6.0 and 6.4 Powerstroke Cylinder Heads: Why They Fail and How to Pick the Right Set
Head gaskets are the failure everybody knows about on the 6.0 and 6.4 Powerstroke. Coolant in the oil, a pressurized degas bottle, white smoke, overheating on a grade with a trailer. When it happens, the heads have to come off, and you have two decisions to make: what heads go back on, and whether to O ring them.
We build heads for these engines every week at Tru Cylinder Head and Machine, so here is how we walk customers through it.
Why the 6.0 and 6.4 Lift Heads
Both engines run high cylinder pressure on a head that is held down by bolts that stretch. Add a tune, a heavy trailer or more boost and the head lifts just enough for combustion to get past the gasket. On the 6.0 it is usually made worse by a plugged oil cooler that starves the EGR cooler, which then fails and overheats the engine. On the 6.4, turning the fuel up is often all it takes.
That matters because new heads alone do not fix the problem. If the engine is not studded and the cause of the overheat is not fixed, the next set of heads lifts too.
The Fix That Lasts
- Head studs. ARP studs clamp harder and do not stretch like the factory bolts.
- Fix the cooling side. On the 6.0 that means the oil cooler and EGR cooler. On either engine, find out why it overheated before you put it back together.
- Heads built better than the ones that failed. That is where we come in.
What Makes Our Heads Different
Our 6.0 heads and 6.4 heads are brand new castings that have never been in an engine or heat cycled. We install new guides, seats and seals, upgraded valve springs, do a complete valve job, pressure test, surface them flat and finish them in heat resistant paint. There is no core to send back and no core charge.
Most heads sold online are machined by a contract shop and sold under somebody else's name. Ours are cut in our own building, on our own equipment, by our own people. Call and ask us what specs we hold.
What they cost
- Standard: $1,000 per head, $2,000 for the pair
- O ringed: $1,150 per head, $2,300 for the pair
Shops and fleets with a wholesale account get 11% off. Call us to set one up.
O Ringed vs Standard
O ringing means we machine a receiver groove into the deck and set stainless wire in it. When the head is torqued down, the wire bites into the gasket and concentrates clamping force right around each cylinder. It is the single best thing you can do to stop a head gasket from lifting again.
Pick O ringed if the truck:
- Runs a tune of any kind
- Tows a gooseneck, hotshot load or anything heavy
- Has bigger injectors, a turbo upgrade or makes extra boost
- Sees the strip or sled pulls
Standard is fine if the truck is stock, stays stock, and mostly drives empty.
Always Do Them in Pairs
If one head let go, the other one went through the exact same heat cycles. Replacing one and reusing the other is how people end up pulling the cab twice. We strongly recommend doing both.
Common Questions
Are your heads new or remanufactured?
New. They have never been installed in an engine. We machine and assemble them in our own shop.
18mm or 20mm dowels on the 6.0?
Early 6.0 engines use 18mm dowels and later ones use 20mm. We build heads for both. If you are not sure which you have, call with your VIN.
Do I need to send a core?
No. No core charge and nothing to send back.
Will new heads fix my head gasket problem?
Only if you stud the engine and fix what caused the overheat. Call us before you buy and we will talk through what you are actually chasing.
Can you deliver to my shop?
In East Tennessee, yes. Our courier runs from Knoxville to Greeneville. Everyone else, heads ship nationwide with freight quoted per order.
Questions? Call Tru at 865.548.8520 or Powerhouse at 865.640.2097.