V10 Performance upgrades?
Fleet Mechanic
Joined: Mar 2013
Posts: 1,576
Likes: 41
From: Wyoming
Supercharged V10 in my excursion.
Lots of low end power, guess good high end too but I very very rarely need that.
My advise:
Spend all your budget on gears and transmission. ......all of it. Most performance improvers are for above 4000 rpm and we just don't live there.
Yes gears work too, they multiply torque which is what most want. But a well built transmission with proper valves and a custom torque converter made for your application will be just as benificial as gears. A custom transmission tune would also be spot on.
That said all above pails in comparison to 12 lbs of boost at 2500 rpm. I can push 8 psi at 2000 rpm and excursion just powers thru 4 ft of snow without a hint of a downshift.
so, if you can get a blower or a small turbo, that will boost at low rpm, that would be a VERY good torque improver.
Lots of low end power, guess good high end too but I very very rarely need that.
My advise:
Spend all your budget on gears and transmission. ......all of it. Most performance improvers are for above 4000 rpm and we just don't live there.
Yes gears work too, they multiply torque which is what most want. But a well built transmission with proper valves and a custom torque converter made for your application will be just as benificial as gears. A custom transmission tune would also be spot on.
That said all above pails in comparison to 12 lbs of boost at 2500 rpm. I can push 8 psi at 2000 rpm and excursion just powers thru 4 ft of snow without a hint of a downshift.
so, if you can get a blower or a small turbo, that will boost at low rpm, that would be a VERY good torque improver.
New User
Joined: Jun 2020
Posts: 6
Likes: 0
From: London, England
Thanks for advice. There is not much space in an E350 for a supercharger!
I have ordered the 5 star treatment, and am expecting it to turn up tomorrow. So will see what that does for me.
I am planning to spend next tranche of money on a 4x4 upgrade.
I have ordered the 5 star treatment, and am expecting it to turn up tomorrow. So will see what that does for me.
I am planning to spend next tranche of money on a 4x4 upgrade.
Cross-Country
Joined: Sep 2008
Posts: 93
Likes: 18
From: Catskill Mountains Of NY
I too run a 2V V-10 in my '05 EXcursion (the mighty EX never got the 3V motors 
) which serves as our dedicated tow rig for our 11,000lb TT. I have a set of 5 custom tunes from 5Star Tuning, Banks headers with Y pipe and 4.88 gears (with my 35" tires it has an effective ratio of 4.39).
Without question the best and biggest performance increase came from the deeper gears, it is like a different truck with the heavy trailer behind it!
The headers and Y pipe made an improvement in throttle response and gave a little more umph across the entire RPM range and are most noticeable at higher throttle openings under load climbing grades.
The tunes are an excellent upgrade for the transmission improvements alone! The little bit of extra engine output is just icing on the cake. For trips over mostly flat terrain I will run the 87 Octane Performance tune and for trips that have lots of hills to climb I load the 91 Octane Performance tune. the 91 Perf tune allows for higher throttle openings before it drops out of OD on climbs as well delivering a little better overall performance. The 87 Perf tune will hold OD much better than the stock tune, this equates to a decent improvement in both towing performance and economy. Well worth the cost of a tuner and tunes to me.
When I first did the gear swap from 3.73s to the 4.88s we were towing a 9500 lb toyhauler and were seeing 6 to 7 MPG on trip up/down the East coast between Philly and Savannah, it would downshift if we ran over a shadow in the stock configuration. With everything else remaining stock the change to 4.88 gears delivered a solid 9 MPG over the same route at the same weight and speed. And it didn't drop out of OD a single time on the highway on that route! By the time I added the headers, tunes and tires we had also moved on to a new TT weighing 11k, and we now see from 8 to 9.4 MPG on our mostly highway trips with that combo.
The high elevation guy mentioned earlier (or at least another high elevation guy
) who recent installed a Kenne Bell supercharger on his 2V V-10 EX really struggled with charge air temps after the SC, I think he was working a water/methanol injection setup to quench it some to control the detonation issues. He was only running a few PSI, nothing crazy.
I have towed through New England with another member here and his modded 6.0 Ex pulling his 13k toyhauler, he was impressed that our V-10 kept even pace with him along the way. He has pulled his combo through 44 states in '16, so it was nice to get a side by side comparison with similar trailers and tow vehicles with both gas and diesel with an experienced guy.
) which serves as our dedicated tow rig for our 11,000lb TT. I have a set of 5 custom tunes from 5Star Tuning, Banks headers with Y pipe and 4.88 gears (with my 35" tires it has an effective ratio of 4.39).Without question the best and biggest performance increase came from the deeper gears, it is like a different truck with the heavy trailer behind it!
The headers and Y pipe made an improvement in throttle response and gave a little more umph across the entire RPM range and are most noticeable at higher throttle openings under load climbing grades.
