Ford V10 Folks, advice needed

[itbgti]

First off, thanks to all those who answered some of questions on this site in the past in regards to my hunt for a tow vehicle...I finally have it.

2002 Ford E350 Ext 15 Pass. Triton V10

-What type of upgrades should be done for power?
-What type of gas mileage people getting (dont laugh)
-Any other "heads ups" I should be aware of?

On order: Airbag rear suspension-cab adjustable and a weight distributing hitch

Benspeed...I talked with you once about your V10, any tips you can give would be great.

Thanks,
Alan

[x-ring]

Sorry I can't help you on most of your questions, my F350 is a Powerstroke, but I did tow my rig with a friend's F250 Triton V-10 once. We got around eight to ten miles/gal on mostly flat ground.

My trailer is a Wells Cargo, so it's heavy, 3200 empty and probably 6500 or more loaded.

Ty

[BMW RACER]

Alan. Congratulations and welome to the world of Ford tow vehicles!! I myself have a F250 6.0 Powerstroke. I used to have an E250 Van 7.2 Powerstroke. I'd like to help but I (we) need to know what your towing. Trailer type and total weight.
John

[itbgti]

Open Deck 16ft Trailer ~1500 lbs max

ITB Golf GTI ~2200 lbs

Maybe another ~1200 lbs of "stuff"

~120 lb ball and chain http://Forums.ImprovedTouring.com/it/smile.gif

I HAVE A 03 F350 CREWCAB V10

8 TO 10 MPG LOADED OR NOT

UNHOOKED IT DRIVES LIKE A SPORTSCAR

KN AIR FILTER FOR SLIGHT BETTER MILAGE

YANKS 4000# AROUND LIKE ITS NOT THERE

[whenry]

my V-10 Excursion has been chipped(I dont recall the brand) with K&N and cold air intake. I get 12.5-13 mpg in normal driving and about 11 towing(20 ft Wells with Miata/Escort GT; my guesstimate on weight is 6500#). Depending on the yr of manuf, there are various options for chips. Mine feels like a stock PS. I have looked into exhaust mods but just havent wanted to spend the $$ on non-racing parts.
The best add that I did was the F-350 rear sway bar; you can drive the thing thru corners now rather than having to wait to see the track-out to apply throttle.

[Bill Miller]

Originally posted by itbgti:


~120 lb ball and chain http://Forums.ImprovedTouring.com/it/smile.gif

http://Forums.ImprovedTouring.com/it/eek.gif http://Forums.ImprovedTouring.com/it/biggrin.gif



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MARRS #25 ITB Rabbit GTI (sold) | MARRS #25 HProd Rabbit
SCCA 279608

[B Schley]

I have a 2002 Excursion with the V-10. So far all I have done is the K&N filter. It tows my 16ft. steel trailer and my Crx like there is nothing behind it. I get about 12-13mpg when loaded. I also use the weight distribution hitch, which is one of the best purchases I have ever made. In the future I may chip it and do some exhaust mods, but as the vehicle is right now, it is more than capable of doing the job. I absolutely love it, and could justify it to my wife because it is an SUV that "the kids can grow up in." Hope this helps.
-- Bill

[itbgti]

Whenry,

You mention a rear sway bar you added...what was your source? Since I have an Econoline, the application will be different, but a manufacturer name would be great. Also, I heard of putting one in the front (a lot of RV guys do this, and they say it improves handling immensely)..i think there is some all in one kit that includes front and rear bars and some bushings???

B Schley,

Thanks for your post, seems like you have the closest so far in weight to what I will be towing, and hearing that it is not a problem for the V10, I am very excited for my first tow with it.

[JohnRW]

Unless you're really going to fill the van up and run insane tongue weights, you probably don't need anything trick in the rear suspension. I had extra leaves added to my E-350 SuperCargo (the looooooong one), but only due to the tongue ### on my enclosed pig.

21 mpg @ 72mph no trailer
16 mpg @ 72mph w/ 5000 lb. gross open trailer
12 mpg @ 72mph w/ 8500-9K gross 24' enclosed

Gas is what you get after a bad meal.

Diesels rule, baby. E-350 7.3 Powerstroke w/3.5 rears & aftermarket Auburn limited slip.

[This message has been edited by JohnRW (edited January 15, 2004).]

[benspeed]

Hi Alan,

Hope the trailer is behaving for you. I've been really pleased with the '03 F350 FX4 V10. It has a great suspension and handles well. I haul a 24'' enclosed that is a Haulbrick 3000 pounds with about 1000 pounds of stuff and a 2700 car. Get about 10 mpg unhooked, 8 mpg going up to NH and 10 mpg coming home. I haven't done anything to it, but a K&N and chip might be in the works. I just set the thing on cruise, but it does like to shift up the hills and a deisel would probably just hammer along. Save about $4500 buying the V10, no noise or stinky exhaust.

