Bug out van for sale

[MarkItZero]

Found on a Craigslist hunt for diesels

https://phoenix.craigslist.org/wvl/cto/d/phoenix-bug-out-armored-vehicle-diesel/7498396728.html

 

[Drmark]

It has the infamous 6.0 liter.

 

[Suck My Glock]

That van has been on there for a few months. Nothing wrong with it,...but who has the money now?

Yes, the 6.0 Powerstroke earned a bad reputation, but the root cause was Ford trying to hot rod it beyond its more natural capabilities,...and then the buyers (young men never satisfied with anything stock) amped them up even more, stressing components while never really practicing proper maintenance schedules.

The vans, however, never experienced the famous issues the trucks did. And the reason is that Ford de-tuned the Powerstrokes they put in the vans. Why? Because with so much less engine bay room in the vans, it was difficult to get good air flow. And heat is the number one killer of diesel engines. And diesels generate more heat than gas motors. So by keeping the 6.0 Powerstroke van motor at only 235 HP and 440 ft.lbs. torque, instead of the 325hp/560tq in the trucks, that version of the 6.0 was operating right where it should have been all the time anyway, and didn't suffer the heat-related hot rodding issues they were famous for in the trucks. Combine that with proper maintenance, and there is absoltely nothing wrong or unreliable about a 6.0 Powerstroke van. And with this one having only 36,000 miles on it,...pffft,...it ain't even broken in yet.

I'd be more worried about the transmission. Did they beef it up for hauling all that armored weight?

 

[XJThrottle]

They weren't detuned because of space or heat rejection. It's common practice for auto manufactures to run lower HP numbers in commercial vehicles for longevity's sake. They all do it.

If you were to go buy a 2022 F550 today, the engine is lower HP than the King Ranch F250 you buy...well, if you could find either on a lot. It's not simply the tune, the components on the engines are physically different. If you try to tune to the same HP numbers in the 550 as the 250 you will grenade the turbo in short order.

When GM was putting the Duramax in the vans it came with the 4l80 instead of the Allison like the trucks.

 

[rockbronco]

Nice a couple guys that truly understand the 6.0 issues was not due to a crap product but rather other customer induced issues or poor technician repair practices. Im surprised there are not ten other comments saying if its not "bulletproofed" its junk lol

 

[Suck My Glock]

Nice a couple guys that truly understand the 6.0 issues was not due to a crap product but rather other customer induced issues or poor technician repair practices. Im surprised there are not ten other comments saying if its not "bulletproofed" its junk lol

When I decided I wanted a diesel van, I researched the hell out of them. The Fords are much more common, although the Chevys have the better reputation but are more uncommon.

I was fully prepared back when I was shopping for one to go ahead and settle for a 6.0 Ford, provided it was in proper order. I was likely to spend less getting a Ford specifically because of the 6.0's reputation as being junk. I didn't expect to be able to find a Chevy Duramax van within my budget, lo and behold, I just happened upon one just before I was about to pull the trigger on a Ford, so I got the Duramax instead. And yes, I've been very happy with it, although it hasn't been entirely trouble free. Just had to replace the driver's side front wheel bearing assembly this past week. But at over 270,000 miles, that ain't bad for factory original components. My biggest complaint is that Chevy apparently used crappy electrical connectors in 2006, because I've had many electrical gremlins in the last 4 years; all of them tracing back to substandard plastic quality in the connectors in the wiring harness. But the original motor and trans are still singing along just fine.

 

[rockbronco]

The biggest issues I saw with the vans with the 6.0 was heat soak and extended idle issues. I worked on alot of ambulances and they where the worst since they literally never got shut off during a shift then most of the time slip seated to the next shift. Lots of oil leaks, injector and turbo issues from being forced to sit and idle. Wire harnesses where dry as a bone too. I hated pulling one of those tickets. Ambos where such a pita to work on compared to a van. The vans sucked too but not near as bad as the ambos with all the interior upfit equipment.

