Best Mileage with 7.3 PSD Excursion

[MT56POWERSTROKE]

Hey,
I was wondering what the best mileage anyone has seen with the 7.3 excursion. I am just about to put a Jobe Performance Intake on and then I am going to get an Edge Evolution with some BD tunes for the 7.3 and this company says I will see 24mpg no problem. They say they are getting over 30 with there 2 wheel drive X with some other mods too. I am going to go with a 4 inch soon but was thinking of cutting out the muffler and running it as a straight pipe until I have the money. The inside diameter of the stock pipe measures 3.5 so that is pretty good to begin with. Has anyone else done this and is it too loud inside the vehicle when hauling the family? I love the power but where I live I have to drive 90 miles to the nearest Walmart so MPG is pretty darn important to me right now. Any input would be appreciated and details on what other people have seen. Thanks

[GOT14U]

I would think it would be way to loud. since you have all cab over your whole frame(unlike trucks with their beds) it will carry all that sound from the back. IMHO

if anything i would yank the guts out of your cat and leave your muffler alone. that has more resistants i do believe.

[MT56POWERSTROKE]

Does it have a cat, I only saw a muffler but I could be wrong?

[GOT14U]

Originally Posted by MT56POWERSTROKE

Does it have a cat, I only saw a muffler but I could be wrong?

i honestly can't say for sure either. I am far from a mechanic or ford specialist

[buellbike2]

i have done the muffler on both my vehicles. it not that loud inside. the turbo will be more noiser. but it makes them sound alot better imo

[MT56POWERSTROKE]

Thanks for the info, that is what I wanted to hear. More turbo noise, thats all good! That is something I will enjoy. I just did not want it too loud inside since its our family vehicle. Thanks

[bosspsd]

Once got 21 mpg traveling from minneapolis to chicgo. This was in a 2000 running a superchip 1705 and a walker big truck muffler. Had the cruise set at about 78

[detroitfd]

No body gets 30mpg with an Ex. They're pullin yer chain.

I usually get about 18-19 mpg with a mix of driving, using my 80 econo tune. I get about 14 with my 7000 lb camper on it. Much better than the 12.5/6 I was getting with my 360 has motor.

[MT56POWERSTROKE]

Heck ya, those are pretty good numbers. The thing I love about diesels are, they last longer,way more tuneable,way better power and torque for towing, and top of it all, way better mileage. I will post my numbers when I get all my mods done and maybe as I go, since I will have to do one at a time due to money like most folks. Thanks
Ben

[clamgulch]

I once got 28 mpg with stock tires, stock height, 4" exhaust, 55 mph on flat ground with the cruise control on and 100 degrees ambient temp. Then I lifted it, put fat tires on it, put the edge evo on it and never saw above 14 mpg again. Winter blend knocked it down to 11 mpg.
It will be interesting to see what the Cummins does for mileage. I'm seriously thinking of dropping the height WAY down and going back to stock tires.

[Hairball]

I live up in the sticks in Michigan and have been averaging 12.5 around town over the past couple years (at best, with no idling). I added the 4" MBRP and Edge Evo II running on extreme with a light foot (amazingly) and have been averaging about 24, with around 12/13 while towing my 7k travel trailer. Yeah, the stock exhaust is 3.5, but not all the way through. Some of the bends flattened to about 2 inches in places... looked like some guy bent the pipes over his knee or something. I was totally blown away when I pulled my old exhaust off and saw them side by side... the downpipe comparison was ridiculous!! Even though I knew my wife could care less, I called her out to look at it, and even she was blown away by it. Which kinda made me happy in a stupid sort of way. Haven't really taken it on the freeway yet, but I'm transferring to the DC area this summer, so we'll see how that goes. I'm not looking forward to that fuel bill! Anyways, just my experience, but hope it helps.

[pabrannan]

You all are living in lala land if you think you will get good milage with the X. I have kept hand calculated figures since 2001 and I can say for a fact my milage is as follows:

In town: 12 to 14 ish
Hiway: 18 to 22
Towing about 8k 10 +-

For the last 60k or so I have had a Walker big truck muffler, Jody's tunes(DP-Tuner), AIS air intake, and OEM tires and the above is all I get.

Anybody telling you you can get 28 is blowing smoke you know where!!

Good luck on your moddin...........

Paul B

[jafo]

My first X, a 4x4 2000 Limited, got 21 at its best on a trip to our place in Canada (good cool UP Michigan and Canadian air and 60-65 mph). It routinely gave 12-13 pulling a 28' Active Thunder offshore boat at 70 mph.

The '02 Ultimate hasn't seen any better than 18 highway and 11 towing, although I haven't done any mods to it yet, and it's running on 285's instead of the stock 265's the 2000 ran on. Bigger tires = more rotating weight = less mpg.

Keeping these trucks under 2000 revs is the best route to good mpg. They have a poor aerodynamic footprint, and my experience has been that high wind will greatly affect fuel economy. Lifting the truck increases the aerodynaic footprint, and bigger tires = more weight to turn. Both will decrease fuel economy- my friends love their lifted 7.3 equipped trucks with big tires, but biitch all the time about their mpg's. IMHO, 285's are plenty- I'm actually thinking of going back to stock, or trying something same height but skinnier.

[MT56POWERSTROKE]

Hey guys, thanks, because all this helps. I am going to be doing the exhaust soon, and she is getting a 4 inch. Thanks for letting me know about the stock exhaust, I appreciate that. I did notice some pretty narly bends and I bet a 4 inch with a 4 inch downpipe will help alot. I am getting my Jobe Performance Intake tomorrow after waiting forever, so I will post my results from that. My x is lifted at about 4 inches with 33's, so I know that is not working in my favor, but after I get the power up there hopefully that wont be hurting me as much if I drive it nice. Has anyone used a Bank's power elbow on the 7.3?? Please let me know,as its something I want to try. I know its overpriced but I have been unable to find the same thing from any other companies. I wish I could run a diesel performance shop or something, I just love this stuff. My wife sure is sick of me talking diesel all the time, but oh well!!

[teepee28]

I am getting 18.2 on 80HP setting in town and around 22.5 on the highway. however that is on the Ford computer. Which i think could be off from my chip and other mods.