If you're going to put mucho miles on it - go deisel. All I do is take it to the races so saving the $$ was right for me.

cheers,

benspeed

[eh_tony!!!]

I can concurr about the rear sway bar.
HUUUUGGGGEEE difference. As Whenry eludes to, you now drive the thing rather than piloting it.
mine is a hellwig, $130 or so from Whitney.
BTW, I'm not impressed with the way the stock hellwig mounts the upper links. I mod'ed mine (had to use that new MIG for something), but the factory one may be a better option.

Bilstien's help as well. (about 60-70% of the sway bar difference.)

[whenry]

My rear sway was the stock F-350 package and purchased thru a Ford dealer. The holes already exist in the frame for attachment. I made no change to the front.
The rear sway may help under towing with stability but you notice it more just in normal driving. I would assume that the rear sway would fit and help a van too since the drivetrain and frames are essentially the same.
I know that the PS is better drivetrain for mileage but when you consider the price difference, I would have to drive it many miles to make it pay. I still get about the same mileage as my previous Expeditions and better than any big block 'Burb that I've owned. YMMV

quote "Diesels rule, baby. E-350 7.3 Powerstroke w/3.5 rears & aftermarket Auburn limited slip."


yuk, they smell, they sound like they got a loose rod cap and youll use 4 gallons of deisel trying to find a station that carrys it out on the road. http://Forums.ImprovedTouring.com/it/smile.gif

[JohnRW]

Originally posted by 7'sRracing:
yuk, they smell, they sound like they got a loose rod cap and youll use 4 gallons of deisel trying to find a station that carrys it out on the road. http://Forums.ImprovedTouring.com/it/smile.gif

Ahhh...the 'green-eyed monster of envy'.

[Greg Amy]

Nah, the wide-eyed innocent monster of ignorance... http://Forums.ImprovedTouring.com/it/wink.gif

GregA, 10-yr-old E-350 diesel, 13 mpg all the way to Atlanta and back at 75-80 mph...ugly, but paid for.

[lateapex911]

Originally posted by grega:
Nah, the wide-eyed innocent monster of ignorance... http://Forums.ImprovedTouring.com/it/wink.gif
...ugly, but paid for.

Not to mention all those odd but sturdy spare forklift parts that keep popping out of the cracks!



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Jake Gulick
CarriageHouse Motorsports
ITA 57 RX-7
New England Region
[email protected]

Laguna Seca has a hill going into the track thats pert near staight up, last august I flew by one of them coal burners that was toting and open trailer with a miata on it, I was draggin a 24 travel trailer loaded to the gills with tool boxes, spare parts, 40 gallons of fuel, and a pit motorcycle. I say you cant beat a 10, under your hood or in the right seat. http://Forums.ImprovedTouring.com/it/smile.gif

[HOOSER 99]

Alan--Grassroots motorsports did an article in dec about pepping up a V10 they had in their motorhome with Banks powerpack.

jerry monaghan

"ball and chain??" sounds like the honeymoon is over

[eh_tony!!!]

Hang on here... a V10 beat a PSD?? Not in this century..

for $400 extra in mods, I now have 620 lf/ft to the wheels, over 350hp (wheel) get 20+mpg, block heater (heat works immediately in the winter) and have WAY better resale.

Look on ebay, the PSD's hold in my case at least 90% of the engine adder. (sometimes more than 100%)

[itbgti]

I think everyone will agree (or most of us) that a diesel is better for towing than a gas engine...would have LOVED to have one...but for me, the truck is going to sit 95% of the time, and will not move from Oct-Mar (except for some Depot runs). To cost justify a diesel was a big stretch..my ROI would have been in 2050 or something crazy like that...also, I already have a commuter vehicle, and a truck simply would not fit in the parking garage.

Thanks for the posts...notes:

Found sway bars online: http://www.suspensionconnection.com/cgi-bi...con/7085FV.html (http://www.suspensionconnection.com/cgi-bin/suscon/7085FV.html) thoughts?
Anyone with experience with Superchips?: http://www.totallycustomtruck.com/site/587...61/product/1715 (http://www.totallycustomtruck.com/site/587561/product/1715)



[This message has been edited by itbgti (edited January 19, 2004).]

same here, I was working at Ford and could have any truck I wanted with my blue oval D plan, I chose the V10 because 98% of the time its a daily driver and the v10 gets up to 65 mph in 2 shakes. I got my 03 F350 crew cab lariat for 29k out the door.

[JLawton]

Wait a minute, you have a V10 and you want MORE power? That's SICK (you MUST be a racer!!)

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Jeff L
#74 ITB GTi

[whenry]

I believe that my '01 V-10 was chipped with a SuperChip but would have to confirm with mechanic to be sure. I would think that any of the 3 or so big names in chips would be good. I think that the later models can be "flashed" rather than "chipped" but the effect is the same. It helps both power and mpg so just do it.

