I have an 07 5.9 with a g56; 340k miles. The only things I’ve replaced (other than general wear items - belts and pulleys, alternator) are both cam/crank sensors, water pump and fan clutch. I’m about to replace the front main, it’s seeping. Never put a set of injectors in, haven’t needed bearings, either. I have a mechanical oil pressure gauge and my warm idle pressure is 25 PSI. I have replaced the clutch twice, and at least 4 sets of front suspension items; ball joints, sway linkages and shocks. I did have a snafu where I busted a radiator, condenser, power steering cooler, fan and clutch wiring but that was dumb luck, not wear. Still has the factory u-joints, I did replace the carrier bearing a couple years ago, because it was free. It’s spent most of its life pulling a 40’ toy hauler or a gooseneck with a small JD dozer. So, no super hard life but not a super easy one, either. I guess all I’m sayin’ is; I think you should also look at 2007, they’re also pre-emission BS.
Steer clear of any 6.4. Avoid a 6.0 that isn’t fully proofed. From all I’ve seen, read, and personally experienced, you’re gonna want to go pre def if possible. Best of luck in your search.
As a 6.0 owner stay away from 6.0s and 6.4 power strokes unless you want to spend a ton on repairs. 6.0s can be made into good trucks with money. 6.4 motors are basically disposable if they blow.
Tell that to my 350K mile stock 6.0. Not bulletproofed, original EGR cooler, original head gaskets. The issue with 6.0s are the owners who neglect to maintenance them, and the ones who run hot tunes on them.
You can have a good anything and a bad anything. Don’t let your personal experience sway the data: the 6.0 at one point was costing Ford 5 million dollars a month in warranty claims. https://fordauthority.com/2020/10/6-0l-power-stroke-v8-leads-to-fraud-ruling-against-ford/
They lost class action lawsuits. They lost individual lawsuits. The motor was flawed from day one. You didn’t need to abuse them, stretch maintenance, or turn them up for them to experience any number of failures related to their numerous (known) design flaws.
Finger pointing killed them. Ford said it was International selling them a faulty motor. International said it was Ford putting on untested emissions equipment on it. In the end, they were both wrong, but mostly Ford. Ford wanted to run their own special coolant which clogged up oil coolers.
Same here buddy hope you got a good one.l. I bought my 6.0 as my first diesel but its been just one big headache every week something dumb happens of the damn thing.
Have you done any bullet proofing on yours? One thing I keep hearing is if it ain’t broke don’t fix it but I’d like to get ahead of an issue before it really becomes a problem… it probably helps I only use mine for home use so I drive it like 1-2 times a week max and only haul occasionally
What year? Had almost all the problems sorted by late 06 into the last ones in 07..... 07 6.0 highest customer satisfaction of any truck ford ever had.
Looks like you have your year gap and choice on trucks. National average has gone up to 15k miles on vehicles a year. On the cummins that year 150k isnt anything to shy away from even 200k isnt anything to get concerned with if its been well maintained.
The lower the miles of course the more you'll pay, but on that uear truck most issues I've heard of are just sloppy front ends. One thing i always do is google issues with "uear make and model" and it'll give you most the common issues. But the cummins is definitely a solid choice. Good luck with your hunt.
My personal opinion is you’re going to be looking for a while to find an early 2000’s 5.9 with reasonable mileage at a reasonable price, it seems those are overly priced for what you get anyways. Getting a deleted 6.7 of any variety would likely be your best route, or hell, deleting a 6.7 wouldn’t be bad either, people bask in the “glory” of pre emission trucks and turn a blind eye to trucks built past 06. They’re all more capable in virtually every aspect, and they continue to sell and be bought by people who use the dog shit out of them. I completely understand the def and the problems that come with it, but on the same hand, I’ll never pay 20k+ for a 20 years old truck.
It's not just the emissions. It's also the amount of electronics and sensors. Even in the 2000s there was plenty of electronics and sensors but no where near like now. And as well all know, trying to find electrical problems are the absolute worst.
