stock

[SIRed]

I am pretty new to owning a diesel truck and just purchased an 04 F250 with the 6.0. My question is from what I have been reading is that when you mod the truck with a programmer is when most of the problems occur. Is this right? I am not planning on doing alot with my truck performance wise and was wondering if I leave it stock, minus maybe cat and muffler delete, would I be facing many potential problems? What do you guys think?

 

[DaveBen]

There are tendencies to lift the heads from the blocks, resulting in blown head gaskets. This is good enough for most people. Changing head gaskets is a big pain. If you substitute head studs for the head bolts ($400 +) then you can safely run a programmer or chip (same thing). Ford will still void your warranty, but that may not apply to you.

Dave

 

[SIRed]

Yeah, that was what I was getting at. Seemed from what I was understanding was that head gaskets where being blown when you put more power to the engine and the head gaskets couldn't take it.

 

[sasquatch]

Any of these engines can blow a head gasket, stock or otherwise. My truck is bone stock, and I blew a head gasket towing an 8,000lb trailer from Alabama to NorCal in July with only 17,*** on the odo. It was hot, really hot outside at the time. It overheated multiple times on the way, and blew a lot of coolant out. Got to Placerville and found a blown head gasket.

My point is that you should go ahead and get the ARP headstuds and be done with it, even if you do keep it stock.

 

[bigrigr]

True sasquatch, IMO studs should be mandatory for these engines. It's not a matter of if, but when. Better to do it when you can choose for youself who does it and where, instead of dealing with someone you don't know in a town you've never heard of before you tried to go there!

 

[Yooper75]

Now you guys have me thinking my truck has 130k on the stock head gaskets and head bolts. I want to tune the truck but I dont want to do anything until the stock head gaskets puke and I get them replaced. There is a diesel shop here in town and with all this discussion about better air flow and blown head gaskets has me thinking that I should head this off before I get a 5er hooked on the back and I am sitting on the road with the family in the middle of no where.

 

[SIRed]

So adding more power to one doesn't make it more prone to blowing a head gasket? That is the impression I was under. I can definetly see the advantage to updating to the studs to prevent this but I don't know if it is something I would be able to do in the garage. It seems that I would have to send it out, is this right or is it something that most do at home?

 

[Yooper75]

From what I get from all these discussions is that they are fine for the most part stock but when you start adding more fuel and boost you are going to speed up the process. Like I said my truck has 130K on it and the previous owner towed with the truck every day and maintained it very well and the only things I have have had to do is replace the turbo because it was just plain worn out and the alternator failed on me last week.

 

[SIRed]

Mine is about the same as yours and that is what I understand too. I know it will happen but just don't know enough about it to do it myself. Mine has about 113,000 on the clock and has a clean bill of health from what I got from the oasis report and the previous owner. I would like to change this out and do some other mods to it that some say should be done on these engines but just don't know enough about the diesels at this time to attempt it.

 

[Yooper75]

Diesels are pretty easy when you think about them. I how ever will not even attempt head studs on one of these truck because you have to take the cab and front clip off to do them. Red 6-0 no has some pics in his gallery of when he had his done.