6.0 Chevy good or bad?

[Jmaskell37]

Hey guys! I'm getting ready to possibly buy a bus to start my conversion project and I was just trying to read up on the motor to know what to specifically look for. It's a 2005 Chevy 5 window short bus with a 6.0 with 102k miles. What's you guys experience with this motor as far as reliability, maintenance, fuel millage... Thanks!

[PNW_Steve]

I don't have any personal experience with the but I did have a conversation with the head of the bus shop at a local school district.

They replaced all of their diesel short buses with 6.0 equipped cut aways. He spoke quite highly of them. He told me that their fuel mileage was nearly as good as the diesels that they replaced. He was quite pleased with their reliability as well.

[Jmaskell37]

Awesome! Good to know! Thanks!

[Johnny Mullet]

The Chevy 6.0l gas engine is a good one. Be sure to check the exhaust manifold bolts to the head. They are known to break off.

[Jmaskell37]

I'll be sure to check!

[cadillackid]

overall i like the 6.0, its a solid runner abnd for a gas motor pretty efficient and powerful in a bus.. parts are everywhere for them...

-Christopher

[dbhost]

Overall it's a good solid engine.

Only gasser that is relatively current you might run into, not super likely though, is the Ford 5.4L Triton used on some E350 cutaways. Although most of those got the V10, the 5.4L V8 is a real dud. I speak from experience...

[leadsled01]

110,000 on my 5.4 just changed the factory spark plugs last year. I have heard of some problems but I think they are good engines. Knock on wood..

Originally Posted by dbhost

Overall it's a good solid engine.

Only gasser that is relatively current you might run into, not super likely though, is the Ford 5.4L Triton used on some E350 cutaways. Although most of those got the V10, the 5.4L V8 is a real dud. I speak from experience...

[rensch26]

The 6.0 is a great engine. Tons of aftermarket support if you ever need some extra power, oil coolers, filters, etc. Very easy to work on as well. In a small bus like that it'll do just fine.

[cadillackid]

Originally Posted by rensch26

The 6.0 is a great engine. Tons of aftermarket support if you ever need some extra power, oil coolers, filters, etc. Very easy to work on as well. In a small bus like that it'll do just fine.

it would be really easy to mnake a bus that could squeal the tires with a 6.0!

[dbhost]

Originally Posted by leadsled01

110,000 on my 5.4 just changed the factory spark plugs last year. I have heard of some problems but I think they are good engines. Knock on wood..

The issues with these engines are twofold, depending on the variant...

#1. The 5.4L 2V Triton has insufficient spark plug thread surface to bear the stresses, and spits plugs out, sometimes to comical effect. I've seen more than a few '97 - '03 F150s with dented hoods from flying plugs...

#2. And MUCH more serious. The 5.4L 3V, which is what my 2004 F150 4x4, and my brother in law's 2006 E350 cutaway class C has. The 3V spark plug has that loooooong ceramic snout, that is too close to the bore in the head, it gets stuck and has to be extracted with a special tool, if you are lucky, if not, heads need to be pulled and the plugs removed.
#2A. The other massive issue with the 3V variant. Insufficient oil volume to the front of the cylinder heads, and other design flaws causes premature wear on the variable cam timing system components, including the VCT solenoids, cam phasers, tensioners, guides etc... This is where my truck is at now... Specifically I have the chain guides and phasers are history, and the engine simply will not run at this time. I have 108K miles on this truck and have reliably changed the oil with clean synthetic 5w30 every 3k miles, and used Motorcraft filters since day one.

There have been lots of other known issues with these engines, and honestly they were so bad that Ford quit making them in favor of the smaller displacement 5.0L Coyote V8 engines.

A friend of mine that does fleet mechanics works on these engines a LOT. Just like the Ford 6.0, they can be made more or less bulletproof, but they require a bit of aftermarket upgrading. Most notably boring and polishing the oil journals, swapping in a hard to find, but available high volume oil pump, etc...

If I had to do it over again, I think I would have gone with a Chevy. I hate to say it, but this engine has left a lousy impression of Ford with me....

[Gdog 5651]

6 liter gms are pretty hard to beat. If you have not fired it cold though it might frighten you a bit.They are made with skirtless pistons and they tend to knock(piston slap) when cold all the GM small blocks(4.3 5.3 6.0) all do it it seems to me to be a bit louder on the 6.0 but after running a short amount of time it quiets down and it does not seem to hurt their reliability I own a 5.3 with 343,000 miles on it it is on its second set of plugs and the only actual repair I made was a fuel pressure regulator back in 2001.It has been maintained by the book and always use valvoline and wix.

[1olfart]

Just thinking out loud...... but I've wondered if the 6.0 gas Chevy would fit in a cutoff van or step van, to replace the 6.5 Diesel. PNWsteve has said that his bus shop friend has had great luck with the 6.0 and mpg ain't bad, either.

Whatdathink?

[420grover]

Originally Posted by 1olfart

Just thinking out loud...... but I've wondered if the 6.0 gas Chevy would fit in a cutoff van or step van, to replace the 6.5 Diesel. PNWsteve has said that his bus shop friend has had great luck with the 6.0 and mpg ain't bad, either.

Whatdathink?

You can find nearly any vehicle that you can think of that has been LS swapped.

[Mr4btTahoe]

The only issue with the 6.0s and the 8.1s is fuel consumption. They are very solid/reliable platforms. 300k miles is pretty common with basic maintenance.