Guys who went from a 6.0 to a 6.4...

Are you happy you did?

I've got my truck in sig, the 06 6.0. It's back at the dealer again for headgaskets... again. This time, heads are getting decked and ARP's put in. I've been seriously contemplating going to a 6.4. I realize, they share the same head design, but it seems that most running the 6.4's have less issues with the heads than the 6.0 guys did. True/false?

I would be happy with my 6.0 with just the intake/exhaust/tune, BUT, it doesn't ever want to seem to stay together. I still see threads almost daily about "I'm studded, egr delete, heads decked, still puking" so I'm still a little gunshy with the 6.0. I LOVE everything else about the truck. It is very close to being paid off as well, and no payment is sounding REAL nice right now. However, with as little as I owe, I could get a decent trade-in on mine towards a used 6.4 at a dealer, lower my payment and be in a better/nicer truck.

If I wanted to get a 6.4 just do a tune/intake/exhaust, would it be more reliable than my tuned/studded/deleted 6.0?

Thoughts, opinions, comments, all welcome...

I was soooo close to trading my 05 in on a 08 F-350 cc 4x4 dually this weekend.

I decided to wait. If I can get another year out of the 05 I'll keep it, and then buy a 6.4.

Yes very happy. Just dnt run around on the 350 tune and expect it to hold forever either. Not saying it won't but the risk is higher no way around it. Just play on the safe side.

^^^ good advice

Once you drive a tuned 6.4 you will kinda know what the hype is about, great throttle response, power is good, towing is amazing with stock turbos

09stroker said:

Yes very happy. Just dnt run around on the 350 tune and expect it to hold forever either. Not saying it won't but the risk is higher no way around it. Just play on the safe side.

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What's the "safe limit" for tuning on these? I see a lot of guys tow with a 210 tune?

This would mostly be a DD, biggest thing I'd tow is a 22' camper, maybe 5klbs fully loaded with everything.

210 tunes are safe, erics street tune is safe, they all have egt safetys built in

I used to tow on a 275 at about 10k weight behind the truck... just depends on the risk you want to take

I REALLY want a tuned 6.4. My wife's '08 6.4 only has 21k miles on it so I've resisted the urge to tune/delete it.

I've been really thinking hard about trading my 05 in on one in the 60k-80k mile range.

I've always wanted to see my 6.0 through to 200k+ miles also. It has 175k now.

Decisions, decisions.........

I went from an 04 6.0 to my 6.4. I love my 6.4 to death... Ill probably never let go of it. My 6.4 has been a great truck so far, and the power is great. Much better than my 6.0 that was modded. There really isnt anything to lose by leaving the 6.0 for a 6.4, so why not?

jdgleason said:

I went from an 04 6.0 to my 6.4. I love my 6.4 to death... Ill probably never let go of it. My 6.4 has been a great truck so far, and the power is great. Much better than my 6.0 that was modded. There really isnt anything to lose by leaving the 6.0 for a 6.4, so why not?

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I know, I know, it's just that I get attached to trucks, lol. :wtf:

Sometimes when I go through a tunnel, I think fondly of the noise my 6.0 (had 3 of them) used to make. Then I remember what giant pieces of crap they were, and enjoy my 6.4.

jdgleason said:

I went from an 04 6.0 to my 6.4. I love my 6.4 to death... Ill probably never let go of it. My 6.4 has been a great truck so far, and the power is great. Much better than my 6.0 that was modded. There really isnt anything to lose by leaving the 6.0 for a 6.4, so why not?

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Why not? Cause this truck will be paid for shortly, and if I jump into a 6.4 I'm going to be resetting my payments again, so there's that...
and...
The cost of repairs is what scares me honestly. I can't see even getting a 6.4 without doing a DPF delete and tuning because of the horrible mileage without it. I just can't resist running tunes anyways...

I'm really going to think hard on this one. I really like my truck, but this would also be a great time to step up to a crew cab like I've always wanted to.

willholl79 said:

I know, I know, it's just that I get attached to trucks, lol. :wtf:

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Youll get just as attached to a 6.4...

Mdub707 said:

Why not? Cause this truck will be paid for shortly, and if I jump into a 6.4 I'm going to be resetting my payments again, so there's that...
and...
The cost of repairs is what scares me honestly. I can't see even getting a 6.4 without doing a DPF delete and tuning because of the horrible mileage without it. I just can't resist running tunes anyways...

I'm really going to think hard on this one. I really like my truck, but this would also be a great time to step up to a crew cab like I've always wanted to.

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Thats true.... but it looks like the only hang up you have is on a payment. I would like to think as a general rule, most 6.4s are much more reliable than 6.0s. It sounds like you are fixing that though....

If the 6.4 is more reliable than maybe you can rationalize a payment by figuring you won't have to keep making repairs like you do to your 6.0.

