Ford 6.7...thoughts and experiences

We recently traded in a 99 F250 SRW SC V10 with 4.3 RAR for a 2011 F350 DRW CC 6.7L Diesel Lariat and we have been very pleased. We put 500 miles on it before towing and on one day trip, we got 18mpg. Pretty **** good I think for a diesel and DRW. When we first towed with it, it was amazing - really felt like it wasn't back there and the power is unbelievable. Our best towing mpg has been 12 but has registered as low as 11. Considering that with our V10 we were getting anywhere from 7 - 9, this is pretty good. We have the black leather interior and really like it. Heated and cooled seats - how cool is that? We also have the moon/sun roof, electric rear window that's heated and the heated electric side mirrors. On our first trip, we went to Yellowstone and encountered several steep grades on the way. The tow/haul mode was niiiiiiice to have - not a true exhaust brake but works pretty good. Our truck has all the latest flash updates and we experience a very slight shudder, hardly noticeable when first pulling out but that's it. This truck is a dream tow machine, worth every penny of the good deal we got. What's nice is that it came equipped to tow a fifth wheel with the underbed supports and built in trailer connection. Since we have a Hensley Trailersaver BD3 hitch, all we had to do was buy the in bed adaptor from Hensley, so when we put our trailer away for the winter and take out the hitch, we have a flat bed.

Did you really look at the center console and all the 12volt connectors in this truck? For us it's a super nice feature. We travel with a GPS, phones, walkie talkie's and PDA. Plenty of connections for all of this. Oh and what about the 110 connection on the back of the console? I forgot to charge our walkie talkies so on the way home, I set the base in the bottom of the large console, ran the cord through the cord slot near the passenger side seat, around the side and plugged it in on the back. By the time we got home they were charged and ready to use. And the SYNC - really like that feature. We regularly make calls going down the road thought he truck radio. What a nice feature. Not perfect when you are using the Services option, but still nice. DH likes to check on sports scores, weather, and stocks all through the sink. Passengers in the back, or the fur kids, have an AC vent and that's nice. We test drove a Chevy Silverado before buying the SD and it didn't have this. Plus, the Silverado does not come with the side step or in bed ready setup for a fifth wheel. Anyway, we are glad we made our SD purchase.

We use ours for many things as we like to drive it. The auto/manual hubs combined with the electronic rear end makes snow and mud a breeze. Nice to turn/pull a couple of controls and go through bad/muddy or slick roads. We like every thing Renee pointed out as well.

lwmcguir said:

We use ours for many things as we like to drive it. The auto/manual hubs combined with the electronic rear end makes snow and mud a breeze. Nice to turn/pull a couple of controls and go through bad/muddy or slick roads. We like every thing Renee pointed out as well.

Click to expand...

You're right about the 4 wheel drive capability at the turn of a dial - it's nice to do this from inside the cab. Every time someone brings something up I didn't think of, I'm reminded of the many great features of this truck.

lwmcguir said:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tlfz8LAM1xs

We have pretty good luck with ours hauling cattle on the back roads. However to your point it does work better on long grades.

Click to expand...

I am aware of this video and even though Mike R calls it an exhaust brake his description is not an EB.
Taking exhaust gases and dumping them into the intake to retard the power is more mike a diesel version of EGR

porthole said:

more mike a diesel version of EGR

Click to expand...

Diesels already have an EGR. Sounds like Ford is just promoting it differently. Not sure about the 6.7L but the 6.4L had variable fin technology on the turbo, to act like an exhaust brake.

Oh how getting out and locking the hubs for my dad used to get old, but was kind of cool back then cause I thought I was contributing something. Or when you saw someone getting out and walking to the front wheels they were about to do business.

Now we're all spoiled with our fancy 4WD knobs from the comfort of A/C seats.

on another note, us Dually guys don't have an e-locker.

Bighurt said:

Diesels already have an EGR. Sounds like Ford is just promoting it differently. Not sure about the 6.7L but the 6.4L had variable fin technology on the turbo, to act like an exhaust brake.

Click to expand...

It is definitely an exhaust brake in the way it works.

The custom-tailored, Honeywell variable-nozzle turbo sits smack dab in the middle of the vee, right on top of the iron block and between the aluminum heads. The exhaust manifolds spring from the inward faces of the heads in close proximity, and each bank sets the turbo spinning through its own nozzle. Cold inlet air gets sucked in from the front, is compressed (which produces heat), then expelled and sent to a nearby air-to-water intercooler to chill out and get dense.
And then things get weird. The compressed air then enters an intake distribution manifold that straddles the turbo like a giant tarantula. Eight runners connect to the inner faces of the valve covers, where they seemingly disappear. It takes a cutaway model to see that the valve covers themselves have secret passages cast inside them (four each) that extend the runners and direct the compressed intake air over the top of the heads to hidden outboard intake ports.

porthole said:

I am aware of this video and even though Mike R calls it an exhaust brake his description is not an EB.
Taking exhaust gases and dumping them into the intake to retard the power is more mike a diesel version of EGR

Click to expand...

The F-350 does as well as we could want downhill, as the six-speed transmission and exhaust brake make all the right moves. The Ford is the only truck here that doesn't have an exhaust brake switch on the dash — its activation is controlled exclusively by the ECU in response to conditions.

Call it whatever you want. I have been over the Big Horns (7-9%) grades with both trucks in my sig. Going down steep grades with the Ford is as stress free as it gets, going up hill isn't bad either.

codycarver said:

Call it whatever you want. I have been over the Big Horns (7-9%) grades with both trucks in my sig. Going down steep grades with the Ford is as stress free as it gets, going up hill isn't bad either.

