6.0L Power Stroke History
7.3L Power Stroke Falls Short
The 6.0L Power Stroke was created as a result of stricter federal emission regulations and performance limitations of the 7.3L Power Stroke. The 7.3L Power Stroke simply could not meet these new emissions requirements and stay competitive in the market. The 6.0L Power Stroke met both of these requirements. The performance and fuel economy exceeded that of the 7.3L, and the engine met all emissions requirements. Therefore, the 7.3L was phased out during 2003, and the only engine offered in 2004 was the 6.0L (both the 7.3L and 6.0L were available in 2003).
6.0L Power Stroke is Rushed into Production
Production of the 6.0L Power Stroke was rushed. Ford was pressuring International to provide new engines for their trucks. The first production engines were found to have kinks in the software, which was causing problems with the injection systems. As a result, many ambulances and emergency vehicles were proven unreliable when duty called, and huge lawsuits against Ford Motor Company were filed. Ford addressed the problems accordingly and took care of their loyal customers. One of the major problems with the early 6.0L Power Stroke was that the Ford technicians were ill prepared/trained to work on the brand new engine. As a result, many owners were forced to make multiple trips to the service department, simply because the problems they were having were not being addressed and repaired properly.
What went wrong with the 6.0L
After the initial kinks were worked out of the engine, owners enjoyed the more of the reliability that they purchased. Most of the problems that 6.0L Power Stroke owners experience are caused by the poorly designed emissions equipment; specifically, the exhaust gas recirculation system. The EGR system causes the 6.0L to run hotter than ideal, which can result in the premature failure of many engine components. Furthermore, when the system becomes clogged, which occurs naturally through the emission of particulate matter in the diesel, serious failures can occur (this includes the common head gasket failure of 6.0L Power Strokes).
The Missing Link
International has always produced a solid diesel engine. So what went wrong with the 6.0L Power Stroke? Interestingly enough, International technicans rarely report any problems with the International VT 365 - which is essentially a 6.0L Power Stroke with different tuning and no emissions equipment. International's VT 365 is a very popular engine for medium duty applications, such as moving vans, tow trucks, and school buses. The engines have proven much more reliable than the 6.0L Power Stroke; but why? Medium duty trucks fall in a different tier of the emissions standards. Therefore, the extensive emissions system on the 6.0L Power Stroke is not required on the VT 365 for most applications, meaning the VT 365 does not suffer from most of the problems that the 6.0L Power Stroke has.
Lawsuits and Lemon Laws
Though International redeemed themselves with the production of the 6.4L Power Stroke (which has proven a solid, reliable engine), lawsuits between Ford Motor Company and Navistar (International) over who would pay for the 6.0L warranty claims ultimately forced them to go their seperate ways. Many 6.0L Power Strokes were also returned to Ford and traded under lemon laws. Part of the lemon law clause states that automakers are allowed to attempt to repair a problem x times before it is considered a lemon (the number of attempts varies by state). Ill informed technicians had difficulty diagnosing and repairing the 6.0L during the early years, and as a result many of the trucks were deemed lemons. Ford Motor Company now manufactures their own Power Stroke diesel engine, 100% in house.
Closing Notes
Regardless of the reputation that the 6.0L Power Stroke has earned, which is largely glorified, the engine is far from a failure. Properly maintained, the 6.0L is a solid, reliable workhorse. There are thousands of fleets, from big to small, around the United States that prove this claim. Additionally, the aftermarket has introduced upgrades for the 6.0L that address reliability concerns and make the 6.0L bulletproof.