Powerstroke fuel economy (a rant)

[JLDickmon]

OK...
your turn, guys...
The name of the game is "What the F*** Is Wrong With This Truck?"

and I'm really getting sick and tired of playing it.. because nothing is working and I'm footin' the bill...

for those that don't venture to SDD.com, here's a link to the original post.. poke this

I four-gassed it today, and was suprised I didn't see more oxygen in the tailpipe.. however, I'm not concerned either, as HC's were mega-low..

to summarize..
last spring, truck was getting 13.5 +/- mpg.
started adding two-stroke oil, mileage increased around .25 mpg
switched to bio, mileage now approaching 15mpg
added cetane booster, mileage nearer but not quite 16mpg

THEN
bio refiner goes nipples up...
temperatures cool and diesel supplier switched to "winter blend" which along came a diversion of base stock to brew home heating oil...
fuel prices climb and hover at $3.70/gallon in my area...
economy tumbled right through the floorboards to BARELY 10mpg

the hilarity ensues...
I'm ready to park this POS and buy a Geo Metro...

or a Schwinn...

 

[Diesel JD]

Bear, I'd say you need to learn how to make bio or switch to WVO. 10mpg at 3.50++ hurts! I'd have to park my IDI most of the time at those prices and that mileage too. 13-15 is a lot more bearable with alternative fuels. I think you described the problem....poor base stock oil, winter blend, lower energy content means more fuel to push the truck the same amt. of miles. Making bio is really easy and saves money in the long haul,
JD

 

[69oiler]

i'm in full agreement Bear. i've been griping about milage on this truck for the past year. my final effort in increasing mpg will be a new free flowing exhaust system i'm putting on next week. i agree making my own fuel may be the answer but i haven't found the time to get started on that. i'm a little skittish about running homemade fuel in a PSD anyway. i'll probably use my IDI as a platform for that. i think this is my last PSD.

i may go back to gassers. i thought that diesel costing more than gas would be a temporary thing but i dont think is is now. i just don't need the diesel enough to pay the premium.

 

[Agnem]

I'm all for the "consperiacy theory" approach. I think our fuel suppliers are messing with us, selling inferior fuel and possibly stretching it somehow. Given the current weak dollar, it makes sense to think that oil companies are paying a lot more not just because of the price of a barrel, but because that same barrel already costs more due to the weak dollar. Consequently, they are sticking us two ways - by charging more, and by selling us less. I've noticed a 1MPG change depending on where I buy it.

 

[hheynow]

Bear, I'd say you need to learn how to make bio or switch to WVO. 10mpg at 3.50++ hurts!

Agreed! It's not the bad mileage that hurts...IT'S THE COST OF THE FUEL. I converted mine 18 months ago to run on WVO and these days I'm $aving buck$. I no longer care what my MPGs are because WVO is free.

 

[NJKen]

Its not just powerstrokes or duramaxes or any other engine. We just get crap diesel here. The EPA is so dam concerned about emissions and does not even care that now you need to burn more fuel. Where does all the extra burned fuel go If you ask me it just does not make sense.
The ISB powered Freigtliner I drive every day used to get 6.5 to 7. Since the ultra low power diesel came out it has dropped to 4.5 to 5. Now winter blend is coming out and I am sure it will drop more. I stopped counting miles on my truck because it just seemed to **** me off.
From working in refineries lately I can tell you that at least in the area I live it does not matter who you buy your diesel from it ALL comes out of the same tank and has the same additives in it. The higher ups at the refineries tell me that the diesel sucks because it looses some (dont know how much some is) of its BTU's per gallon. That equates to less energy per gallon. As for the dilution theory, any mystery fuel is usually blended with diesel. Mystery fuel consists of Jet, light oil, and kerosene for the most part. around here fuel oil, diesel and off road diesel are the same product just that fuel oil and off road diesel are died red at the depot.
EPA sucks
Ken

 

[NJKen]

By the way, Hess is the only one in new jersey that will not get their diesel from anyone but the Hess refinery. I seem to have a little more power running it but I do not keep track of my milage anymore.
Ken

 

[JLDickmon]

here's the four-gas results to ponder...

at idle
CO2- 2.7% CO- .02%
HC- 6ppm O2- 0%

Low Cruise - 1500 rpm
CO2- 2.5% CO- .03%
HC- 5ppm O2- .13%

High Cruise - 2000 rpm
CO2- 2.64% CO- .03%
HC- 5ppm O2- .13%

4" puddle of CRC C111C on the floor, wand 4" above
CO2- .02% CO- 0%
HC- 93ppm O2- .13%

I really expected to see more oxygen in the tailpipe, especially at idle.

