FordExcursions.com Forums
Tuan Le
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• Silver Spring, MD, USA |
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• Registered on 11/1/2003 |
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• 3 posts |
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 Posted:11/1/2003 07:15 |
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I'm new to this forum so if this has been discussed earlier, could someone point me to that thread?
I am looking to buy an excursion in the next 6-8 months and am wondering which motor is better for doing interstate driving? I like the Diesel but can't see any benefit to it verses the gas?
Any ideas? |
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Texas4x4
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• Tyler, TX, USA |
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• Registered on 7/25/2003 |
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• 289 posts |
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Posted:11/1/2003 07:29 |
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Welcome Tuan!
The biggest benefits you're going to find with a diesel v. a gasser are the fuel economy and the power. I have the V-10 in my X but had the PSD in my F250. I really love both motors. IMO, the V-10 has plenty of power and is about the smoothest motor I have ever been behind. At cruising speeds and standing still, I can't even tell it's there. Now, with my PSD, I got ~18MPG on the hwy and ~14MPG city. In the X, I get a very respectable ~15.5-16 hwy and ~10.5 city. Who buys these behemoths for their furl ecenomy, anyway? 
HTH
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
Kevin Curry
Staff Writer: www.ROCKCRAWLER.com
[email protected]
http://www.texas4x4.com
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spartan
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• Nashville, TN, USA |
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• Registered on 7/17/2003 |
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• 86 posts |
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Posted:11/1/2003 14:40 |
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OK - I'll bite.
If you drive 35,000 to 50,000 miles a year get a diesel. That way you will get to the 150,000 mile break even point for your fuel savings margin to pay the extra $5,000 bucks for the diesel engine realtively quickly.
If not - get a V10. If you don't like the smell of diesel fumes - get a V10. If you don't like a noisy clattering engine - get a V10. If you don't like catching up on all the truckstop gossip while you fill 'er up and keeping GPS waypoints for diesel vendors in the boonies - get a V10. If you wanna blow the doors off your next door neighbors Superduty diesel - get a V10 with a 4.3 LSD rearend and put on 33" diameter tires. If you want to smoke everything on the road - get a V10 and put a Kenne Bell worm drive supercharger on it. OK - well maybe not everything, but anything with solid axles that weighs over 7,000#.
Diesels are in vogue right now. My brother in law the banker even got one. He doesn't even know the difference between how gas and diesel engines function but the diesel engine is the one to have. They are so cool! It's just sad.
We're on an Excursion board right? The V10 is the best engine for 90% of what you will do with an Excursion. If we were all towing stuff for a living, had trucks with the carpet deleted to wash out the mud and driving 50,000 miles per year I would say get a diesel.
Oh - and while I'm at it. My V10 can sit and idle all day with the AC on. Dare you to do that with a diesel. The diesel idling thing is a myth. And yes I have had several diesel powered vehicles.
OK I'm ready. Flak jacket is on.
2000 XLT Premium, V10, 4.3 LSD Rear, Edge 4.5" Hanger Lift, Landyot Radius Rods, Hellwig Sway Bar, Dual Bilsteins, 295 75 16 Nitto AT's, Billet Grill, Lengthened and Balanced Driveshaft, Hella 450's, Insulated AC Lines, Modified ZooDad, Husky Liners F to B.
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gearman
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• los Angeles, CA, USA |
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• Registered on 1/22/2003 |
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• 336 posts |
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Posted:11/1/2003 18:52 |
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You want to race for pink slips?  With my setup in the X, i havent found a v10 i couldnt pull away from (non supercharged) no matter what mods they had. a v10 can not tow what i can tow, and it cant pull big grades like i can.
01 excursion psd hellwig rear stabalizer 285 michelins suncoast converter transmission custom built with Transgo shift kit,by me.
TTS computer chip,next mod-TTS exhaust system
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spartan
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• Nashville, TN, USA |
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• Registered on 7/17/2003 |
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• 86 posts |
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Posted:11/2/2003 18:55 |
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The last time I raced for pink slips I won a 1972 Oldsmobile big block 4 speed 455 CI with the Hurst package. I was driving a 396 black on black on black Chevelle that would jerk your crank going into third gear. That particular car pumped out something in the range of 500 HP with mods. Nothing like late sixties and early seventies muscle cars.
Seriously it would be fun to run the two. I don't know if I have freak or what, but this X I have is really quick. I don't tow anything so I can't comment there. What I can share is that I can turn over both rear tires on take off and pretty much look at any other Superduty in my rearview after 2 or 3 seconds - gas, diesel, whatever. Jeez - if I put on little 285's there's no telling waht it might do. 
