My 6.0 nightmare story

Matt Saunoras · January 19, 2015

This turned out way worse that I ever could have imagined. Let this be a lesson to anyone thinking of helping anyone out and not being compensated for your time. The story starts with a 2004 early 6.0 F-350 that belongs to a 17 year old kid. He's kind of fallen on some hard times with his father passing away recently from injuries sustained in a bad car accident. I felt bad and unfortunately let my emotions get in the way.Now earlier in the summer last year I knew he was trying to install head studs, larger fuel injectors, a turbo etc. He was constantly in the shop asking me questions and looking for advice. I told him all I could knowing full on he wasn't capable of the job, at one point in time I gave his dad an estimate on doing the work at the dealership. Fast forward to a few months ago. The truck is running, he studded his truck with 180k miles on it by pulling one head bolt at a time and installing studs that way. Totally against my recommendation (basically hasn't listened to a word I said). He says he can't build any boost and wants me to look at it. Before I can think about it the truck is towed to our shop.It's in way worse condition than I remember seeing it a few years ago. This was a nice looking truck, white/tan two tone lariat. Now it's a train wreck, the body is horribly sanded down and bondo'd up. The underhood is the subject of my worst nightmare, it looks like it sat outside for months with the hood up. The wiring is a mess, the loom that runs across the cowl is completely missing its protective shield and the wiring is laying down on the turbo. The IAT2, EOT, glow plug harnesses, and all 3 FICM connectors are all broken badly. The ICP/IPR wiring near the rear of the intake looks like a rats nest. The evap core box is not even close to sitting in all the way. Most of the hose clamps are simply missing.I am about sick to my stomach at this point. But regardless the truck was brought in to be diagnosed. I wasn't sure how it was supposed to run with much larger fuel injectors but either way it started and ran horribly. As I found out #1 and #4 cylinders were dead misfires. Now I know we're in deeper than a boost issue. Took a fuel sample/measured fuel pressure and surprisingly both were good. Ran my injector self test, #1 did not click but #4 did. Ran relative compression and it was all zeros, cranking it sounded way better than actually idling it. Plugged in a good injector into #1 harness and it clicks.So I get with the kid and he's in total denial about how bad it is. He's sure it's a boost problem and runs just fine. I'm already getting quite irritated at this point but somehow we agree I'll remove the injectors and he'll send them off to be tested or replaced. What I find when I dig deeper makes me even more terrified of this truck. There are approximately 6-8 broken off valve cover bolts. To make it worse he tried to drill them out and drilled so far off center that it would be impossible to remove these with the rocker boxes in the vehicle, the rocker boxes are junk. The oil rail bolts are so grossly over tightened I'm surprised they're not all broken off. Same with the injector hold downs! #4 was so tight I was scared I was going to break my T40, then I get over to #1 and it's already got a piece of T40 bit broken off in it!The oil is the blackest oil I've ever seen in a 6.0, under the valve covers looks like what would happen to a 6.0 that sat uncovered outside for several seasons. There is so much dust stuck to the valvetrain I can't believe this thing even runs at all. Once this dirt makes it to the oil cooler screen it's going to plug until it breaks a window out and unleashes its fury on the IPR. It's only a matter of time.That leads us to yesterday. I'm under heat from the GM to get working on this thing, quite frankly I want it gone but I guess that's not fair to just tear into something and give up on it, even though that's what the kid already did. I put the new #1 and #4 injectors in with 2 new hold downs, almost got burned by #1 which was somehow missing a copper washer. Key the truck on and I can hear an injector missing it's click, 7 injectors rattling just doesn't sound right.Fire it up and #4 is back but damn it #1 is still a dead miss. Now I'm totally pissed off. #1 was the one that didn't click and it still doesn't click. So the tester FICM comes out, and I load test all the wiring, and I switch the harness around to click different injectors. All of it leads back to #1 injector which throws a P0262 like it always has. But the #1 injector open and close solenoids read both .5 ohms of resistance, same as all the other injectors I have laying around with good solenoids. I have no freaking idea what to do at this point, it took about a month to get these injectors send out and back to me. There's no way in hell anyone is going to believe me if I say it's another bad injector. So I got a bright idea (literally) and got the noid light out I made to be sure the FICM wasn't burning up the injector, which it's not.As an absolute last resort I pulled the #1 injector back out. Took one of my old injectors from the ambulance last week and sat them down on the bench and swapped solenoids. The spool valve was stuck in the injector so I gave the ends a little polish and made sure it stayed free when I reassembled it. Put it all back together a second time (injector clicks now) and it fired right up/idled just fine.Jump in it for a little roadtest and instantly on acceleration the cab fills up with smoke from an apparent exhaust leak and evap box not seated. Start running it around the block a few times only to realize the trans shifting is completely screwed up. I'm not sure if it's the tune or the trans is toast but whatever it is the truck is still not drivable. I hate to destroy the kid but I'm not taking a damn bit of heat over this truck.Believe me, I learned my lesson. I've got some pics I took to cover my ass.

