Repairing The Ford 6.0-Liter Powerstroke With Bulletproof Diesel - Tech and How-To
In mid-2003, Ford released a new diesel engine that was revolutionary for its time. Paired with a new five-speed transmission the 6.0-liter Powerstroke (also known as the VT365 by Navistar International, the engine’s manufacturer) came with a never-seen-before (in a production light-duty pickup) variable geometry turbo (VGT), plus new quieter injectors, 325 horsepower, and 570 pound-feet of torque. The truck did this all while meeting the new EPA smog requirements, which had just put past diesel motors out of production. Unfortunately, this new power plant came with a myriad of problems. Among other problems the injectors fail, computers fail, head gaskets fail, water pumps fail, the oil cooler fails, and the EGR cooler plugs up extremely easily. The veins on the VGT turbo are very susceptible to heavy coking, causing stiction problems.
But once all these problems are taken care of, the 6.0-liter Powerstroke really is an excellent, powerful, and reliable motor. Brothers Gene and Ken Neal from Bulletproof Diesel in Mesa, Arizona, have dedicated their professional lives to fixing the Powerstroke’s shortcomings. After spending a week at Bulletproof Diesel with the Neal Brothers, we’ve come to a conclusion: No one knows the 6.0-liter Powerstroke better than they do.
| 01: Accessing the motor for a repair like this one requires removing the cab. It’s really not as bad as it looks, and only takes a couple hours to complete.
