[cvdenson]

I don't think any of the differences are "bad" per se just different. But you can upgrade your rig with later options and stuff that the early '99s didn't come with.

My truck didn't come with keyless entry and I plan on having that using the factory keyless entry system. I'd also like to upgrade from the cloth seats to the later Lariat leather seats. I like them a lot.

Chris

 

[cvdenson]

I don't think there's any flaws. If I had to do it all over again, I would probably have gotten a 99.5 or later just for the simple fact that the aftermarket supports them better. I take pride in the fact that I have the powerstroke V8 on my fender, makes it rare.

Chris

 

[cvdenson]

Not at all. All of those mods can easily be gotten for the early '99. But it won't stop there. Once you get the modding bug, you begin to see what is supported and what's not. One of the biggest limitations is the turbo upgrades. Basically the only drop in aftermarket turbo for the early '99 is Bean's D66. After that, you basically have to upgrade to the later style up pipes, intake manifold, and a few other things to install a different turbo. But if you have a lot of $$$ it's no problem.

For what you want to do, here's what I'd do:

1. Air: DIY Tymer ($40)
Ford AIS (~$198) absolutely the best filtration possible. It flows better over stock.

2. Exhaust: MKO (ebay), MBRP, or Farmboys. All are very reasonably priced.

3. Chip: Either a DP Tuner or Tony Wildman. I have DP and it totally woke up my early '99. It's like a whole new truck. I've never run the Wildman chip but those that do love it.

Chris

 

[cvdenson]

Thanks CVDenson. This would only be a pulling rig, I have a 2007 F150 FX4 as my daily driver, but it doesn't pull my 7,800lbs trailer very well even with a CAI, Custom Tunes and a Magnaflow Exhaust, that and I'm worried about the tranny going out prematurely on it with pulling so close to my GCVWR (14,500 Max, I'm at 14,100). Thus my reason for looking into a 3rd vehicle just to go on our vacations with.

Caramon, no problem. We're here to help. I wished I would've looked for these kinds of forums before I purchased my truck. I'd like to address what Alabama has been saying about the intakes of the early '99. They suck! He says his motor was dusted. Basically these stock intakes tend to leak past the filter allowing dust particles and what not to reach the turbo and into the combustion chamber, hence the dusted engine. You can tell if an intake has not filtered well by removing the tubes and 1) looking down them to see any dust and 2) checking the fins of the turbo. If the fins look shreaded then walk away from the truck. When I bought my truck this is how my fins looked, but I didn't know anything about diesel engines at the time, especially the 7.3. My truck ended up being dusted and I replaced the motor and turbo with a complete drop in crate engine 40,000 miles ago. I sure have learned a lot since then.

I'm not a big fan of oiled air filters either, which is why I opted for the Ford Severe Duty Intake. These are pretty stout. The filter element is made from Donaldson who makes all the air filters for the military. I need a good filter anyway since I live in Yuma, Az. The airflow is better than stock and it works well for my application. Here's a link to one at Dfuser: DFUSER Diesel Performance Products Exhaust High Performance Part Diesel Intake Diesel Power Chips. Scroll down and you'll see it.

The light duty F250s that Alabama was talking about are in the same body as the F150 and were only run in the late 90's IIRC. DP tuner will increase you're mileage. For your application since you will be using a Superduty as a towing platform, the DP 40T and/or 60T would be good along with the 80 economy tune. If you can get your wife in on all the fun with modding powerstrokes, half the battle is done, and it just takes money. Always tell your wife that "it's for better gas mileage." Works everytime. :thumb:

Chris

 

[cvdenson]

Definitely get a DP tune, it really woke mine up.

Chris

 

[cvdenson]

The cup holder was my first mod....

Chris

 

[cvdenson]

Don't need one. Our turbo's have the wheel that the later models switch to avoid surge.

 

[cvdenson]

Rubberduck,
If I were you, I would ditch Superchips and the Edge and go straight to DP Tuner or Tony Wildman for a custom chip made for your truck. You won't believe the difference! When I got my DP and installed it, the truck seemed to pull hard throughout the powerband. Stock I was able to reach 17psi boost pressure and after the DP, 24-25 easily. DP or TW will be able to tune your truck in such a way to minimize the lag you feel.

 

[cvdenson]

THE PROBLEM WITH DITCHING THE BIG EDGE ATTITUDE IS I HAVE HAD IT FOR A WHILE, STILL IN THE BOX, HAD IT SO LONG IM GONNA CALL EDGE TO SEE IF THERES AN UPDATE FOR IT, BEFORE I INSTALL THE WHOLE THING, AND THEN THE OTHER GUY SAYS EARLY TURBO WILL SURGE TOO..... IM CON FUSED!!!! SORRY IM A PAIN IN THE *** BUT IM TIRED OF SHOPS GIVING ME AN ANSWER THATS NOT STRAIGHT AND IT DOESNT REALLY ANSWER MY QUESTION IN THE FIRST PLACE, PLEASE HELP ME, GETTING DESPERATE, TO PROVE MY DESPERATION GO TO GENERAL DISCUSSIONS AND READ THE WHOLE POST :COLD WEATHER WARM UP MODE: IM GETTING TIRED AND HOPELESS!
RUBBERDUCK:bdh:

Rubberduck,
I know how you feel. It's hard to find diesel shops that know powerstrokes because the fueling system is completely different than DMAX's and Cummins. If I were you, I'd sell the edge and put that toward a custom chip like many of us mentioned. As for the surge, I never experienced it with my truck and I've had it loaded with a 30' TT going up through the mountains. I can pull a max of 25psi right now. That's just my experience though.