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Metalx · #1 06-13-2011, 04:47 PM

Hello all,

I have a 1999 Eddie Bauer and was wondering if it was possible to have it converted to a diesel. Is there any engine/Tranny combination that would be a sort of direct fit? Has anyone tried this? I would be interested to see if this would work.

mack6820 · #2 08-04-2011, 08:16 PM

I'm interested myself. I love my 98 Expy but I need more power for towing a race car trailer. Can anyone chime in?

Moto Mel · #3 08-04-2011, 10:31 PM

I have an aquaintance that was a Snap-On dealer that tried to do the same thing with an Excursion. He had the wrecked donor pickup truck to take the parts from and found that the job was way too difficult and he was a skilled mechanic.
If its a challenge that you must do I suggest that you find a early Cummins with a Allison transmission as it requires very few special adaptations as well as being a lighter and more compact package. An older school bus might be a decent donor. There are several Cummins swaps in the Diesel Forum.

ScottyDsntKnow · #4 08-04-2011, 11:11 PM

Anything can be done with enough money and mechanical skill. In the end, it will not be worth the time and money and will not be a direct drop in by any means. Hell, swapping a newer diesel into an Excursion is a MAJOR mechanical feat and that is a vehicle that came with a diesel as an option... Very best case scenario for the Expy would be you modify the subframe by cutting off the stock mounts and weldign in new ones, fabbing up a crossmember, hoping the trans will clear the tunnel and the motor the firewall... Then you have ALL the electronics, wiring plus the diesel fuel system, finding room to route the turbo piping/intercooler etc... So yeah pretty major stuff and that is only if you don't have to cut the firewall which is a TOTALLY different can of worms...

IMO, the only engine swap that should be done on an Expy is the Lightning swap and that swap IS almost a direct drop in. If you want a diesel I would just trade in the Expy and use it toward an Excursion with a 7.3L Powerstroke or a VERY well documented 6.0L. The 7.3s in those Excursions last practically forever though...

5.4T · #5 08-05-2011, 12:22 AM

well why not try the 7.3PowerStroke being that it came with the 4r100 transmission which comes on the expedition, then all you would have to do is the engine which would bolt up to the trany but idk about the rest

Hope you find a way if you do tackle the bull, and if it not that hard i would totally make my navi diesel !!

Moto Mel · #6 08-05-2011, 12:58 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 5.4T

well why not try the 7.3PowerStroke being that it came with the 4r100 transmission which comes on the expedition, then all you would have to do is the engine which would bolt up to the trany but idk about the rest

Hope you find a way if you do tackle the bull, and if it not that hard i would totally make my navi diesel !!

The diesel conversion in a Expedition is really difficult. Re-read the 3rd post here. A much easier conversion would be to swap in a V10 gasser and that might be a bigger job than most DIYers can complete.

welbo97 · #7 08-06-2011, 09:25 AM

My '97 5.4l suffered the emfamous rear bearing failure. We pulled the engine and tore it down in order to figure out what happened. While I was contemplating what to do with it, I really thought about turning it into a farm truck and installing a Detroit 6V53. It was really just to see how many people I could annoy at once and because I love Detroit diesels. That would have been a major undertaking, and it wouldn't have involved any electronics. Making a 6.0 or similar advanced engine work properly is way beyond my capability. I've spent a considerable amount of time reading the diesel forums here about the people who bought them STOCK that have trouble making them behave.

HOWEVER, if you could do it right, you'd be the envy of this forum! If you document the process here, I'd follow you daily!

mack6820 · #8 08-06-2011, 10:48 AM

I dont think I will do it, sounds way out of my league. Im just looking for options to get more towing power without buying another vehicle since my 5.4 is coming close to a rebuild.

Moto Mel · #9 08-06-2011, 05:08 PM

Considering the cost of maintenance I would look for a V10 Excursion. They're much easier to understand if you have been a gasser all your life like me. If I were doing a lot of heavy hauling I would look at a Cummins or Cat for a conversion into a truck that could handle the stress of the engine's weight and the torque output.
There's a lot of romance in owning a noisey, stinky diesel, I'd love to have one but, the cost of any repairs that I couldn't do would cause me to park it.

jentrak · #10 11-11-2014, 02:10 PM

hi guys..i'm new here...I have a new ford ranger (T6) which is quite popular now here in Asia-Pacific and I'm quite satisfied with the truck...now thinking of buying a 2003-2005 ford expedition and changing its engine to diesel...here's the link of a shop in the Philippines doing the conversion..it's costing between USD 5-6K including the electronics

https://www.facebook.com/gas2dieselinnovation/timeline

Diesel Conversion