where is the best place to find a head gasket set with all hardware included and that have head studs with higher ratings than the head bolts.also need to replace the stock egr cooler with an aftermarket rounded tube instead of the factory square one.ive been doing alot of research on this problem with the 6.0 and want to correct them because i really love my truck if only i can take care of the problems from the stock junk parts that were put in it from factory.also what advantage is there to the egr kit that is out now that eliminates that system.last question for now,when i get the heads off i will be having them magnafluxed but i need to know if the heads need to be shaved and if so what are the min.and max tolerances to have cut.,the engine has never overheated but it still needs to be checked for warp
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Do some searching on the Internet; you'll find that kit you're looking for. I don't suggest in any way that you perform that upgrade for normal operation, but I know of many folks that have and are happy with it.
If the engine has never overheated, why are you replacing the head gaskets? Are you being proactive while installing a programmer?
Some facts: The factory Ford / Navistar parts are perfectly fine and believe me with all the money invested and spent on warranty claims -- you better believe if there was a better design that remains legal and functional for all needs that they would have come up with it over the 5 year run of the engine...and continually now since there are hundreds of thousands of these engines still out there.
The EGR cooler and engine oil cooler actually function perfectly fine and last indefinitely IF the proper maintenance is done on the engine. That is -- religiously check the nitrite level in the engine coolant. If the nitrite level falls too low, an additive must be added, or the cooling system must be serviced. Otherwise, deterioration will occur with cooling system components. The main problem: Ford only shared this information a few years into the deal, and already an extreme amount of failures had occurred. No one - no dealers, no techs, no customers - were ever educated on this from the beginning.
The lion share of head gasket failures on this vehicle have come from the stretching of head bolts (as such - you are seeking head studs with higher ratings...). The stretching of head bolts is only occurring when a programmer is used to boost horsepower and torque from an already strong engine. Again, in the horsepower and torque wars between engine manufacturers and vehicle manufacturers - do you think that if it was safe and legal to increase the power that they wouldn't in the first place? I think besides the robustness of the engine components in question, there are large emissions implications.
I have not experienced an instance where the 6.0L heads have had to be resurfaced in the dozens (hundreds?) that I have been involved with. Magnafluxing is of course a must. Good luck with all you're looking to accomplish.
There are few excellent Ford tech on the board and they may be able to help you with the problem, hopefully they will chime in soon and answer to your questions.
There is one thing, be careful with emission controls, like the EGR. They are regulated by a Federal Emission laws, you can use improved parts which approved by them, but eliminating the system is usually prohibited.
Zee
Excellent answer! Zee