Power vs Efficiency

[RLDSL]

Quality Synthetics in your driveline are proven friction reducers. I remember about 25 years ago for a demonstration we would take a cold 4x4truck with regular gear lube in the pumpkins and get someone to try to push it on flat ground, then keep adding guys to see how many it would take to budge the thing., then we'd switch the gear oil over to Amsoil gear lube and try the same experiment and watch everyone freak while one guy pushed the cold truck! Gear lube puts a lot of resistance in your system, get rid of as much resistance as possible, use quality lubes wherever you can and it will pay for itself in the long run.
Running 8.5 deg timing is for the old high sulfur fuel, your mileage will suck at 8.5, run it up to around 9.7 and it will compensate for the new ULSD fuel and you will get the mileage and power back that was lost when the new fuel was released

 

[Agnem]

I've run everyone through the math on this in other threads, but the basic fundimental problem we are all trying to solve is fewer injection events per trip. Reality is, once your truck is rolling it takes far less HP to move it then what you needed to get started. Trucks with high RPM's are wasting fuel, because the amount of fuel needed to spin the engine to match the road speed is greater, than the amount of BTU's needed to move the truck. Basically, your power is wasted spinning the engine instead of the wheels. So looking for taller gears, double overdrive, etc, is your road to greater efficiency. That, and strip your vehicle of all the weight you can. I've considered taking all the seats out of the Bronco except the one I sit on. After all, I'm hauling myself 99% of the time. Perhaps the effort needed to store and re-equip the truck with the other seats is worth the 150 or so pounds I'll not be hauling every day.

 

[Brianedwardss]

I've run everyone through the math on this in other threads, but the basic fundimental problem we are all trying to solve is fewer injection events per trip. Reality is, once your truck is rolling it takes far less HP to move it then what you needed to get started. Trucks with high RPM's are wasting fuel, because the amount of fuel needed to spin the engine to match the road speed is greater, than the amount of BTU's needed to move the truck. Basically, your power is wasted spinning the engine instead of the wheels. So looking for taller gears, double overdrive, etc, is your road to greater efficiency. That, and strip your vehicle of all the weight you can. I've considered taking all the seats out of the Bronco except the one I sit on. After all, I'm hauling myself 99% of the time. Perhaps the effort needed to store and re-equip the truck with the other seats is worth the 150 or so pounds I'll not be hauling every day.

Amen.

To each his own. I took some heat from some idi friends when I bought a 2wd truck and then went to 3.31's. But the amount of fuel I save with a 2wd truck commuting 50 miles a day let's me enjoy driving an IDI and not always be putting my paycheck into my fuel tank. I bought an automatic because the daily 6 am traffic sucked with a ZF-5 and 3.55's in my last IDI.

If I lived in snow or earned a living hauling/towing, obviously I'd own a different truck.

 

[david85]

Amen.

To each his own. I took some heat from some idi friends when I bought a 2wd truck and then went to 3.31's. But the amount of fuel I save with a 2wd truck commuting 50 miles a day let's me enjoy driving an IDI and not always be putting my paycheck into my fuel tank. I bought an automatic because the daily 6 am traffic sucked with a ZF-5 and 3.55's in my last IDI.

If I lived in snow or earned a living hauling/towing, obviously I'd own a different truck.

Just wondering, but are you driving your truck with the canopy on? It might be an interesting experiment to remove it and see how that affects your mileage.

I'm assuming the one in your avatar is what you have, but I noticed an improvement with my mileage after pulling my topper off. Yours is cab heigh and smooth but it still causes the truck to have a larger wake.

Just an idea.

As for tall gearing and towing, I never notied much of a problem with my setup but if I really want, I still have the original 4.10 gears if I ever feel the need to move a house.

 

[Brianedwardss]

That's an interesting idea. It's a smooth, light weight ARE topper.

I'll give it a whirl and see if not having it improves fuel economy. I've got a pillow top queen mattress and framed bed back there with outdoor carpet, so I'll have to do something with that, (How I beat hotel fares on road trips)

 

[RLDSL]

I've run everyone through the math on this in other threads, but the basic fundimental problem we are all trying to solve is fewer injection events per trip. Reality is, once your truck is rolling it takes far less HP to move it then what you needed to get started. Trucks with high RPM's are wasting fuel, because the amount of fuel needed to spin the engine to match the road speed is greater, than the amount of BTU's needed to move the truck. Basically, your power is wasted spinning the engine instead of the wheels. So looking for taller gears, double overdrive, etc, is your road to greater efficiency. That, and strip your vehicle of all the weight you can. I've considered taking all the seats out of the Bronco except the one I sit on. After all, I'm hauling myself 99% of the time. Perhaps the effort needed to store and re-equip the truck with the other seats is worth the 150 or so pounds I'll not be hauling every day.

That's no lie! even taking the weight bit and throwing it out the window, because my truck is insanely heavy, the bed is made out of 3/16 plate and I run around with a 150 gal bed tank and a huge winch and whatever other stupid heavy thing I can think to throw on it, but when I stuck that brownie on there I went from a max of about 14 mpg to a max of 20 running in double od in 5 over and just having the correct gear combination when towing heavy makes a huge difference there as well because I picked u a bunch of fuel mileage when towing heavy and I don't have to shift as often ( seems counterintuitive, I have triple the gears and I don't need to shift as often

 

[crashnzuk]

On the subject of the bed topper, I did some reading on eco-modder and they say that pick-ups will respond well to a partial bed cover. Make a cover for the rear half of the bed and mileage suposedly will go up. I haven't tried it since my camper has been on the truck since mid May I may give it a try this fall when I put the camper away. My truck is so tall though, I don't know if it'll make a difference.
Travis..

 

[Brianedwardss]

I'm modifying the "soup bowl" only, turn it like a "muscle car" type of air filter.

As far as flipping the lid over to get more air, I did this 2 winters ago. Well come spring, my truck slowly started running hot, up to 220 on the 95+ degree days. I put in an aluminum radiator, new water pump, thermostat and locked my fan clutch, still would see 210 easily.

Then I was digging around a junk yard 1987 6.9 truck for a tach sensor and decided to rob the air snorkle down by the steering pump. When I installed it, I flipped the lid back right side up.. Something that came of having colder air was my temperature now never goes over 205 degrees on the hottest of days, it's usually right at 198-200 now. Much quieter as well