VT365 PowerStroke 6.0

I did a quick search on VT365 and it seems not much is available.
Does anyone have a navistar VT365? If so what have your experiences been please? I have a 03 ford f550 with a 6.0 and After some DCM flashes and new injectors new EGR, once I figured out the nuances of this engine and not to mess with oil change / factory filter specs and keeping the turbo / EGR clean its been a good engine. I think these could be managed and perform well if you tend to a few picky details, but I only have one engine experience, and am looking for what others have experienced.

I am currently considering a bucket truck and am leaning towards the DT466 or T444 but there are a few VT's out there that could be on the list if they are not a pile of grief...
They had variable vane turbos which seem to be silly in a bucket package since idling could potentially coke up the EGR and Turbo vanes... Any ideas? comments? Experience that could save me from re learning from another cantankerous engine.
Thanks in Advance
Rob B

Stop in to the local IH dealer and ask the guys who work on them every day. Might as well ask the real experts.

Oldtimer said:

Stop in to the local IH dealer and ask the guys who work on them every day. Might as well ask the real experts.

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Thanks for the lead.
Our local INT guys were a somewhat helpful.

The message seemed to be that if you were really careful about oil changes adn filters etc they would be a decent engine, although costly to work on. It seemed from them that most people killed these engines with poor maintenance relating to how sophisticated / advacned the engine is / was. Everyone thought they should perform like the older engines without attention to the details of the need for clean oil and the design of the HPOP and injectors.

Still makes me wonder about the DT466 Heui HPOP systems of the same vintage... they didnt seem to eat injectors did they? On the VT365, a coked turbo and dirty oil in the injectors or a mistake of blending antifreeeze seemed to start a chain reaction of either too much fuel dumping in the back cylinders, too much heat on the back of engine stretching torque to yield headbolts and headgasket issues antifreeze in oil main bearings etc etc etc bang... Or improper EGR cooling and too much heat on back of engine stretch headbolts etc etc bang...

04 was also the start of Electrical gremlins in Navistar ???

I wish I could offer more help. Sadly, I am without any meaningful insight.

All I would say at this point is: Don't buy any engine with a "regen" cycle...and certainly NO CAT ENGINE made before they put that EPA mandated regen crap in them. CAT is by FAR the worst for headaches because of the EPA mandated bull.

I personally would rather have a 300K mile non EPA strangled regen equipped engine over a brand new engine any day of the week.

get an EGR delete kit, gets rid of everything and does alot to help 6.0 reliability

i have many bucket trucks forsale at TriState Forestry Equipment - Home , the vt365 is a 6.0 and you will have major issues with the engine in a truck weighing in at 25,000 lbs , pulling a 10,000 pound chipper. those engines cant handle daily driving in a pickup truck let alone in a bucket truck. buy one with the dt466 or cat engine. or dont buy anything

What about DT466 Oring failures?

jo6wo said:

i have many bucket trucks forsale at TriState Forestry Equipment - Home , the vt365 is a 6.0 and you will have major issues with the engine in a truck weighing in at 25,000 lbs , pulling a 10,000 pound chipper. those engines cant handle daily driving in a pickup truck let alone in a bucket truck. buy one with the dt466 or cat engine. or dont buy anything

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Thanks Joe,
Have to agree with you from everything I can find these vt365 were the same as, and therefore should be as cantankerous as the powerstroke. Was wondering if anyone had one in a forestry unit that followed mfr's maintenance to the max, and if so did it make any difference or did they still have all the injector failures egr failures, torque to yield headbolt issues, and sticking of the variable vane turbos and subsequent headgasket issues....

It sounds like from 04/05 on they solved the oring issue on the DT466. Ive seen some of these 02 to 04, inframed with as low as 30,000 on them!!! If they are inframed but have had antifreeze in the oil I am thinking it would be something you wouldnt want to own. Mains and connecting rod bearings should be failing shortly after... ? Do you know if an inframe includes new mains and connecting rod bearings?


The oring issue was making me think T444E if I were to go Navistar. (or 3126, or 5.9L cummins, on GM or Frd.) cant inframe them but... with no sleeves you likely wouldnt have to for a long long time.

it's better to just stay away from the 6.0

BobbyBee said:

Thanks Joe,
Have to agree with you from everything I can find these vt365 were the same as, and therefore should be as cantankerous as the powerstroke. Was wondering if anyone had one in a forestry unit that followed mfr's maintenance to the max, and if so did it make any difference or did they still have all the injector failures egr failures, torque to yield headbolt issues, and sticking of the variable vane turbos and subsequent headgasket issues....

It sounds like from 04/05 on they solved the oring issue on the DT466. Ive seen some of these 02 to 04, inframed with as low as 30,000 on them!!! If they are inframed but have had antifreeze in the oil I am thinking it would be something you wouldnt want to own. Mains and connecting rod bearings should be failing shortly after... ? Do you know if an inframe includes new mains and connecting rod bearings?


The oring issue was making me think T444E if I were to go Navistar. (or 3126, or 5.9L cummins, on GM or Frd.) cant inframe them but... with no sleeves you likely wouldnt have to for a long long time.

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the dt466 is a million mile engine if maintaned properly. the problem with the 444 in a bucket truck is they dont have the power to get out of there own way. at that point if your considering a 444, you would be better buying a asplundh truck with a gas engine.

Anyone have 03-06 DT466 Oring issue done Inframe and kept vehicle?

jo6wo said:

the dt466 is a million mile engine if maintaned properly. the problem with the 444 in a bucket truck is they dont have the power to get out of there own way. at that point if your considering a 444, you would be better buying a asplundh truck with a gas engine.

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Thanks Joe,
Did some more research yesterday, what I found I would agree with you, the older 466's were bulletproof as you say. In looking at a bit newer ones, the o ring / electrical stories have spooked me on the newer 466's (2003-...2006?)

I am concerned the newer DT466's are just relying on the reputation of the older ones because you see 2003 to 2005 /2006 with under 50,000 miles being advertised as "newly inframed" Some as low as 35000 MIles, with lots of people complaining about them now !! Again this could be the vocal few that didnt maintain according to IHC specs, ( I have a couple of buddies in the biz here that "poo poo" fluid specs and it seems to me that just doesnt fly with the newer tighter spec emissions engines... )

Did IHC ever figure out the source of these failures, and once they have been inframed does anyone know they then stand up a reasonable time?

Is there anyone on arborist site done an inframe on a 2003 to 06 and kept it? How did it go?