Which would you choose ?

[DT75FLH]

Which would you choose ?

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If you had a choice, for mild trails and overnighters/overlanding.....

a 2000 7.3 excursion?

a 98-02 dodge ECSB with the 5.9

7.3 f-350 CCSB pickup in the 250-350 variety.

The excursion with a mild lift 2-4" and 33-35 in tires ...I could throw the dogs and the wife in and go..

the pickups would require a flipac or similar cap ......

I have a rock crawler ..this would be for the Mohave trail etc.....

I like both engines and am not afraid of some miles due to there both B10 rated med duty engines....

both trucks have mild tranny issues....

and the Dodge's hold there value and are more expensive right out of the box...

and I found a decent excursion for a fair price and has 155k on it.

my concern with the excursion would be too much body flex? should i worry?
at least with the PU, the cab and bed have some flexibility independent of each other..

well....waddya all think?

 

[lstzephyr]

hmm I'd be tempted to say excursion but I hate automatics so personally I'd choose whatever had a manual.

It is very nice not to have a seperate truck bed(heated so its not cold when you stop) on the flipside its quicker to heat the cab.

I really like my cummins. Its really surprised me with just how good of an engine it is. I've become a diesel geek, and its all my trucks fault.:elkgrin:

Have you seen dbried's suburban? I bet an excursion would be easy to setup like that and I really like that idea(no setup or take down of camp, stealthy, etc, check the "suburbans for my brother" thread) and I would love to copy that in some sort of fullsize truck like a ramcharger/bronco/blazer.

http://www.expeditionportal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=32257&page=3

 

[Larry]

I would take the 98-02 Dodge with the Cummins any day of the week. Especially, a Dodge with a NV4500 manual trans. A 5.9L Cummins, NV4500 trans, Dana axles with a Flip-pac would be a tough combo to beat if diesels are your thing. I am more of a gasoline guy but if I ever purchase a diesel it will be a Cummins. No Ford trucks or International diesel engines for me thank you very much. :costumed-smiley-007

 

[Rozzi]

I recently sold my F250 supercab 7.3 4x4 with 6 spd manual. 200k miles and clutch was original and no problems with truck other than recent glow plugs. I would go for a 7.3 Excursion. Ford sheet metal is definitely superior to the Dodge. The 7.3 is a proven engine as well. While I like what Dodge builds and the 5.9 is incredible, I'd opt for the 7.3 Ford Excursion. They are very hard to find in our area. Most sell in a day or two unless outrageously priced/high mileage. Good luck in your search.

 

[DT75FLH]

Thanks for the replies.....

Im not a fan of the ford heiu? injectors as there around 3k to replace....but ive owned a 02 7.3 and i like the fords....

i also owned a 04 dodge and currently have a 08 ford f-350...

the 6.4 is a GREAT motor and i love the truck but the fuel milage due to the DPF is a joke. The f-350 is my pulling truck...

I have a line on a 2000 7.3 excursion with 155k miles on it....I agree they are hard to find with the 7.3

I like the dodges also but you pay a 2-3k premium due to the engint or they all have 200k on them....


for gas motors I like the 6.0 and my buddies 8.1 chevy...but with the ford and dodge you still get a live axle unless you do a swap to a OBS chevy sub.


I'm leaning toward the exu...well see what they want to give me for my bronco....

 

[DT75FLH]

also both the 7.3 and the 5.9 cummings were rated the same B10 for the medium truck market...

that means 10% will need a rebuild at the 200k mark and B50 where 50% will need a rebuild at 350k miles

 

[DEEZLPWR]

the dodge, although im partial to them.

i have a 01 CTD, its nice on the trails. plenty of room with a topper and i have a winch etc etc....

 

[jp0863]

They each have their advantages, but for longevity and mileage, the cummins would be the way to go. the 7.3 is a great motor, but there are more things that are "common" to go out. My dad has a 7.3 in his 02' f-350 and has had injector issues, cam sensor issues, and most recently issues with the injector sensors. Carry a spare cam sensor and learn how to change it. The cummins is not without its issues, but throw in a good lift pump like a fass or airdog and you should be good to go. If you leave the power stock, both the dodge and ford transmissions will do fine with regular service and a good cooler.

 

[jmacjgm]

I'll take the Dodge with the Cummins 6cyl anyday. I love the fact that I can crawl over pretty rough terrain in 4-Low without even touching the pedal. The 12 valve Cummins has awesome low rpm torque. My stock engine/tranny has 400 ft lbs @ 1500 rpm. Also, the 12 Valve's Bosch P-7100 mechanical fuel pump will pump just about anything you pump through it.

