Thread: 2000 Ford Excursion Cummins Conversion

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I hope you guys don't mind me posting the progress of this build since I can't give updates on anything old right now. I've been searching for a long time to find an Excursion. I finally found one, and this is going to be my wife's daily driver and the vehicle we take on trips. We have 2 kids right now and a third on the way. So, an Excursion with 3rd row seating seems logical. This was a V10 auto truck and has 4:30 gears. My plan was to take the VE 24V from my 76 Chevy and put in this. More on that later. So, I want this done sooner than later and I decided to buy engine mounts. This was the first time I have done this on a conversion of my own. I called up Auto World and talked to my lady friend Dawna. She got them to me in 3 days!

Last weekend my brothers moved trucks around and on Monday morning last week we put the Excursion in the shop. I installed the Auto World engine mounts, and then set the engine in the truck. Tuesday I finished installing the engine in the frame, and put my tach tone ring on. I then decided to see if the engine would turn over since it's been sitting for a while since I rebuilt it. Son, of, a B****. That was a big no............. Now what? I gave thought to putting a 12v in it but the only one I have is saved for the 72 project of my brothers. Luckily I have 1 more 24v complete without fuel system. It has high miles but ran good and didn't smoke. So on Thursday we moved stuff around and got the other 24v in the shop. We also tore apart the old engine. Water got in it and #6 cylinder was rusted pretty bad. I tried cleaning it and honing it, but it's too bad. When we pulled the pan there was water in there and the crank and rods are really rusty. The cam is really rusty too. Nick and I got the engine broke loose too. It's really weird, the cam and crank gears had hardly any rust on them. The injection pump gear was really rusty though. Must be the different mixture in the metals? IDK

So right now I'm in the process of swapping the new 24v over to a VE. The injection pump is at the pump shop. They're waiting for a 3200 gov spring, and I'm going to order a Denny T Stage 2 fuel pin. I'm hoping to have the engine in the truck by the end of the week and get cracking on it. I have 4" exhaust and an aero turbine muffler for it, a rebuilt 47RH, a single disc billet torque converter, and a rebuilt 241DHD small out put for it. I'll be using a Procomp black pump for a lift pump with a 24v filter head for fuel/water filter. I'm going to put 3:55s in the rear end for now. I'm hunting for a D60 for the front, but in a hurry. I need to get it going and then reccop some funds before I get to that point. Here are some pics.











Today I didn't get much done on it. I did hook up the battery and test the blower motors, rear window vents, front and rear windows, power locks, and I got the radio working too. This thing even has a 6 disc CD changer, and it had 5 free CD's in it, and the changer works. Sweet!

Neat project Ryan! The Excursion looks to be in really good shape too!!!!

why didn't you just use a 7.3????????

Originally Posted by 40FordDeluxe

I hope you guys don't mind me posting the progress of this build since I can't give updates on anything old right now.

Today I didn't get much done on it. I did hook up the battery and test the blower motors, rear window vents, front and rear windows, power locks, and I got the radio working too. This thing even has a 6 disc CD changer, and it had 5 free CD's in it, and the changer works. Sweet!

It's the simple things in life we live for right?!?!?

and thanks for the project pics! I don't mind if it's not old, it's different!!

Originally Posted by jerry clayton

why didn't you just use a 7.3????????

Thanks guys. I'll keep the pics coming as I go.

Jerry, I didn't go with a 7.3 for several reasons. The main reason is I have no extra 7.3 parts anymore. Another is parts are still pricey for a 7.3. Injectors, high pressure oil pump, ECM, IDM, turbo, I could go on and on. Plus the 7.3 won't get the mileage that the 5.9 will, and I'll have more power than a chipped 7.3. Also, with using the 47RH trans, there will be no stand alone controller, or throttle pressure sensor too mess with.

Hey Ryan, are those Excursions built on a 1/2 ton or 3/4 ton chassis??? Still thinking on my new toter!

Originally Posted by Dave Severson

Hey Ryan, are those Excursions built on a 1/2 ton or 3/4 ton chassis??? Still thinking on my new toter!

