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Old 07-31-2018, 10:16 AM   #1
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New tow vehicle diesel question.

Well I got rid of my silverado 1500 and traded it for an 05 excursion 6.0 diesel. Never owned a diesel powered vehicle personally. Is there a difference in fuel like gasoline or is it just all the same.
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Old 07-31-2018, 10:20 AM   #2
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Some fuel has more Bio Diesel than others. Your truck being older I would stick with lower amounts like 5%. The 6.0 had issues with heads and may have been bullet proofed with new bolts. Keep oil clean and topped up and fuel filter replaced.
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Old 07-31-2018, 10:33 AM   #3
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As touched on by B and B above, the 6.0 is known to be a problematic engine needing expensive repairs due to head/head gasket problems caused by clogged EGR and oil coolers. If it hasn't been properly "bulletproofed" then I would definitely do some research on getting that done. The cost of bulletproofing isn't cheap but it's cheaper than what it would cost to repair and bulletproof the engine afterwards.
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Old 07-31-2018, 10:53 AM   #4
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I have a 2003 excursion with a 6.0 desiel,i could go on andon about the motor,but it too lengthy to do here,if would e-mail me through this forum and send me your phone number I would be happy to explain what I did,bottom line is it is a good motor,when repaired properly,went on triplast summer to Alaska and back-12500 miles with no problems
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Old 07-31-2018, 11:16 AM   #5
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Always buy your diesel at places that sell a lot of it. That way, you'll have a greater chance that you will avoid bad fuel issues.
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Old 07-31-2018, 01:21 PM   #6
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Diesel vehicle

As said above, try to use busy stations and from my experience, change the fuel filter religiously based on the manfu. recommendations for timing. You will LOVE the power!
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Old 07-31-2018, 01:57 PM   #7
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Always buy your diesel at places that sell a lot of it. That way, you'll have a greater chance that you will avoid bad fuel issues.
Agreed I got some garbage in west Yellostone last year it was a problem.
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Old 07-31-2018, 02:13 PM   #8
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6.0's. Depends on what year you buy it. Has it been chipped if so it is a bomb waiting to explode. Does it have gauges installed. another time bomb if not. Changed oil on time. In trouble again. Changed coolant as prescribed. If not trouble is around the corner. Has additive been added to each fuel tank. Could be a problem later. 6.0 just depends on previous owner. One individual out here had over 200000 miles on it before needed a new engine. A few of my thoughts.
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Old 07-31-2018, 02:29 PM   #9
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6.0's. Depends on what year you buy it. Has it been chipped if so it is a bomb waiting to explode. Does it have gauges installed. another time bomb if not. Changed oil on time. In trouble again. Changed coolant as prescribed. If not trouble is around the corner. Has additive been added to each fuel tank. Could be a problem later. 6.0 just depends on previous owner. One individual out here had over 200000 miles on it before needed a new engine. A few of my thoughts.
All good points to consider. As a new 6.0 Powerstroke owner myself, I love these threads and learn a lot from them.
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Old 07-31-2018, 02:45 PM   #10
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There is only one diesel fuel available. It is ultra low sulfur diesel (ULSD). Depending on what part of the country you live in you will get varying amounts of bio diesel mixed in. Between 5% and 20%. Some parts of the country have 0% bio mixed in. You don't have a choice in the cetane number like you have with gasoline where you can pick between 3 or 4 octane numbers.
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Old 07-31-2018, 03:01 PM   #11
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2 Diesels

There are two diesel fuels for sale. One is the ultra low sulfur version, which is legal for you to use. The other is “off road” diesel; commonly used in older farm vehicles, and most illegal for you to use. Off road diesel does not have all the taxes on it that ultra low sulfur has. In southeast PA, it can be had for about &2.00/gallon (give or take).
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Old 07-31-2018, 03:05 PM   #12
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On the 6.0, keep an eye on oil temp and water temp. Make sure there is no more than 15-20 degree difference between the two, if so, that is a tell tale sign of a clogged EGR which then leads to head gasket issues. that one thing can head off any big problems.
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Old 07-31-2018, 03:08 PM   #13
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There are two diesel fuels for sale. One is the ultra low sulfur version, which is legal for you to use. The other is “off road” diesel; commonly used in older farm vehicles, and most illegal for you to use. Off road diesel does not have all the taxes on it that ultra low sulfur has. In southeast PA, it can be had for about &2.00/gallon (give or take).
They are all ULSD now (unless someone has some really old diesel stored in a tank), the only difference is the non-taxed/off-road diesel has red dye that is visible if you get pulled over and they dip your tank.
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Old 07-31-2018, 03:50 PM   #14
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6.0 diesel

Just purchased a 2006 F250 Super Duty 6.0 diesel. Needed it to pull my new 5th wheel.
I was going to buy a 2017 but my son told me about a place in GA that rebuilds and bullet proofs the 05,06,& 07's.

Called them (powerstrokehelp.com) and purchased the 06.

What a truck! They gave me a list of maint items and times, and the additive to add to the fuel & oil. Have run over 15K miles pulling the camper with NO problems. I expect another 3-400,000 miles before I need any major service.

