Never had a FORD before...until now

spindrift

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Hi folks. Have an absolutely beautiful Chevy Suburban 6.5TD (nothing stock about it). However, I pull a 10,000# travel trailer and I'm just tired of babying this truck. This weekend I brought home my '06 F250 CC, long bed, 6.0 PS. My first ever Ford ride.

We do quite a bit of camping so the truck's primary purpose in life will be towing our TT. Can you offer some advice as far as the steps I should be taking, in the proper order, to make this truck a great tow vehicle. Over on the Chevy/GM forums I was the one offering advice on the 6.5TD. The tables have changed.

Also, on one of the other forums I read that losing the cat will actually decrease fuel mileage. What's up with that? True?
 

whatabudro

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spindrift said:
Hi folks. Have an absolutely beautiful Chevy Suburban 6.5TD (nothing stock about it). However, I pull a 10,000# travel trailer and I'm just tired of babying this truck. This weekend I brought home my '06 F250 CC, long bed, 6.0 PS. My first ever Ford ride.

We do quite a bit of camping so the truck's primary purpose in life will be towing our TT. Can you offer some advice as far as the steps I should be taking, in the proper order, to make this truck a great tow vehicle. Over on the Chevy/GM forums I was the one offering advice on the 6.5TD. The tables have changed.

Also, on one of the other forums I read that losing the cat will actually decrease fuel mileage. What's up with that? True?

Welcome aboard, I have a 7.3 but the same rules apply. I would always start with guages, and then try to move a little more air threw it with exhuast and intake system. At that point you can decide whether you have enough stock or if you need a little more. Research, Research, Research, before you play the tuner/programmer area. You may want to read a little about egr's concerning your truck, some people have problems, but most think it is caused by the poor fuel we are getting these days, and by the type of oil you use. Welcome to the Ford family. When I hotrod cars I build Chevrolets, when I want to haul the car to the track without breaking down, well it's time for my Ford. :cool:
 

Mobeydick

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I would leave it stock for at least 50,000 miles if not 100,000 miles! Like I did my 01 7.3 and I will do that on my 05 6.0!
That Injector Pump on those 6.5s is a joke that GM played on all of us. I had 12 installed under warranty!! I had bought 5 New GM trucks before that with only tranny problems on some. After the warranty ran out 40,000 miles! GM made me fix it after the warrant ran out and it cost $1,627.27 and it did!! It proves that they can be fixed. GM screwed themselves with their behavior because I will never own another GM product!! The 01 7.3 CC LB Lariet 4X4 is the first Ford I had owned in 22 years!!

I have bought over $100,000 in Ford products in the last 4.2 years!! GM could have had that if they would have just fixed the Pump!! I don't know about the Cat though!!

Ford is almost as bad as GM about the warranty!! You mod the 6.0 you have bought the warranty!!
 

whatabudro

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Mobeydick said:
Ford is almost as bad as GM about the warranty!! You mod the 6.0 you have bought the warranty!!


That's not Ford or GM's fault, they sale a product that they designed and they stand behind it to a certain point. If you start changing parts to affect the most expensive part on their product, then they have the right in my opinion to deny the warranty. I'm not saying that some dealerships will play games with customers but that is the dealership, NOT Ford. I've heard stories about people having problems, but to me they are just stories! THIS IS THE INTERNET. I had a 4" exhaust, intake, and gauges on my truck a week after I bought it. I never had any warranty issues that Ford fought me over, but then again I had GAUGES and they tell you what is going on if you pay attention to them, and do not abuse your truck. But there are people in this world who want their cake and eat it too, so they push the truck harder than it should to be badder then the next guy. Then when something goes wrong they TRY to hide it and cry foul. I did not put a programmer on my truck until after the warranty expired, on time not miles. Nobody needs a chip or a programmer in my opinion. The old 6.9 would pull whatever was put behind it, but people are impatient these days and want to get everywhere as fast as possible, even the vacation where they are supposed to be relaxing. The big three are no different than a company that makes...? washing machines, you go in there changing the way it was designed to make it....? spray harder or whatever it's not covered under the warranty! This item just happens to cost more, a lot more. A diesel will perform much better than stock by simply moving more air through it without causing dangerous side effects. YOU have to make the decision, which you should have made when you bought the truck, whether or not it will do what you bought it to do. If you have faith that it will, then move more air through the motor, after you put gauges on it. Watch the gauges religiously and keep them in the safe zone. I will not even get into scheduled maintenance, these trucks require it and most from the gasoline background don't know about it unless the read the manual or it's too late. If you take car of the vehicle it will take car of you no matter who makes it in my opinion, if not you should have looked into it a little harder before you bought it. There are lemons out there, but not many Ford trucks in my opinion, if you get one, and have problems, that's what lawyers are for, but the cake and eat too guys make it hard for all of us.

Just my opinion not directed at anyone.
Peace Out, Budro
 

FordDieselDog

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Mobeydick said:
Ford is almost as bad as GM about the warranty!! You mod the 6.0 you have bought the warranty!!

Truck competition among manufactures is fierce. If Ford, GM, or Dodge could produce more horse power and torque by “chipping” and make the product last 100,000 miles, surely they would.

If you want to go fast...buy a race car
If you want to tow...buy a truck
If you want to tow a heavy load...buy a bigger truck
 

spindrift

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Look fellas...I have no intention of building a tire burner. The whole reason I went for the PS was because of the power and durability that was designed into the truck in the first place.

However, ALL engines have a weak link. At this point, all I'm interested in doing is making those weak links a little stronger.

And what about the cat?
 

spindrift

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spindrift said:
Also, on one of the other forums I read that losing the cat will actually decrease fuel mileage. What's up with that? True?

This is what I had asked in the first post.
 

whatabudro

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spindrift said:
This is what I had asked in the first post.

I follow you spindrift, I have not read anything on cat's versus fuel mileage, but I never had a cat. Sorry for my winded responses, but I still think moving more air will make you happy.
 

snoeproe

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put 500 miles on it before you tow anything with it for sure.
leave the 6.0 stock and it will probly last longer than you own the truck. they have plenty enough power for pulling your trailer while in stock forum.
 

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