been thinking lately that i need a bigger family truck, my ext cab F350 is getting cramped, my 8year old daughter yells that her knees hit the front seats, my six year old son is getting taller and i know sooner or later he'll be saying the same thing to me. And eventually me and my girlfriend are going to get married and she wants at least one kid or maybe two! So ill be in it for four kids total plus my crazy hunting buddy, my 11month old german shorthaired pointer male. At first i thought a new 2012 crew cab F350 but that wont really help so a nice EX is my only option i see in my future. I would like a diesel but the added cost of all the maintence of the 7.3 i cant swing so i want a V10 EX, my 5.4 F350 only gets around 12mpg around town so the gas wont be any different. I dont want leather or all that fancy uneccessary stuff but for some reason thats all i can find within 100 miles from me. I did find this super nice Ex though last night, i just gotta call and get more details before i take the drive to look at it
Cars for Sale: 2005 Ford Excursion 4x4 Eddie Bauer in Tinton Falls, NJ 07753: Sport Utility Details - 320556301 - AutoTrader.com
it has 20k more then my current 2004 F350 but this EX is ssssssooooooo nice!

 

Cars for Sale: 2004 Ford Excursion 4x4 XLT in Ephrata, PA 17522: Sport Utility Details - 314259203 - AutoTrader.com

this one is low miles, doesnt have all that outer fender trim molding that holds salt and will rust my wheel wells out, and its grey cloth and interior trim that i like and want. And since it has them ugly chrome steel wheels and i plan on doing x codes and new rear springs ill change the wheels to a nicer one with slightly bigger tires

 

Cars for Sale: 2005 Ford Excursion 4x4 in Jersey City, NJ 07306: Sport Utility Details - 304345368 - AutoTrader.com
not my first pick but cheap, and ok miles

 

i need some of your guys knowledge now, i already know im going to have to replace the leaf springs so thats on the too do list. other than that whats up about an EX? Are they just like the SD trucks? If so i got this list to start all over again like i did to my F350
-replace spark plugs, antiseize and torque to spec
-grease front unit bearings
-clean and grease brake slid pins
-replace front leaf springs and replace or add leafs to factory rear springs
-install energy suspension front sway bar bushings
-torque front body bolts to factory specs
-flush transmission and change filter
-change front axle oil
-change rear axle oil
-change t-case oil
-flush radiator fluid and install new
-clean idle air control valve
-clean throttle body

 

You've got a good list going there - not much to really add. I highly recommend the leather with kids - spills, etc just wipe right up with no issues. You'll love the room with the Ex - and with you being used the gas mileage it wont be a shock!

 

+1 on the leather and kids. This is the way to go!

 

The Ex is the same as your Superduty truck for driveline so you will be used to doing your maintenance. I didn't want leather either but it was all I could find at the time I bought mine. Now that we are hauling the kid around I am SOOO glad I have the leather. A container of wet wipes cleans up everything he throws, drops, or spears on the seats with no stains. You don't Have to replace the springs, it just cures alot of the steering and ride issues the Excursion has. I put RAS on the rear of mine and am still working on the cash to swap the front springs then do shocks.
Buy an Ex and join the club in wondering why Ford won't come back and make something this nice again.

 

Leather is also great for dogs. The hair comes right off. I had cloth in my pickup and anybody that rode in the seat where the golden rode got out looking like a wookie.

 

same for me, didn't want one with all the extra crap but I wanted a diesel, the one I found with low miles was a limited so it came with all leather, DVD, etc. I love it and wouldn't change a thing as far as that goes. I think the v10 is the way to go, though.

 

V10 is what you want. Leather is a plus. Your list is good, but be ready possibly for ball joints, steering stabilizer and maybe the steering gear. These things add up to cause the dreaded "steering wander" these X's are famous for. Good luck and try a few lowball offers, you may surprise yourself.

 

I'll add oil and filter change, fuel filter, air filter change. Clean MAF.

Watch for any exhaust leak from broken exhaust manifold studs.

Get the 4.30 gears.

 

he already has a superduty, so he is hopefully already aware of the steering wander. Its common to both trucks. Well, common to almost any solid front axle, really. leaf sprung trucks seem to be the worst. Is the OP the one selling his truck and gooseneck on pirate?

 

What is the scoop on cleaning the MAF?

D.

 

Do you mean how or why?

Mass Air Flow (MAF) sensor is located in the air filter housing. You can get the CRC MAF cleaner in a spray can and spray it clean. Disconnect the neg. terminal on your battery when you do this to prevent shorting something out by accident and to clear the computer memory.

Dirt can build up on the sensor and give the wrong signal to the computer how much air flow is going into the intake. It changes the settings, thus not giving optimal combustion.

 

That first one is a sharp truck, but the price seems high for the mileage. For reference I paid $7995 for my 03 Limited, loaded with 140k miles. Keep looking, there are deals out there. You will LOVE the X!