Looking to buy a 7.3 Excursion... What should I watch out for?

[lww]

I'm in the market for a '99 to '03 7.3L Diesel Excursion and I'm looking for some guidance on common problem areas I should watch out for.

Transmission problems? Rear end's? I know about the problems with the early 6.0L and am avoiding them by default.

I prefer the 7.3L because of it's potential and simplicity over the 6.0L. I don't care about the low noise or better fuel mileage or even the improved power from the 6.0L. I think the simplicity of the 7.3L outweigh all those other benefits.

I need something big enough to carry the whole family (3 kids + mother-in-law + mom & dad) when going on trips and can pull a car hauler and at the same time have enough load carrying capacity to carry a full load in the back with the 3rd row bench seat pulled out.

I would love one with a pass through 2nd row, but I haven't seen one in several weeks of scouring CL and the common internet sites. Are these rare or non-existent?

Thanks in advance!

Cheers,
LWW

[Flawless_Ex]

Originally Posted by lww

I'm in the market for a '99 to '03 7.3L Diesel Excursion and I'm looking for some guidance on common problem areas I should watch out for.

Transmission problems? Rear end's? I know about the problems with the early 6.0L and am avoiding them by default.

I prefer the 7.3L because of it's potential and simplicity over the 6.0L. I don't care about the low noise or better fuel mileage or even the improved power from the 6.0L. I think the simplicity of the 7.3L outweigh all those other benefits.

I need something big enough to carry the whole family (3 kids + mother-in-law + mom & dad) when going on trips and can pull a car hauler and at the same time have enough load carrying capacity to carry a full load in the back with the 3rd row bench seat pulled out.

I would love one with a pass through 2nd row, but I haven't seen one in several weeks of scouring CL and the common internet sites. Are these rare or non-existent?

Thanks in advance!

Cheers,
LWW

From what i've read the 7.3 usually gets better mpg. I have one with 285/75/18 BFG A/t's and i see about 19mpg with the winter blend and inclement driving conditions. I currently have intake exhaust and a superchips tuner and this truck is just about perfect plenty of power, space and just about everything in between.

[DieselPowerGary]

yep the 7.3 is a rare find becuz of the 6 liter u can usually find some with 140k on them but nhot too often under that that r for sale. so happy hunting! i have not found a single problem with my 03 ex they r the best family wagon slash power house there is. i highyl recommend them to who ever is lookling for something like that.

[HOUTX01X]

ive had mine for 2 years now. i pull my travel trailer and 6 people on board no problems. mods in sig. i also have the captains chairs in back. it wa a hard find but i found one.. i like!

[ExtremeFord4x4]

Check autotrader I know a few nice 00-03 7.3's are on there.

[WSStucker]

Haven't had any problems with mine. I have heard of problems with the transmission (I have the "bad" trans in my truck) but I have had no problems. Search it if you want. I forgot what to look for to see if it is the "bad" one or not.
Great truck though. 2x4 gets 17 city 23 hwy w/ exhaust/diy intake and TW chip.

[Slippery]

Did you buy?

This guy has 2 for sale, a 2wd and a 4wd, at vegas.

2002 Excursion 4x4 7.3 Diesel

2000 Excursion xlt 7.3 2x

[Super Diesel]

I don't know if you ever bought one or not, but my ex-roommate did. Something you may want to look out for (I have no idea how common this may be, but it happened to my bud and resulted in a $1800 bill from the stealership) is the fuel pump, fuel tank, and sending unit... MAKE SURE that they're for a diesel truck. No idea why someone would have already replaced them on his truck, but they used gasser parts.

My ex-roommate bought a 2003 Excursion with the 7.3, ran great until the fuel system started acting up. Took it to the shop, they found that mistake. Got it all fixed up, and now he gets 26 mpg on the interstate. His only mods are an AFE intake, 4" MBRP exhaust, and a DP Tuner (60hp tow, 60 eco, 80 eco, and 120 race). Good luck!

[golfmedik]

I picked mine up at the dealer the day it was delivered. Only problems so far: water pump at88k, fuel filter bowl assembly(my fault-stripped screw), hub at 65k, exhaust up pipe broken at 158k and glow plug module at 163k. These are very durable vehicles with enough room to take the family anywhere. They can pull just about anything and they do it well. I've had Suburbans and Blazers in the past, but nothing can compare to the Xs versatility. Good luck in your hunt for an X.

[bensteward]

I've had my 2001 for a couple of years now, purchased with 58k miles. Almost immediately had to replace both front bearings. Within a year had to rebuild the transmission, and replace the glow plug controller.

@Flawless - was your mileage always ~19, or did that happen after mods? Mine gets 10 mpg day-in & day-out.