All insulation is not created equal - insulation is selected for the particular resonances of the engine-type - the engine bay and firewall insulation from a Powerstroke would prolly do the trick, plus the under-carpet matting and kick-panel stuff - dunno what you could do for the matting behind the instrument panel, or the dense sheet-matting bonded to the floorpan, tho - be a lot of trouble to change that stuff out to tune the cabin for Diesel service.

 

To be honest, if it turns out to be normal injection noise, I probably won't do anything. I just want to be sure it is normal. It's not loud or bothersome, just didn't expect that type of sound so I've been asking questions. I should have a rail gauge in a week or so to monitor those pressure.

Hopefully, the buyer of my takeout V10 shows up on Saturday. Then I can get the new injectors ordered

Thanks for all the good comments so far, and don't forget to vote!

 

Personally, I like that injector noise - it's soothing and reassuring, prolly much like putting a ticking clock in the crib of a newly-acquired puppy to keep him from yowling for his mom................

One question - where did you manage to find a new '03 engine in '07?

 

I actually bought the engine/trans before I bought the Excursion. I bought it in Dec of 2005, picked it up in Jan of 06. Like I mentioned earlier in the thread, a lot of time was spent researching and gathering parts.

I picked it up from an unmarked warehouse in the bad part of Toledo, OH. The seller had hundreds of them in there (all of them had the chrysler emblem covered up with white-out) and he could not officially tell me where he got them. If you need more info than that, you will have to PM me. I do know he sold them all though.

The new 48RE came from a guy who worked for the Chrysler special testing program (or something like that), he said they removed the tranny (from a new 04 dodge 2500 diesel) and installed an experimental transmission for testing. He was just getting rid of it as well as the transfer case (which I didn't end up using).

It's amazing what you can find on Ebay if you have time to wait and not get in a hurry...

 

The further availability was my point of concern - I'm always a hour short and an dollar late!

Brings up a disturbing scenario, tho - warehouse full of engines from DCJ warranty replacments: each one would have something wrong with it, albeit unbeknownst to the end purchaser.

Anyway, excellent project and results in a remarkable time frame - I enjoyed reading thru it - you get a resounding 'attaboy!

 

Good mechanical aptitude is fairly rare in this day and age. I've got it, but that won't finish my project. Good electronic aptitude is just about impossible to find, and that is something I do NOT have. I'll tell you straight up- your education, both in school and under the hood, are worth something. So would be the benefit (to me) of being able to plug in something that's relatively simple and being done with it. I can't see including crimpers in a kit, but I'm not the one that's had to fool with pinouts. I think one of the main reasons guys who are contemplating doing the swap gravitate towards the 12 valves is because of their lack of expertise in wiring the interface. I think anyone who makes that relatively simple and straight forward could make some money- if nothing else, in conjunction with Destroked. What you have already posted is a wealth of information, but without an above average knowledge and experience with electronics, it's all greek/geek.

I suspect that the last thing a guy like you needs is a second job, but if you were doing something like that as a hobby/interest, I think you could make some money. Hang a shingle that says "consultant" on it if that works for you.

I've spent 30 years working for a LARGE aircraft producer, and I have enormous respect for E/E engineers- more so than any other project or liaison group. I appreciate the value of what know and I wouldn't even blink to pay you for your expertise- I can't say that about everyone who wants a HPCR in a superduty, but having worked in QA for the last 22 years, I know most people hate bad quality, which gives you an opportunity in a niche market.

 

When I put the head studs on my engine, I could tell that it had not been turned over before. No fresh oil had been pumped thru the engine, all moving surfaces still had the assembly lube on them.

The unofficial story went something like this... On July 1st, 2005 (or whatever date it was), Dodge began assembling the trucks with the 325 hp engines (04.5 model year change), all 305 hp engines still remaining on the assembly line (apparently a couple hundred) are to be loaded into this truck and sold to the highest bidder (apparently the guy I bought them from).

It worked out great, after I sold off the stock turbo, exh manifold, lift pump, etc, I only ended up with $4100 in the new engine (which was complete, even included the battery cables)...

