hey guys ive been looking alot at this truck and want some imput on a few things, its a good looking and good runing truck with 116000 miles. and im wondering if theres any good/bad things i should be aware of on this model truck. tell me what you think. heres a link

http://minneapolis.craigslist.org/an...426758753.html

 

I'd be quite afraid of an 03 6.0.

 

howcome? any specific reasons? im really looking into buying this one so id like to know what to watch out for.

 

A 2003 6.0 truck with a Superchips on it is a nightmare waiting to happen.

 

2003 was the first year of the 6.0, and it was a TERRIBLE engine. LOTS of issues. The warranty claims got so bad Ford sued Navistar.

 

Truck looks good, except for the chrome fender trim and the taillights...and the bug deflector. From the looks of that truck, I would say it was taken care of. The Superchips tuner is very mild compared to the other tuners available for the 6.0. I would take it out for a ride, flog it a little, be sure the engine gets up to temp, then come back and pop the hood, check for leaks, and look at the coolant level. Also, pull the dipstick and check for water in the oil. If you really want to be sure, take it to a mechanic for an inspection. You can usually get one inspected for around $70...it's really good insurance. Be sure that they drain the oil to check it. The fact that it has over 100,000 miles is actually a good sign. It obviously didn't spend it's life at the dealership.

 

I wouldn't touch it without both a Carfax and an OASIS report.

 

True 'dat!

 

yes im waiting on the vin number for a carfax, and im not sure what an oasis is? it seems as though hes babyed it alot. the head gaskets were done on recall, and he just replace the valve cover gaskets. im not going to be working this truck over its limits, and wont be towing much if i do get it so i would think it would last alot longer than if somebody were to pull a 25,000 trailer everyday with it. and its his daily driver, he hasnt towed with it, so its in pretty good shape,

 

Actually these trucks last longer and run better if you drive it like a race car and tow a heavy load on a regular basis because it keeps the turbo and EGR from getting full of soot. The truck I have had 126k on it when I bought it and never had a problem until I started driving it since I bought it I have done a turbo under 30 day 3k warranty, two injectors, and a FICM and I babied it. The best way I can describe how to drive these truck is something I saw in a signature on Power Stroke forum. "Load em like a box car and drive em like a NASCAR."

 

Which is why I believe my g/f's 2004 6.0 has had no problems... It is only used to tow a horse trailer. Which is why it only has 25K miles on it.

 

Yupp. And I forgot to mention letting these trucks sit for long periods of time will kill them just as fast as babying them. The VGT trucks like the 6.UH OH!!!! need to be driven or the turbo will rust up and quit working.

 

Haha... Theirs sits all the time. We're talking up to two months at a time, then somebody will take it for a drive. It takes about 200 miles of hard pulling (heavy foot) to get that sucker to come back to life.

 

okay so i should work it nice and hard regularly? ha im becoming a bigger and bigger fan of the powerstroke diesels! im going to look this one over very carefully and then if everything is clear and good, i will most likely buy it. i just need to sell my truck i have right now first. can anybody tell me all the recalls they had on this truck? and then an oasis report if possible? thanks guys!

 

An OASIS report will show all work that's been done on the truck at a Ford dealer, both recalls and customer-paid work. When you get the VIN, visit a dealer and ask nice for a report, it's free. Also ask if there are any outstanding recalls on it that haven't been done.