If you are a hardcore diesel enthusiast, cubes rule and so does the 7.3L. The only reason Ford changed to the 6.0L was to lower the cylinder bore size, to give slightly better emissions. Ford adjusted the computer to give slightly higher HP & TQ then the 7.3L to stay competitive. Keep in mind, the higher the HP the less durable the engine becomes (over time the maintenance will catch up). If you plan to tow heavy loads and/or carry a lot of weight the 7.3L is the way to go. If you are after performance and do not plan to tow at all, or very little then the 6.0L would be the better engine to get. You can tune it to higher HP levels then if you had a 7.3L engine.
I bet that the service guy who said the diesels are hard to work on is as tall as my wife - 5'4". I can service the diesels at work without any problems..even raised up to get the tires off the ground!
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1993 Dodge Spirit 2.5L TBI, 100hp
1999 Ford Taurus 2V 3.0L, 145hp
2000 Dodge Durango 360, approx. 285hp @ crank
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