Improving mileage

[ghunt]

I'm looking for some general tips on improving mileage. Anything that you know that works or worked for you.

Stuff beyond the usual-pumping up the tires, keeping speeds down, etc.

What sucks is that I have a set of 3.55 gears- but not enough confidence to install them myself & not sure if they'd be worth the most-likely $500 install cost!

But, anything else. Still trying to make the decision of whether I want to keep the truck or sell it for something smaller that will give me better mileage. This is on my truck with a newer IP (new injectors were giving me fits-truck ran like crap & got 14 mpg highway. All the old injectors popped at 1600-1700 psi so I swapped them back in, truck runs better, haven't had it on a long enough run to determine mileage), and 4.10 gears.

 

[Kevin 007]

Get those 3.55's in man!!! It would make the biggest difference of any single mileage "mod". My cruising speed with 3.55's, im turning 1600-1700 revs at them most...I bet you are turning a lot more with 4.10's!!!

 

[subway]

WMO

if you did the fuel system and have the timing right there is not a whole heck of allot to do that will be cheaper. if your truck is jacked up at all and running wide tires that is working against you. my crew cab with a 5 speed and 3.55 gears is getting in the 17-18 range on a good highway run. better but not econocar numbers.

i have heard of low 20's with a 2wd single cab or something like that but i think that is about tops with our trucks.

Mels son did break some low 30's if i remember correctly but that was N/A in a single cab F150 with a 5 speed.

 

['94IDITurbo7.3]

Get those 3.55's in man!!! It would make the biggest difference of any single mileage "mod". My cruising speed with 3.55's, im turning 1600-1700 revs at them most...I bet you are turning a lot more with 4.10's!!!

What is your cruising speed? at 55mph with 4.10's i am running ~1800-1900 rpm.

 

[Ididriver]

one of the bigest things is controliing your right foot. i can get low 20s if im easy with the throttle. thats with 4.10s too.

 

[dakotajeep]

ghunt,

Unfortunately, putting the 3.55's in would be the best thing and I think $500 would be low end unless you have a buddy do it. Get it timed if its not already timed. Synthetics all the way around will help but its expensive and may not out weight the benefits. After that its just how much you want to alter your driving habits.

Good Luck!

Thad

 

[MidnightBlade]

If you don't install the 3.55's I'll buy them from you.

I have a slight problem with smoke addiction (as most 16 yr old diesel drivers do)....... When I get PO'd at the shiny white Prius tailgating me, The gearshift goes up a gear, the RPM go to 1500 and the skinny pedal gets mashed to the floor. When this happens, I can honestly watch my fuel gauge drop And, then I usually get shown I'm #1 and sometimes even #2 when I look back

Now, on the other hand when I'm in a good mood and there is no one around to ruin it for me, I just cruize at 55 turning exactly 2000 RPM. On these days, I get as high as low 20's.

Single cab longbed, NA, ZF-5, 4.10's

 

[ghunt]

I can't do WMO. Don't really want to have to deal with it in a rental place or chase it down locally.

One thing I may consider is bio...a guy I used to work with knew some guys that made bio and he could probably get me a drum of it. Main problem there is if I did get a drum...once I get it home I'm not sure how I would unload it. But if I could do that...hell, no worries, because it would run me something like $1.50 a gallon.

Bah, I think I'm screwed. My truck is stock height but even at that it's a big brick. I turn almost right at 2000 RPM at 65 mph. Anyway a local shop quoted me $250 per axle to install the gears but that was probably almost 3 years ago, too...

Timing is "close" but I never got it exactly right because I didn't have $50 extra to drop on an adjustable advance timing gun.

Maybe I'd be better off with a little beater car.

 

[FordGuy100]

Cut back on speed. Oregon I use to get 17-18mpg....down here in Texas (55mph vs. 70mph) I was lucky to get 15mpg. Dont wind it out to shift, but dont shift so that your lugging it either. There is a fine line.

2nd I shift at 2000 rpms, and it falls to like 1200rpms in 3rd. 3rd to 4th around 1600-1800rpms.

 

[Kevin 007]

What is your cruising speed? at 55mph with 4.10's i am running ~1800-1900 rpm.

My cruising speed is just that...55-60mph.

 

[Black dawg]

how old are you? All of my vehicles mileage went up when I turned 30.

 

[gunz]

I cruise 70 pretty copmfortably with 3:55s, but I am going to go to 4:10 when I get teh front axle in and a little larger tire to compensate, still more rolling resistance, but the 5 speed will help a bit too.

 

['94IDITurbo7.3]

how old are you? All of my vehicles mileage went up when I turned 30.

 

[FORDF250HDXLT]

a custom low built front air dam was big help for mine.the single biggest increase mod to date (but they all add up.)
you can see what i was getting just before i added it here:
http://ecomodder.com/forum/em-fuel-log.php?vehicleid=5088

scroll down to: 2011-07-29


pic attached.
it may not be the styling i prefer,but the jump it gave me in FE i sure as hell don't care either lol.

that said,
if you have no need for a heavy duty diesel truck.a small car pushing 30 or even 40 mpg+ just can't compare.
i wouldn't drive a truck @ insane fuel prices today if i didn't need to.

 

[Jbevs]

On top of everything else said, weight. All the crap you carry around with you, down to the spare tire, cost you mileage. It's up to you on what to carry vs. mileage.