hello this will be my first post been on here alot latley so i figured id join it.
I have a 2003 f250 v10 6 speed 4 inch lift and 35s other than thats its completely stock. I wanted to know about the Y pipe mod and if its really beneficial im looking for just a little more sound not annoyingly loud and figured the y pipe might do it. So is there any other mods that help gain power and such that should be done to every v10? possible fuel mileage and power gain cause the y pipe thing say 35+ hp and 1-3 milage. I would post some picture op of it but because im a new member i cant

 

with the high incidences of broken exhaust manifolds, sparkplug problems, head gasket issues, ticky tick noises, etc, id leave well enough alone. I have a V-10 and its not really a good canidate for power mods and improvements. Its a very good utility service motor.

if you want better seat of the pants performance, look into a rear end re-gearing.

 

Which style of factory Y-pipe do you have, if it's the "rams horn" type then the Y-pipe mod will help very little. If you have the necked down T-pipe style from the factory then the aftermarket Y-pipe will give you a little more pep, the T-pipe is horrible. I think you would feel the difference over the t with a new Y, but I don't put much faith in horsepower and MPG claims, they tend to always be exaggerated.
This is a comparison of my factory T-pipe and my new Banks Y-pipe that came with my headers. Which one would you rather have?


Likewise, the exhaust manifolds vs a decent set of headers comparison is pretty startling.


My exhaust is still stock from the headers back and the sound isn't much different, maybe just a tab bit more rumble than factory was. The performance gains were very noticeable, across the entire RPM range. I have also seen slightly improved gas mileage since the headers went on.

Regearing to 4.88s made the biggest performance gains on my rig, with my 35's the effective ratio is now 4.39, a very nice towing gear for the V-10. I tow a lot and over the same routes with the same trailer and at the same speeds I have seen the mileage go from 6.5 to 7 MPG up to 9.0 MPG. This increase came following the headers and 4.88s. Since then I have also begun using an SCT tuner with tunes from 5Star and have seen the towing mileage climb as high as 9.3 MPG using the 87 Octane Performance tune.
The current travel trailer is 11k lbs and 41' long, so far I'm very happy with the V-10's performance increases from the headers, gears and tuner.
It's a pretty good load test for a V-10 EX!

 

Good looking combo you've got there Tom .

 

The difference is amazing i have 3:73s and when running 70 mph in overdrive its at like 1850 rpm the whole thing seems geared a little fast i just wasnt quite sure on the mods cause like there some engines like that. Did the headers back exhaust give you a gain? in mpg? the guy that had it before me did exhaust gaskets and studs. what where the other common problems because with the 1999 i heard was the one with the 2 piece spark plug and head gasket issues they all got the stud issue though

 

2000 2004 F250 F350 Excursion High Performance Y Pipe V10 V8 Better Gas MPG | eBay

this is the one im talking about and i think i got the same pipe as posted above

 

WHats the best exhaust for the v10s?
im kinda likeing the mbrp
http://www.ebay.com/itm/MBRP-4-Cat-Back-Side-Exit-Exhaust-W-Muffler-1999-2004-Ford-V10-F250-F350-S5206P-/171375232096?pt=Motors_Car_Truck_Parts_Accessories&hash=item27e6c28460&vxp=mtr

 

As I stated above, my exhaust from the headers back is still all stock. I don't drive enough miles solo without the trailer to get good MPG data but it does seem get maybe another MPG or two when running solo.
Head gasket issues aren't that common of a V-10 problem, sure some folks have had failures but it is far from the norm. The problem prone two piece spark plugs were only on later model 3 valve motors, not an issue for your '03. And yeah, the exhaust studs are a problem on these modular motors, but it presents a good excuse to install headers! The other common issue with the earlier V-10s was too few threads in the head for the spark plugs, some of the motors spit plugs. I think Ford redesigned the heads and added more thickness and threads by the time your '03 was built.

That looks like a decent Y-pipe if you don't plan on headers, most all headers will come with a new Y-pipe as part of the package. It will be a nice improvement over the T-pipe.

My personal opinion is that the stock mandrel bent 3" exhaust is the right size for these motors and a 4" pipe's possible small gains wouldn't be worth the money. But that is just my humble opinion. Swap out the stock muffler for a glasspack and call it done.
The biggest choke point on the stock exhaust is the manifolds, that's where the best money could be spent to free it up some.

 

Problem is I don't want to drop 1k in headers even though I'd like to and cheap headers out there? Might try and make my own y pipe up and I from there

 

You can get a set of painted Hedmans for around $380.

 

thanks might be a good option

 

Skip the 4" MBRP and go with the Y pipe first. After that I would do as Tom suggested and replace the muffler.

I have the 4" and can not say that it is any better power wise. It does sound cool though.

 

if i do anything itll be headers first cause the stockers pretty good

 

Will the hedman headers fit with the 6 speed? also is everything i need come with kit gaskets and such i heard they have a bad qualitly and ya cant keep the collector tight