Thinking about buying a 6.0 powerstroke… good idea or no?

Seeking Help
1

There’s a 6.0 Powerstroke for sale at a local dealer, and I’m considering it. They’re asking $18k. It has all 8 OEM injectors replaced just 3k miles ago, plus new tires and a new HPOP. Mechanic says the HPOP was replaced just because it’s known to fail, not because it was broken. He seemed knowledgeable and not like he was trying to pull one over on me.

It’s a 2006 Lariat 4WD FX4 with 112k miles. Test drive went fine, and the truck seemed great overall.

What’s your opinion? Does $18k sound like a fair price if it’s in good condition? What else should I be checking before making a decision?

2

Dealers don’t just throw money at trucks for no reason. Something feels off.

3

Zan said:
Dealers don’t just throw money at trucks for no reason. Something feels off.

Pretty sure it was the mechanic’s personal truck before it went up for sale.

4

Does it have head studs? 6.0s can be solid with the right maintenance and upgrades. If you’re worried about reliability, maybe check out a 5.9 Cummins. Here are some things to check:

  1. Head gaskets - Watch for coolant puking after hard acceleration. If you do head studs, go for ARP.
  2. Scan tool - Get something like a Scan Gauge II to monitor temps and voltages.
  3. FICM voltage - Should be around 48V. If it’s low, it can mess up the injectors.
  4. Oil cooler - Temp difference between engine coolant and oil should be less than 15°F.
  5. EGR delete - If you can, delete it. If not, keep it clean.
  6. Fuel pressure - Needs to stay above 45 psi at full throttle. Anything less can hurt the injectors.
5

@Asa
That’s super helpful, thanks! Mechanic mentioned most of that too. I’m not worried about fixing things myself, but I just want to know if $18k is a decent price.

6

Ozzie said:
@Asa
That’s super helpful, thanks! Mechanic mentioned most of that too. I’m not worried about fixing things myself, but I just want to know if $18k is a decent price.

If it already has head studs, that adds value. Someone else might chime in on whether the price is fair overall.

7

@Asa
Sounds fair to me. Head studs can cost around $2k to install. If the truck’s well-maintained, it should last a long time.

8

The mechanic’s story doesn’t sit right with me. A 100k-mile truck needing injectors and HPOP? Are they offering any kind of warranty?

9

Blake said:
The mechanic’s story doesn’t sit right with me. A 100k-mile truck needing injectors and HPOP? Are they offering any kind of warranty?

As a mechanic, it’s not unusual to fix up a rough-running diesel and end up with a solid truck.

10

@Ben
Fair point, but the story still feels off.

11

Blake said:
The mechanic’s story doesn’t sit right with me. A 100k-mile truck needing injectors and HPOP? Are they offering any kind of warranty?

If it’s an ‘03-‘04, the old HPOP was probably worn out. For ‘05 and later, it should’ve lasted longer unless the truck wasn’t cared for.

12

Blake said:
The mechanic’s story doesn’t sit right with me. A 100k-mile truck needing injectors and HPOP? Are they offering any kind of warranty?

No warranty, unfortunately.

13

I paid about the same for my ‘05 with similar trim and mileage. I’d say go for it.

14

What year is it?

15

Reilly said:
What year is it?

It’s a 2006. My bad for not including that earlier!

16

Don’t be scared of it. I had a similar truck (an ‘04 FX4 without head studs). I did replace the HPOP and turbo boots, but it handled towing just fine. Be careful with tuning unless you upgrade the head studs first. I’ve got an ‘08 now, but I miss my old ‘04.

17

Did we ever get an update? What happened with the truck?

18

Jules said:
Did we ever get an update? What happened with the truck?

Didn’t end up buying it. Felt like too much of a risk at the time. Funny thing is, the truck sat on that lot for two years after I passed on it. Still wish I’d taken the chance, though.

19

@Ozzie
That’s a shame. I just bought an ‘04 Excursion with the 6.0. Bulletproofed, 275k miles, paid $22k cash. Runs like a dream. Hope you find another shot at one!

20

For those wondering: I skipped the 6.0 and found a 1993 2WD first-gen Cummins with an NV4500 for $2700. Been happy with it!