Congrats, my BIL bought a 2002 F350 dually with 150k miles and has had zero problems with the motor. 2002 is the best year for the 7.3.

A dually conversion is a great idea as it will add stability to the rig. My suggestion is to go with the new superwide tires which will save a lot of weight over duals. Garrett AirResearch has a new turbo out for the 7.3, and downpipe issues might pop up as well.

Join the Ford forums, those guys have tons of good info on your new vehicle.

If you want to call me and I'll tell you what I did to mine and what worked best but I have way to much stuff on my truck to list. just pm me. If you want a 2nd row bench I would gladly trade you mine for the 2 seats, you will be driving right my shop if you are taking 95 to Annap.

Cool, once I get back Ill contact u. :drink:

Take the guess work out of setting up your trailer, and order an aluminum Myco. They are expensive, but the only way to go.

yeah sounds like the besy way........


So now that I am going to pick up my new toy tommorow, I have been lookn at the exhaust systems 7.3 Diesel

Magnaflow....Banks ?? CAt BAck Turbo back ??

And I have heard the " turbo back" systems and Love that whistleing sound from the turbo but are they loud in cab of the truck??

Only listened to them in passing and on you tube


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LCqmspn1dRs

Any advice.

MBRP turbo back all the way! Make sure you get the 4" downtube. 7.3L PSD do not have cats.

7.3L do not whistle near as much as the 6.0L do. If you go with straightpipe (sans muffler), you will hear more whistle. I do NOT recommend this in an SUV/X.

You can talk to Mark & Tom at www.lightning-motorsports.com and order anything from them. They are both boat owners (AT & Concept) and both are OSO members OutlawMark & Throttle Therapy here on OSO). They will give an OSO discount, and also mention my name for bonus points.
They are just north of Tampa and can get most parts next day, and they drop ship. Depending on where you pick up the truck, they may can install it on your way home.

Buck183 here on OSO also peddles all of this gear as well!

www.thedieselstop.com is PRICELESS for PSD info.
I recommend DiPricol guages as well, Trans Temp, Boost, and EGT. The gauges below look EXACTLY like the factory Ford gauges, and I looked at ALL of them.
http://www.puredieselpower.com/catal...bab36a47f27b3f

I also recommend the foam element upgrade/kit in the stock airbox from www.trueflow.com as well. DO NOT buy K&N for your PSD = junk!

I have all of the above in my 2000 7.3L PSD dually with 90K miles and love every mile of driving that truck. This weekend it is getting the full 2005 Harley Davidson/FX4 front end and HID headlights.

:cool::cool: Thanks sydwayz.............just got back from Florida last night with the truck.

15 hours straight, never an issue.

It is a beast. I am very impressed with it. Family loves it as well.

The highway handeling is awesome.

It is loud around town though !!! I guess something I have to get use to.

I have all of the above in my 2000 7.3L PSD dually with 90K miles and love every mile of driving that truck. This weekend it is getting the full 2005 Harley Davidson/FX4 front end and HID headlights.[/QUOTE]



now that will look good..post some pics when finished:cool:

Sounds cool, lets see em!

congrats on your purchase!
I strongly recommend you visit the dieselstop.com
Their Excursion forum will cover just about every question and modification to the Ex that you could think of. The guys there have towed just about everything, and setting one up correctly is important, especially when approaching GCWR.
I've done a lot of mods to both Excursions I've owned, have towed tens of thousands of miles with them, and believe they're great trucks once the deficiencies are corrected as they came originally from Ford.
Jim

DAMNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN the truck is bad azzz., but it is LOUD:eek:

After a while the noise will drive you nuts.

Thats a very very short drive!

This is one really good reason to not spend a lot of money in exhaust-related mods. I experienced little or no gain in performance on my first Ex from downpipe/exhaust size changes, and very little drop in EGT. An expensive lesson learned for big $$$ in stainless steel. I wound up gaining a lot of turbo whine (OK by me) and the dreaded exhaust rumble and drone noticeable by the passengers (not OK). The larger downpipe actually decreased my throttle response.
About all you need to do for the exhaust is add a Walker BTM muffler (big truck muffler), and increase the tailpipe size if you feel you must. Good EGT drop and free-flowing for about $100.
As far as engine noise (cackle), there's a ton of mods to the 7.3 to quiet it down. In-tank, pre-pump mod, regulated fuel-rail return, etc.
Get your wallet out. Like offshore, it's addictive.

Thanks for the info, the low speed drone drives me nuts, but once I get going to 50 and above its fine.

I think most of my issues right now are just getting use to the way the truck accelerates compared to a gas vehicle. If I could get more acceleration I would be happy.

I do like it a lot though.

I was thinking the sound deading insulation they sell for vehicles.........whats your thoughts.

