7.3 obs or SD, or just go up to 6.0?

[bigfords]

I've done a lot of heavy towing with a 6.0, usually grossing between 33k and 38k lbs. This was on a deleted and tuned F550, it towed well, just really liked to scream.
The truck was still a headache, seemed like there was always something wrong with it.

Dad now has a 2015 450 which tows very strong. Grosses 40k with it regularly and tows pretty much night and day compared to the 6.0.

That being said, I can really appreciate a CLEAN 7.3, a lot of people can which is why they hold their value well. If it was me I would find a nice, southern, 02-03 crew cab dually and put a set of mild hybrids in it with your BASB, and supporting mods. You should have a real nice 300-350 HP tow tune. 4:10 rears would also be ideal for that trailer weight. For a tow truck I don't think I would worry about studs and springs and such, since your really wont want or need to tow with more than 400HP. I would spend money sound deadening the interior and throwing a set of air bags under the rear and what not.

I drive and work on all 4 Fords, and like different aspects about each one. Right now for me it is 7.3 or 6.7. My .02.

 

[jeremiahmercier]

Which spring codes came in the dually SDs ?

 

[bigfords]

Looks like we were typing similar things at the same time.

Not sure on the spring codes, but I really do love my air bags. Its nice being able to level a load out, especially if its a little tongue heavy.

Also, a nicely maintained 7.3 I believe will hold its value for a long time.

 

[Jomax]

Out of the realm, but has anybody towed anything with the 6.7 Powerstroke, how much better do they pull than us 7.3s and 6.0s?

A crap ton better.

Sent from my SM-N900V using Tapatalk

 

[Jomax]

Jake said the 6.7 pulls like any other super duty with stg 1s. Which makes sense.

Maybe the older models, the 15s tow way better than a stage 1 7.3..

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[bigfords]

15s definitely tow very well, even better than the 11-14s.

 

[gnxtc2]

Which spring codes came in the dually SDs ?

C codes for the rear.

Billy T.
[email protected]

 

[TyCorr]

Maybe the older models, the 15s tow way better than a stage 1 7.3..

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440 rated is probably around 400 rwhp or less...so a stg 1.5 or stg2 in a tow tune.

My 175/80s and 38r was better than a new duramax. I dont have a tow tune dialed in yet with 250/200s but I can imagine thats even better than a 6.7. Apples to oranges but other than moving dads, I dont have lots of 6.7 experience. All I hear is his disdain for fuel mileage in his 15 while the 11 could nail 17 all day long.

 

[jeremiahmercier]

Well, I know these trucks will pull way more than their GCWR, but is there ever gonna come a time when we really won't be able to exceed that, cause the 5rs I'm looking at exceed a 2002 f350 DRW limit, again which we all know will definitely pull way mpre

 

[drunk on diesel]

I love these threads.

6.0's flood independent shops because there are still millions of them on the road, and they're actually still worth keeping on the road.

You can get a nice 175k 6.7 for low 20's these days. I mean loaded out.

A new short block from ford is under $5k.

Low mile pull-outs as far as the eye can see for $5-7k.

Why anybody would consider "building" any generation of HEUI truck in the face of those numbers is beyond me

 

[swinky]

I love these threads.

6.0's flood independent shops because there are still millions of them on the road, and they're actually still worth keeping on the road.

You can get a nice 175k 6.7 for low 20's these days. I mean loaded out.

A new short block from ford is under $5k.

Low mile pull-outs as far as the eye can see for $5-7k.

Why anybody would consider "building" any generation of HEUI truck in the face of those numbers is beyond me

For towing sure.

 

[drunk on diesel]

I only really read the first post and then skimmed the obligatory 6.0 bashing on the first page...

if a guy needs to pull a 15k 5th wheel and wants to do it with a Ford diesel (and wants 400hp or whatever I think I saw mentioned)???

I just don't see any argument for anything other than a 6.7...

a clean 7.3 SD is going to cost you $10-15k, and you're going to have another bunch of cash making the power you want and trying to harness it through an ancient 4sp transmission? no thanks

you can pick up 6.0's cheap. They're still the best bang for the buck out there. I've got a little 05 I picked up recently... never lifted, never whored out/modded. it's got some patina, but it's a decent little rig. 4wd, lariat, etc. etc. Motor is re-sealed, studded, high pressure updates, etc. etc. I'm in the thing less than $10k, and there isn't another diesel pickup that will hold a candle to this thing for that kind of money IMO.

BUT, it's really easy to get up over $20-25k with a nice clean sub 150k mile 6.0. Especially if you throw the entire "bulletproof" catalog at it, and spend an entire summer and four oil coolers fixing what probably wasn't broken by flushing and converting to ELC.

Meanwhile, I can go buy a 150k+ XLT 6.7 for low/mid 20's, and it'll do everything I need it to and more without having to pull the cab and re-invent the wheel on every single component underneath it...

