I'm getting ready to buy a lower mile excursion 7.3, probably under 100k miles unless there's a killer deal on something around 125k. What are common problems? Also what parts carryover from F250/350/ from the aftermarket wprld? Suspension? Exhaust?

 

Also, a lot of people have told me don't bother with the 6.0. Has head stud issues or something. Is there a reason I shouldn't consider a 6.0? It'll be driven quite a bit, maybe 20-30k mi per year, and semi frequently towing a trailer since I work on the road.

 

Good luck finding a low mile 7.3 X.
As for exchantability the suspension is identical to the SD a few differences like rear shocks and drive shaft. Tunners and all the aftermarket goodies will interchange.

 

They're out there, you just need to be patient and have cash. I'm willing to drop 20-30k. Less the better, because as soon as I get it I have a friend ready to make me custom bumpers front and rear.

 

I bought a 95k mile 7.3 last year. It's great and I love it. I'd head over to the 7.3 forum and do some reading. I've learned so much from those guys. I educated myself before buying, it really helped as I knew nothing about diesels.
Many 6.0s like to pop head gaskets. The 6.0 only has 4 head bolts per cylinder unlike the 7.3 that has 6. So head studding the 6.0 seems to fix that. There's other things about them I'm sure you can learn from the 6.0 forum.
The debate about which motor is better will go on forever. The 6.0 is generally faster and gets better mileage. The 7.3 is simple, easy to work on and dead reliable. Since this was my first diesel, I chose to learn on something simple first. Good luck!

 

If you have that money available do read up on the 6.0.

I was in your shoes a year ago. I elected for a 6.0 2005 Limited with 104k from a 1 owner at $17750.

If I have issues I'll fix it.

If it had been a 7.3 it would have been a little older with another 60k on the clock. OR been another 5k off the bat.


The springs are definitely not the same as the Pickups. Look into the v/B spring swap in tech threads. ANY ex will benefit from this...... (except am 05 2wd)

HAPPY HUNTING! YOU'LL REALLY ENJOY IT!

 

Engine & Transmission = no unusual problems. Note that a vacuum leak can cause A/C and 4WD issues. Simple to fix but finding the leak can take some time.
Steering = Plan on changing the wear components. It is about time.
Suspension = Plan on changing the springs and probably the shocks. The springs were overly weak when new. By now the vehicle will bottom out on bumps.
Body = Sometimes the door seals need work. The rear window lock often needs work. Rear window hold open pistons usually need replacing (if 4WD the 2WD pistons will raise the window higher so you don't bump your head.) The door open switch is inside the door. When these fail with time not everyone knows where they are located (including mechanics) and so they often don't get fixed.


Other than the suspension most of the issues are what you will see in any older vehicle and not that expensive to fix. Plan on $3k for the suspension and any hidden issues on top of what you find in the pre purchase inspection for your repair budget and you should be fine.

 

Thanks for the info. It'll definitely be getting a lift in the short term so dropping 3k on suspension gives me an excuse to lift sooner. I drove one with a 14" lift on 40s and don't think I want to go that big. Any good deals on a 6-8" lift people would recommend? Before I buy I'll Def do my research. You guys made it way harder by telling me to consider a 6.0. The car I just got rid of was a pretty fast Saturn Sky (far from stock), and I have a 4.7 GC that surprisingly gets going so I really would prefer a quicker diesel. Is there a general time frame the 6.0 goes? Same trans in them both?

 

Just a couple quick thoughts....


All the 7.3s had problems with the oil pans rusting through. If you live south of the rust belt, this probably won't be an issue for you. If you needed to have the oil pan replaced, the motor really needs to come out. Expect an estimate between $1000 and $1500 for the repair, perhaps a little more.


The 7.3 has a 4 speed OD auto, the 6.0 has a 5 speed. The 5 speed is a better trans.


The 7.3s are dead reliable. They are older tech, so easier (cheaper) to work on. Not saying there are never problems with age, but doesn't everything ?