Anything else did not have near the issues that the ambos did

Your right about the 2006 era duramax. We had several kodiaks in our fleet too and they all had electrical issues from chaffed wiring or busted connectors. Good luck working on it as everything crumbed in your hands. Besides that and a handful of injector and pump issues they where decent too just too bad the rest of the vehicle sucked and parts where expensive as hell. I think they missed the boat on what they where trying to do with the kodiak. The Ford and dodges where so much better in the 450-550 truck cab/frame form.

 

[XJThrottle]

What GM is doing with the current 4500/5500 isn't a whole lot better.

We build a pretty wild machine off of the F550. It has "permanently mounted" front implements. The tilt nose kills the GM for us.

I would love to have a crewcab 4x4 Kodak though..

 

[kenpoprofessor]

The biggest issues I saw with the vans with the 6.0 was heat soak and extended idle issues. I worked on alot of ambulances and they where the worst since they literally never got shut off during a shift then most of the time slip seated to the next shift. Lots of oil leaks, injector and turbo issues from being forced to sit and idle. Wire harnesses where dry as a bone too. I hated pulling one of those tickets. Ambos where such a pita to work on compared to a van. The vans sucked too but not near as bad as the ambos with all the interior upfit equipment.

Anything else did not have near the issues that the ambos did

Your right about the 2006 era duramax. We had several kodiaks in our fleet too and they all had electrical issues from chaffed wiring or busted connectors. Good luck working on it as everything crumbed in your hands. Besides that and a handful of injector and pump issues they where decent too just too bad the rest of the vehicle sucked and parts where expensive as hell. I think they missed the boat on what they where trying to do with the kodiak. The Ford and dodges where so much better in the 450-550 truck cab/frame form.

Me being me:

Where- a place

Were- past tense verb.

Have a great, gun carryin', Kenpo day

Clyde

 

[rockbronco]

What GM is doing with the current 4500/5500 isn't a whole lot better.

We build a pretty wild machine off of the F550. It has "permanently mounted" front implements. The tilt nose kills the GM for us.

I would love to have a crewcab 4x4 Kodak though..

Your right....GM should have let that horse stay dead. Not sure what they are thinking for that line of trucks. I kick the GM guy out of our shop every time they come around trying to sell use that new 4500/5500 chassis.

 

[rockbronco]

The biggest issues I saw with the vans with the 6.0 was heat soak and extended idle issues. I worked on alot of ambulances and they where the worst since they literally never got shut off during a shift then most of the time slip seated to the next shift. Lots of oil leaks, injector and turbo issues from being forced to sit and idle. Wire harnesses where dry as a bone too. I hated pulling one of those tickets. Ambos where such a pita to work on compared to a van. The vans sucked too but not near as bad as the ambos with all the interior upfit equipment.

Anything else did not have near the issues that the ambos did

Your right about the 2006 era duramax. We had several kodiaks in our fleet too and they all had electrical issues from chaffed wiring or busted connectors. Good luck working on it as everything crumbed in your hands. Besides that and a handful of injector and pump issues they where decent too just too bad the rest of the vehicle sucked and parts where expensive as hell. I think they missed the boat on what they where trying to do with the kodiak. The Ford and dodges where so much better in the 450-550 truck cab/frame form.

Me being me:

Where- a place

Were- past tense verb.

Have a great, gun carryin', Kenpo day

Clyde

Yeah well Im just a dirty mechanic. Reading, writing and typing is not my strongest trait :lol:

 

[kenpoprofessor]

Yeah well Im just a dirty mechanic. Reading, writing and typing is not my strongest trait :lol:

I'm just a well paid ditch digger. Nothing to do with profession, I just had a hard time understanding your post.


Have a great, gun carryin', Kenpo day

Clyde

 

[Tenring]

Add says "bullet-proof baseball caps".....how does that work?

 

[XJThrottle]

Add says "bullet-proof baseball caps".....how does that work?

Look at the pics. Probably have Kevlar or some plate material in the front.

 

[Crippledtrigger]

Build bridges dont dig ditches.