The tunes are an excellent upgrade for the transmission improvements alone! The little bit of extra engine output is just icing on the cake. For trips over mostly flat terrain I will run the 87 Octane Performance tune and for trips that have lots of hills to climb I load the 91 Octane Performance tune. the 91 Perf tune allows for higher throttle openings before it drops out of OD on climbs as well delivering a little better overall performance. The 87 Perf tune will hold OD much better than the stock tune, this equates to a decent improvement in both towing performance and economy. Well worth the cost of a tuner and tunes to me.
When I first did the gear swap from 3.73s to the 4.88s we were towing a 9500 lb toyhauler and were seeing 6 to 7 MPG on trip up/down the East coast between Philly and Savannah, it would downshift if we ran over a shadow in the stock configuration. With everything else remaining stock the change to 4.88 gears delivered a solid 9 MPG over the same route at the same weight and speed. And it didn't drop out of OD a single time on the highway on that route! By the time I added the headers, tunes and tires we had also moved on to a new TT weighing 11k, and we now see from 8 to 9.4 MPG on our mostly highway trips with that combo.
The high elevation guy mentioned earlier (or at least another high elevation guy
) who recent installed a Kenne Bell supercharger on his 2V V-10 EX really struggled with charge air temps after the SC, I think he was working a water/methanol injection setup to quench it some to control the detonation issues. He was only running a few PSI, nothing crazy.I have towed through New England with another member here and his modded 6.0 Ex pulling his 13k toyhauler, he was impressed that our V-10 kept even pace with him along the way. He has pulled his combo through 44 states in '16, so it was nice to get a side by side comparison with similar trailers and tow vehicles with both gas and diesel with an experienced guy.
Did the Excursion get the new Torque-Shift transmission when it came out in 2003 second half?
Or is a 2005 Excursion engine drive train basically the same as say a 2000 Ex?
Thanks
Moderator
Joined: Jul 2010
Posts: 12,057
Likes: 1,563
From: Media PA
Yes and no, the EX got the 5R110 trans behind the 6.0 PSD in '03 when they came out, but the V-10 and 5.4 EXs kept the 4R100 all the way until the end of production in '05. So yes, the V-10 drive train is pretty much the same throughout production with the exception of the increase in spark plug threads by '03 and a couple of different Y pipe setups.
Cross-Country
Joined: Sep 2008
Posts: 93
Likes: 18
From: Catskill Mountains Of NY
Yes and no, the EX got the 5R110 trans behind the 6.0 PSD in '03 when they came out, but the V-10 and 5.4 EXs kept the 4R100 all the way until the end of production in '05. So yes, the V-10 drive train is pretty much the same throughout production with the exception of the increase in spark plug threads by '03 and a couple of different Y pipe setups.
I have read here that the vans all have the 2 valve heads until, what 2018, when Ford ended the Econoline?
Did the Econoline get the new Torque Shift tranny?
In other words did the new Torque -Shift transmission ever come behind a 2 Valve V-10.
Thanks.
Moderator
Joined: Jul 2010
Posts: 12,057
Likes: 1,563
From: Media PA
Will 2003 second half and newer 2 valve heads with the better spark plug bores fit on the '99-03 engine?
I have read here that the vans all have the 2 valve heads until, what 2018, when Ford ended the Econoline?
Did the Econoline get the new Torque Shift tranny?
In other words did the new Torque -Shift transmission ever come behind a 2 Valve V-10.
Thanks.
I have read here that the vans all have the 2 valve heads until, what 2018, when Ford ended the Econoline?
Did the Econoline get the new Torque Shift tranny?
In other words did the new Torque -Shift transmission ever come behind a 2 Valve V-10.
Thanks.
Yes later heads with more plug threads will fit earlier 2V motors, but if its a non-PI (Performance Improved) motor, like a '99 would have, you would also need to change the intake manifold along with the heads. And Yes again, later model vans did get the 5R110 trans behind the 2V V-10s, I wish that the EX would have also, but they didn't.
Those lesser threaded early heads can be fine if care is taken during plug changes and higher than factory torque values are used when installing new plugs, I wouldn't swap heads just for the increase in thread count as long as both were PI versions.
New User
Joined: Jun 2020
Posts: 6
Likes: 0
From: London, England
5 Star
I installed the 91 Power tune a couple of months back. Every time I drive it now, I am grinning like a Cheshire cat! Totally changed the character of the machine. Leaps away from the lights, much better gear selection and shifting. No reduction in mileage. By the way, when not towing, I get 17 MPG with the cruise control set at 70, which seems to be better than what I hear from others. Runs on stock wheels and tyres and has 3.73 diff.
Moderator
Joined: Jul 2010
Posts: 12,057
Likes: 1,563
From: Media PA
I installed the 91 Power tune a couple of months back. Every time I drive it now, I am grinning like a Cheshire cat! Totally changed the character of the machine. Leaps away from the lights, much better gear selection and shifting. No reduction in mileage. By the way, when not towing, I get 17 MPG with the cruise control set at 70, which seems to be better than what I hear from others. Runs on stock wheels and tyres and has 3.73 diff.
That is better mileage than most here, but I don't think you guys across the pond put corn liquor in your gas. Here it varies from 10 to 15% ethanol blended into our gas, which is not only a huge misuse of alcohol but it also reduces our fuel mileage.