The 6.0s had head gasket problems, egr cooler problems, and oil cooler problems. They are more complicated, and more expensive to fix. The aftermarket does have a solution to all the 6.0s problems... at a cost. Do lots of reading up on both. I see threads where 6.0s broke down while driving, and the repair bill has been, $10 ...... $15 thousand dollars. If you buy a 6.0, plan on fixing the shortcomings before it breaks while driving.


They are really pretty different animals. The 6.0 is definitely the hot rod of the two, plus it has the 5 speed auto.


From what I've seen... fuel mileage is a wash between the two. With the right driving , high teens or maybe twenty plus mpg is possible. I get 20.4 mpg with my 7.3 F350.... a little less with my Excursion, which is lifted a bit.


With either, you will want to upgrade the suspension. Excursions were marketed to soccer moms, and are squishy from the get go. Most suspension stuff interchanges between the Ex and comparable year F250 / 350. All Ex's are leaf sprung, but in 05 the p/us got front coil springs. The Ex was about 2 inches lower from the factory than the F series, so a 4 inch lift for an F250 will generally fit the Ex, but it will lift the Excursion 6 inches over stock.


Have fun shopping.....

 

One correction. $3k should cover the all of the items I mentioned, not just the springs.

 

Like others have mentioned most SD parts and Excursion parts interchange. Was shocked however to learn the rear doors on the X's are different than the Super Duty's.


You can get a 7.3 to be in the same hp and tq as a 6.0 for under $500.


As far as the 7.3 tranny. 2001 was a year they had a lot of problems with a mechanical diode issue in the tranny. Most should be fixed by now if there were a problem. Like others have mentioned the 7.3's were known to have problems with the oil pans. Had to replace the pan on the 340K mile F250 this year, $1,000. The others are treaded with POR15.
It may make more sense to just get a low mileage 6.0 Excursion and dump $10-14K into the motor to make it reliable. You get a 5 speed tranny and possibly .5mpg more than a 7.3.
Did quite a bit of research on lift kits for Excursion and it looked like the best ride quality is with the ICON 5in full suspension kit. Most people with that set up say better than stock ride quality and the kit has all new leaf springs with a lifetime warranty on all parts. Cost is about $2,900 without shocks.
As far as shocks the 00 X has Rancho 9000's and the 02 X has Billsteins. Don't really care for the Rancho's to be honest had one fail after a month, the Billsteins are a better shock with no need to adjust.

 

$10 to $14K?? C'mon man, if you're gonna give the guy info, give him correct info. You know it can be done for a lot cheaper than $10k dollars.

Stewart

 

My buddy owns a diesel shop in Sothern MN. He specializes in 6.0's. He's bullet proofed dozens. Just going off what he tells me. He makes a lot of $. He's offered clean 6.0's all the time for $5-7K as the owner don't want to fix them right.


A good friend of mine owns a 03 6.0 F350. He's got a little over $14,000 into his motor and it's not what I would consider reliable... Another buddy had a 05 6.0 F350 dually. His motor blew at 50,000 miles. Luckily after a law suit Ford covered the motor. He was waiting to bullet proof it... After Ford finally replaced the motor (10 months) he sold it, it was never bullet proofed.


But no really a 6.0 Powerstroke is a great motor! Highly recommended. It earned a Ward's top 10 engine award! It's way better than a 7.3 Powerstroke. Those are really slow and only have a 4spd tranny. Guess the 00's Excursion 7.3's dyno'd stock at around 187hp on the rear wheels.

 

BTW,
Although none of my 7.3's have had motor problems still on the look out for a good used 6.0 motor with around 200,000 miles on it so I can replace the "warn out" 300-340K mile 7.3's. Was thinking about doing a Cummins swap but the 6.0 is a much better engine.

 

Even the briefest of searches in the 6.0L forum will show it can be done for a lot cheaper than ten grand.

I'm not saying a person can't spend that (and more), I'm saying it can be done for a lot cheaper, and your post can be taken as a bit overdramatic regarding the amount someone can spend.

Stewart