When I got my 6.4 I realized I was in denial. It's the best tune only truck out there, I don't have to worry about smoke and looking in my mirror constantly, I have response like a car and drive with ease.

There's just too much foreplay with a 6.0, especially with a vg upgrade or stepping up injectors. Im sure others disagree but thats my personal preference. That's when I think it's crosses the line and becomes not fun to drive. Only the power is fun, not all the smoke that comes with it.

And just the little internal things in the 6.4,
I don't have to completely lock the blinker down or up but have a mid point where I let my finger off and it goes back to neutral, that helps during traffic.
Folding and much bigger mirrors.
Cab power doesn't cut off when you take the key out but only when you open the door.
Easy access aux port.
The interior isn't a 6.7 but comes close.
And probably a lot more I can't think of
But little things make me happy.

But when I want power under my foot I go to my modded 6.0

And my 6.0 started puking at 35k having 5k of it tuned. 08 has 80k and with 10k tuned with no issues so far and I only drive the 310. But I know that has no affiliation bc some trucks are abuse freaks.

Vizsla said:

Sometimes when I go through a tunnel, I think fondly of the noise my 6.0 (had 3 of them) used to make. Then I remember what giant pieces of crap they were, and enjoy my 6.4.

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^^^^^lmfao!

Most guys with studded 6.0's that are puking probably had a tech that didn't know what he was doing. Studded & deleted, most 6.0's are great trucks. My 6.0 is paid off, and when I have enough saved for the 6.4 I want, the 6.0 is going down the road. As nice as your 6.0 might be, the 6.4's are even more nice. I've worked on enough of both to know the 6.4 is my truck of choice!

I went from a 2006 6.0 (72K miles SCT ARPs, Powermax turbo, Cool Duals Intake 4.5 lift and helper airbags) to a 2008 6.4 with 2.5lift Spartan with KEM tunes Deletes and intake and my old helper airbags and PMF traction Block/bars. I LOVE IT!!! The only thing I do not like is the MPG I lost about 2 to 3 mpg going to my 6.4. But in towing my 31 foot travel trailer (11K) I gained maybe .5 to 1 mpg. And it towes so much better and cooler. I can use the cruise control on the 6.4 I never could while towing not the 6.0. I am running the 210 tow tune on the spartan and I ran the ID tow tune on the 6.0.
The 6.4 is not studded and I still have the EGRs. I will get rid of them soon enough but I run the KEM 310 tune everyday. I do not beat on the truck at all. In the last month I have gone WOT once. The traction bars really smooth out the shifting. I think they are a must for all tuned 6.4s with any lift and 35" tires and bigger.
I do miss the sound of my 6.0, man that thing sounded good! But I love my 6.4 Power!

jdgleason said:

Youll get just as attached to a 6.4...


Thats true.... but it looks like the only hang up you have is on a payment. I would like to think as a general rule, most 6.4s are much more reliable than 6.0s. It sounds like you are fixing that though....

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My other major hangup and one of the main reasons I'm still rocking the 6.0 is my vegistroke. It is still a hang up at this point, but the promise of a kit for the 6.4 being right around the corner is at least opening my eyes a little bit to the 6.4 world. It's a major concern for me. It's the difference between $200 in fuel a month or $600 a month.

forddieselkicksass said:

If the 6.4 is more reliable than maybe you can rationalize a payment by figuring you won't have to keep making repairs like you do to your 6.0.

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Almost every repair on my truck up to this point has been done under warranty. The biggest downfall of that, is the time I am without my truck... which I would hope a 6.4 would alleviate.

Wayne said:

Most guys with studded 6.0's that are puking probably had a tech that didn't know what he was doing. Studded & deleted, most 6.0's are great trucks. My 6.0 is paid off, and when I have enough saved for the 6.4 I want, the 6.0 is going down the road. As nice as your 6.0 might be, the 6.4's are even more nice. I've worked on enough of both to know the 6.4 is my truck of choice!

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I don't disagree. I had ARP's done once at a dealer already, it was the shortest amount of time headgaskets have lasted in this truck. It's currently sitting at the dealer right now getting ARP's again (different dealer), excpet this dealer will deck my heads. I'm hoping this fixes it this time, but I'm also viewing this as a great time to sell the truck being it will be done right and it will be a lot easier to sell this way.


Honestly the most I can ever see getting into with this truck would be 155's and a powermax, I don't really need to set the world on fire with power, but enough that I can still have a little fun. I think a tuned 6.4 would be even better than this combo on a 6.0 power wise.

I think I'm going to at least start looking around. The dealer that my truck is at has a few 08's, around 65k miles for the low $30k's... guess I need to start looking more so I can see what these trucks are going for...


Thanks for all of the help guys.

just so you know i paid 23k for my truck with 68k on it. It is an fx4 with black leather, brand new terra grapplers, and nav (aftermarket) truck is clean, clean, clean and had a fairly clean oasis report.