2000 XLT Premium, V10, 4.3 LSD Rear, Edge 4.5" Hanger Lift, Landyot Radius Rods, Hellwig Sway Bar, Dual Bilsteins, 295 75 16 Nitto AT's, Billet Grill, Lengthened and Balanced Driveshaft, Hella 450's, Insulated AC Lines, Modified ZooDad, Husky Liners F to B.
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Tuan Le
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• Silver Spring, MD, USA |
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• Registered on 11/1/2003 |
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• 3 posts |
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Posted:11/2/2003 22:18 |
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Thanks for response. I plan to drive between 30K - 40K a year, mostly visiting family all over the place. And as far as towing, I will be towing a 19' Sea Pro to and from the boat ramp.
I guess it's like anything else, I am gonna have to pick one and live with it.
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E. Long
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• Subscriber since 1/1/2001 |
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• Atlanta, GA, USA |
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• Registered on 1/23/2001 |
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• 2,229 posts |
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Posted:11/2/2003 23:00 |
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In Minnesota, diesel fuel is cheaper than gas. The $5k difference in price pays for itself quicker in this state than others where diesel fuel is more than gasoline.
Since you are looking to purchase an X in the next 6-8 months, and if you are purchasing new, I would go with the 6.0L diesel which is significantly quieter than the 7.3L. You should look at purchasing an '04 model as the '03 models with the 6.0L are problematic.
Cruising on the highway is a breeze with a diesel. Rarely will you have to downshift and there is always plenty left over for passing. Since you will be doing some towing, I would certainly go the diesel route for better fuel economy and easier towing.
94,000 miles on my PSD and still running strong. I average about 30,000 miles per year. The 5,000 mile oil-change intervals are nice when you drive this much.
-Eric
'67 Galaxie 500 - 390 FE, .030" over, FE to AOD adapter, disc brake conversion. The Daily Driver.
'00 Excursion - 7.3L PSD, LANDYOT Gen-II Radius Rods, Factory Tech Valve Body, 200K+ miles and going |
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E. Long
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• Subscriber since 1/1/2001 |
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• Atlanta, GA, USA |
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• Registered on 1/23/2001 |
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• 2,229 posts |
• 1
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Posted:11/2/2003 23:03 |
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In Minnesota, diesel fuel is cheaper than gas. The $5k difference in price pays for itself quicker in this state than others where diesel fuel is more than gasoline.
Since you are looking to purchase an X in the next 6-8 months, and if you are purchasing new, I would go with the 6.0L diesel which is significantly quieter than the 7.3L. You should look at purchasing an '04 model as the '03 models with the 6.0L are problematic.
Cruising on the highway is a breeze with a diesel. Rarely will you have to downshift and there is always plenty left over for passing. Since you will be doing some towing, I would certainly go the diesel route for better fuel economy and easier towing.
While I doubt you are interested in blowing the doors off of other vehicles in your X, a diesel with a computer chip will certainly overpower a V8 or V10 Excursion equivalent. I believe that spartan's V10 above is quick, and certainly quicker than a stock 7.3L Excursion, but you would have to install a supercharger to get the same effect as a chip has on a diesel motor. It is quite amazing what can be done with these vehicles.
94,000 miles on my PSD and still running strong. I average about 30,000 miles per year. The 5,000 mile oil-change intervals are nice when you drive this much.
-Eric
'67 Galaxie 500 - 390 FE, .030" over, FE to AOD adapter, disc brake conversion. The Daily Driver.
'00 Excursion - 7.3L PSD, LANDYOT Gen-II Radius Rods, Factory Tech Valve Body, 200K+ miles and going |
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spartan
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• Nashville, TN, USA |
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• Registered on 7/17/2003 |
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• 86 posts |
• 1
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Posted:11/3/2003 09:31 |
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Oh ya. You betcha diesels cheaper there. Irrelevant of that - if you are going to drive 30,000 to 40,000 miles a year - get a diesel. My V10 truck is four years old and has 42,000 miles on it. Good luck!
2000 XLT Premium, V10, 4.3 LSD Rear, Edge 4.5" Hanger Lift, Landyot Radius Rods, Hellwig Sway Bar, Dual Bilsteins, 295 75 16 Nitto AT's, Billet Grill, Lengthened and Balanced Driveshaft, Hella 450's, Insulated AC Lines, Modified ZooDad, Husky Liners F to B.
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Weatherlite
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• Mountain Home AFB, ID, USA |
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• Registered on 10/21/2002 |
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• 133 posts |
• 1
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Posted:11/3/2003 12:43 |
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One thing you may also want to take into consideration....oil changes. I don't know about the 6.0 but the 7.3 holds 15 quarts of oil! I've never done the math but that would probably get a little expensive after awhile. Granted, the drains are at 5000 instead of 3000 so that may help offset it a bit.
Just some food for thought.
Mikie |
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