7.3 Power Stroke Ford Excursion - Overland Trip Prep!

Preparing my 7.3 Power Stroke Ford Excursion for an Overland/Offroad Excursion through Colorado and Wyoming. I've got a 6,000 mile, 3 week trip, coming up, and the Excursion needs to be serviced and prepped.
I did a similar trip last year with virtually no issues or failures. So all I really need to do is a 5 Tire Rotation and Balance, change the oil, and all the filters, grease the driveline and suspension, and give it a good bath.
This 2000 7.3L Power Stroke Ford Excursion is equipped with a Carli Suspension Super Duty Radius Arm Suspension, and SuperDuty Dana 60 up Front, 4.30 Gears and Air Lockers from Yukon Gear and Axle, A1 Transmissions Stage 1 4R100, Tom Wood's Driveshafts, Trail Ready Beadlocks, BFG KM3 37x12.50x17s, SSBC-USA Brakes, Buckstop Bumpers, Warn 16.5 Ti-S Winch, KC Lighting, a KC300X Stage 2 Turbo, Full Force Diesel Stage 3 Injectors, Fuel Supply by Strictly Diesel, CNC Fabrication HPOP, Riff Raff Diesel bling all over.
See the Full Build Series of this Ford Excursion Overland Build on the Busted Knuckle Films KZbin Channel: https: • Ford Excursion Overlan...

[@freedomworx]

Check out the full build series on the Busted Knuckle Films KZbin Channel: kzbin.info/www/bejne/g6KWZ3yihdWFodE

[@MyCarGuyChris]

Dude. I’ve been looking for follow up Excursion videos from the BN channel and they have been here this whole time?!?!😂 love it. ❤

[@freedomworx]

Yeah, I started my own channel. It was actually BK Matt's idea for me to start a channel. Thanks for the sub 👍

[@BobOso72]

Man, I love this thing! About damn time it’s on here again.

[@freedomworx]

I’ve got to many rigs to have them all on here all the time 😉

[@user-in1mm5jy8q]

Man I’m jealous. Me and my wife did a cross country trip in my 4runner several years back before kids and all. We got an Excursion and I’m dying to take it out west on another adventure. Safe travels!

[@freedomworx]

Went out this time last year. A lot more snow to contend with this time

[@nosbigibby]

I'm liking that Driven Diesel Dual Bosch Fuel Pump setup with the water separator and oil filters. Allows for high quality fuel, with the reliability of two pumps in case one fails out on the trail; Great setup.

[@freedomworx]

Yeah, redundancy in the fuel delivery department was a no brainier for this build.

[@nosbigibby]

@@freedomworx Did you look at the FASS systems? Filtration down to two microns, but I don't think they offer a dual pump system unfortunately.

[@freedomworx]

No. I don’t know if there is another dual pump setup available. But the Bosch pumps are super reliable, and readily available if one ever goes out. So I didn’t see any need to look elsewhere.

[@paulcleary8137]

Drill (4) holes and put dowel pins in the front cover and diff housing, so it wont move because of the hydro assist. Then (2) holes in just the cover and thread them to use as jacking bolts to remove the cover.

[@freedomworx]

Not a bad idea 👍😎

[@j.f-ou812]

Nice rig you got there sir, I use 6 parts old dirty cooking oil to help keep costs down on my Ford oil changes.Yall be safe have some fun !

[@freedomworx]

Thanks for watching 👍. Safety Third 🤓

[@AndresLopez-km9cr]

Amazing video!!!! And a very beautiful excursion!! I have 2004 V10 2WD... You have guys have any video about air lock differential??? I dont know anothing about that, I call a shop nearby and they make fun of me because i dont know nothing about offroad... but its ok... Thank you for your time you guys

[@freedomworx]

Nothing specifically about install air lockers. You can do a mechanical locker with a lot less work. I have a Yukon Grizzly Locker on one of my street trucks, and it works great. But I do like having selectable front and rear lockers for offroad use.

[@AndresLopez-km9cr]

@@freedomworx great.. im going to look in to it and do it my self.. I will look online for that diff 👌👌 ... thank you very much

[@natersoz2]

Excursions are the Cookie Monster of batteries. And 60k miles per alternator. Like a clock.

