Hello
I am new to the forum and own an 01 Excursion w/ 7.3 PSD all stock. Currently I am towing a 6000 # trailer long distances and the truck feels lifeless to me, sluggish. All maintenance is up to date and I have 90,000 miles without any problems at all. I am considering some power mods, exhaust or tranny upgrades. Don't know where to start it terms of mods for this truck.
Thanks for any ideas.

 

First and Foremost Welcome to FTE

You'll find more info here about your truck than anywhere else.

Please take the time to read the guidelines sticky so you have an understanding of what goes and what doesn't.

Onto business:

Before you do any kind of power mods, you'll need what many users on this forum call "cheap insurance". In other words, gauges that monitor your EGTs (exhaust gas temperatures), Turbo Boost, and your transmission temp. When you add power to these engines they (as well as other components) normally run within a safe range, but sometimes require a bit more attention. Should things get a little too hot or out of control, the gauges are the only way to know to back off before it's too late. Once you have that taken care of, you can safely proceed with any power mods. You could have also started with an intake and/or exhaust, but you're always better safe than sorry (i.e. gauges) especially with an investment this big. As far as intakes are concerned, there are several routes. The cheapest and one of the best filtration options is the what's called the Kwik Filter (named for one of our other moderators Kwikordead). It's a NAPA 6637 filter that's also available at any other auto parts stores; but you can order one from one of our FTE sponsors Fleet Filter Brian. You can see it here and here on Kwik's truck. A more popular option is the AFE stage I or Stage II intake. Both are available with what's called the PROguard 7 Filter. It's looks alot like a regular K&N air filter, but it does a better job filtering. The PROgaurd is made of heavy medical-grade gauze that allows nothing but air through. I've had one on my Excursion for just under a year and I haven't found a trace of dust anywhere in my intake tube. You can see it here.The stage II will get you more air and more power than the stage I will, it just depends on how much you want to spend. Exhaust systems are crucial when adding power; almost as crucial as gauges. If your EGTs get too high, you'll be paying for a new engine. Many Excursion owners typically choose the 4 inch route, but there is plenty of room for a 5 inch system. There are MANY manufacturers to choose from, again, it's just a matter of how much you want to spend. Gale Banks engineering makes one of the best and most expensive exhaust systems availble, but you get exactly what you pay for: power, performance, and satisfaction. Something that's middle of the market is the 4 inch MBRP system that I and a few other users have. It also carries a reputation for being relatively quiet in the cab but loud when you really get on it. Now to the fun part, tuner or flip-chip? Tuners give you the ability to read dianostic codes, which really help when your truck is acting up and the Check Engine Light Comes on. Companies like SCT, Superchips, Diablo, and Edge are some reputable companies that make a great product. The only downside is, when you want to turn up or turn down the power, you have stop, turn off your truck, program, then you're on your way again. With a flip-chip, it's a matter of turning a dial to the desired power level. This is something that can be done on the fly and the people that have them, love them. Guys like Jody Tipton know the 7.3 and the 4R100 inside and out. They can custom burn a chip for YOUR truck, not any generic program that anyone can use. With your transmission, you could go with a torque converter, a shift kit, and/or a transmission cooler upgrade. Again, there are plenty of options, it's a matter of doing some research and seeing what suits you best.However, should your transmission fail on you, always go aftermarket. You'll get a better transmission for the same money (if not less) that will take anything you throw at it. They are sometimes referred to as "bulletproof" because they can take any amount of HP, Torque, or dare I say, abuse and still keep going as if it's nothing. You also get a better warranty than anyone else will offer you. Some have a 3 year unlimited hp/unlimited mileage warranty, some have a little bit less, but it's still something you can't beat. With these mods, you'll notice a 2-4 mpg gain, but the gain depends on your right foot. With my mods (listed below) I easily get 700+ miles out of one tank instead of barely coming close to 700. Before my mods, I'd see about 15 around town, 17 on the freeway and about 16.5 combined. With my mods, I get about 17.2-17.5 around town and as high as 21 on the freeway and about 19 combined. This comes from maintaining 45-50mph in town, 65-70mph on the freeway, and sensible driving habits. With any type of power mods, you should always purchase them from authorized dealers like FTE's sponsors. If you purchase from unauthorized dealers like some on ebay and have a problems, the OEM will not offer assistance. Another thing to remember is that you will pay to play. Pay in the sense that you always get what you pay for and that this isn't going to be cheap. You'll need to do some research to learn more about these mods and what will suit your needs better. I suggest starting with our sponsors, because they're very knowledgeable people that will go to no end to make sure you're satisfied. We here at FTE are very careful as to who we choose for our sponsors, so rest assured, you're in great hands. If you have any further questions or concerns, just post, we're all here to help. Take care.

 

This is probably the most information that I have seen condensed in 1 understandable post. I too am at the point where I'm asking what to do next. Just recieved a hellvig antisway bar that I will put on tomorrow, and need to budget for the next item. One thing I didn't see was a commonly recommended blue CPS from International.

thanks,
Trent

 

Thanks for the information!

 

Trent, you should do some research on the site regarding the Blue CPS. There's been a lot of discussion (mainly in the 7.3L section) as to the benefits vs negative effects.

If you haven't done any mods yet, I'd recommend gauges, intake, and exhaust as your starting points. You can do gauges for about $300, and intake could cost $30 for a DIY tymar (aka "kwik filter") or $400+ for an afe stage II, and exhaust could cost $60 for a muffler delete or $500+ for a full 4" system.

 

before you get a blue cps though decide what tuner or chip you would like to get, the dp-tuner, which is highly recommended here, and I have, does not recommend the blue cps. Not sure about others chips though. Hate to see you buy to cps for no reason.

 

Great post. thank you!