6.0 gasser

charlie n · Aug 8, 2015

Who's got one. Good,bad,ugly?????

Farmall43 · Aug 8, 2015

Do you mean the chevy 6.0? If so I have one and it is horrible on gas but will pull just about anything you want to put behind it.

Grampy · Aug 8, 2015

Will 2nd that comment by Farmall43. Good tugger, loves fuel.

Funtwohunt · Aug 8, 2015

I ran one in a 2012 1 ton GMC 4x4 flat bed work truck 4:10s. 160,000 miles did what I asked of it. My everyday weight was 11,000# sometimes more when I pulled a goose neck trailer with 15,000# of grain totes, Etc. Only thing I had done was at 70,000 miles and under warranty they repalced the cam and lifters. Some had a bad batch I guess. Everyday farm driving pulling fert. into pivots etc. 6 to 10 MPG. on highway at 60 with cruise on 12 or so. Not too bad for an 11,000# load all the time. We have four other GMC with the 6.0 2012 - 2013. Seem to do what is asked of them. Just switched to a Ford 2015 F350 with the 6.2 and 4:30 rear end. Will see how that works. Good Luck.

OliverGuy · Aug 8, 2015

It's ok, I run several, no low end torque and they love gas. Now the good part, really no repair issues. I plow snow or run them on a 22' cargo
every day. I poo poo'd them in the beginning, but they have proven me wrong. My favorite gasser? Still the 8.1. What a horse.

Farmaller · Aug 8, 2015

Have had a 02 since new, it's pulled things that it probably shouldn't have. still doesn't use any oil, the only thing I will say is that the truck has held up extremely well, except for the brakes.

JBDyer · Aug 8, 2015

I agree with oliverguy, I got a 2004 1 ton with 150,000 miles. Very reliable but underpowered in my book. I think ive spent far more money on keeping my 5 spd transmission and clutches in it than on the engine. I wanted a 8.1 after running three 454's but couldn't find one. Overall I am pleased with the truck, but will go with the diesel next time. JBD

4play · Aug 8, 2015

I don't know why the 6.0 has a bad reputation on fuel mileage, they are no worse than any other their competitors. They are good engines with decent power. I should say they are the most reliable, easiest and cheapest to work on, at least compared to the Hemi and 5.4 3V.

JD Seller · Aug 8, 2015

Well my son has one and it runs fine an pulls fair but not great. My first gen Cummins will still dust his butt on along hill pulling a trailer. The good is it has been trouble free. The bad is fuel mileage. His gets 12-13 running empty and babying it. Hot rod it and you will get 8-10 EMPTY. Hook it to my flat trailer that makes the combined vehicle weight be 14K empty and load a JD 4020 on it and look to get 5-6 miles per gallon. I am not joking. You can drive it 55-65 miles per hour it runs great but I can drive a full blown semi and get better mileage. He borrowed my bumper hitch car trailer and went an picked up a car in Des Moines. That was a 320 mile round trip. He filled up when he left, when he got there and when he got back. Total was 45 gallons of gas for 7 MPG.

It is a real nice riding and driving truck. You just can't afford to drive the fuel hog.

OliverGuy · Aug 8, 2015

I have one 454 vortec, I like it. Then we have three 8.1's in one ton 12' dumps. They are an 01, 03 and 05 and have been completely loaded to hilt about everyday of their life from new. No complaints from me. Funny thing here at least, about all these get the same mileage when loaded. So give me an 8.1, why not. Especially with an Alison.

Lazy WP · Aug 8, 2015

The ranch owns a 2008 with a 6 liter in it. Also have a 91 Dodge with a Cummins in it. They Chevy will out pull that Dodge any day
of the week. I get about 15 mpg bouncing through the hills, about 17 down the highway, and pulling about 8 MPG. My personal puller
is a 2012 Dodge 3500, and on a good day empty, babying it, I can get 13mpg. Mine will out pull anything the ranch owns, but gets
the poorest mileage out of all of them.
I would buy a 6.0 Chevy over another 2012 Dodge Cummins in a heartbeat!!!!

Ultradog MN · Aug 8, 2015

I've had 2 of them. Both bought new. Kept the oil changed and ran them 150K miles. Never had to fix anything on them. Nada.
My 06 is pushing 160K and doesn't burn any oil.
I think they pull well. As well as a fancy diesel? Probably not. They are not underpowered by any means. But then I don't need to hammer my equipment just to prove something to someone either.
Empty on the highway I get about 14. Empty means I only have my normal 1500 lbs of tools in 3 boxes - nothing else.
I've pulled my 11K trailer a Lot of miles pretty heavy. I've never climbed Pikes Peak fully loaded. Maybe if I ever do I will find out at that it's underpowered. Maybe someone similarly loaded will beat me to the top by 10 minutes.
I probably wont lose much sleep over that.
I will buy another one.