DieselD · January 20, 2015

Wow, I hope that does not come back to bite ya in the ass

Matt Saunoras · January 21, 2015

The truck was towed out of here yesterday. It's at an independent up the street, basically my biggest competition in the area.

As much as I'd like to just forget about the truck I have a feeling this isn't the end.

8WA Sman · January 21, 2015

That's one way to make it difficult for your competition

scott1984 · January 23, 2015

After reading this story. I wouldn't feel bad at other than his pop pass away. The kid should been after the first bolt broke to stop. Its time to learn that mistakes cause money. I don't mind helping people out I'll answer question but don't call me raising hell cause you broke something or did it your way.

Matt Saunoras · January 24, 2015

I hear you man. I deal with shit other people screwed up all day long but never anything to this extent.

Another thing I noticed with the 4th pic is look how rusty the head studs are. This truck was undriveable when I got it and it certainly didn't sit around here with the hood up. It can't have 10 miles on it since those were installed. How do they get that bad? I almost wonder if the kid bought used studs.

I haven't heard anything about this truck since it left, I heard it went to the independent up the street but I don't see it around their lot anywhere now. I can't imagine it's inside getting worked on since I sure as fuck couldn't get any actual money authorized on it.

scott1984 · January 24, 2015

If they aint used he must have put them in without the moly lube they sent and left the hood up. The indy may have priced his self of the job. Personally I love the 6.0 even when they were under warranty. I left the dealer world years ago and still get these things to work on but if had I this job I would send it away

Aaron · February 21, 2015

Somewhere on an Internet powerstroke forum he is shit canning your dealer for "not being able to fix it"

Matt Saunoras · February 21, 2015

I watch the org and I know he's on there but doesn't post much. I'm waiting for it though. There's no shortage of people bashing Ford techs, I tend to not help those individuals.

As for the truck I have not heard anything else about it. I'm still owed for 2 injector hold down clamps and 2 sets of o-rings.

Aaron · February 28, 2015

I don't help anyone on public internet forums anymore.

At some point I let on that I know how to do some things with the scan tool that most other folks dont, and a lot of people got butthurt when I didn't voluntarily cough up this information that I figured out on my own, for them to use for free.

DieselD · March 5, 2015

I don't help anyone on public internet forums anymore.

At some point I let on that I know how to do some things with the scan tool that most other folks dont, and a lot of people got butthurt when I didn't voluntarily cough up this information that I figured out on my own, for them to use for free.

yeah thats smart. I learned long ago to keep my mouth shut. Far too many arm chair techs out there that have only sat on the internet eating cheetos in their underware then actually wrenching.

instructordiesel · May 30, 2016

Matt, I feel your pain. I have a friend that his dad has a FORD 03 with a 6.0 powerstroke. He is talking to me one day about his dad having problems with his truck. He had taken it to several places, but they want to much money to work on it. He asked me if I would look at it. I said SURE ( MISTAKE ). I go to his dad's house to look at the truck. He is giving me a sad story about how he has talk to several mechanics about his problems and that no one will come to his house to look at it, that everyone wants them to bring it to them.

