Same sub-par mileage even after IP re-timed.. ugh!

[jam sandwich]

I had my IP retimed by Diesel JD a couple weeks ago, and while the truck does in fact run ALOT better.. my mileage hasnt seemed to improve at all! I'm still getting a solid 15mpg mixed city/hwy..
I do have 4.10 gears but its a 5spd single cab and I wouldnt think 15mpg is the best I can do.. I know it has more in it!

I replaced my old (original) 192k mile bb code injectors with some remaned' g code injectors I bought locally from Billy (gonecrazyi).. it made the truck run much smoother once they were installed.

What else should I be looking at to improve my mileage? JD mentioned he was real conservative on re-timing my pump.. would bit more advance give me some better mpg?

Another thing to note is that this truck does not smoke at all.. I wouldnt mind a little coal rolling if i mashed my foot down all the way, but it simply wont do it..
Is my IP just completely worn to the point of no return?
Theres no other signs of trauma from the IP, it starts up on 2.5 revolutions cold EVERY time now, and starts up instantly with no glow plugs up to 4 hours after running it..

I'd like some input on the IDI guru's on this board. i know that you guys raveged uhaul's parts site and new IP's were selling for 240$.. but right now money is short and I cant justify replacing the IP when it runs so dam good besides the **** mileage.
Thoughts and opinions are welcome

 

[idiabuse]

Synthetic oils in the complete drivetrain have been tested by the Federal GOV to increase miles per gallon by 8% when properly installed.

I get 20+ mpg in my dually, That I am happy to own.

Javier

 

[jam sandwich]

I currently use rotella 15w40 in it.. would switching to costly synthetic really improve my mileage that much? i know oil makes a difference, but I wasnt sure of that significant of one..

 

[gatorman21218]

My truck could never roll coal. Period. Now with the Baby Moose I start to see smoke at half to 3/4 throttle. I think 15 is a decent number to be honest. near the end of my IP's life I was getting 10. It probably doesnt help either that I have more tools than the snap-on truck in the boxes. I dont have a number yet with the baby moose cuz I have been working close to home and havent gone through a tank yet.

 

[RLDSL]

Depends on where he set it, but 15 mpg with a 4.10 rear is nothing to sneeze at.
Might pickup a little mileage with a good cold air intake like a Hypermax Cowl induction, you'd definitely pickup some power and lower your EGTs about 300-350 deg

 

[rhkcommander]

running my intake with a turbo, unknown mileage but definitely tired block from junkyard most likely, with new injectors I got 17... I can puff a bit at full throttle sometimes.

Air intake might be worth looking at, cold air ram helps a bit, also weight makes a difference too if your carrying extra junk it'll hurt a little bit but with it being a diesel it wont have much effect, these trucks are already wind resistant as is .

otherwise our engines sound the same starting/running-wise.
No fuel leaks?

 

[gatorman21218]

They dont call em brick noses for nothing!

 

[jam sandwich]

Depends on where he set it, but 15 mpg with a 4.10 rear is nothing to sneeze at.
Might pickup a little mileage with a good cold air intake like a Hypermax Cowl induction, you'd definitely pickup some power and lower your EGTs about 300-350 deg

You know I forgot to mention my mileage during all this was with a crappy foam intake which sat directly on top of the intake manifold aka sucking in HOT air from the engine/radiator.

I have since put back the STOCK intake w/ the soupbowl cut out and with the tube which leads directly to the front of the truck (sits on top of the driver's side battery)
Ive noticed a huge increase and torque and a huge decrease in noise. for some reason my mechanic decided to put that ****** foam intake on there and ditch the stock one.
Big thanks to Billy aka gonecrazyi for digging around his lot and finding me one.

