A diesel Suburban experience?

[JWJ]

I love and admire my MBs. Not so with my VW TDI. It's an economy car that just happens to be diesel. Everything quality about it is less than a MB.

With our growing family we're looking at adding a larger truck to our collection for towing a travel trailer. Unimogs aren't perfect for this so we're looking at other brands.

So, what is a diesel Suburban experience going to be like?

Any other good diesel options for towing?

[BobK]

Just bought a diesel Excursion. 2000 model (7.3 powerstroke). Haven't towed with it yet, but looking forward to it. My 7.4L Sub was getting unreliable, costly, and with the price of gas, painfull. The X gets about 16mpg at 71mph cruise (in hilly KY). I figure it would do better at 65, worse at 75 of course. Towing should still be close to double digits. My sub never saw 16mpg in its life. If you go the diesel sub way, 1999 was the magic year.

[aklim]

Originally Posted by BobK

Just bought a diesel Excursion. 2000 model (7.3 powerstroke). Haven't towed with it yet, but looking forward to it.

The X gets about 16mpg at 71mph cruise (in hilly KY). I figure it would do better at 65, worse at 75 of course. Towing should still be close to double digits. My sub never saw 16mpg in its life. If you go the diesel sub way, 1999 was the magic year.

I am envious. Your Ex has Forged Metal Rods while mine (mid 01) has Powdered Metal Rods. PMRs limit you to about 400HP. It tows real nice.

Sounds about right. What mods have you done to it? I have towed an 8000# RV at about 10.5mpg.

01 Excursion 7.3L Powerstroke. Gauges with AIH Delete, AIS, CCV Mod, 4' MBRP, BTS Trans, 6.0L Trans Cooler and Intercooler, DP-Tuner F5 chip, ITP In Tank Mod and Boost Annihilator, Diesel Innovation's Regulated Fuel kit and BTS Big Oil system. Bilstein Shocks with U code front and A code Rear.

[t walgamuth]

I had several diesel suburbans. They are really nice vehicles to travel in with a family and to tow with. The only real drawback is that newer ones with the diesel are so f'ing rare.

Tom W

[BobK]

aklim, I just got it the 8th of Dec. No time to mod. yet. Gauge package will be first. Then probably the Bilsteins. Somebody put KYBs on it. As expected, they are toast already. Not sure what chip/tuner setup I want to go with. My goal is more bulletproof reliability than anything. 6.0 cooler will be needed before summer. Gotta find a cheap source. Heck, I don't even have a service manual yet and I've had it almost a month! That's way unusual for me. Did join powerstroke.org. Know any other sites that help? We keep this up and JWJ is gonna be looking for an X.

[aklim]

Originally Posted by BobK

Not sure what chip/tuner setup I want to go with. My goal is more bulletproof reliability than anything.

6.0 cooler will be needed before summer. Gotta find a cheap source.

Know any other sites that help?

Go with www.dp-tuner.com. I haven't heard of anyone who switch to him go back.

Ebay is where I got mine.

http://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=29
http://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=31
http://forums.thedieselstop.com/forums/
http://powerstrokenation.com/forums/index.php

[SwampYankee]

Originally Posted by JWJ

Any other good diesel options for towing?

I assume you're going with a "newer", mid-late 90's diesel Sub? I had an '86 with the non-turbo 6.2L and loved it. I never had to pull anything heavier than a 21' boat or a couple of sleds and it was more than adequate. The 6.5L turbo does have plenty more kick for towing heavier loads. They are getting increasingly hard to find in good shape.

As far as other diesel options, especially if you want a newer vehicle, a crew cab short bed might work and the Excursion could certainly do the job if your budget allows.

[Dee8go]

A Unimog sounds pretty cool. Bet you'd be the only one on your block with one of THOSE!

[sixto]

Can't comment on towing since I've only towed a small trailer with a walk behind concrete saw. Otherwise our 97 'burb TD has been a great [extended/multiple] family car. It gets 20mpg with 8 aboard if you avoid the fast lane. Coupled with the 40 gallon tank, Phoenix is a pack of Depends away

I wish the ride and height were more like a gasser C1500 than the C2500 that it is. Bilsteins and highway tires made a difference but it still thinks it's a truck. And it's freaking loud when the engine's cold. I mean B model Mack loud. Curious that you can engage the AC compressor with the blower off.

Based on what I've read at dieselplace.com, I don't get the sense that the 6.5 is an engine you want to push too hard mod-wise. Uncork the exhaust, bypass ECU control of the wastegate and reflash the ECU to some J-VIN or S-VIN spec with the right IP resistor. It won't take a lot more than that. The Duramax, Powerstroke and Cummins engines to respond better to mods and there are a lot more mods to choose from.

You might want to check dieselplace.com for B100 compatibility. The Stanadyne pump can be a prissy little unit. As it is you replace it like an M116/7 timing chain at 150K miles.

You might luck out and find a poorly running one in need of a PMD/FSD. Kinda like buying a MB TD cheap because of a clogged ALDA line, but you actually have to buy a new PMD/FSD

Sixto
87 300D
97 C2500 burb

[rwthomas1]

Originally Posted by sixto

Can't comment on towing since I've only towed a small trailer with a walk behind concrete saw. Otherwise our 97 'burb TD has been a great [extended/multiple] family car. It gets 20mpg with 8 aboard if you avoid the fast lane. Coupled with the 40 gallon tank, Phoenix is a pack of Depends away

I wish the ride and height were more like a gasser C1500 than the C2500 that it is. Bilsteins and highway tires made a difference but it still thinks it's a truck. And it's freaking loud when the engine's cold. I mean B model Mack loud. Curious that you can engage the AC compressor with the blower off.

Based on what I've read at dieselplace.com, I don't get the sense that the 6.5 is an engine you want to push too hard mod-wise. Uncork the exhaust, bypass ECU control of the wastegate and reflash the ECU to some J-VIN or S-VIN spec with the right IP resistor. It won't take a lot more than that. The Duramax, Powerstroke and Cummins engines to respond better to mods and there are a lot more mods to choose from.

You might want to check dieselplace.com for B100 compatibility. The Stanadyne pump can be a prissy little unit. As it is you replace it like an M116/7 timing chain at 150K miles.

You might luck out and find a poorly running one in need of a PMD/FSD. Kinda like buying a MB TD cheap because of a clogged ALDA line, but you actually have to buy a new PMD/FSD

Sixto
87 300D
97 C2500 burb

I have the last year of the mechanical 6.5. Pump is turned up, EGT and Boost gauges, big exhaust, advanced timing, Boostmaster wastegate control, SS Diesel intake, and a DSG gear drive unit replaced the timing chain. Runs very well with 252K and like B20. Always gets 18-20mpg. Its the red-headed stepchild of the diesel truck world but mine has been fantastic. A Sub with an electronic DS4 IP is a bit more iffy but with the standard DIY skills of most on this board owning one is no big deal. I have pushed mine hard and so did the original owner. Seems just fine.

RT

[catmandoo62]

on the 94 up the first thing to do is add the pmd extension harness and move it up to the radiator support.