Same style of frame as a F-250 and F-350. It has a Dana 50 solid front axle, and the rear axle is the Sterling 10.5. Which is the same as all single rear wheel super dutys. In late 2001 Ford did away with the dana 50 front, and only the D60 was put in the Super Duties. Ford has several different leaf spring codes, and I'm going to swap in some X code front springs later on. Guys say they raise the excursions 2" using X code springs. I guess Ford put different springs in the Excursions to try to get them lower to fit in garages. I can't lift in much, my wife will have a coniption fit.

I'd want to go the other way. Do away with the 4wd and lower the thing!!!! I do like the looks of the Excursions and all the seats inside!!! Might have to add them to my list of potential candidates for the Cummins transplant!!!!

Originally Posted by Dave Severson

I'd want to go the other way. Do away with the 4wd and lower the thing!!!! I do like the looks of the Excursions and all the seats inside!!! Might have to add them to my list of potential candidates for the Cummins transplant!!!!

A 2wd one should be easier to find, you'd think! My friend has an 02 Limited Excursion with a 7.3. We towed my corvette and a 28' trailer that was 8.5' tall and 8' wide, with double walls and floor, to Bowling Green Kentucky. We had 6 people in it and maintained an average of 70mph and got 10-11mpg. Can't beat that really. I've been hooked on excursions ever since.

Ryan

I have a 1999 F350 crew cab, single rear wheel2 wheel drive---tow a 44 ft triple axle trailer at those speeds and will average 17-19 mpg-If we stay below about 76-77mph the fuel economy is good--if we run high enough that you can hear the fan clutch lock up the mpg will drop quite a bit-------------

Just seemed to me that the 7.3 would take all ford stuff and everything would be compatable--------

Jerry, those MPG's sound pretty good. I've had buddies with 02 7.3's that have hand calculated 26mpg running 75-85 on the high way. So some of the 7.3's do get great mileage. Usually that isn't the case. You're right, if I went with a 7.3 everything would have bolted in. But I'd have to purchase all those parts. Engine, trans, wiring harness, ECM, IDM, PCM, and fuel lines, and fuel sending unit. Plus, then I'd have another 7.3 to work on. Haha

Well, it's about time I get back on here and be more active. I've been really busy the past month or longer trying to get something done. I'll bring this thread up to date, but unfortanatly, this one isn't done yet. Here are some pics.

My little girl getting ready to help us push it in the shop.



New to it engine installed.




47RH trans rebuilt by Phoenix Trans ready to go in.



Billet single disc torque converter



Gas tank dropped. There was 36gal of gas in there. Talk about heavy!



Engine in and turbo hung.



Upper Radiator hose modified



Building/modifying fan shroud

Fan shroud done and ready to paint




Water inlet pipe, aka lower radiator pipe, built.





Turbo down pipe building




Here it is sitting back outside because we had to get the Corvette in the shop to get the transmission put back in it.



I have to finish the fuel system, rebuild the turbo, build battery cables, add fluids, and then I might be ready to start it. I have the intercooler piping done, ran trans cooler lines, got the drive shaft made and installed, we swapped 3:55's in the rear end and installed new pads and calipers. The exhaust is on and hangers are installed. My Dad built the trans shift cable bracket, so now we can shift the trans. I got a new A/C compressor, so now I have to get the a/c lines figured out. It is getting closer.

I'm inspired every time I read your posts, Ryan. Your creative ingenuity is to be commended. Your "I-can-do-that" attitude is remarkable and even more so because you seem to keep your ego in check and come across as a very humble individual.

And the picture of the little princess pushing the big ol' Excursion!! Priceless!

Keep up the great work and keep posting the progress!

Regards,
Glenn

Thanks Glenn! I guess being raised to do with what you have and what you can do has really helped me a lot. My Dad always tells me,who cares if you screw it up. Get another one and try again. At first he thought my diesel conversion stuff was just a phase until I did the first 3. The next back then was his truck. I always look for things I can reuse or ways I can do it myself rather send it out and wait on some one else and then hate it and have to redo it myself later any way. I got stuck on this diesel stuff and now I have it stuck in my head that everything needs a diesel. It's just my way of doing something different. My brothers and I were already trying to decide what we wanted to do next. I'm making them as bad as me. Yeah, I thought it was hilarious when my daughter "offered" to help push Mommy's new car. I guess she doesn't like the Caddy anymore than I Haha