If this was a gas engine, I'd say it's running pretty darn well.

(note: this truck was built w/o a catalytic convertor)

one of the guys at FTE said I could throw these out the window as the bench is f'ed up, if it was consuming all the oxygen it'd be a runaway.. I agree to a point... the O2 reading can be dismissed...

I think everything else (in particular, hydrocarbons) is fairly close, as look what it did when I waved the wand over a puddle of brake clean I sprayed on the floor..
if it was a leaking injector, I should have mega-hydrocarbons going down the tailpipe...

here are links to the two other discussions going on this heap (that's about to get parked)

http://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/676899-out-of-the-powerstroke-business-a-rant.html

http://www.superdutydiesel.com/forums/general-discussion/14319-out-powerstroke-business-rant.html

 

[92F350CC]

How much does WVO/Biodiesel cost usually? How difficult is it to convert your truck to run on WVO, or make the equipment to brew Bio?

 

[Greenbeast6.9]

I just started driving another IDI.

 

[sassyrel]

tho we all be oilburners---gas aint no better--years ago---buy gas and put in a can--last long time---now--haaaaaa---lucky if it lasts three months in a can--and it smells like the barnyard-----sheesh---

 

[Brimmstone]

Be careful with the little Rabbit. They are great little diesels and I miss the two we had. The best mileage we got was 52 MPG before the disaster. Years back we fueled up at BP and my mother made it a total of 15 miles before what they sold her reached the engine. I pulled the Racor apart and did the old pour the fuel onto a cement floor and wait 5 minutes to see what is left. I came back and found pretty much everything I poured on the floor was still there. BP told us their tanks were fine but I ended up replacing a seized injection pump. The little car never came back to the same mileage it had before. As to the mileage issue I can sympathize. I was towing my Suburban back to Ohio from Norfolk and was running around 12MPG running the mountains until I filled up at Petro in Breezewood. I almost had a heart attack when I got back to Ohio to find I had dropped to 6 MPG after refueling.

 

[JLDickmon]

OK... today is 12/9, tripmeter reads 204 miles, fuel gauge at right about half-staff... looks like things are improving...

thinking next step is clean the EBPV tube (could feel the valve closing a couple times today puttering down the street).

my buttmunch neighbor just got back from Maryland with a '99 TDI Jetta... 53mpg... he sucks.
He brought it in for a new set of tires on Friday.

 

[rebel_horseman]

Have you checked all the intercooler boots? Also have you pressure tested the intercooler? Maybe you're loosing pressure somehow and not getting as much air into the engine???

Alos, you may want to chase all of your fuel lines. Maybe you have a crimped fuel line or something as well.

I'm getting my wifey to install a supplemental hydrogen unit into her Chevy. I've been doing a bit of reading on these units and they seem to be legit. It's fairly common to get a 25% increase in mileage with them. Once i get home from here I'm going to install one in my Cummins to see what difference that will make as well.

 

[JLDickmon]

Have you checked all the intercooler boots? Also have you pressure tested the intercooler? Maybe you're loosing pressure somehow and not getting as much air into the engine???

Alos, you may want to chase all of your fuel lines. Maybe you have a crimped fuel line or something as well.

hey that ain't a bad idea at all...


OK... first two tanks since the oil change simple average 13.4 mpg

Monday, I'm going to change the driveline fluids (transfer case & both diffs). Should have been done 10,000 miles ago... maybe a fuel filter, too.

I gotta get some drag off this thing's back... heck, I only got six cement blocks and two landscape timbers in the bed..

and a tow strap

and some pinned hooks & loops