Is an 05 any better than an 03/04?

T

terminaltsi

dirty
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Oct 15, 2009
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I really want an Excursion but don't want a lot of hassle with the engine. The 7.3 is nice, but they are so old now that I can't finance one but they're too high to pay cash for.
This leaves me with a 6.0. From what I hear the 03/04 is pretty problematic, but I've heard the later models are better.
Is that true? Did ford make some improvements?
Can it handle a 100hp tune reliably? I have no interest in pulling the body to do head studs just to handle 100hp, so if it can't, I'm afraid i'll have to go another direction.
 
I have a few friends with 05 and 06's, and they've been pretty much trouble free. My landlord has an Excursion with a 100hp Bully Dog tune on it. My other buddy ran a much bigger tune and lifted the heads a few times and had it studded, but he beat the tar on it for a good while before it started pushing coolant
 
The '05+ engines have better items like: Bigger water pumps, bigger oil rails, better HPOP's, better glow plug harnesses, and...quieter turbo's.
 
I had an 04 that was a great truck, other than turbo that the vains would ocassionaly stick and leave me with little to no power, but they aren't bad to clean.
 
With a 6.0l.. their all hit or miss it seems.. Some are great out of the box, some need TLC too keep them running
 
Just don't let it get hot. My father blew the end tank on his radiator and it barely got past the middle of the temp guage before he realized it but still had problems from that day forward. Apparently one little hot spell finished off the already weak egr cooler. He ran a superchips tuner on the 100 hp level for 175k with no negative effects on head gaskets though. As long as you drive somewhat sane, it oughta last but at least delete the egr. It'll cause you nothing but problems.
 
I'd choose an 05 just for the front suspension change alone. The leaf sprung trucks just ride like crap. The rest of the upgrades on the motor are just a bonus.
 
Lucky Jeff said:
I'd choose an 05 just for the front suspension change alone. The leaf sprung trucks just ride like crap. The rest of the upgrades on the motor are just a bonus.
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But the "Death Wobble" is nice, right???

Sorry...it's a 3/4 or 1 ton Ford TRUCK.

You want it to ride smooth, by a GMC.
 
Extended Power said:
But the "Death Wobble" is nice, right???

Sorry...it's a 3/4 or 1 ton Ford TRUCK.

You want it to ride smooth, by a GMC.
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Just because it's a TRUCK, doesn't mean it has to ride like CRAP. You kind of people crack me up. Can't buy the good stuff so you try to make excuses as to why your pos is ok LOL

I don't have death wobble btw. Thanks for the concerns though!
 
My 05 has had a 125 sct tuner on it for 16k never had a problem other than the ficm going out when i first got it. If you did get a 6.0 first thing i would do is get a coolant filter. That 200 bucks will save you $$$$ down the road. Never had a prob with her puking or lifting never been studded.
 
Lucky Jeff said:
Just because it's a TRUCK, doesn't mean it has to ride like CRAP. You kind of people crack me up. Can't buy the good stuff so you try to make excuses as to why your pos is ok LOL

I don't have death wobble btw. Thanks for the concerns though!
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That's right...they don't.....but they do.
If you think your Dodge rides as nice as my Ford, or my Ford is as smooth as a Chevy, your only kiddn' yourself.

Your opinion of what I buy, and "My kind of people"....is way off, so don't be judging me, or calling my truck a p.o.s.
 
Extended Power said:
That's right...they don't.....but they do.
If you think your Dodge rides as nice as my Ford, or my Ford is as smooth as a Chevy, your only kiddn' yourself.

Your opinion of what I buy, and "My kind of people"....is way off, so don't be judging me, or calling my truck a p.o.s.
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I've been in a lot of Fords, I've been in a lot of Dodges, I've been in a lot of Chevy's. Unless you have some super special Ford (which I highly doubt), I know how it rides, and it's crap in comparison. And like Forrest just said, the turning is a joke. You're the one who got butt hurt that Ford upgraded their front end suspension for a reason, don't just blame me for the obvious.
 
Mine does not have the death wobble...

Mine is an old 2003.

I like it, and it isn't a pos.

I didn't bring up the death wobble, someone else did...but I know GM product RIDE alot better then the Ford do, and I know that me For drides better then any Dodge.
 
2nd gen dodges ride like schit and fall apart from the day they leave the assembly line, only large amounts of cashflow can make them ride nice. hence the reason i wont buy another dodge :D
 
Extended Power said:
Mine does not have the death wobble...

Mine is an old 2003.

I like it, and it isn't a pos.

I didn't bring up the death wobble, someone else did...but I know GM product RIDE alot better then the Ford do, and I know that me For drides better then any Dodge.
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I took my brother for a ride in a friends 02 Ford... He got a headache LOL, He couldn't believe how crappy the ride was, and we were only a half mile down the road! Sorry, you'll never convince me Leaf sprung Fords have a better ride, I've been in far too many to know better.
 
my 3rd gen 4wds rode/drove fine.

my mega cab had 150k miles on all factory original suspension... I regularly drove 90+mph on the highway. not a single issue
 
I'll agree, I've never been in a Ford that rode better than a Dodge or GM. And I've been in alot more Fords than Dodges or GMs. They ride like chit, turn like chit, and save the 6.4, often run like chit. Although I've seen more than a few 6.4s on the shop floor too, so guess that's out

bif
 
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