20 year old car problems. I want something quiet, luxurious, and faster but still almost as capable. A 3.5 ecoboost Expedition or Navigator would be awesome but I'll settle for a 6.2 Escalade lol

The stock 6.0 was still leagues better and not as stinky or noisy lol. And I drove it 8hrs the day I got it, I think it got 22mpg driving down i5. 

In reply to yupididit :

That's what I'm finding. My wife hates how loud my 7.3 is, so I'm going to buy a 2005 6.0 ex with every option. I figure at this point it's unlikely to become less valuable. 

grover said:

If I'm not doing a bunch of heavy towing, does a 6.0 need more than an oil cooler and egr change? It seems that studs seem to be an issue of high powered tunes and heavy loads. I'd likely keep the motor untuned 

Mine had the "bulletproof" oil cooler and egr. It wasn't studded or anything else but it was never tuned and I think that's what killed these engines. Also, 05-07 were more reliable than earlier 6.0s. Keep the batteries fresh and the fluids fresher and a stock 6.0 would probably be good to go. Good luck finding one though lol

I guess it depends too on how you use it.  I work overseas a lot and I’ll come home after a month or two and the 7.3 is ready to work.  Twist the key and go after sitting idle for months - wife hates it due to noise and stink...the sound and smell of victory!  You CANNOT defer maintenance like that on a 6.0 or more modern diesel.

oh, and one more thing to consider that I saw mentioned in another thread, the windshields on a lot of Super Duties leak wreaking havoc on the electronic modules.  Wonder why your horn is blowing, your lights and ac blower motor are running in the middle of the rainy night?  Look it up.  Not uncommon.

I had a 6.0 F250 that had been bulletproofed.  They did a great job on everything, except they used a cheap oil cooler instead of an OEM equal.  So my oil temps kept going up.

I pulled the turbo and intake, replaced the oil cooler and it was an amazing machine.

Check this out.  Gives you a good idea just how much Mr. Market dislikes the 6.0.  I think that’s a positive for those of us looking to buy who aren’t afraid to get our hands dirty.

https://bringatrailer.com/listing/2005-ford-f-350/

WHAT?  A 7.3 IS TOO LOUD?  I DON'T THINK SO.  WHAT?

My wife has a 1991  F250 non turbo 7.3, and put it this way.  You turn the truck off in the drive thru to order.  And pay.   And now to send 401 CJ a note because the non turbo truck IS a dog.  Any little extra would help.

A 401 CJ said:

 

A stock Ford issued 7.3 is a dog.  They set the injector timing so conservative that they would not have to ever, under any circumstances, pay a warranty claim.  You don’t have to put up with that.  Just an “economy” tune is transformative and won’t kill anything unless you get stupid.

Wow has this place gone downhill, it's too loud for my wife... lol? I bet she would rather work on a 7.3 than a 6.0. I just bought another 7.3 over a 6.0 because it came up first, I  agree the 6.0 is a better ride but in the long run a 7.3 is the better buy, if you're already half deaf.

SVreX said:

Diehard 7.3 lover here. 

Buy the 6.0.  It’s better in every way. And bargain priced.  With a caveat.. “bullet proofed” has many, many meanings. Being “bullet proofed” doesn’t mean all the issues are dealt with. 

I drove my 7.3L. Nearly 600,000 miles.  Now I drive an Ecoboost. Don’t miss the 7.3L at all. 

Also diehard 7.3 Fanboi.  Get the bulletproofed 6.0L  Once you fix the poopy parts, it really is a great diesel.

I loved both of my 7.3s and both were pretty reliable.  Did glow plugs on one, had a crappy aftermarket HPOP crap out on the other.  But the nuts and bolts were solid.  

I would consider a 6.0 since the Superduties got a lot of updates in the 05-06 timeline that make them more enjoyable.  Power rear slider, sunroof, quieter, coil spring live axle front suspension instead of leafs, nicer looking front end (headlights, bumper, grille), body keyed trim and door handles, etc.  

How much of the 6.0 problems were thanks to coal rollers stacking up their EdgeBullyJuice tuners?

Never owned a 6.0 but we had a 7.3 and it was pretty decent.