If you cannot find a cummins and want a very reliable and cheap to run and fix diesel. You can get some of the older 7.3 IDI for next to nothing. They were in ford trucks to about 94 and in millions of school buses.
They are a very simple and very cheap motor to run and maintain. If you get fuel to them they will run, the parts are cheap, and they are extremely easy to work on. They have almost no emissions and depending what gears can get upward of 20 mpg. If you want more power to them you can get used or aftermarket turbo's to add to them.
X2. stay away from them new ford engines. if need be, find a cummins in a salvage yard and transplant it into a ford or really anything you want.
as said with having front end issues. i too got an 06 with a 6spd manual. i burned the clutch up at around 75k, put a southbend 1000hp pulling clutch in it and no more clutch slipage. now as far as the front end. i have replaced ALL steering components 2x and its got 124k on it. iv went through 3 steering gearboxes, 3 pitman arms both front 4x4 hubs, axel seals, pinion seal and bearing and 2 front driveshafts. I never had any issues out of the engine. i change the oil every 10k and i run royal purple. thinking about getting FS2000 oil refiner to extend the oil change and eng life.
