Headers
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Junior User
Joined: Nov 2008
Posts: 75
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From: Lake Havsu, AZ
Headers
Going to install my headers this weekend on the "X". I have checked out the studs and they look pretty good (I only have about 17,000 miles on it).
I am hoping it will help the throttle responce and help increase fuel economy a little as well!
I am hoping it will help the throttle responce and help increase fuel economy a little as well!
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Joined: May 2004
Posts: 29,380
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From: Central Coast of CA
Gotta be a V10. It's a very common mod for that engine, plus he mentioned checking his header studs, which is a common problem for the V10's.
Stewart
Stewart
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Junior User
Joined: Nov 2008
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From: Lake Havsu, AZ
It is a V-10.
I got them all installed. WOW what a difference! I was hoping for some noticable difference and I definately got that. Throttle responce is 100% better than before. It will be interesting to see if I get some better fuel economy on my trip to Cali this weekend.
Install was long but not very difficult except for getting to the nuts when the headers were installed. I had to install a couple of the studs when the headers were in the truck on the passanger side, that was a pain. No modifications needed except for spacing the oil dipstick out at the mount point.
I got them all installed. WOW what a difference! I was hoping for some noticable difference and I definately got that. Throttle responce is 100% better than before. It will be interesting to see if I get some better fuel economy on my trip to Cali this weekend.
Install was long but not very difficult except for getting to the nuts when the headers were installed. I had to install a couple of the studs when the headers were in the truck on the passanger side, that was a pain. No modifications needed except for spacing the oil dipstick out at the mount point.
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Junior User
Joined: Nov 2008
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From: Lake Havsu, AZ
Just a couple pf quick tips if you go to install a set of headers:
I had to remove the starter to make installation a little easier
I had to remove the studs (4 of them) on the passanger side back two cylinders to squeeze the header in on that side
The pass. side top studs on cyliner 1 & 2 had to be shortened so that they did not hit the header tube
All my studs were in excellent condition (my "X" only has 14,000 miles on it) so I did not replace them but I would reccommend changing them out on a high mileage application
If you remove the inner fender well from the pass. side it make installation a lot easier
I welded the connector pipe to the drivers side header and flanged it on the pass side to make for easier removal and a better, more leak proof installation. (I don't like clamp fit connections)
I had to remove the starter to make installation a little easier
I had to remove the studs (4 of them) on the passanger side back two cylinders to squeeze the header in on that side
The pass. side top studs on cyliner 1 & 2 had to be shortened so that they did not hit the header tube
All my studs were in excellent condition (my "X" only has 14,000 miles on it) so I did not replace them but I would reccommend changing them out on a high mileage application
If you remove the inner fender well from the pass. side it make installation a lot easier
I welded the connector pipe to the drivers side header and flanged it on the pass side to make for easier removal and a better, more leak proof installation. (I don't like clamp fit connections)
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Junior User
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From: Lake Havsu, AZ
Oh yeah by the way I got almost 16mpg round trip to Cali and back. That includes about 100 miles of in town/heavy traffic driving. A big improvement over the 14mpg I got on the last trip!!!
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From: Palm Bay, FL
what are some other companies that sell headers for the truck? and are these the best route to go!? And on the website they only advertise the 6.0L Diesel excursion.... not the v10..... what headers am i looking for!? i wanna do this mod haha
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From: Lake Havsu, AZ
It looks like Banks sells them as well. I do not know who else does but I would only go with the Banks or the Thorley's. I would actually pick Banks over Thorley but I can't beat the deal I got on my Thorley's. Thorley listes them under the F-250/F-350 series trucks but they will fit the Excursions. I would reccomend calling them to verify application.
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Joined: Sep 2001
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My truckw ill be coming off warranty next spring and if I decide to keep the truck I will definitly be doing headers on it. Do you have any other exhaust mods doen already? Just wondering if your running stock exhaust other than the headers and you saw a big improvement or if you have a free'r flowing exhaust the rest of the way back. Also do you have any other mods like a cold air induction?
I'd probably end up doing a cold air and full exhaust all the way back including removing my catalytic converter (yeah yeah yeah, illegal I know, I'll just stay off the roads with it I guess
) and a higher flowing muffler. Only problem is the V10's sound a lil wacky with most exhaust systems. Ford's are also notoriously detuned from teh factory, and an aftermarket PCM reflashing seems to do a LOT for most any ford so I would be looking into that too if the price is right. I think the V10 is corked up quite badly from the factory and these mods would really wake it up a lot.
I'd probably end up doing a cold air and full exhaust all the way back including removing my catalytic converter (yeah yeah yeah, illegal I know, I'll just stay off the roads with it I guess
) and a higher flowing muffler. Only problem is the V10's sound a lil wacky with most exhaust systems. Ford's are also notoriously detuned from teh factory, and an aftermarket PCM reflashing seems to do a LOT for most any ford so I would be looking into that too if the price is right. I think the V10 is corked up quite badly from the factory and these mods would really wake it up a lot.
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Junior User
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From: Lake Havsu, AZ
I have the stock exhaust from the headers back. I don't really see any need to change the exhaust except for installing a better muffler. The whole system is made of 3" mandrel bent (probably stainless steel) tubing so changing anything other than the muffler seems like a waste of money. I have done no other modifications at all. I want to install a non oiled style re-usable filter but nobody makes a drop in unit for it. I looked into a cold air kit (Volant and K&N) but the intake tube on my Excursion is already very free flowing and the cold air kits offer no added flow except for the filter itself. I will keep looking for a non-oil filter and I will most likely go behind the grill and open up the pabel that restricts the intake to the stock air box. They put a plate in front of the filtet inlet to keep water out but I think I can modify it to flow better and still keep water out of the intake.