After the sale they are there and stand behind their work 100%

As you can tell I am very happy with their work.
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Old 07-31-2018, 04:06 PM   #15
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They are all ULSD now (unless someone has some really old diesel stored in a tank), the only difference is the non-taxed/off-road diesel has red dye that is visible if you get pulled over and they dip your tank.


The refinery adds color to all fuels, its one way to tell when to make the cut when the fuel is being pumped through the pipelines. In North Carolina if DOT would just happen to check your tank and find red dye, it’s a big tax. I don’t know of anyone that’s ever been checked but it could happen. I guess it’s the threat that keeps everyone honest
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Old 07-31-2018, 04:38 PM   #16
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Some years ago a co-worker bought a used Ford F-250 diesel, a 1996 or so. This area is a large farm area with plenty of fuel station that have pumps for both "on road" and "off road" diesel. He noticed how much cheaper the off road diesel was and pumped his tank full of it. That truck did not run worth a shoot after that. He complained of it being hard to start, not having much power going down the road driving to work and home, and just running bad. He took it a local Ford big truck sales/service place to have it checked out and one of the first questions they asked was "Have you put any farm diesel in the tank?" His answer of yes did it, they would not work on the truck until he took it somewhere, had the diesel pumped out, the tank cleaned and on road diesel put back in it. Lesson learned and he sold the diesel truck for a gas one.
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Old 07-31-2018, 04:42 PM   #17
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Some years ago a co-worker bought a used Ford F-250 diesel, a 1996 or so. This area is a large farm area with plenty of fuel station that have pumps for both "on road" and "off road" diesel. He noticed how much cheaper the off road diesel was and pumped his tank full of it. That truck did not run worth a shoot after that. He complained of it being hard to start, not having much power going down the road driving to work and home, and just running bad. He took it a local Ford big truck sales/service place to have it checked out and one of the first questions they asked was "Have you put any farm diesel in the tank?" His answer of yes did it, they would not work on the truck until he took it somewhere, had the diesel pumped out, the tank cleaned and on road diesel put back in it. Lesson learned and he sold the diesel truck for a gas one.
Guess it depends on what the lesson was. He probably didn't understand how to maintain a diesel, put old diesel in that was full of algae, plugged his filters, and had no idea what was wrong.

The lesson isn't that off-road diesel is bad for the engine. The lesson is to only use fresh diesel and know how to maintain the vehicle.

Using off-road/non-taxed diesel is potentially bad for your wallet for multiple reasons depending on what goes "wrong."
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Old 07-31-2018, 05:06 PM   #18
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I own a 2005 6.0. Do yourself a favor and get it bulletproofed. Besides the guy in Georgia, his website is very informative and entertaining, seek out Bullet Proof.com located in Mesa AZ or Hoven’s in Bakersfield. You won’t have any issues if you do this. Also obtain a pyrometer/trans temp gauge and Mag-Hytec deep pan and use it when towing. It is critical to follow maintenance schedules religiously with Motorcraft filters, you will be sorry if you try to save a few dollars. I have 80k miles on mine exclusively towing including the Grapevine, Siskyous and the pass east of Laughlin, NV. Only time I broke down was my fault, wheel bearing dry due to sun baking. Enjoy your new ride.

PS I use Shell Rotella T5 synthetic blend oil and Hot Shot secret for help with injector stiction and it runs a lot quieter. Other brands on the market, too. Just like tire brand I don’t want to start a war of brand preference. It works for me..
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Old 07-31-2018, 07:05 PM   #19
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You're 1000% correct about the filters. Watch a youtube video comparing Fram to anything else. Frams are priced right, but I'll never risk my (very expensive) diesel to one of those again...

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I own a 2005 6.0. Do yourself a favor and get it bulletproofed. Besides the guy in Georgia, his website is very informative and entertaining, seek out Bullet Proof.com located in Mesa AZ or Hoven’s in Bakersfield. You won’t have any issues if you do this. Also obtain a pyrometer/trans temp gauge and Mag-Hytec deep pan and use it when towing. It is critical to follow maintenance schedules religiously with Motorcraft filters, you will be sorry if you try to save a few dollars. I have 80k miles on mine exclusively towing including the Grapevine, Siskyous and the pass east of Laughlin, NV. Only time I broke down was my fault, wheel bearing dry due to sun baking. Enjoy your new ride.

PS I use Shell Rotella T5 synthetic blend oil and Hot Shot secret for help with injector stiction and it runs a lot quieter. Other brands on the market, too. Just like tire brand I don’t want to start a war of brand preference. It works for me..
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Old 07-31-2018, 07:34 PM   #20
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There are two diesel fuels for sale. One is the ultra low sulfur version, which is legal for you to use. The other is “off road” diesel; commonly used in older farm vehicles, and most illegal for you to use. Off road diesel does not have all the taxes on it that ultra low sulfur has. In southeast PA, it can be had for about &2.00/gallon (give or take).
As I said above there is only one diesel fuel available. Off road diesel is just dyed and less taxes. It is still ULSD. ULSD is the only diesel fuel available at a "normal" gas station. The off road diesel is available in farming communities for the farmers and construction equipment. This not something an RV'er would come across in his travels.
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