The problem he is having is a no start/ and hard starting. I can not get the truck to start. I inform him that he needs to tow it to our shop. He starts to complain that he needs to find a tow truck and if there was any way I could just fix it at his home. Here is when he did NOT understand what was involved with fixing his truck. Once we get the truck towed to the shop, we went to crank the engine and it started it right up. We did some troubleshooitng and after it sat for a while it would not start. Checked fuel delivery and found that there was a restrication in the tank. Dropped the tank and found the shower head that goes on the pick up tube had come apart. Replaced it and put back the tank. Cranked the engine and it started right up. Called the customer and he was lerey about it being fixed. I also informed him about his batteries and that might need to replace them. He said that they were two years old and he would talk to the place that he bought them from. He goes and fights with the company that sold him the batteries and they give him two new ones. He then drives truck for about 30 miles and then goes home. The next afternoon he calls me and informes me that the truck will not start. He then starts to tell me about the batteries and how he did NOT want to take the truck becuase he knew it was not fix. He now does NOT want to tow the truck back to me to fix, but he wants it fix. I go to his home and get it started and bring back to the shop. We do some more testing and find that the FICM volatges is LOW. The FICM is the problem. We replace it with a new one and the NO START condition goes away. We let the truck sit for several days and then when we start it, it starts right up. I call the customer and AGAIN he questions me about the repalir and AM I SURE IT IS FIXED. I tell him it is and for him to take the truck and try it before he pays his bill. I also inform him that this will be the last time we will work on it. After several days he calls back and said that the truck is starting up with NO PROBLEM and he will pay the bill.

I learned my lesson and hope I can still stay friends with his SON.

jimmy57 · June 27, 2016

Just when you think 6.0's can't break in any new way........

I have a perfectly running 6.0 in a 2006 F350. It got a new Garrett (not reman'd) turbo 10K miles back. Truck has 154K miles on it.

It came in with a squeal that you could equally as loud from anywhere around engine compartment that sounded like that squeal with a back facing serp belt pulley in running against the aluminum front cover of a triton v8. Nope, all pulleys in great shape, recent Gates belt.

Got to be water pump squeal, nope, pull belt off still have noise but it does a change a little bit.

OK, has to be turbo, nope the rotating assy is as snug as can be, smooth, no end travel, no contatc with high side force of compressor wheel.

Still squealing LOUD. WHat to do? Pull VGT solenoid connector off and it goes silent.

Pull turbo off and dismantle and check the unison ring, vanes, etc and all are good as new with no signs of wear and no carbo deposits nor rust.

Truck does have large exhaust but otherwise stock inlet plumbing, air cleaner etc. Does have programmer but noise is the same on stock as it is on programmed settings.

Turbo is over one year old so no warranty according to performance shop that installed and sent it my way when it came in squealing.

EBP values are good and no restriction in EBP tube. Low end torque is there so turbo VGT functioning seems spot on.

Anyone ever run across this?

There seems to be no downside other than noise and this is a great running truck tuned stock with no start issues or a single thing you can find that it needs.

The owner says the turbo has had a whistle from day of install but I have heard such things on many 4 inch exhaust 6.0's.

Matt Saunoras · June 27, 2016

I see 6.0s and 6.4s with exhaust manifold gaskets that squeal when the bolts in the head loosen up

mchan68 · June 27, 2016

Matt beat me to the punch. I've had two 6.4s that I vividly remember making noises that you'd swear it was a misaligned belt. You'll be amazed at how the sound changes or reacts to water being sprayed on the source.