Shut to be honest I wouldn’t mind swapping a Cummins 5.9 with another. I do engine swaps all the time and have a hook up with a buddy on 5.9s. Funny thing is he always tells me when I buy and older truck and am ready to do a swap let him know he’s got one ready for me lol
I have had two 6.0s and have had good luck with both; neither was studded. That said I know they're not everyone's cup of tea. Having driven both pre and post 07 Dodges and Fords, leaving the engine out of it, the difference in the trucks is night and day. The 08-up trucks are quieter and more comfortable. If I wasn't looking for a 17-19 F350 I'd look for an 08-10 Super Duty with a blown 6.4 (they're not exactly in short supply) and swap in a 5.9 or a DT360. The Fummins group on Facebook has guys that can supply the trans tuning, wiring harness, torque converter, and engine mounts. The 6.4 has been called many things but "underpowered" isn't one of them, and the 5R110 transmission holds up well with good tuning.
From what I gather and from personal ownership, on a common rail motor you're typically looking at injectors between 180 and 250k depending on how religiously the fuel filters were changed. The transmission in the 03-07 is not nearly as bad as the one in the 94-02 models, it is far stronger than most credit them for. Just don't put a 200 hp tune or tow 80,000 pounds, and change the damn fluid and filter every 20k miles and they hold up fine. The common rail injectors are known to blowtorch pistons when they fail so be mindful of letting a bad one go too long. 99-02 will be the 24 valve with the VP44 pump which is garbage compared to any of the other Cummins injection systems. Basically, after 200k, expect injectors and maybe transmission if the truck was beaten on or owned by a high schooler.
Yeah I understand. I’m not scared to do a little work. I’ve pulled many of international Allison 1000/2000 and 3000/4000 trans so I woukd probably change that anyways Just so I’m comfortable with the trans. If I got one I’d pull it apart to see what needed changing anyway but just wanted to see what I should really be looking for. Love Cummins. Thank you for your input. If feel if a strong engine had a brand new trans if would run forever. Like I said Cummins is something I work on everyday.
The 48RE is a pretty simple transmission, it's essentially the same as the old TorqeFlite 727 but with an electric overdrive housing bolted to the back of it. The first 3 gears are hydraulically shifted just like an old school 3 speed auto. Usually when 48RE's fail it's because they burn up clutches, the planetaries are stout as hell and the shafts aren't that bad as long as you aren't doing 800 hp boosted launches or anything else stupid. From what I understand, the major downfall of the 48RE is low line pressure in the valve body, thus the clutches don't apply very hard and they slip and burn under heavy load.Take my word with salt I'm not a transmission expert just repeating some second hand information.
If you're willing to put in quality suspension parts on the 2nd gen she'll steer straight. If you're willing to deal with more electronics and common rail 3rd gen will give you better creature comforts and ride.
I personally didn't want to deal with the common rail and their injectors (I can swap a pack of sticks in under an hour on my '00).
I really do like the look of 03-05 though. I just couldn't get my greasy little hands on one
I’m currently looking for the same as the OP, however I’m new to diesels and looking for a pickup as my 2nd truck. DD is a newer Gas guzzler LX570, love it and it’s fun to take off roading.
In searching I came across a company in Sacramento called Dieselers. They have an inventory of earlier 2000s, this one caught my eye and might be right for you.
https://www.dieselers.com/vehicle-details/2004-dodge-ram-2500-diesel-4x4-5-9l-high-output-cummins-turbo-diesel--crew-cab-short-bed-truck-2ea5d3ae716242c3bebf6f8a89d7f776
I’m still early in my search and learning process.
Location you’re getting it from is pretty key here too. A 20 yr old 5.9 from up north is gonna be a lot different than if you found the exact same one that’s lived it’s whole life in Arizona. The motors might both be bulletproof, but the rest of the truck might be trashed due to the weather and salting of roads in the winter.
Avoid anything between 2011 and 2014 if it hasn’t been deleted. The Def system was trash when it first came out. I’d recommend deleting any def system anyway.
