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Build date 05/03

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Old Jul 12, 2004 | 10:47 AM
  #16  
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Do your research and then make a choice
 
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Old Jul 12, 2004 | 12:53 PM
  #17  
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My 03 F250 had early common issues prior to 5,000 miles- After that it has been great!
 
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Old Jul 12, 2004 | 02:18 PM
  #18  
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Tim,
My ps is a 5/03 build date. The engine is a 05/06/03 build date. Assembled Lower Tenn Plant. One bad idle occurance immediatly after a rpm surge at 500 miles. Not one other problem in the next 7500 miles. But I have been checking on some of the suggestions in other threads and have found the intercooler hose off at the bottom of the clamp, nothing else. Shooting in the dark here.... could some of our problems be plant specific? Or build DAY specific.
 
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Old Jul 12, 2004 | 02:35 PM
  #19  
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jbracing: I think there could definitly be a relationship. Especially between plants.

It's hard enough to get build dates out of some seeking help. Let alone Plant location. Then building a spread sheet etc. Certainly not an easy task.
 
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Old Jul 12, 2004 | 03:03 PM
  #20  
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Originally Posted by jbracing
Tim,
My ps is a 5/03 build date. The engine is a 05/06/03 build date. Assembled Lower Tenn Plant. One bad idle occurance immediatly after a rpm surge at 500 miles. Not one other problem in the next 7500 miles. But I have been checking on some of the suggestions in other threads and have found the intercooler hose off at the bottom of the clamp, nothing else. Shooting in the dark here.... could some of our problems be plant specific? Or build DAY specific.
We have never qualified nor quantified any data to show that
That does not mean for a minute…it could not be true.
 
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Old Jul 12, 2004 | 04:08 PM
  #21  
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I have an 05/03 I just turned 13000 miles on it, runs great, had one small problem that oil drip, dealer fixed it, that was back in Sept. of 03,its never been back, I do all my own service.
Milage is great compared to others I read about, summer milage 19mpg winter milage 16 mpg thats country highway driving combined without hauling a load.

Price, that's up to you, always best to shop around and compare, Im one of the fortunate people that got an 03 6.o PSD without problems
 
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Old Jul 12, 2004 | 08:23 PM
  #22  
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In reference to mattsf250 comment of 03 has more power than the 04. I have recently replaced my early 03 built 6.0 with a May 04 build. The 04 does seem to have less power than the 03 and I thought it was my imagination. Could someone elaborate on this? I traded for the 04 to hopefully get a truck that I could trust to leave my neighborhood with. Please FMC don't let me down again. 2nd and last Ford that I will ever own!
 
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Old Jul 13, 2004 | 06:36 AM
  #23  
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jorzac,
Many of us believe that Pilot Injection, good mileage and tow haul wasn't all that was taken away by ford in some of the re-flashes and newest motors. Lots of us felt a loss in performance, too. I can't tell you for sure that ford is de-tuning the trucks to try and get these motors to be more reliable but it sure felt that way to me after the first flash I got.
 
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Old Jul 13, 2004 | 06:48 AM
  #24  
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IMO on the re-flash... is the HP/TQ rating of all the new trucks...the 03's have more "stuffing" then their new brothers.

Therefore Jeb I believe you are correct they did de-tune the flash by 15/20 HP, however not for the reason you state...IMO....
 
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Old Jul 13, 2004 | 07:53 AM
  #25  
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The true 04 engines (not 04's with 03 engines) DO have a different rail system among other components and the new design has more to do with the drop in HP than the "detune for longevity reason" ....
On the dynos, we were seeing 03's with 15 to 30 HP more than the 04's...

Can you FEEL that on an 7-8K lb truck?
Possibly, but a diablo predator from Motorhaven can fix that really fast and really cheap !
 

Last edited by jdadamsjr; Jul 13, 2004 at 07:55 AM.
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Old Jul 13, 2004 | 07:56 AM
  #26  
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The bad thing about all this is that the base price of the 04 went up approx. $1200 over the 03 that I first purchased. IMO I received alot less for plenty $ more.
 

Last edited by jorzac; Jul 13, 2004 at 07:58 AM.
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Old Jul 13, 2004 | 09:42 AM
  #27  
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Originally Posted by jdadamsjr
The true 04 engines (not 04's with 03 engines) DO have a different rail system among other components and the new design has more to do with the drop in HP than the "detune for longevity reason" ....
On the dynos, we were seeing 03's with 15 to 30 HP more than the 04's...

Can you FEEL that on an 7-8K lb truck?
Possibly, but a diablo predator from Motorhaven can fix that really fast and really cheap !
Good point, do you think the flash has been changed other than what we know of now?

If they changed hardware was it logical they would/must change software?
Sure would love to take a late 04 early 05 and install an orignal "working" 03 program....


Just for fun and a dyno run or two
 
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Old Jul 13, 2004 | 11:51 AM
  #28  
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Originally Posted by jdadamsjr
On the dynos, we were seeing 03's with 15 to 30 HP more than the 04's...
Interesting info. Ford is claiming the same numbers for both the 03 and 04 motors though, right?

Can you FEEL that on an 7-8K lb truck?
Possibly, but a diablo predator from Motorhaven can fix that really fast and really cheap !
$600+ for a chip is not cheap to me but I don't like sticking a lot of money into a truck after I get it. Bug shield, mud flaps and some HD floor mats is about it outside of normal maint stuff. I'd never run a chip on a vehicle under warranty anyway, personally. I've read too many horror stories about voided warranties to take that risk.
 
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Old Jul 13, 2004 | 12:25 PM
  #29  
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JEB I agre with you 110%. If this is true how is FMC getting away with advertising the 04 with equal power as the 03. I think there are too many issues with this truck to modify and lose the warranty in the process.
 
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Old Jul 13, 2004 | 12:34 PM
  #30  
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I guess it's all relative to what you want to do...
what I paid for the Predator is small beans compared to the return on investment !

And who pays $600 for a $350 item?
and who has had a voided warranty?
and .... oh never mind....
**************************
but Tim,
there are code changes....
don't know if an 03 flash would even work on an 04 or 05 ....

And you know that off line discsssion we had tim - maybe it's not for me
 

Last edited by jdadamsjr; Jul 13, 2004 at 12:36 PM.
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