Diesel or Gas, that is the question
 

Looking to purchase an Excursion and have come to a fork in the road, diesel or gas. Currently own a "97 F250 HD 7.3L, 4WD, 228K miles, GREAT TRUCK!! Originally teetered between the 7.3L or 6.0L 4WD but recently because of price difference I am thinking a 6.8L may be a better choice. Are the trans and drivetrain the same across the board, can I expect 200K out of a 6.8L before a rebuild? I won't be pulling anything with the Excursion, I've got the ride for that, just hauling the family. Any feedback is appreciated.

https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/1...longevity.html

Many threads of this nature out there, search is your friend.

For myself I wanted a 7.3 for the simplicity and longevity but I'm also content with a slower vehicle and don't care taking time to get up to speed (I'm a slow poke anyhow). Fuel mileage has been excellent (above 18mpg) and to me it seems to have a lot of power (it does have a mild tune). But the larger factor was it being rust free and well cared for and had the bench front I wanted.

265k on my V10 and showing no signs of deterioration. Each of them has pros and cons. 7.3 is very dependable with mediocre fuel mileage and high purchase price. 6.0 may need some mods to be dependable with good fuel mileage and even higher purchase price. 6.8 is very dependable with awful fuel mileage and much lower purchase price. I get about 11mpg not towing and 7mpg towing with mine. Everyone pretty much thinks they made the right decision on whatever engine they have but you have to ask yourself what YOU want. It's a never ending debate...

I'll also make the caveat that we've not even had ours a full month yet, so I don't have long experience but have had many friends who convinced me to go the way I did. So we will see.

I went through the same internal debate before buying mine. The only difference is, I use mine almost exclusively to tow a decently heavy trailer for thousands of miles on vacation. I decided against the diesels because, despite the better mileage and power, I didn't want to deal with an old diesel. I know they're reliable, but they're still old and high mileage. When diesels have issues, they're rarely simple or inexpensive. The V10 is just as reliable but has the advantage of being cheap and easy to repair if something does go bad.
Fast forward to today, and after thousands of dollar spend on mods, (just things I wanted, not that the truck needed for the most part), I'm happy with the V10. At first I hated it because it was terrible at towing my trailer. The guys on here convinced me to change the axle gears so I did, to 5.13s. Now I can get up the hills without losing too much speed. The engine runs super smooth and hasn't given me a single issue except a chafed fuel injection wire on cyl. 1 which was an easy fix.
I'm at 205k miles and it runs and shifts like new. I wouldn't hesitate to bet this thing will run well for another 100k. I don't see the need to spend more for a diesel unless you really just want one or tow even heavier than I do and don't want to swap axle gears. I love diesels and have been towing with them for the past 10 years so the adjustment was difficult and I have to be content with less mileage and acceleration while towing but my mind is at ease that if something goes wrong, it'll be much easier to diagnose and repair on the V10, not to mention cheaper.

Thanks for all the feedback. I guess great minds all think alike.I have gone down everyone of these wormholes and then some trying to decide on the winning ride. We like to keep our vehicles until they quit and then fix them and go a while longer. We have a "96 Land Cruiser that will probably be around long after we are gone. Because of the fuel economy I'm thinking the 6.8L is ruled out and the 2 diesels are the ticket, now I guess it boils down to vehicle, condition and price. Again, thanks for the assistance and wish me luck!

Here's a twist.

Don't do a Cummins conversion, find one that's done right (with all receipts) because they rarely sell for all the effort gone into them.

You may be surprised if you find the right one.

I have a 7.3...If you dont tow and its primary a people mover I suggest v10. I just wanted a diesel mainly for nostalgic reasons, same front section as the tug I drove in the USAF. You have a 7.3 so it maybe hard to crossover, however long trips can be difficult in re-guards to driver fatigue. They are just plain loud, hence the small fortune I have in sound deading just to reduce it. In the end either platform will suit your needs. Outside of all the MPG savings, extra maintenance etc. etc. talk not many people mention long distance traveling with the diesels. I like the sound, just not for 10 hours or more straight.

Mine is pretty quiet on the highway, even more so with the windows up. However drivethrus are proving difficult. It's made me just go inside, ahaha.

I'm amused by the repeated mentions of "if you don't tow" and "I don't tow" as being key factors in considering a V-10. }> I'm not trying to be a jerk or single individuals out for their opinions, I just find it interesting how these types of threads always seem to gather a few of those type quotes. I understand that what we post here is our own opinions formed by multiple inputs over many years and life experiences and I am in no way saying that others are not entitled to those opinions, I just find them entertaining is all. :)
All I know is that my V-10 does over 90% of it's miles towing heavy and has logged over 37K miles pulling over 9,500lbs, mostly over 11,300lbs and it does a pretty good job at it. :-X06