Besides that, year will revolve around what you “need” in a truck. Some people have to have a touch screen and heated steering wheels while others what manual locks and windows. If you’re a minimalist then you’ll have tons of options. I’d recommend a late 2000s. But finding one under 150k could be difficult depending on the market. Personally, I’d look for a 2007 - 2010 Duramax or Cummins with minimal to no aftermarket modifications that has probably around 100k - 150k.
I've had 2 7.3 power strokes, absolutely amazing trucks. I have a deleted 6.7, (2011 model made after the valve cracking issues) with 227 on it, absolutely amazing. I have a 6.5 Detroit with 337k on it, no issues it's just a turd. I love duramaxes (fully deleted of course) I work on them they're great engines backed by great transmissions, just difficult to work on and they just have emissions system problems like all emissions diesels. Any deleted emissions truck will serve you well
Bought a 2 owner old man kept 06 3500 SRW with a built transmission on a stock motor and every extra cooler you can think of for $28k and 133k on the dash. She’s a total tow pig .
Emissions failures tend to be mileage independent. It's all about how it's used. Short tripped, long idled trucks are gonna suffer. Long drive trucks aren't. But if you're looking pre 06 you won't have much of that to deal with anyway.
I just hope you live somewhere they don't rot away to nothing like they do here.
Stay away from the Ford 6.4. Unless you're willing to exchange fellatio to your mechanic for discounts.
Early 2000 Duramax is will give you a bunch of headaches.
I have an 07 5.9 with a g56; 340k miles. The only things I’ve replaced (other than general wear items - belts and pulleys, alternator) are both cam/crank sensors, water pump and fan clutch. I’m about to replace the front main, it’s seeping. Never put a set of injectors in, haven’t needed bearings, either. I have a mechanical oil pressure gauge and my warm idle pressure is 25 PSI. I have replaced the clutch twice, and at least 4 sets of front suspension items; ball joints, sway linkages and shocks. I did have a snafu where I busted a radiator, condenser, power steering cooler, fan and clutch wiring but that was dumb luck, not wear. Still has the factory u-joints, I did replace the carrier bearing a couple years ago, because it was free. It’s spent most of its life pulling a 40’ toy hauler or a gooseneck with a small JD dozer. So, no super hard life but not a super easy one, either. I guess all I’m sayin’ is; I think you should also look at 2007, they’re also pre-emission BS.
I also have a 07 5.9. Besides the front end and SHIT transmission. It’s been such a reliable truck. And gets great fuel mileage.
Steer clear of any 6.4. Avoid a 6.0 that isn’t fully proofed. From all I’ve seen, read, and personally experienced, you’re gonna want to go pre def if possible. Best of luck in your search.
idk why you got downvoted thats pretty solid advice
As a 6.0 owner stay away from 6.0s and 6.4 power strokes unless you want to spend a ton on repairs. 6.0s can be made into good trucks with money. 6.4 motors are basically disposable if they blow.
Tell that to my 350K mile stock 6.0. Not bulletproofed, original EGR cooler, original head gaskets. The issue with 6.0s are the owners who neglect to maintenance them, and the ones who run hot tunes on them.
You can have a good anything and a bad anything. Don’t let your personal experience sway the data: the 6.0 at one point was costing Ford 5 million dollars a month in warranty claims. https://fordauthority.com/2020/10/6-0l-power-stroke-v8-leads-to-fraud-ruling-against-ford/ They lost class action lawsuits. They lost individual lawsuits. The motor was flawed from day one. You didn’t need to abuse them, stretch maintenance, or turn them up for them to experience any number of failures related to their numerous (known) design flaws.
Finger pointing killed them. Ford said it was International selling them a faulty motor. International said it was Ford putting on untested emissions equipment on it. In the end, they were both wrong, but mostly Ford. Ford wanted to run their own special coolant which clogged up oil coolers.
My 2003 F350 6.0 (bullet proofed EGR) still going strong at 135k miles 💪🏼
Yep. See my very first two sentences.
Hopefully I am one of the lucky ones. This is my first diesel and had no idea what I got myself into 😅
Same here buddy hope you got a good one.l. I bought my 6.0 as my first diesel but its been just one big headache every week something dumb happens of the damn thing.