I can drive the piss out of it, feed it questionable fuel, etc. And when the motor grenades or the fuel system ****s the bed (which they don't if you halfway maintain them), I have my pick of low mile pull-outs, and I'm back on the road in 2 days for $6-7k without having to pull the cab.

that's worst case scenario...

I see guys spend $5-7k to "bulletproof" 6.0's all day long...

I love 6.0's, you know this! But the 6.7 is the play for a work truck and/or something that tows heavy.

 

[swinky]

I only really read the first post and then skimmed the obligatory 6.0 bashing on the first page...

if a guy needs to pull a 15k 5th wheel and wants to do it with a Ford diesel (and wants 400hp or whatever I think I saw mentioned)???

I just don't see any argument for anything other than a 6.7...

a clean 7.3 SD is going to cost you $10-15k, and you're going to have another bunch of cash making the power you want and trying to harness it through an ancient 4sp transmission? no thanks

you can pick up 6.0's cheap. They're still the best bang for the buck out there. I've got a little 05 I picked up recently... never lifted, never whored out/modded. it's got some patina, but it's a decent little rig. 4wd, lariat, etc. etc. Motor is re-sealed, studded, high pressure updates, etc. etc. I'm in the thing less than $10k, and there isn't another diesel pickup that will hold a candle to this thing for that kind of money IMO.

BUT, it's really easy to get up over $20-25k with a nice clean sub 150k mile 6.0. Especially if you throw the entire "bulletproof" catalog at it, and spend an entire summer and four oil coolers fixing what probably wasn't broken by flushing and converting to ELC.

Meanwhile, I can go buy a 150k+ XLT 6.7 for low/mid 20's, and it'll do everything I need it to and more without having to pull the cab and re-invent the wheel on every single component underneath it...

I can drive the piss out of it, feed it questionable fuel, etc. And when the motor grenades or the fuel system ****s the bed (which they don't if you halfway maintain them), I have my pick of low mile pull-outs, and I'm back on the road in 2 days for $6-7k without having to pull the cab.

that's worst case scenario...

I see guys spend $5-7k to "bulletproof" 6.0's all day long...

I love 6.0's, you know this! But the 6.7 is the play for a work truck and/or something that tows heavy.

Agreed man. I could have a 100k mile 6.7 for what I have in mine but god damn I love this truck.

 

[drunk on diesel]

oh dude, this little 05 I got is a riot...

it's a dark stone/gold ecsb lariat that I named chewie because it's brown and it makes wookie barking noises when you stand off in it...

I'm looking for a decent/cheap set of mud tires to put on it so I can go cut up the 90 acres out back in it LOL So it's currently sitting on a set of 265 Dodge take-off tires on a set of 17's that came on the 07 I bought a couple months ago.

Anyhow, I'm pretty sure I've taken at least 8 out of 10 corners in it sideways the past few days since I got it up and running LOL

I friggin' love these things. hands down the best buy in the diesel pickup market

 

[drunk on diesel]

I've also decided that I'm going to creep up on my buddy's 11 w/ a modded 15 turbo on it... I've got an '03 turbo on it, but I may sneak a pmax on it and see how bad I can piss him off with this turd LOL

 

[gnxtc2]

Out of curiosity, what's involved with bulletproofing a 6.0?

Billy T.
[email protected]

 

[nossliw]

And I am going to be that guy.... If you can afford it I'd go with a KR 6.0.... I can not. Therefore I tow a 40' race hauler around the US grossing at around 24k, Besides the Colorado mountains the truck has more than I have ever needed.... Best of luck, and pull your motor out of your current setup and sell it to me

 

[patricku47]

Personally, I would go with a 6.0 and never look back. I am on my second one, and I wouldn't hesitate to buy another tomorrow if I needed one. Try and find a good, clean, well maintained truck, and do the necessary updates/upgrades. I'll never talk down about the reliability of a 7.3, but unless i got a deal I couldn't pass up, I wouldn't own another one...

 

[drunk on diesel]

Out of curiosity, what's involved with bulletproofing a 6.0?

Billy T.
[email protected]

if you're a reasonable human being with a reasonably decent truck to start with?

not a whole lot... maintain it regularly, and hook it to a scanner/monitor at the first inkling that there's an issue... a stumble, misfire, extended start, etc.

then get on here or another forum, and the members will help you get it lined out.

if you just feel like tearing apart a perfectly good truck? pull the motor, roll mains in it, reseal the bed plate, new rear main, have the heads machined and tested, replace the lifters, replace the oil cooler, put it together with ARP head studs, put it back together with ELC coolant and a bypass coolant filter.

but I'm the kind of guy who waits for there to be SOME issue that warrants actually tearing into one.

if you just put a safe tune on it and drive the SOB, it'll probably be like so many other well maintained stock 6.0's that go 300-400k miles without much issue.


now, if you call up a performance shop and ask them the same question, you're going to get a much more expensive answer than mine...

 

[m j]

Out of curiosity, what's involved with bulletproofing a 6.0?

Billy T.
[email protected]

that kind of depends on how flat the deck surface of the block is...