Which model/motor do you recommend for an E350 build?

D

deserteagle56

Adventurer
tgreening said:
Something to consider when talking towing, a V10, and a van. By all accounts its a great reliable, and fairly powerful engine. But it makes that power at around 4000-4500 rpm. And you'll be sitting right on top of it. I had one in my Excursion and pulled an 8500 lb tag along with it. I got tired of listening to that thing scream realll fast. Highway was 8-8.5 at best while towing. I tow almost exactly double the weight now with a 6.4 diesel and still pull in at around 8-9 mpg.

General maintenance might be a bit more on the 7.3, but it wont be enough to break the bank, and it'll make its power pretty much right at highway cruising rpm. To me its a towing no-brainer, especially since you plan to do a lot of it.
Click to expand...

What he said! I drive a 2007 E-350 V-10 Quigley on 33s. It took me a long time to get used to that engine screaming at 4,000 rpm every time it had to climb a mountain pass...it still bothers me a bit, especially after a long day behind the wheel. I'm too used to the Cummins in my Ram loping along at 2,000 rpm and never having to shift down no matter what the grade. But the E-350 has been very reliable - in the years I've owned it the only thing ever needing worked on was the cruise control (brake sensor). Mileage, by the way, has been 12 mpg the whole time I've owned it.
 
Heloflyboy

Heloflyboy

Adventurer
I have a 2wd EB E350 7.3. I pulled a 11k trailer in the mountains up to 9K' we got 13 mpg on a 250 mile trip.
I average 16mpg in mixed hwy and city driving.

Good luck.
 
sixstringsteve

sixstringsteve

Explorer
how about engine noise and heat? I'm really leaning towards a 7.3L. Is it any noisier in the cab than a v10 screaming at 4000 rpm?
 
T

taylor3633

Observer
I have a 2003 Quigley E350 with the 7.3 and the thing that I learned was that proper insulation (both noise and heat) of the dog house is paramount. I originally had a doghouse with the standard insulation + some soundmat and traded a buddy who was junking his and his dog house had insualtion from a ship engine room; what a difference, night and day heat and sound!
 
P

philos

Explorer
taylor3633 said:
I have a 2003 Quigley E350 with the 7.3 and the thing that I learned was that proper insulation (both noise and heat) of the dog house is paramount. I originally had a doghouse with the standard insulation + some soundmat and traded a buddy who was junking his and his dog house had insualtion from a ship engine room; what a difference, night and day heat and sound!
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+1, what a difference in a properly insulated and sealed doghouse makes on a diesel. I can actually hear my kids now without them yelling; not that they've stopped yelling at all...
 
Bikersmurf

Bikersmurf

Expedition Leader
philos said:
+1, what a difference in a properly insulated and sealed doghouse makes on a diesel. I can actually hear my kids now without them yelling; not that they've stopped yelling at all...
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Do you know anything specific about who makes the insulation or what it's called. I don't mind the noise, but sometimes it is hard to hear the kids. Insulating the doghouse would be straightforward compared to the floor and firewall.
 
P

philos

Explorer
I pulled the factory insulation, then put:
a layer of BUTYL sound dampener sheets (covered the entire surface).
a layer of foil-backed felt/jute with spray 90 on BOTH surfaces.
last was the factory insulation glued back down with more spray 90.
There's room for more layers of felt/jute, but one with the butyl seems like enough for me.

Check the cleats on the floor to see if they've bent up at all, and smash em back down a bit if so.
You want a good tight seal all the way around the doghouse each time you remove/reinstall :)
 
sixstringsteve

sixstringsteve

Explorer
great info on this thread. I just sold my miata (man, I already miss that car), and we're in the market for the right 7.3L e350. I'll be watching the "vans for sale" thread like a hawk. If anyone knows of a lowish mileage 7.3L E350, please let me know. Extra points if it already has a 4x4 conversion.
 