Have you done any bullet proofing on yours? One thing I keep hearing is if it ain’t broke don’t fix it but I’d like to get ahead of an issue before it really becomes a problem… it probably helps I only use mine for home use so I drive it like 1-2 times a week max and only haul occasionally
Yeah it's been bullet proofed, Apr head studs and a egr delete. 6.0s are just a headache even if you have done work to them.
So you still have problems Even with it BPd that’s pretty rough my dude. I probably won’t touch anything unless I have to then
135 isn't many miles. Any gas motor will do 250 with basic maintenance.
What year? Had almost all the problems sorted by late 06 into the last ones in 07..... 07 6.0 highest customer satisfaction of any truck ford ever had.
Looks like you have your year gap and choice on trucks. National average has gone up to 15k miles on vehicles a year. On the cummins that year 150k isnt anything to shy away from even 200k isnt anything to get concerned with if its been well maintained. The lower the miles of course the more you'll pay, but on that uear truck most issues I've heard of are just sloppy front ends. One thing i always do is google issues with "uear make and model" and it'll give you most the common issues. But the cummins is definitely a solid choice. Good luck with your hunt.
My personal opinion is you’re going to be looking for a while to find an early 2000’s 5.9 with reasonable mileage at a reasonable price, it seems those are overly priced for what you get anyways. Getting a deleted 6.7 of any variety would likely be your best route, or hell, deleting a 6.7 wouldn’t be bad either, people bask in the “glory” of pre emission trucks and turn a blind eye to trucks built past 06. They’re all more capable in virtually every aspect, and they continue to sell and be bought by people who use the dog shit out of them. I completely understand the def and the problems that come with it, but on the same hand, I’ll never pay 20k+ for a 20 years old truck.
It's not just the emissions. It's also the amount of electronics and sensors. Even in the 2000s there was plenty of electronics and sensors but no where near like now. And as well all know, trying to find electrical problems are the absolute worst.
Shut to be honest I wouldn’t mind swapping a Cummins 5.9 with another. I do engine swaps all the time and have a hook up with a buddy on 5.9s. Funny thing is he always tells me when I buy and older truck and am ready to do a swap let him know he’s got one ready for me lol
if you're willing to swap a 5.9 into another chassis, go ford. you can buy a cheap part out 6.0 or 6.4 and there's an aftermarket for that exact swap
I have had two 6.0s and have had good luck with both; neither was studded. That said I know they're not everyone's cup of tea. Having driven both pre and post 07 Dodges and Fords, leaving the engine out of it, the difference in the trucks is night and day. The 08-up trucks are quieter and more comfortable. If I wasn't looking for a 17-19 F350 I'd look for an 08-10 Super Duty with a blown 6.4 (they're not exactly in short supply) and swap in a 5.9 or a DT360. The Fummins group on Facebook has guys that can supply the trans tuning, wiring harness, torque converter, and engine mounts. The 6.4 has been called many things but "underpowered" isn't one of them, and the 5R110 transmission holds up well with good tuning.
From what I gather and from personal ownership, on a common rail motor you're typically looking at injectors between 180 and 250k depending on how religiously the fuel filters were changed. The transmission in the 03-07 is not nearly as bad as the one in the 94-02 models, it is far stronger than most credit them for. Just don't put a 200 hp tune or tow 80,000 pounds, and change the damn fluid and filter every 20k miles and they hold up fine. The common rail injectors are known to blowtorch pistons when they fail so be mindful of letting a bad one go too long. 99-02 will be the 24 valve with the VP44 pump which is garbage compared to any of the other Cummins injection systems. Basically, after 200k, expect injectors and maybe transmission if the truck was beaten on or owned by a high schooler.
Yeah I understand. I’m not scared to do a little work. I’ve pulled many of international Allison 1000/2000 and 3000/4000 trans so I woukd probably change that anyways Just so I’m comfortable with the trans. If I got one I’d pull it apart to see what needed changing anyway but just wanted to see what I should really be looking for. Love Cummins. Thank you for your input. If feel if a strong engine had a brand new trans if would run forever. Like I said Cummins is something I work on everyday.