As for fuel leaks I dont have any major leaks, the truck holds its prime very well. I have noticed that directly under the IP is wet with a little bit of diesel.. but im not sure at the rate at which it leaks.. I dont have any major puddles or drip marks underneath my motor though

Since my truck is quite old and worn (193k and counting) would it be a HUGE no-no to turn up the IP one flat? I can't help but think a worn IP turned up a single flat may be OK to do without an EGT gauge put on.
I'm just itching to be able to roll a LITTLE bit of coal

 

[gatorman21218]

Well with my old IP (170k on it) I could easily enter the danger zone hauling nothing but wind. There was no smoke either. So if you think that if you arent blowing smoke then your are fine, youre wrong. Me personally I would install a pyro. You will be shocked how easy it is to get to 1000 degrees.

Im guessing your IP is original? That wetness under it means its not long for this world. Mine lasted a few months after it started leaking, however towards the end the truck would not start unless it got 4 plus hours on the block heater in the morning.

I think you really wont get what you want out of the truck with a fuel system that worn. Trust me the difference is night and day when I got a baby moose and new injectors.

 

[jam sandwich]

Yeah.. I just don't plan on keeping the truck much more than a year or two.. and I would hate to be stuck somewhere with a dead IP. I mean I hear people who have hard starting when cold/hot and massive leaks etc.. but my truck has no signs of that, it starts instantly everytime.. I religiously use either diesel kleen or tc-w3 everytank.
I just hate to gamble with crap like this..
I shouldve just fessed up and bought one of those reman'ed ip's for 176$ with the 20% off when I had the chance

 

[gatorman21218]

Well they are funny they can last a long time or not. If it runs okay now and you dont have a lot of money then I say just run it. Know however that your mileage and power are not going to be that of a new one. I still would add an pyro whether you turn up the screw or not. As for the black smoke like I said on the old pump it never did it so you may have to just live without it. And by the way, black smoke= reduced mileage.

In the meantime keep an eye on that leak and pay attention to hard starting and smoke upon startup. If all that starts to change then I would replace it. Mel says IPs are good for 100-150k miles so you definitely got some good use out of her

 

[Rot Box]

I feel like my truck is running pretty healthy and I get about 15-16 for mileage The only thing I question is my IP because I don't know the history on it. Installing an intake snorkel helped a lot--I run the early style that sits lower behind the grill.

 

[jam sandwich]

Thank you both for the replies.
I bought the truck wiht 189k on it.. the injectors removed were most definetely the original ones, a couple injector lines were cracked when purchased and i am not sure if the IP is original or not.
I will certainly keep an eye on the diesel below the ip.. come to think of it I had a small bit of diesel leak when I was installing the gp's (i moved a return line and unseated the oring)
I'm going to carb clean around the ip and see how long it takes for it to get damp with diesel again.

As for the intake snorkel.. I was told the earlier style (that sits lower in the grill) is more ideal.. why would this be? I cant imagine there being a big difference in performance or mileage between the snorkel that sucks in air just above the headlight/battery and the one behind the grill..

 

[Dave7.3]

As for the intake snorkel.. I was told the earlier style (that sits lower in the grill) is more ideal.. why would this be? I cant imagine there being a big difference in performance or mileage between the snorkel that sucks in air just above the headlight/battery and the one behind the grill..

I think that is more due to the earlier style getting direct airflow from the grill for the ram air effect. The snorkel over the battery does a decent job of pulling in cool air, but it doesn't get the same direct airflow.

Some people have had decent gains by opening up the earlier style grill intake area using some ductwork supplies. BUT, they also had to get out of the truck and unhook the thing during heavy snow/rain conditions to prevent the water from being pushed into the engine through the ram air.

Personally, my truck in my signature was getting around 17-20 mpg before I added my turbo. Although, I was getting quite a bit of highway miles with it (30min drive to civilization ) chugging along at 60mph.

Small things you could do would probably be to change out your air filter and/or fuel filter if it has been a while. Sounds like the guys have already put you in the right direction with the "soup bowl" mod.

 

[Brianedwardss]

I installed the intake snorkel off of a 6.9L that sits down under the driver battery. Just seemed like a better spot, more direct air flow from the outside