Click to expand...

Towing over the Big Horns . . . that is impressive. We've towed over them but years ago when we had an F250 V10 towing a 27' TT. Looking forward to going back with the current set up.

DRGalligher said:

Towing over the Big Horns . . . that is impressive. We've towed over them but years ago when we had an F250 V10 towing a 27' TT. Looking forward to going back with the current set up.

Click to expand...

You'll love it. You will have the chance this June if you make it to the national rally in Gillette, a quick trip over the Big Horns and you can join us at our rally in Cody.

To those that know me here, I have been a huge supporter of the new 6.7 Ford truck. Unfortunately, this took a drastic change in the last 5 weeks. My truck, with only 34000 miles on it, died on the road. The diagnosis, after having the truck in two different dealerships, is a failed High Pressure Fuel Pump. I have been embroiled in a battle to get Ford to fix the truck. The final determination is no warranty. I used poor quality fuel. Yep...the fuel I buy at Flying J, Pilot and Speedway truck stops must be poor quality stuff. The short story is the repairs to the truck are at $9260 and climbing. I will not waste the time of the readers here with a long drawn out story. If interested, here are a couple of links to the whole nightmare:

http://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/1099978-painful-an-update.html

Drum roll please...and the loser is... - Ford Truck Enthusiasts Forums

I would not recommend anyone purchase a new 6.7 Ford. While my situation at this time can be called isolated, the facts are that this could happen to anyone. To the owners of this truck now, fuel system maintenance needs to done at severe duty intervals. The fuel separator needs to be drained often. I would suggest running the Ford Cetane/Lubricity additive in every tank of fuel. A NHSTA inquiry has been initiated. They are asking for failure information back to the 2008 model year. This inquiry is an add on to the ongoing formal investigation into Bosch HPFP failures in other brands. The pump in the Ford is the same series and design.

It saddens me to bring this news to the group. I never saw this one coming. The saddest part of the story, Deb's dad retired from Ford. He was an engineer there for 36 years. On Sunday, after a lifetime of owning Ford products, she told me that we should trade the Ford for a GM...and I agreed.

Regards

Sorry to hear this. It is disturbing and Interesting at the same time. A few questions that pop into my head are. How was it determined it was "bad fuel"?, How much fuel to cause the damage? (one tank or ten) How would we know the fuel is bad before putting it in our tanks? and if it is in fact bad fuel what would keep it from causing problems in other engines.

Seems like I have the same concerns now about these new engines as I had before I bought. When I purchased this truck I asked the service dept. about using Stanadyne and was told it couldn't hurt so I've been using it. Hope it's worth it.

The only good diesel motor ford had was 7.3 it took two of the6.0 before I realized that their better idea was about money not dependable motors over heating , injectors,blown turbos The 6.0 was not there long and I would not bet on the 6.7

Let the brand bashing begin.....again

An "exhaust brake" is in the exhaust, a butterfly valve the shuts off the exhaust - the new Ford doesn't have one. Dumping exhaust into the intake is not an exhaust brake, no matter what Mike Rowe calls it.

About the only thing I dislike about the new truck is the lack of an EB. As previously posted, the electronics controlling the mechanical's do a good job on the highways, but in hilly areas with 2 lane ups and downs and low speeds (under 40 mph limits) there is a real shortcoming with the braking.,

A user selectable exhaust brake would be a significant improvement, a Telma retarder would be a nice option too. Telma's do a great job with stopping heavy rigs, and they are "frictionless".

Using the turbo vanes to control speed can work very effectively (GM) and the Banks "speed brake" does that very well on the GM's.
We'll see if Banks ever comes out with the 6.7 version, should be an improvement. But as of now, I can't find any manufacturer posting info on either an exhaust brake or an electronic upgrade.

I am going thru the buyback/lemon route on my 2011 dodge. When this all gets corrected, I'll be looking closer at the fords. Ricatic has given me some very interesting things to look at. This makes me nervous as I don't want another problem truck. I wish Chevrolet would hurry up and come out with a newer interior design!

Brett

I have read a lot about trucks on the different forums and I don't think any brand is better then the other. Yes Dodge has the best exhaust brake, but Ford has something and Chev has a nice ride, but??? You don't know what you are getting until you actually get it because every brand has a lemon. I haven't had any major problems with my Dodge and my BIL hasn't had any with his Ford. I want to emphasize one thing though, every manufacturer will put your feet in the fire if there is any way for them to accuse you of having water in your fuel. They will abandon you so fast your head will spin off! The Ford owner is looking at $10,000 and Dodge is the same. I have two extra water/fuel separators and two 2 micron fuel filters before the fuel gets to the OEM filter. I can't afford to replace a fuel system because of water. If you are having issues with your dealer over water in fuel blowing injectors or anything it is wise to take a good size sample for yourself because you may be looking for independent analysis and a lawyer.

The upgrade for the GM Trucks is either 2013 or 2014 models. I have follow racatic's issues and I know he was a big Ford promoter, and I feel for all the issues he has went thru and is going thru and I do believe he has been treated wrong. I only buy 1 ton GM Trucks 3500HD series and just turned in a 2011 and now have the 2012 Chevy 3500HD and I do believe this is the best GM 3500HD we have owned and this is our 5th 3500HD. But like other things we have a choice and my theory is be HAPPY.. Life is to short. Happy Trails...

So how about that Tundra diesel...?