[EV]

My brother-in-law is the service director at a Ford dealership. He has a V-10 Excursion. I have an '04 F-250 4x4 with a V-10, 3.73 gears. He has done a few mods and suggested I start with a Mac air intake, then a Superchip programmer (the one you can change from power to tow, or back to stock), then exhaust.

As cash permits, I will do things in that order, Right now I am getting 14 on the road empty, 10-12 around town, and a measured 9.8 on the road, towing an 8000lb 5th wheel trailer.

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Enjoy,
Bill


[This message has been edited by EV (edited January 20, 2004).]

[eh_tony!!!]

Found sway bars online: http://www.suspensionconnection.com/cgi-bi...con/7085FV.html (http://www.suspensionconnection.com/cgi-bin/suscon/7085FV.html) thoughts?


[This message has been edited by itbgti (edited January 19, 2004).][/B][/QUOTE]

Yeah, I do...
The rear bar for the excursion is not like the one shown. While mine now works well, it was not exactly bolt on. Don't know if it would be a direct bolt on for the F350, but the Ex, it was not.

First problem.....
The U bend in the middle of the bar for axle clearance didn't. It would rub in a small spot against the hog's head.
After a bit of looking and measuring, I had to shim the mount forward and downward with a few washers on each side. Then grind the back of the bar ever so slightly to give enough clearance so that it would not rub under comression or rebound.

Second issue.....
The upper link mounts are designed more like these..
http://www.suspensionconnection.com/cgi-bi...ml?mv_arg=41807 (http://www.suspensionconnection.com/cgi-bin/suscon/bigimage.html?mv_arg=41807)

The upper mounting bolt goes through the link and into an existing horizontal frame hole. Problem is that is does not bolt to the frame, rather you are preventing up/down movement of the bolt by how tight the bolt/nut is. You only have the bolt head and tightening torque to provide this resistance. When you get real tight, you are sqeezing the upper link 'pivot' so to speak. Follow so far??
So, after about 5000 miles, the bolts worked loose and I had a terrible 'clunk' of the rear bar as it weighted/unweighted.

Finally removed said bolt and welded a piece of 1/8x1x3" steel to the bolt just under the head (kind of like a large rectangular washer, welded to the bolt). This seems to be keeping everyting in check up to now. I would really like to weld these "washer" plates to the frame, but the fuel lines are in the way.

Even now that I got rid of the clunk, I suspect that this arrangement still adds a fair amount of "sticktion" to the linkage... May not matter cause the truck weighs 7000+, but I'd like to see a better mounting arrangement.

The Ford factory bar mounts in a better way. If the difference is less than say $50, I'd go for the Ford if I had to do it again.


[This message has been edited by eh_tony!!! (edited January 20, 2004).]

[whenry]

The stock F-350 rear bar was pure plug and play for my Exc. The hardest thing was marking the axle so that you get the shock mount back into the same position. Ive checked it a couple of times when I was rotating tires and still tight. Go Ford stuff.

[JIgou]

whenry, do you happen to remember a ballpark cost for the F350 rear bar?

My '03 Excursion has a stock rear bar, but I've heard that the F350 bar is quite a bit bigger....and is a direct swap, so VERY simple.

Jarrod

[ITZ34]

I tow a 26' 8200lb trailer with car and gear with V10 Excursion. K&N intake and Borla exhaust. Tows like a champ. 12.5 mpg normal 8mpg towing @ 73mph. This is the smoothest motor at any RPM. It's a pleasure to drive. Wish mileage were better, but truck weighs 7150.

DC

[benspeed]

I've got the '03 F350 Super Duty FX4 Offroad Package V10 (how's that for a name?) - what is the suggested thing to help reduce the amount of shifts it makes on the highway when towing my 24' enclosed. It pulls great but does tend to downshift more than I like. How to add more torque? Chip, exhaust?

Thanks,

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BenSpeed
#33 ITS RX7
BigSpeed Racing
[email protected]
NNJR

[joeg]

Originally posted by benspeed:
I've got the '03 F350 Super Duty FX4 Offroad Package V10 (how's that for a name?) - what is the suggested thing to help reduce the amount of shifts it makes on the highway when towing my 24' enclosed. It pulls great but does tend to downshift more than I like. How to add more torque? Chip, exhaust?

With a Dodge Ram Cummins Turbo Diesel!

Thanks,

[Festus E. Simkins]

Benspeed,

If you are towing with an automatic and are using the Dverdrive you probably need to tow in Drive. I did this with my suburban and it really helps. I saw very little drop in fuel economy.

Drive well.

[whenry]

The chip that we installed into the V10 also adjusted the shift points. I do find that if I have not towed in awhile, the shifts are kinda sloppy for the first miles.
in response to the earlier inquiry about cost of OEM rear sway, I believe that it was $132 out the door. It will make a major difference in handling and cheap too.
I do get somewhat better than 10 mpg towing my 20 ft Wells. 12.5-13mpg in normal driving. 15mpg going downhill ie Knoxville to Roebling Road.