Jason the Red · Aug 8, 2015

Have 2.... one is 2015 3/4 ton. It pulls an 18' trailer averaging 6k lb. loads easily with the 6 speed transmission being the only problem
(seems to shift too soon even in tow/haul and has 4:10 gears). Second is the wife's '06 GTO. 400+ horsepower Corvette drivetrain runs
great never had a problem.

Lyndon - AB · Aug 8, 2015

2011 GMC 3500HD with 4:10 gears and 6 speed auto. Will pull anything I put behind it, but it does like its fuel. I get around 16-17 imperial mpg empty, around 8 with my trailer loaded. But it's a triple axle Precision gooseneck usually loaded with 10-14k pounds. You don't accelerate loaded like a diesel will, but it pulls pretty comfortably. And revving when pulling won't hurt them. Just over 90k kilometers on my truck now, and not a lick of trouble with the powertrain. Would I buy another 6.0L chev? In a heartbeat.

centralilbaler · Aug 9, 2015

i've had 2 of them and i agree with Farmall43. They'll pull anything as long as thier isn't a gas station along the path. They do love stopping for gas. 1st one was in a GMC 2500 HD and usually got about 13 mpg by itself and pulling my gooseneck i avg'd around 7 mpg. 2nd one is in a new GMC 2500 HD, getting out 13 mpg by itself and around 8 pulling my trailer.

rustyfarmall · Aug 9, 2015

(quoted from post at 17:10:10 08/08/15) I ran one in a 2012 1 ton GMC 4x4 flat bed work truck 4:10s. 160,000 miles did what I asked of it. My everyday weight was 11,000# sometimes more when I pulled a goose neck trailer with 15,000# of grain totes, Etc. Only thing I had done was at 70,000 miles and under warranty they repalced the cam and lifters. Some had a bad batch I guess. Everyday farm driving pulling fert. into pivots etc. 6 to 10 MPG. on highway at 60 with cruise on 12 or so. Not too bad for an 11,000# load all the time. We have four other GMC with the 6.0 2012 - 2013. Seem to do what is asked of them. Just switched to a Ford 2015 F350 with the 6.2 and 4:30 rear end. Will see how that works. Good Luck.

The key word here being "4.10s". You could take that same truck, put a 4.3 engine in it, and get the same fuel mileage. You could go the other way and drop in an 8.1, and the fuel mileage would still be the same.

supermpuller · Aug 9, 2015

I have a 2002 Chevy HD with 8.1 allison tranny, 3:73 gears, brother has a 3/4 ton 6.0, big jump to the 8.1 in pulling trailer, MPH the same.

sammydwm · Aug 9, 2015

Had an 03 2500HD with the 6.0 in it.
Nice truck, would pull a lot, but even empty I was lucky to get 13 mpg.

buickanddeere · Aug 9, 2015

Bullet proof but the DI 5.3 is better. It wasn't that long ago that diesels did not make 300HP but everybody thought that was lots of power.
Depends on driving . On trips at 65mph it will do 15-17mpg. Knocking around in the winter time a few miles at a time . About 13mpg.
Considering the cost of just injectors for a Duramax. I'm happy with the gasser. It will tow 10,000lbs anywhere and keep up with traffic . We did program the transmission shift points as the factory settings hunted in a most annoying way.

Scott 730 · Aug 9, 2015

(quoted from post at 17:17:42 08/09/15)

Depends on driving . On trips at 65mph it will do 15-17mpg.

We did program the transmission shift points as the factory settings hunted in a most annoying way.

I am looking for an older truck and am torn between getting a 6.0 or 8.1. Some say the 8.1 won't be much worse on mileage, especially when towing.

BD, do you know what gears you have to get that fuel mileage?
Was the trans program done by a dealer or what??

buickanddeere · Aug 10, 2015

Rear gear ratio's are over rated. No matter if the rear gears are 3:08 to 1 or 4:56 to 1. That doesn't change the flywheel HP, nor does it change HP to the ground.
Any decent speed shop programmer can be used to set the shift mph and WOT rpm shift points.

6.0 gasser

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