Sorting through all the cr@p!! Please help new Diesel owner!

[Just4Fun]

Okay, I have an 02 Excursion.. I plan to pull a 32 foor travel trailer on vacations, I'm a little heavy footed and other then that I really just want to kick the milage up a little..

So, I have a $400 budget to stick into mods, where do I start?

I was looking into a chip or tuner but that is hard to figure all the talk about out!! Nobody seems to agree on anything and it's just a huge pain figuring out what I need..

This ride is bone stock so any help you can offer is a HUGE PLUS for me!! With $400 what's my biggest bang for the buck?

I can turn a wench and mig with no troubles if that helps..

[Rodslinger]

WELCOME to Powerstroke.org!
I'll let one of the 7.3 guys chime in to help answer your question. If it were a 6.0 with your $400 and heavy foot I'd say an SCT hands down. Do you have gauges yet? That would the starting point if you're looking to start mod'ing.
Enjoy the site!

[MartyB]

Everyone here will probably say to get gauges first, and it is a good idea. However, if $400 is all your are going to put into it for a long time, then I would get a tuner or chip from a reputable source, and keep it set at around a +60HP setting. When your towing heavy, you probably need to back it down a little, or at least exercise a bit of caution in order to avoid high egt's. As for the mileage increase, I wouldn't expect much. Maybe a 1 mpg increase if your lucky.

[CHenry]

Welcome to the site!!
400 bucks won't do everything I"m about to mention but i would get a DP tuner (for the 7.3) and at very least an EGT guage and then consider opening up the exhaust with a 4" turbo back, free flow muffler and gut or delete the cat.

[Ranch96]

Do a search on the zoodad mod and diy intake. That will take care of your intake real cheap.
........ Then you can buy my edge evolution programmer I have in the for sale sections and be under $400.

[heloman27]

I'd get the 4in turbo back and an 18k module, of everything I've done that had the most wow factor, I'd say slightly more than even my ts 6pos and I believe it's almost the ONLY thing that will improve milage (not 18k though). I've been getting my best milage with 18k and TS OFF. I dont believe the hype that the chips help with milage, I towed a 5k trailer up north deer hunting (with Cruise on) and got 12mpg with the 18k on a little and the ts on 50hp, I think they hurt fuel milage. My other 99' bone stock 7.3 got 16mpg with a 9k trailer.

[ABOBB]

You don't say, but I am going to assume that your Excursion has an automatic transmission. I personally would say to make sure you get a trans temp gauge, especially with the fact that you will pull the travel trailer. The gauge on the dash is little better than an idiot light. You need a good gauge that will alert you ahead of time.

After that.. I would say ZooDad, and the DIY intake, DIY 10K mod. Those will give you good hp.. and reliability for why under 400.. would leave you some funds for a tuner, EGT gauge, etc.

I wish I had followed my own advice, and gotten the trans temp guage a long time ago... Might have helped my trans live a little longer. As it is.. it's lasted through 125K of abuse... and is soon gonna get rebuilt/upgraded.

Gauges are coming very soon, as well.

[Dave]

All very good ideas but if your going with the 10k or 18k definetly get an EGT gauge from what i hear

[Just4Fun]

Okay, looks like I can pick up a full exhaust on eBay right around my budget.. How do emissions work on the diesels? Just want to make sure I can pass them if I need to you know..

Also, for the gauges, any chance there is just a nice simple gauge that plugs right into some harness? Doesn't the six-gun have all the gauges included?

[stump0331]

the emmissions all depends on yur area, i have no testing so i dont worry about it, but you may have testing something ya might want to check into