The 6.0L Whistle

’03 Turbos: Fad Of The Past

Posted March 29 2011 02:24 PM by Mike McGlothlin
Filed under: Miscellaneous, Diesel Truck Parts, Ford

Today I’ve been putting together a feature story on this ’07 6.0L Power Stroke…

And it’s kind of funny. Although this truck is far from stock (and uses a 65mm aftermarket VGT), I found myself looking up a couple videos on youtube showcasing that signature whistle the factory ’03 turbo is known for.

So now some questions:
Remember when people were crazy for ’03 turbos? Did a lot of people buy 6.0L Super Duty's for their whistle alone? And did some buy ’04 to ’07s and think they didn’t whistle enough?

I know some that did. In fact, back in my days working with Diesel Tech, several trucks (’07s) came straight to its shop once purchased off the dealer lot. What for? An ’03 turbo.

I even met people that upgraded to larger, better chargers (some fixed geometry, some variable), but lost that ‘whistle’ and swapped back! Is the whistle more important than performance? I think for some it is. It kind of plays into the whole ‘everyone wanting to drive a noticeable vehicle’ thing, and the unique sound just did it for a lot of people.

Take a look at eBay any given day of the week and you’ll find that new or used ’03 turbos go for quite a bit more than later model chargers. Actually, a couple years ago they used to go for a lot more than they currently do, too. Maybe it's everyone trading in for 6.4L’s that's driving the demand/price down…

Reader Comments:

1. Ah this is right up my alley! My 03 6.0L PSD breaths through a 3.5" DP to 4" pipe to dual (should have done a single) 6" OD x 36" tall (IIRC) Grand Rock mitre cuts stacks...ALL straight pipe baby!! Regular cab truck with rear window open....can you say hearing loss!! Well..you could, but I wouldnt hear you, LOL!

Yes, the 03 Garrett VGT turbo has the most insane whistle ive ever heard! The truck might as well have a turbine engine, because thats what it sounds like. With it high idling on a cold start warm-up (1,000RPM ish)...it sound exactly like a jet warming up, its crazy piercingly loud.

I love hearing it switch vane position when idling, it goes from pure whistle to almost zero whistle and all HEUI engine noise. When I shut it off, with the vanes in a certain position, it takes seconds for the whistle to stop :)

Unless your doing more than half throttle and 2,000RPM its all whistle noise. Above 2,000RPM and full power the 6.0L diesel V-8 bark takes over.

I wish I had some vids of it for you Mike, but my digital camera just cant handle the sound of the engine/turbo when revving. I need a better camera.

The 03 Garrett VGT's whistle puts my 12-valve's Holset HX35's whistle to shame. Thats about the only thing the 6.0L has got on the Cummins though, haha.

I got the 03 truck because I needed a truck to haul stuff and it was a decent deal. I wasnt even aware of the turbo thing.

Its funny, the first time I was at Mike Hallases shop, when I got the stacks done, one of the first things we talked about was how he was always have guys want the 03 turbo for the 04-07 6.0L's!

Doesnt the 03-early 04's sound difference from the late 04-07's come from the fact that the 03-early 04 come with 10 turbine vanes/blade and the late04-07's come with 12??? If forgotten a lot of the 6.0L stuff since joining the dark side ;)

SmokenGun - Posted March 29 2011 04:08 PM

2. Aren't the 03 6.0 turbos somewhat inferior to the later models because of surging issues? And/or vanes sticking? That wouldn't be enough of a reason for me to trade to an older style.

I love a good turbo whistle as much as anyone else. If you want to get a good whistle out of a Cummins, pull out the silencer ring, put a BHAF on it and use 4" steel pipe to go from the filter to the turbo and it will definitely compete with the 6.0 whistle! Failing that, there's always twins and trips....

White_Lightning - Posted March 30 2011 02:20 PM

3. I dont know about 03 turbos surging, but I can bark it like a motherbucker if I want ;) (I dont of course though).

Any 6.0L's turbo's vane's can stick if the trucks driven like an old man all the time. The VGT vanes are actuated by HPO (high pressure oil) from the HPOP (high pressure oil pump) and the oil can choke and gum things up over time if you dont put the coals to her, so to speak. At least thats how I understand it. You have to "blow" them out from time to time. Full power runs. I dont have a problem doing that :)

My 12-valve has an S&B intake (it uses a hard plastic pipe), silencer ring removed, and SPE, and it doesnt even begin to hold a candle to the 03 6.0L turbo whistle. Dont get me wrong, you can hear the HX35 singing quite well, with the noise coming from the engine compartment (S&B made a huge noise increase :) ), but the turbo whistle in the exhaust note is poor.

Although, I do still have the cobbled together shitty 4" system the PO put on. Its a club cab long bed truck and im comparing it to a reg cab truck with stacks a foot behind my head, LOL!

Well see what the exhaust note sounds like after a 6" stack is put on. Im thinkg a matte black 6 "mitre cut or matte black 6" CAT stack.

SmokenGun - Posted March 30 2011 03:16 PM

4. CAT stacks!

White_Lightning - Posted March 30 2011 04:04 PM

5. CAT stack (singular). I wont ever do dual stacks again. They rattle and vibrate with all the fittings and what not, a Single sounds better, looks better, and dual stacks on a engine with one turbo, DP, and exhast pipe is kinda trying to hard IMAO.

If I wasnt gonna sell my 03 F-250 I would go to a single arrangement.

Ya, a CAT stack would look wicked!! Ive seen a few really clean, yet modified, trucks running one and love the look :)

My only concern is whether a CAT stack (being a turn-out/Aussie kinda thing) would be quiter than a mitre since the CAT points away from the truck and a mitre just goes straight up. I want maximum sound to the cab ;)

SmokenGun - Posted March 30 2011 07:49 PM

6. I had a friend with an HE351ve on his 12 valve to a 4" down pipe to 5" exhaust with the Y-pipe (not putting a T in with square tubing) to the stacks, and that thing was loud as hell. Good turbo whistle too, especially in exhaust break mode.

White_Lightning - Posted March 31 2011 09:15 AM

7. The HE351 sounded nice on that 24-valve in the Nov. '10 issue too. Definitely would grab your attention if you were used to hearing the same old, 4-inch turbo back exhaust tone on a 24-valve.

Variable geometry has definitely birthed some cool things: sound, performance, and helped meet emissions.

Mike McGlothlin - Posted March 31 2011 09:59 AM

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