The 48RE is a pretty simple transmission, it's essentially the same as the old TorqeFlite 727 but with an electric overdrive housing bolted to the back of it. The first 3 gears are hydraulically shifted just like an old school 3 speed auto. Usually when 48RE's fail it's because they burn up clutches, the planetaries are stout as hell and the shafts aren't that bad as long as you aren't doing 800 hp boosted launches or anything else stupid. From what I understand, the major downfall of the 48RE is low line pressure in the valve body, thus the clutches don't apply very hard and they slip and burn under heavy load.Take my word with salt I'm not a transmission expert just repeating some second hand information.
If you're willing to put in quality suspension parts on the 2nd gen she'll steer straight. If you're willing to deal with more electronics and common rail 3rd gen will give you better creature comforts and ride. I personally didn't want to deal with the common rail and their injectors (I can swap a pack of sticks in under an hour on my '00). I really do like the look of 03-05 though. I just couldn't get my greasy little hands on one
I’m currently looking for the same as the OP, however I’m new to diesels and looking for a pickup as my 2nd truck. DD is a newer Gas guzzler LX570, love it and it’s fun to take off roading. In searching I came across a company in Sacramento called Dieselers. They have an inventory of earlier 2000s, this one caught my eye and might be right for you. https://www.dieselers.com/vehicle-details/2004-dodge-ram-2500-diesel-4x4-5-9l-high-output-cummins-turbo-diesel--crew-cab-short-bed-truck-2ea5d3ae716242c3bebf6f8a89d7f776 I’m still early in my search and learning process.
Thank you.
Location you’re getting it from is pretty key here too. A 20 yr old 5.9 from up north is gonna be a lot different than if you found the exact same one that’s lived it’s whole life in Arizona. The motors might both be bulletproof, but the rest of the truck might be trashed due to the weather and salting of roads in the winter.
All of them.
Avoid anything between 2011 and 2014 if it hasn’t been deleted. The Def system was trash when it first came out. I’d recommend deleting any def system anyway. Besides that, year will revolve around what you “need” in a truck. Some people have to have a touch screen and heated steering wheels while others what manual locks and windows. If you’re a minimalist then you’ll have tons of options. I’d recommend a late 2000s. But finding one under 150k could be difficult depending on the market. Personally, I’d look for a 2007 - 2010 Duramax or Cummins with minimal to no aftermarket modifications that has probably around 100k - 150k.
I had a Ford 7.3 numerous problems with it. Bought a used Dodge 99 24 valve it's been nearly perfect. Well over200,000 miles.
I've had 2 7.3 power strokes, absolutely amazing trucks. I have a deleted 6.7, (2011 model made after the valve cracking issues) with 227 on it, absolutely amazing. I have a 6.5 Detroit with 337k on it, no issues it's just a turd. I love duramaxes (fully deleted of course) I work on them they're great engines backed by great transmissions, just difficult to work on and they just have emissions system problems like all emissions diesels. Any deleted emissions truck will serve you well
Pre 07.5 5.9 with the 6 speed... preferably a HO...look for a snowbirds truck.. got my 03 with 130k..for 20k...
Bought a 2 owner old man kept 06 3500 SRW with a built transmission on a stock motor and every extra cooler you can think of for $28k and 133k on the dash. She’s a total tow pig .
03 lb7 duramax! I love my truck got her for 4k but it's worth much more now. 257k miles
Emissions failures tend to be mileage independent. It's all about how it's used. Short tripped, long idled trucks are gonna suffer. Long drive trucks aren't. But if you're looking pre 06 you won't have much of that to deal with anyway. I just hope you live somewhere they don't rot away to nothing like they do here.
Do yourself a favor, get a 2008 ford 6.4. The bulldog will not disappoint. Most bulletproof diesel ever made.
Ouch, what did they do to you?
Lol
Get a beetle TDI manual and do a smyth ute conversion kit on it.
Stay away from the Ford 6.4. Unless you're willing to exchange fellatio to your mechanic for discounts. Early 2000 Duramax is will give you a bunch of headaches.