3

350outrage

Adventurer
sixstringsteve said:
how about engine noise and heat? I'm really leaning towards a 7.3L. Is it any noisier in the cab than a v10 screaming at 4000 rpm?
Click to expand...

The v-10 is usually whisper quiet. The "4,000 rpm screaming" that was referred to above only occurs when pulling a load up a grade, or sometimes over mountain passes when you have to lock out of overdrive. Even then, its pretty quiet if you have stock exhaust, but you can def tell the v-10 likes to make power in the upper rev ranges. This works out great when its time to pass! :)
 
Bikersmurf

Bikersmurf

Expedition Leader
philos said:
I pulled the factory insulation, then put:
a layer of BUTYL sound dampener sheets (covered the entire surface).
a layer of foil-backed felt/jute with spray 90 on BOTH surfaces.
last was the factory insulation glued back down with more spray 90.
There's room for more layers of felt/jute, but one with the butyl seems like enough for me.

Check the cleats on the floor to see if they've bent up at all, and smash em back down a bit if so.
You want a good tight seal all the way around the doghouse each time you remove/reinstall :)
Click to expand...

Thanks for the tips, gas or diesel, we could all Benifit from better soundproofing.
 
H

hitek79

Explorer
Huge vote for a diesel for a couple of reasons. My wife and I sold our house last year and have been living in a travel trailer for about 16 months now. 8300 lbs dry weight, and I've been pulling it with a Chevy Express 6.0l gasser. It pulls it down the highway just fine, but I average about 6-8mpg.

i-zrpj7M5-XL.jpg


The next, and more important reason is the compression braking you will get with a diesel engine. With the stock brakes and trailer brakes on my setup, I have had a couple of pretty hairy descents coming down mountain passes. If you plan on spending much time out west, you will appreciate that a lot.

This isn't as important as the braking, but Das Bus has a V-10 in it, and it's made it up everything so far, but on long climbs, I'm barely hitting 35mph on the uphills. If you're pulling that kind of weight(Das Bus weighs about 12k loaded), you will again appreciate the diesel. Our climb up Monarch Pass this weekend was a long one.

i-qvftswv-XL.jpg


If this was just a weekend rig, the V-10 would be plenty adequate, but for your full time use, I really think you will want the diesel. And do the RSC upgrade on the axel. The brakes are well worth the extra expense.
 
D

DzlToy

Explorer
Luxury Liner Pro

Damplifier

Lizard Skin makes spray on heat control and sound control products that can be used together

Spectrum Sound Sludge and other products

Sound and heat control: http://sprinter-source.com/forum/showpost.php?p=148068&postcount=5
3M Automotive Thinsulate is hydrophobic, nonwoven, non-linting polymeric micro fiber. In other words, it does not attract or hold moisture and is ideal for the automotive and marine applications 3M designed it for. When I used the material I simply spray glued it to the back of the door and interior panels. Air spaces were retained (in the case of the doors, the material is inside of the plastic moisture barrier...it's not in direct contact with the exterior metal). Resonance damping materials have their place and DO have a big affect on noise caused by vibration in metal panels. The problem is that covering more than 25% or so of the panel is essentially a waste and doesn't provide greater dampening.

Mass loaded vinyl is a different animal as it is a sound blocker and ideal for the floor. It should be installed over a constraining layer for maximum effectiveness (1/4 in. closed cell foam works great but cheap foam underlayment material from the local home improvement store works fine too)...all seams need to be vinyl taped to prevent noise from leaking through. It's also very heavy (hence the term "mass"). I use this under the carpet and have used the 1/2 lb./sq. ft. version to minimize weight (it's also available in 1 lb. and 2 lb. per sq. ft.). The heavier stuff works better but I've found that the 1/2 lb. works well enough. Installed correctly, this actually prevents moisture from reaching the metal floor...never had a rust problem using it. (sounddeadenershowdown is a dealer)
 
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