 

About those wiring kits, making them plug and play would be the easiest for the end user, however the engine wiring harness uses some connectors that were specifically made for Dodge. I spoke with the place the makes them and would only sell them to me with a minimum quantity of 100 or 500 (can't remember). So it was much easier for me to just cut the large connectors off the engine wiring harness and use available ones on the wiring. This requires some crimping of pins and assembling of connectors. It's very easy work, the hard part is knowing which wire needs to go where. Also to get some connections inside the dash, usually the hole isn't big enough to push the connector thru. so you have to feed the wiring thru first, then push the pins into the connector once it is thru. I'll have to give this some more thought, it may be worth doing something.

You are right about mechanical aptitude. It's not very common any more. Most people can't think outside of their little box either. I'm the opposite, I can't stop thinking outside of the box, can't stop fiddling with things. It drives my wife crazy. If I don't have three different things going on at once I feel bored. I should probably go get some help...

 

Nah, it's normal. You're just accustomed to the fast paced lifestyle of modern america. I'm usually planning something for my truck, my sleds, or working on our barn. When the barns built? Already gathering supplies to build a log cabin...

It's fun. Doesn't make much sense to me how some people can be so lazy or so uneventful in life. My fiance's dad drives UPS for a living. Gets home and watches TV 5 nights a week. Sat + Sun he goes grocery shopping and then watches TV. BORING.

 

My "help" for too many projects comes in a bottle labeled "Ritalin." The last time I moved I had to get rid of 8 pickup loads of unfinished projects. Now I just have an overflowing single car garage full...plus the 30' enclosed car hauler...plus my building in Alaska, 2,800 miles from home. Long drive to go look for tools when I can't remember where I left them...

I bought my engine from a private seller in Ohio, but as far as I know, he only had the one engine, built December 2005. Mine was run on a dyno in the Freightliner configuration for unknown hours, but never installed in a vehicle. I pulled the head for porting, and the cam for grinding, and the run time appears to be maybe a couple hundred hours. Just barely broken in.

Keep plugging away at the details of making all that stuff work- one way or another, I'm going to be begging for help whether you charge for it or not....

 

5.9 Excursion,build the kit and add me to the top of the list for an 05 f350,right now I'm working the overtime to fund my expensive project while gathering info from pioneers like you. Thanks

 

Cut up chunks of 1/2" thick rubber mat that's designed for horse stalls. Use 2 semi-dried coats plus one 1 semi wet coat of rubber cement on the back side and on the surface you want to bond it to and hold it down tight for 5 minutes. That stuff really knocks out the low pitched noises like diesel noise and road noise.

 

I've used some stuff found at Lowe's or Home Depot that was aluminum faced on one side, about 1/8" thick, and was sticky on one side (had a peel off cover) before. I used it to help with the sound on my 01 when I put stacks on it. I'll have to get some more of it sometime.

 

Just remember that the denser the material, the lower the sound frequency it will dampen. The mylar faced foam works good for high pitched stuff, but is of little use for low frequency noise. I think you are talking about a product that falls in between. Layering the lighter stuff over heavy asphalt or rubber tends to knock almost the whole audible frequency range down a bunch.
Another thing you can so with the excursion is thread some very soft rubber tubing into the door gaskets. It makes the doors "slammers" but no more road noise through the gaskets. I also glued hunks of rubber to the inside surface of all the door skins and that made a big difference too.

One thing that might be a really easy quick improvement is to get a can cozy and cut it down the side and across to the hole in the bottom then glue the top lip against the firewall with the steering column running through it. There's a fair amount of noise that comes through that one little spot.

 

last month i was down in portland at the frieghtliner surplus yard , it is where all extra stuff from the assembly plant goes for resale and i saw chunks of rubber mat for the floor that had sound deading on it and the 1/2 inch foam with the aluminum foil backing. all were odds and ends from cutouts but plenty to do my crew cab with . plenty of chrome and aluminum. should have seen the size of some of those intercoolers wow. just take your hood off and replace it with one. they allso had new battery cables for otr trucks . going shopping one of the afternoons for goodies . i will take my camera that time. forgot my cell phone had one.