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Senior User
Joined: Feb 2006
Posts: 258
Likes: 2
From: cleveland, ohio
supercharged v10
doing a whipple / lightning intake setup. Right now, internals are done & building a milspec style harness and should be ready for fire by christmas.
if you look up Code Name: F-100 XXL on facebook for build pics. too many to post here
if you look up Code Name: F-100 XXL on facebook for build pics. too many to post here
Cross-Country
Joined: May 2005
Posts: 94
Likes: 0
From: Bountiful, UT (north of
Anxious to see your results/writeup.I tow fairly heavy when I tow. Wouldn't mind a bit of a push while crossing 8000 ft passes in UT. Truck does REALLY well but I'm curious if it could do better on the hills?
Moderator
Joined: Jul 2010
Posts: 12,057
Likes: 1,563
From: Media PA
Anxious to see your results/writeup.I tow fairly heavy when I tow. Wouldn't mind a bit of a push while crossing 8000 ft passes in UT. Truck does REALLY well but I'm curious if it could do better on the hills?
https://bn1305files.storage.live.com...&cropmode=none
https://bn1305files.storage.live.com...&cropmode=none
Cross-Country
Joined: May 2005
Posts: 94
Likes: 0
From: Bountiful, UT (north of
Truck has 4.10 gears and stock 20" tires/wheels. The tires are about 33.5" tall. Trailer's unloaded weight with truck on a CAT scale is 13520. Silver Jeep is 5120 lbs (same CAT scale). I haven't weighed the blue TJ but it's not to bad. Probably right around 4k?
13520
5120
4000
_____
22,640 lbs.
That's no joke for a pickup in my opinion. I tow around the west, mostly UT. Knock down around 6.5-7 mpg with the V10 and 4.10s. I am rarely going over 8000' summits under 55 mph (totally depends on grade and even traffic on the highway). The truck is doing a great job for me. For the difference in cost between it and a diesel, I can buy a lot of gas. To me, the truck compares quite well to a stockish 7.3L PowerStroke. The turbo will outpull me on longer hills but not by a whole lot. I got about 10-11 mpg with my 7.3L powerstrokes and about 11-12 mpg with a 2004 Cummins I had (I had a bumper pull 26' trailer then that was lighter than the gooseneck). I kick around doing a gear swap to 4.56 off and on. Not sure where I'm at with that today.
Other people seem to get 20 mpg towing with their diesels, I've never come close. The 2004 Cummins would get about 17 mpg commuting and I got about 15 mpg commuting with the PowerStroke. The only thing I really dislike about the 2010 V10 is the STUPID 26 gallon fuel tank.
Mountain Pass
Joined: Aug 2018
Posts: 179
Likes: 9
I have used 5 star and did gear change on 05 f250.
5 star shifting is better empty, not alot different from tow/haul stock except lower rpms. I dont care for engine tuning from them, sent back 3 times and still sets check engine light (if I remove I dont get any lights, so it's the tune).
I run 34.1in tires and went from 4.10 to 4.88s. Twice the improvement of tuner, on big grades it will drop out of od but will hold 4th gear, use to drop to 3rd. Empty I average same with both gear sets 13.5 to 14 (I rarely drive over 70, usually 65) and towing i picked up a little, from 9.5 to 10 with same trailer. It pulls the hills alot better and rarely spins over 3500rpms now.
I think biggest bang for your buck is gears.
5 star shifting is better empty, not alot different from tow/haul stock except lower rpms. I dont care for engine tuning from them, sent back 3 times and still sets check engine light (if I remove I dont get any lights, so it's the tune).
I run 34.1in tires and went from 4.10 to 4.88s. Twice the improvement of tuner, on big grades it will drop out of od but will hold 4th gear, use to drop to 3rd. Empty I average same with both gear sets 13.5 to 14 (I rarely drive over 70, usually 65) and towing i picked up a little, from 9.5 to 10 with same trailer. It pulls the hills alot better and rarely spins over 3500rpms now.
I think biggest bang for your buck is gears.
Tuned
Joined: Sep 2014
Posts: 368
Likes: 0
From: Ventura, Ca
awhile back some one put a 44 gallon excursion tank in place of their spare tire. Maybe something to look into. I’ve tossed the idea around from time to time
5th Wheeling
Joined: Jan 2018
Posts: 45
Likes: 10
Have the factory 4.30 gears w/limited slip
I have the 4.30 gears and tire size are a bit larger, 285 75r16. So effectively I have it geared higher. I also have the tunes and modified Y pipe.
I’m still looking for more grunt. Should I change gears to the 4.88? I suppose I should upgrade the tunes if I do that. I’m just hesitant because with 4 wheel drive, I’d have to change front and rear gears. Where are people getting gears? Yukon? Sterling 10.25 in the rear.
thanks
I’m still looking for more grunt. Should I change gears to the 4.88? I suppose I should upgrade the tunes if I do that. I’m just hesitant because with 4 wheel drive, I’d have to change front and rear gears. Where are people getting gears? Yukon? Sterling 10.25 in the rear.
thanks