2005 Ford F-350: Root Beer Float
Six Ohhh
The 6.0L Ford Power Stroke engine has been maligned throughout much of its existence due to various shortcomings inherent in the original design. However, in some circles, the 6.0L is a revered powerplant that ranks up there with the best diesel offerings. Consider Cody Hamm from Wilmington, Ohio. His grandfather introduced him to diesel trucks at an early age, and the oil-burning fire raged inside him until he had one of his own. Cody is a loyal fan of the 6.0L Ford Power Stroke V-8 engine and Super Duty trucks, appreciating them for their great performance potential rather than the well-known issues.
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Initially, Cody wasn't certain which truck he would buy until he drove a tuned 6.0L-powered rig and was instantly hooked. Thus began his search for what he hoped would be a low-miles, fully loaded, and, most importantly, well-taken-care-of Ford truck. After about eight months of searching, he found a perfect one-owner specimen: an '05 F-350 that was completely stock and in great shape, with only 98,500 miles on the odometer.
After having the rig shipped from Albany, New York, to Ohio, he began work on a project that at times seemed to be never-ending. Cody decided to take immediate action on the 6.0L engine's weak points before problems arose.
He had the engine resealed and protected against the typical damage that begets 6.0Ls by David Ferguson at Red Diamond Diesel in Richmond, Indiana, using stock-replacement cylinder-head gaskets along with a set of ARP studs. Concerns with the failure-prone EGR system were also addressed and David installed heat-wrapped stainless steel up-pipes to feed exhaust gas into a BorgWarner S372 SX-E turbocharger.
The compressor housing, Smeding Diesel intercooler tubes, and No Limit Fabrication air-intake system are all fully polished to stand out and set Cody's truck apart from other Super Duty rigs. Exhaust gas flows uninhibited through a 5-inch MBRP straight-pipe that dumps with a 6-inch-diameter polished stainless steel tip.
Of course, in addition to airflow into and out of the engine, there are more areas to address for a 6.0L Power Stroke's increased performance and longevity. Cody and his team installed a polished coolant-filter system from PSP Diesel and aluminum Mishimoto reservoir to match the rest of the brightly shining components under the hood.
Other engine modifications include using 6.4L Power Stroke banjo bolts, a snap-to-connect fitting, and Ford's blue-spring regulator upgrade for increased pressure and better fuel delivery. Cody plans to continue improving the fuel system by installing a lift pump and tank sump as well as a high-performance high-pressure oil pump to drive a larger set of aftermarket fuel injectors.
The engine is managed by ECM calibrations by Gearhead Tuning that are loaded using SCT's X4 programmer. Cody estimates the drivetrain produces approximately 500 hp and 900 lb-ft of torque. His goal is to have a 6.0L-powered rig that makes a solid 700 to 750 hp and is a lot of fun to drive without pushing engine components to their breaking point.
The engine is linked to the stock 5R110 five-speed automatic transmission that sends power through the transfer case, driveshafts, and 3.73 gears. David is tapped to do a complete performance rebuild on the transmission to ensure it is capable of supporting the hopped-up engine.
With the engine's problem areas addressed and some pretty healthy performance enhancements in place, Cody turned his attention to his new ride's appearance. The truck looked great overall, but Cody wanted it to really stand out as special (without losing its original two-tone paint scheme). Mike Lewis in Dayton, Ohio, was commissioned to install a 2-inch cowl hood and a '16 Ford Super Duty tailgate before spraying the body with Dark Stone and Arizona Tan paint. To help make the finish really pop, Mike added the biggest metal flakes he could find to both colors.
The paintwork and attention to detail are immaculate and continue from the exterior panels into the doorjambs and trim, such as door handles, mirrors, keypad, and bumpers, making the work look as if it was completed by the factory.