[@freedomworx]

Nom Nom 🍪😈

[@DirtGod101]

I recently bought(about a year ago) a 2000 6.8L XLT Excursion since I've always been in love with them after first seeing them, story short, I was supposed to by the one my father and step mother were going to sell me but they would rather continue to be problems in my life, so I really got a kick out of watching the process of how you went about washing it, as I was tasked with washing it prior to being granted permission to buy it, I was in the process of going about things the same exact way you were when as soon as I got to the driver side front quarter, step mother comes running over to complain about me supposedly taking too long, then runs off to tell my father who went into one of his usual explosive fits where he grabs the rag I was given, slaps it into the 5 gallon bucket of dish soap and water, then proceeded to aggressively "wash" the lower section of the driver's door all while making remarks such as "you can not let the soap sit or it will ruin the paint!", "you ruin the paint, it will cost more than the trucks worth to fix it!", "I don't know what's so hard about washing the truck you just need to do it like this!", so needless to say, after spending 15 minutes "showing off" for what would only took me less than 3 minutes, they had me stop completely and go back to my chorse, which what really got me was they then had me finish washing it later that evening, at around 7PM, after the sun had set 😂, after I packed my stuff and left do to what are now legal issues against them, durring the pandemic, I was detailing vehicles for my friend who was doing mechanic work and often had vehicles to sell, having dove further into the area of automotive detailing, I will say this once I get the space and proper hook up's, I'm most definitely getting a pressure washer with a foam nozzle attachment and a multitude of spinning brush/polishing attachments for a cordless drill, I'm eventually planning on lifting my Excursion at least 5 inches and putting some 33s on it as I was driving a 03 F350 with a 10 inch air ride lift on 38s and I personally will choose the durability/longevity of leaf springs and coil overs over airbags as I'm fine with the ride quality being slightly less smooth, a few questions I have are when you swapped the puppy dog ear mirrors, where there any issues with wires/do they respond the same to the driver door adjuster? If I went to a 7 inch lift on 35s, would it be better to swap the drive shaft so the angle doesn't interfere with the suspension? Do you think it would be worth the money to put a supercharger on a 6.8L or would dual turbos be better(better throttle response for driving, easier get up and go for trailer pulling, over all horse's so I don't feel inclined to by a race car later)? Did you have any issues with your trunk hatch lock not wanting to lock, a few of my door locks seem to also not want to lock/unlock(I've had this issue on all the 4 Ford's I've owned)? Have you had any issues with your 4x4 wheel lockers, are they stock? Anywhos, please keep up the amazing content, I consider myself an automotive enthusiast and definitely enjoy what your uploads, my Grandfather was a mechanic before serving in WW2 and also was a race car driver in his off time, so I figure I have him to thank for my interest in the sorts, have a great one! 😊👍🏻

[@freedomworx]

Thanks for watching. I bought conversion harnesses to connect the newer mirrors, you won’t need 7” of lift for 35s (I’m running about 6” with 37s), no turbo or supercharger will be worth the money so just regear the axles to achieve the best performance (your efficiency will be awful regardless), I replaced every lock mechanism when I bought the truck because they are all failed or about to fail at this point, I have Warn Locking hubs because the factory ones suck (my axle is from a 2005 Super Duty so it’s different than what came under the Excursion).

[@DirtGod101]

@freedomworx No propblem! I appreciate the insight immensely, I was thinking a higher lift might help with keeping the tires from rubbing since the 38s on the F350 were 15inch wide Toyo County's, I eventually plan on rebuilding/bulletproofing the 6.8L which is where I figured if it could bear some extra power after, why not help turn the wheels by adding a supercharger or turbo charger since the trans should be good to a little over 500hp if not at least the 600's range. I've heard great things about Warn lockers, I'll definitely have to give them a look into since at 173k miles, I'm not sure how much the previous owner may had put the stock ones to use until I open up everything, at one point, I was considering a conversion to automatic lockers but I don't know how up I am for it with the install and also hearing that they can become finniky. I should be fine with the drive line layout then if Super Duty parts are interchangeable, I know suspension wise, most aftermarket Super Duty kits will fit but add an additional 2 inches, I did not know there were more then that and the cosmetic parts that were interchangeable, which makes sense as the Excursion is using the same power plant and frame, might as well use what else works 😂

[@hoagiesherlin7732]

Locked cocked and ready to rock

[@freedomworx]

It’s ready to empty my wallet. 😂

[@brokenwrench404]

