So Im considering trading my 05 Ex Powerstroke for a 12 valve truck. I really love my Excursion, but Its got a dead cylinder and I don't have a driveway conducive to taking the motor out. So my question is would I regret going to an old school truck. One of the big motivations is getting away from the stupid smog check hell we have here in CA. Maybe I should be asking this in the 6.0 forum. Thanks for your input.

Chet

 

12v Cummins are usually very dependable and are easily modified. Of course you'll have all the normal issues of going to an older vehicle.

 

Just curious..if you installed the 12v to your Ex..would that allow you to pass the smog tests? Or does it matter the year?

 

Would love to but not practical here in CA. According to the BAR rep I spoke with its theoretically possible though, but an epic undertaking to satisfy the Beaurugh of Auto Repair
(With a 2005 or newer cummins engine of course)

 

I went back through your thread history and you definitely have a base engine problem as you've already figured out.

If it were me, I'd find a good long block, swap everything over and call it good. It'd be a great time to stud it too.

 

Well after chewing on this dilemma, my plan at the moment is to pull the head and hope its a bad valve.

Getting rid of my EX seems like a bad idea to me and I keep visualizing a homer simpson version of me sitting in a old dodge banging my head on the steering wheel saying Doh over and over.

 

Believe it or not, I've seen this time and time again....

People always, always, always, regret selling their Excursion or Super Duty.

My neighbor and his 2004 F250 were a prime example. His oil cooler clogged up and his EGR cooler was leaking. Instead of fixing the truck and driving it, he traded it in, and got himself a 1/2 ton chevy that would supposedly get 20 mpg when not towing and would easily tow 10K. It never got over 14 mpg and strained like God knows what to tow his boat.

A guy sold his 2004 Excursion for more than he bought it for and sure he had about $15K, but he had no Excursion and is having a hard time finding one as clean as the one he had for a good price.

A guy I worked with had a beautiful 2005 F250 he bought new and traded it in on a 2010 F150 because he made a left turn and the engine stalled. The problem was the dummy plug on the passenger side and the harness chaffing on the shock stud, but he bought the F150 because Ford said it would get 20 mpg when not towing and would tow 10K easily. Needless to say, it never got over 13 mpg and when I'd talk to him, at some point in the conversation he'd always say: "Man I miss my Powerstroke".

This is why I couldn't sell my 7.3, I knew I'd regret it and it had too much sentimental value.

 

Yep. Don't sell the Ex.. Mine got hailed out, and totaled. Sold it. Miss it all the time.

 

I'd say don't sell the Ex.

But...

I have both... I have an 03 Ex and a 96 Ram, Cummins, 4x4, Dually. I've had that truck since 02. I doubt I'll ever get rid of it.... or my Ex.

Everything is rebuildable if you have enough patience.

Talk to a buddy or 10 and find a garage where you can swap out the engine, or fix what's wrong. Actually... before you rip it's "F*$(ing head off" Find a technician like me that loves playing with his borescope. With a little patience I've gotten pictures of burnt valves, leaking headgaskets into the cylinder, cracked Dmax piston, etc. My scope has mirrors so I can change the angle of where I'm looking and like I said.. with a little patience you can see everything in there you may want to see.

Mine is a Matco scanner with the external borescope. Maybe find a Matco guy that wants to make a demo video or demo pics?

 

Thanks for the great feedback everyone, I like the boroscope idea and cylinder #8 is relatively easy to get at. Patience is what I need most.