Completing the slick exterior are a soft tonneau cover (to keep prying eyes out of the bed and improve fuel mileage), smoked lights in the rear and on the roof, and color-matched headlights. Cody elected to go old school for his rig's wheel-and-tire package and found a set of '03 20x12 Weld Racing Cheyenne wheels, which he wrapped in 305/50R20 Nitto NT420S tires.
Instead of lifting his truck, Cody decided to bring it down a touch. He installed Bilstein 5100-Series shocks on all four corners to tame the ride when the road gets bumpy. To level the truck, he left the front end at stock height and lowered the rear end to match by removing the stock lift block from beneath the leaf-spring pack. Cody installed Flight Fabrications traction bars in the rear to help keep the rear tires planted when he mashes the loud pedal. While stock front radius arms were in place when we originally bought the truck, Cody has since replaced that original setup with Flight Fabrications' four-link kit. The company's Super Duty rear four-link will eventually replace the leaf springs, and McIntosh Motorsports is standing by to completely strip the chassis and fill all the unused holes.
Since the F-350 is a Lariat model, it is loaded with options that include a sunroof, full steering wheel controls, and a tan interior with plush leather upholstery. Cody likes to say it's completely stock, but the truth is he also made improvements and upgrades inside the truck. The original stereo is replaced by a Boss Audio touchscreen unit with an interface module to retain the steering wheel-mounted accessory-control functionality. Audio signals from the Boss head unit are channeled to Kicker speakers installed in each door. Finally, Cody installed a triple-gauge A-pillar cover and GlowShift gauges to keep an eye on transmission temperature, boost, and exhaust gas temperature while he is blasting down the highway.
While it may never actually be a "finished" build, we can certainly say Cody's ultra-clean '05 Ford F-350 is one of the cleanest 6.0L Power Stroke-motivated trucks we have seen. Judges at some of the largest truck events in the U.S. agree, as he has earned Best Ford honors at shows such as the Scheid Diesel Extravaganza, TS Performance Outlaw Diesel Drags, All Diesel Day Valley Blackout, and XTP Diesel & Offroad's Dyno Day.
Fast Facts:
Year/Make/Model: '05 Ford F-350
Owner: Cody Hamm
Hometown: Wilmington, Ohio
Odometer: 130,000 miles
Engine: '05 6.0L Power Stroke V-8, Red Diamond Diesel 6.0L Full Performance Solution package, ARP cylinder-head studs, OEM head gaskets, PSP Diesel coolant filter
Programming: SCT X4 programmer with tuning by Gearhead tuning
Fuel: Ford 6.4L Power Stroke banjo bolts, blue-spring regulator kit, snap-to-connect fitting
Air: Polished BorgWarner S372 SX-E turbocharger, No Limit Fabrication cold-air intake
Exhaust: Heat-wrapped stainless steel up-pipes, MBRP 5-inch tubing, downward-dumped 6-inch exhaust tip
Transmission: Ford 5R110 five-speed automatic
Horsepower: 500 hp
Torque: 900 lb-ft
Tires: 305/50R20 Nitto NT420S
Wheels: 20x12 Weld Racing Cheyenne
Suspension: Bilstein 5100 Series shocks, Flight Fabrications front four-link kit; traction bars, rear blocks removed
Axles: 3.73 gears, drilled and slotted rotors, Mag Hytec rear differential cover
Body: Summit Racing steel 2-inch cowl hood; '16 Ford Super Duty tailgate; two-tone Dark Stone and Arizona Tan paint with heavy metallic flake; color-matched LED headlights, taillights, mirrors, clear side markers, and smoked cab lights
Interior: Stock tan leather upholstery; steering wheel-mounted accessory controls; A-pillar gauge pod; GlowShift stock-appearing transmission temperature, boost, and pyrometer gauges; Boss Audio touchscreen head unit; Kicker door speakers
Fun Fact: Cody grew up in a Ford-loving household, with several family members working at the automaker's plant in Sharonville, Ohio. However, after not being hired there himself, Cody proudly drives his F-350 to the facility where he has been employed for more than five years a General Motors warehouse!