Drone is a tough one. Mine isn't bad with the BTM. It was REAL bad with the Banks system I had on my first Ex, the 2000 model. The Excursion Limited had an extensive sound-deadening package right from Ford that was not found on any of the other truck offerings. You may be able to add some acoustic material to the door panels, and possibly a thicker pad under the carpet for the rear pax area where drone is usually the worst. Quieting down the 'cackle' in the engine with some fuel mods is a good thing for perceived noise. Do a search in the Excursion forum at dieselstop.com it's been discussed a lot.
To make that 4-ton monster go like a Mustang, contact Jody at DP Tuner. Although there is an enormous amount of chips and tuners out there, DP has proven to have the best grasp on the 7.3. Their following is huge. All you have to do is tell them how you're going to use the truck, and they'll supply the program. I've tried many others, but DP is by far the best. Don't forget you'll need gauges if you chip it. I like Dipricol Optix- they match the factory gauges exactly.

I hear the Ford Mechanics swear by the DP but everyone else is recommending Edge Tuners.

They say the DP has a program built in for the transmission shifts, while the edge does not. Edge of course has the display....have you tried the edge.

I guess most of the noise that is bothering me is accelerating from stop to about 40-50 mph. Once you get into the right RPM range its quiet.

Ill try some sound deadening stuff first


Thanks again for the help.:cool:

Also, there is a trick to quiet some wind noise. I read about it on TheDieselStop. It involves putting clear rubber/silicone hose in the door weatherstripping. I did it to mine and I am happy with the results.

yeah sounds like most of my noise is definetly engine related, looks like they used a gigantic shoe horn to get the engine in that space!!

I picked up my 34 Scarab with twin OMC V8's in Maryland and towed it to Vegas with a beefed up 2001 7.3 2WD Ex. I loved the truck and wanted to buy one really bad. Before I made my purchase I took the boat to a truck scale and had it weighed. Turns out that with 3 V8's and a steel Myco (both added during the build) I was over the max limit for an Ex with 600 lbs. Thinking insurance, and with good suggestions from other board members I went with a GMC Yukon XL with an 8.1 (rated for 12K). I still think the excursion is one heck of a SUV but regardless of what you do to it, it is legally still only an Excursion with a max towing capacity of 11.000 lbs. Just make sure you can legally tow your boat with it before you throw a lot of $$$ in to it. Even with a Cummins and all the kits money can buy, you are still limited by the original weight limitations. Not trying to make you feel bad here or pi$$ on anybodys parade, just want to make sure you stay legal and feel good while you are coming down here to see us. My Scarab 34 SS with triple V8 OMC's and a steel Myco weighed in at 11.600 dry. I customized the trailer to get the 10% tounge weight and towed it from Vegas to Fla without any issues what so ever. To my surprize I also got better mileage with the Yukon than what I did with the Ex (and that was after I added the third motor and changed to the steel trailer from an alu trailer). Food for thought....

Whatever you do, stay safe and stay legal - it is better in the long run!

Wow-- I can't believe that a Yukon XL 8.1 is rated for 12k and a powerstoke 7.3 excursion is rated for 11k? Don't get me wrong the Yukon 8.1 is a killa ride-- I just thought the EX would be rated for more

That is what I thought too until I started digging. The Yukon XL 2500 with the 8.1 and the right axles is rated 12K, the best you can get out of an Ex is 11K. I really liked the Ex and it is not much difference between 2WD and 4WD in towing capacity, but I had to go with a Yukon XL to stay legal. After having it for almost a year, I will not change. I might change the engine when it reaches 300K but that is all and I got a long way to go. Thanks to last years fuel prices I got a good deal on it and is very happy with the SUV. Sydaways and others helped me in my decision and I am very thankful for their input and shared knowledge. That Enforcer already bought the Ex without taking the boat to the scales was just a concern, hence the post. Now I just hope that his rig is less than 11K and everybody is happy...

Thanks for the info, I have considered all this.......safety is paramount
Maximum Loaded Trailer Weights (lbs.)
Engine
Axle Ratio GCWR (lbs.) 4x2 4x4


7.3L V-8 DI Turbo Diesel
3.73 20,000 10,500 11,000


She is light. I can tell you that its an all mantex cored (foam) and laid up with vinylester resin and light weight schedule. All new so no moisture issues. The builder was reluctant to give a weight but recognized it was very light. I tried to get it weighed by Travel Lift but would not register............its a ghost. I wanted it weighed on the transport North but that was not done due to time issues.

I was able to move it on dollies by hand by myself any where I wanted to with the quads on. Prior to the engines being on, I was able to slide it across the boat lift by myself.

My old midnight with triples weighed in at 10, 500 with 100 gallons of fuel on certifed scales , this boat should weigh in around 8K I Hope............if that. It will be cllose but I am confident I will be under the rating. If not then I will still keep the excursion and buy a dedicated tow vehicle.

Just got to get that thing to quiet down a little!!

And definetly aluminum trailer one im looking at is 1700 lbs.

Stay tuned, :food-smiley-007:

Here's a pict

Nice looking truck. Cherish it- they don't make them anymore, and never will again. Mine gets put away in the fall and doesn't come out again until spring. Salt is not its friend......

Thanks I appreciate it :cool: