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Old 05-12-2018, 03:40 PM   #1
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6.0L Ford E-350 sans Coolant...To Buy or Not to Buy?

Hi Friends! I’m new here and hoping you can help me decide. I’ve either found a unicorn 2 hours away or big fat yellow lemon that’s been sitting on this lot for over a month for good reason. I am looking to convert a shortie into an old school roaming soft-serve ice cream truck and found a 2005 Ford Econoline E-350 6.0L, 86k miles, listed for $5K. I had a trusted mechanic check it out and for a frame of reference his “findings” are below...

Brakes had 90% left, so good.
Rotors are rusty, but that should work itself out after driving it.
Battery cable ends will need replaced soon.
Rear tires are very low/worn, but would get me through summer months.

Then we get to the complete lack of coolant. He didn’t note any visible leaks and wants me to take it in for a pressure test but I haven’t been able to make the drive to follow through yet. From what I’ve gleaned there seems to be some standing issues with these 6.0L engines and I can’t help but wonder if this is indicative of those. I’m no expert on engines but I know enough to know I want no part of head gasket trouble.

My sister married a diesel mechanic whos good nature I can exploit and if I could get this thing for the right price I could afford to put some cheddar into repairing and preemptively replacing parts but if it’s just always going to be a headache I’d maybe rather skip it.

Any feedback would be greatly appreciated!

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Old 05-12-2018, 06:50 PM   #2
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Please stay away from a Ford 6.0L diesel engine. You will have nothing but problems with the reliability and the repairs are time consuming and expensive. Some say you can "Bulletproof" a 6.0, but I seen them self grenade just as well. Here is a reference.........
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Old 05-12-2018, 06:55 PM   #3
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NO,NO,NO! Stay away from the 6.0. There is something to be said about an engine that was so badly designed that an entire industry was developed to fix it.
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Old 05-12-2018, 09:00 PM   #4
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Location: Central Florida
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Chassis: GMC or Chevrolet, I hope
Engine: gasser probably
"My sister married a diesel mechanic"
Why don't you get that guy, since he would be the one fixing any potential issues, to look at it and help you decide.

People always say to buy the 7.3 and stay away from the 6.0
But I've also heard that the newer 7.3 have more electronics on them which makes it more complicated.
I've also heard that is difficult to find mechanics that know how to work on those older (non electronic 7.3).

Im not a car guy, so in my case, regardless of what I buy, I will either have to learn how to fix it or pay someone else, specially if is a diesel.

not sure if any of that helps, good luck
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Old 05-12-2018, 09:41 PM   #5
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Actually, It's easier to find someone to work on the older diesels than the new ones. I,m a mechanic and I have worked on most types of the lite to medium diesels. Give me a mechanical one any day. BTW, I have been fighting with a 6.0 with HPOP issues and it's a nightmare.
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Old 05-15-2018, 03:37 PM   #6
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Thanks all! Think I’ll heed the hoarde of warnings on this one. Much obliged
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