Not a bad idea, although it would prob cost as much or more than the Powerstroke swap. Not to start a V10 vs PSD argument... but, it will not blow the 7.3L off the road, I would not be leaving the 7.3L stock, and there is no way the v10 can come close to competing in the fuel economy department. I could tow the EX on a trailer behind my sig. truck and get better mpg than the EX gets empty

The EX has 3:73 gears.

No worries! Being in the line of work that I am in helps make it more worth while, plus, no one can say no to 350+RWHP and 20 mpg on the road

If I do end up doing it, I will start a build thread.

 

Wait....I just came up with a fix so we won't have to buy gas for the V10...all we need to do is convert our trucks over to burn ethanol; then build yourself a still. Problem solved, we can make our own fuel...

 

LOL. I wonder if the ATF will be knocking on your door for moonshining and tax evasion? And I don't mean Automatic Transmission Fluid.

 

Let's play with the math and see if this has merit: Gas is at $4 per gallon on average in my area (over the whole year) and are there any bets it will stay there or drop in the coming years? A 2 MPG increase in economy is 20% on a V10 that got 10 MPG before the upgrades. Just to work with rounded numbers - if you normally pump 25 gallons at 250 miles, you now make it to 300 miles on that same 25 gallons. If you drive 12,000 miles per year, you fill up 48 times ($4,800) at 10 MPG. With that 2 MPG increase, you fill up 40 times ($4,000) at 12 MPG. That's $800 savings per year. Now - if you averge 7 MPG city/hwy and you in knock it up to 9 MPG city/hwy, that's over a 28% increase in economy and the numbers really rack up - if you drive the vehicle 12000 miles per year. If it's only in the driveway until you tow something, then the return on investment plummets.

Sterling Archer makes a great point if you don't put a lot of miles on the rig. If this is an everyday vehicle, then the money spent to improve economy is truly an investment. Another $0.02 rolls across the floor.

 

Probably a little off topic at this point but I have a question.....Before I decided to go with another V10 I started asking Ford diesel drivers when ever I would see them, gas station, parking lot, wherever. What kind of millage are you getting? NO ONE told me a number higher than 13 mpg. So why are all of the diesel drivers on here getting 20+ something? Is it primarily flat where you all live or what?....This is not meant to be antagonistic just would like to know.

 

MPG's are highly dependent on type of driving (highway/city), type of driver (mash the pedal/egg under the pedal), truck configuration (reg cab 4x2/crew cab dually 4x4), towing all the time or not. I'm sure some really do get the higher mileage with a diesel, v10, v8, or squirrel in a hamster wheel. But it's the internet and as humans we all want to feel good about our purchases and decisions so a little stretching of the truth can come out. I know the 7.3's and older cummins got really great mileage (20's) as a buddy of mine had one. Also some may report their best few mpg, not the running average. My V10 gets 10.2-10.7 on average and it wont change unless I drive all continuous highway miles and even then its a crew cab dually.

 

Thanks, you basically confirmed what I thought but I just wanted to make sure I didn't miss out on the diesel thing.....lol....With my V10 I get anywhere around 10.5 - 12.2 but I do a lot of back road and freeway driving. I know that if I'm in town or out putting around hunting it goes down. Mines a CC but no dualls and I love it. It does everything I ask it to. Then again I don't ask it to get good mileage...lol

 

The best way to get good mpg out of a v10 is to buy some ramps and a smart car, load it up in the bed, drive to the nearest park and ride, unload the smart car and drive where you need to go.

If you have an excursion, you need some velcro instead of ramps.

 

When I bought my 7.3 PSD, it got 15-16 city/hwy. Steady upgrades now give me 17 city/hwy with winter fuel, partial 4X4 for snow, and defrost (A/C compressor running). I really don't know what the new summer mileage is yet.

BUT - diesel is $4.35 today and premium is $3.99. An oil change is $100 - just in oil - at the membership store. The fuel filter is $50 and the air filter is $100. There are tradeoffs.

 

I was just looking at that when I filled up today... even bigger difference with regular. 3.14/gal for regular and 4.15 for diesel around here: Twin Cities Gas Prices - Find Cheap Gas Prices in Minnesota

That's 32% higher cost right there... Add in 20 dollar oil changes, 15 dollar air and fuel filters, and you probably break even with diesel getting ~50% better economy than gas.

I do envy the range of a diesel excursion though... My biggest gripe about cars - tiny fuel tanks...

My old diesel jetta could take in 15 gallons and got 47 mpg around town. 700 mile fill-ups were awesome.