 

[akfj40]

i vote excursion

 

[DT75FLH]

They each have their advantages, but for longevity and mileage, the cummins would be the way to go. the 7.3 is a great motor, but there are more things that are "common" to go out. My dad has a 7.3 in his 02' f-350 and has had injector issues, cam sensor issues, and most recently issues with the injector sensors. Carry a spare cam sensor and learn how to change it. The cummins is not without its issues, but throw in a good lift pump like a fass or airdog and you should be good to go. If you leave the power stock, both the dodge and ford transmissions will do fine with regular service and a good cooler.

yep...those are known issues withthe 7.3, ford came out with a tsb ref both, and they have an upgraded CPS..plus there like 80.00 so i can put a spare in the truck
everyone i know who put a spare CPS in the truck has never had to us it :sombrero:

you also need to keep up on the coolant additive....but thats pretty much it

dodge has there lift pump inj pump issues and some of the older trannys would need a rebuild sooner..

I love the dodge but it be nice if it was raining not to have to exit the truck....just climb over the seats and be done

 

[78Bronco]

I would go with the 7.3L Excursion even if it was an auto.

 

[19psi]

i love the excursions, and i love the cummins. how about making an excursion with a cummins in it? j/k i'm sure that's more than you want to deal with. if you plan to leave it mostly stock, i'd get the excursion.

 

[Rimor]

Well by the time everyone adds their two cents you'll have enough to buy both!

Body;

I love the functionality of the Excursion. The room you have inside plus roof space for a rack, RTT etc.

Powerplant;

As far as my research has told me the 7.3 Power Stroke is a light duty engine. I'm quoting KEENO on this;

I would like to submit this fact: The Cummins is the ONLY Medium Duty Diesel offered in the pick-up market. Ford & GM only offer Light Duty Diesels at a lower durability rating. (unless you get a Ford F650 or F750, then the Cummins is an Option at additional cost over the PowerStroke)

From Cummins in regard to Diesel definition & Emission expectations:

Thanks for your email request about emission duty cycles.

There are 3 levels of EPA certifications:
Light-heavy duty, Medium-heavy duty and Heavy-heavy duty.

Light-heavy duty engines............expected emissions warranty life 110,000 to 120,000 miles
non rebuildable engines limited gross weight capability

Medium-heavy duty engines.......expected emissions warranty life 185,000 miles
rebuildable engines for vehicles up to 33,000 pounds

Heavy-heavy duty engines.........expected emissions warranty life to exceed 500,000 miles
rebuildable engines for heavy duty use for vehicles up to
120,000 pounds

Cummins only sells Medium-heavy duty or Heavy-heavy duty engines for vehicles in excess of 8600 GVWR.
The engine life-to-overhaul expectations for the Cummins B5.9 series 12 valve mechanical engine is 300,000 miles and 400,000 for the ISB 24 valve electronic engines.
The C8.3 and L10 engines have expected life-to-overhaul or 800,000 miles.
The M11 engines have 900,000 miles and the N14 has one million mile expected
life-to-overhaul.

http://www.expeditionportal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=24988

It is important to remember that the T444E is and is not the 7.3 Power Stroke

http://www.internationalpowerstroke.com/t444e.html

One thing to watch out for on the Cummins is the dreaded 53 block;

http://stamey.info/Truck/Cummins53BlockFAQ.htm

On the Power Stroke the problem is the valve cover gasket/injector wiring harness

Powertrain;

Now as far as the rest of the powertrain goes I would again say Dodge because of the manual trans offering especially the NV5600 6-speed.

Suspension;

I love the fact the Dodge has coils in the front, just personal preference.

Conclusion;

I could really go on for days on subtle differences, edges/advantages on either side but I would choose which ever one gives you a tickle when you drive it.

But what do I know? I have a Yukon!

 

[DT75FLH]

power Stroke trim. Subtle changes between the 2 engines include:

•Accessory drive & various engine sensors.
•Turbocharger
•water pump
•The T444E block is painted blue
•The PCM's (Powertrain control module) are different, thus the different power ratings offered between the 2 engines. For example, the T444E was offered in ratings up to 620 lb-ft torque, where as the Power Stroke was only offered with peak torque reaching 525 lb-ft. However, you may also notice that the 275 HP rating of the Power Stroke is much higher than any HP rating of the T444E.
•T444E uses a mechanical fuel pump, requiring a different camshaft

yes there are very minor diff for the t4443 and the power stroke..


i do agree that for max longevity it would be a good idea for a manual tranny in the dodge..

dodge also has the trac bar issue that would be another added expense

lots of good info you posted....

gives me more than my small view and helps with the decision process