You should upgrade to the newer 2008-2016 style side mirrors. They give you more area to monitor with no blind spots on long trips if you set them up right. Why didn’t you also upgrade to the carli front sway bar? It’s softer than stock but works better

[@freedomworx]

I might get around to the mirrors at some point, just hasn’t been a priority. They are prone to getting beaten up on tight trails anyway. And as far as the sway bar goes, I don’t need softer, I’ve got a lot of weight up high on the rig, so I need all the sway reduction I can get. I’ve got a Hellwig on the rear. 👍

[@shanecole8751]

if you have a min can you tell me the measurement from back bolt of radius arm to front top bolt. I ask because I'm looking at your front tire location and the "rake" of your coilover. I have pmf 3link and radius arm bracket on my excursion and I'm rubbing bad mid turn with 37x13.5. you did a great job on it inspired me to do similar.

[@freedomworx]

Thank you. What is rubbing? And what is the backspacing on your wheels. I haven’t measured my Carli Radius Arms, but I imagine they are exactly the same length as my Ford arms were. There might be a minuscule difference to restore the caster in lifted applications. Mine will rub the rear of the fender in some off-road situations.

[@shanecole8751]

@@freedomworx it's rubbing on the trim piece around the wheel well when the outside edge of the tire goes past on jackstands. I'm running a -44 offset with 3 1/2 sticking out. I have king 4-6 in coilovers its sitting between 4-5" of lift. looks like I can go forward but I'm 1/2 past what pmf recommends for a 7" lift. I look mainly at your rig when I'm seeing what it should look like or have questions.

[@freedomworx]

@@shanecole8751 well I’m running an 8.5” wheel with 5.0” of backspacing. Which is like +17 offset. And I’m on a 12.5” wide tires. And my tires have very little clearance turning even on flat ground. So I think your problem is wheels more than anything.

[@shanecole8751]

@@freedomworx probably, like I said it just looked like your tire sits forward compared to mine and your coilover is at more of an angle thought it was worth a shot. I had 38x15.5 -76 with a 12in lift on it before and everything cleared. to me it looks like my tire is back and my coilover looks almost strait up and down. I have all the room to move forward with the new bumper. Ill probably just fab my own radius arm bracket. thanks I appreciate your time.

[@nickmenchaca1061]

How much travel is in those coilovers? Sick build!

[@freedomworx]

Around 12” in the rear and 9” in the front.

[@itsm00t17]

How’s your Lee steering? I have an ‘02 7.3 EX on 37’s and have had nothing but trouble for over a year. Tried just their pump, filter and res, but that made noise and burnt through a pump in 6mo.. Then “upgraded” to their steering gear, hydro ram, and their new bosh ported hydroboost and beefy pressure line. Replaced all my other lines, filter and cooler and the system STILL wines. Steers kinda slow n hard. Lee was great with trying the help but they gave up. Your steering slow? Have any pump whine?

[@freedomworx]

Mine has been flawless. No wine or slow steering at all. I hate you are having issues.

[@itsm00t17]

Argh! I was really hoping you weren’t gonna say that😂 I took apart the system and tried to eliminate one element at a time, bled the thing 10,000 times and eventually gave up. Beginning to wonder if maybe my new cooler has some sort of defect in it restricting the flow. Stinks to drop a chunk of coin and end up with extra problems. Bout ready to road trip it to California and let them figure it out😂

[@freedomworx]

Sounds like you’ve got a suction restriction.

[@Kyle4America]

Can you send me the link to that rear bumber? Pretty please, and thank you in advance!

[@freedomworx]

www.buckstopinc.com/reunel-towing-rear-1784.html

[@esco1578]

How much was the total build? I'm obsessed with excursion

[@freedomworx]

Probably $80k without any labor. My friends and I did all the work. I’ve got a spreadsheet, but I’m scared to add it up.

[@thehymenhammer]

The real question here is...when is it coming up for sale??

[@freedomworx]

It’s always for sale 😉

[@Mike060504]

How is the ride with that suspension?

[@freedomworx]

Like a cloud of titties 😎

[@codytaylor4351]

Need to get yourself a foam cannon for your pressure washer. Washing sucks. I’m in the process right now of raptor lining mine. So much real estate to sand 😢

[@freedomworx]

It’s good cardio 😂💪🏼

[@williemcclure8513]

Promo`SM

[@freedomworx]

ART