2008-2010 Ford 6.4L Powerstroke Buyer’s Guide
Introduction
The 6.4L Powerstroke, found in 2008-2010 Ford Super Duty trucks, was designed to be an improvement over its problematic predecessor, the 6.0L. With features like high-pressure common-rail fuel injection, a twin-turbo setup, and increased displacement, this engine aimed to deliver more power and reliability. However, despite these advancements, the 6.4L suffered from a range of durability issues, including cracked pistons, blown head gaskets, and problematic fuel dilution.
At Choate Engineering Performance, we don’t just patch these problems—we solve them. Whether you're looking for a budget-friendly rebuild, a daily-driven workhorse, or a competition-ready powerhouse, our engines are built to outperform and outlast the competition.
Pros & Cons of the Choate 6.4L Powerstroke
Pros
Built with Power : Duel Turbo system and great fueling system
Beautiful Truck
Very Easy to add power
Cons
Excessive Tuning Risks: Aggressive tuning can lead to cracked pistons and internal failures.
Ongoing Investment: Owning a 6.4L means you'll always be spending money on upgrades and maintenance.
Fuel Economy: Even with enhancements, the 6.4L is not known for being fuel-efficient.
Costly Repairs: The 6.4L platform requires high-quality components, making repairs more expensive than other diesel engines.
6.4L Powerstroke Innovations
The 6.4L Powerstroke introduced several new technologies to Ford's diesel lineup:
Common-rail fuel injection – More precise and efficient than the older HEUI system.
Twin-sequential turbochargers – A high-pressure variable geometry turbo (VGT) paired with a low-pressure fixed-geometry turbo for better spool and top-end power.
Diesel particulate filter (DPF) – Introduced emissions control technology, though it contributed to oil dilution issues.
16mm head bolts – A response to the head gasket issues of the 6.0L, though not a perfect fix.
Despite these upgrades, factory shortcomings still plagued the 6.4L, making a high-quality rebuild the best option for long-term reliability.
Common 6.4L Powerstroke Problems & How Choate Fixes Them
Cracked Pistons
Problem: Factory pistons are prone to cracking, especially under high boost (40-42 psi stock).
Our Solution: Replace with Maxxforce style pistons to eliminate this failure. Take it a step further and coat those pistons. Options are available here.
Head Gasket Failures
Problem: Despite the larger 16mm head bolts, the 6.4L still suffers from blown head gaskets due to weak clamping force under high cylinder pressures.
Our Solution: We use O-ringed heads and Heads studs on our Workhorse and Cass-Quatch Cylinder Head lineup to prevent head gasket failures and ensure long-term durability.
Oil Cooler Clogging & EGR Failures
Problem: The 6.4L shares a similar oil cooler design to the 6.0L, making it prone to clogging, overheating, and eventual failure.
Our Solution: Get Yourself a good mechanic. We have seen it all the worst of which was when a want to be mechanic stuffed the oil cooler full of petrolium jelly which does not heat up quick enough to disperse oil to the engine.
Rocker Arm Oil Starvation
Problem: A major issue we have documented with video evidence is the rocker arms taking 3-4 minutes to receive oil during startup. This delay leads to premature wear, increased friction, and failure in the valvetrain.
Our Solution: We designed a proprietary fix called Self-Oiling Valve Covers, which provide a constant oil supply to the rocker arms, eliminating the delay and ensuring optimal lubrication. You can find that part here.
Front Cover Cavitation
Problem: The front cover, which is bolted to the engine block, has a machined surface where the water pump mounts. The water pump impeller spins within this machined area, circulating coolant throughout the engine. However, a major design flaw allows hot EGR coolant to return to this area after cooling exhaust gases. This super-heated coolant creates cavitation, which can lead to erosion and eventually form a hole in the aluminum front cover. When this happens, coolant can leak into the crankcase, contaminating the engine oil.
How to Diagnose: A simple way to check for front cover cavitation failure is to drain the engine oil and remove the drain plug. Then, perform a pressure test on the cooling system. If coolant leaks from the oil pan drain hole, it indicates a compromised front cover.
Recommended Replacement Parts
Cylinder Heads
Ranging from 3 different options we have you covered from daily driving to all out racing
Pistons
Just do away with those old pistons now. You may not have a burnt piston on your stock engine but you sure enough will.
Head Gasket
If you know you know. Just be sure you dont choose a head gasket that has not been tested to insure its quality.
Self Oiling Valve Covers
Our USA Famous 6.4 FIX. Our Pride and Joy. The fix of the lifters in your Diesel Truck.
Cold Air Intake
Protect your Engine with these Quality Intakes
Engine Internals
If you know your stuff check out all these items you will need to build the engine of your dreams. Dont forget we source the best!
Turbo
Find the one you've been wanting!
Injectors
From Stock to mutiple different nozzle sizes.
Engine
Where stock is not an option and quality is over quantity. We are a USA built made to order Manufacturing Company specializing in giving our customers what they need.
Why Choose Choate?
When you choose Choate Engineering Performance, you choose precision, performance, and unmatched quality.
We don’t aim to be the cheapest—we aim to be the best. Every engine and component is purpose-built to outperform and outlast, correcting the flaws others overlook.
At Choate, quality isn’t a compromise—it’s our standard.
