Ive got a 96 f350 with a 7.5L, 460ci, 5 spd manual transmission. I know the mpg with a 460 isn't that great. I use it around town because i can't afford to go very far with it. Right now i am getting about 9 mpg is there any way to boost it to at least 11? It's a great truck with virtually no problems but i'm going to have to sell it this fall and get a car because i can no longer support it's fuel addiction.

 

That's the nature of the beast on the big block. What gears are in the diff? If you use it around town a lot, you'd be best off with 4.11 gears, and if you use it on the highway, 3.55 is a better ratio. But even then, you'd be lucky to get 10. The best method to improve MPG is to alter your driving style. Drive with an ultra light foot.

 

You shouldn't be driving a truck with the biggest available V8 if your not using it for work, or making money with it....


I know it's fun and all, but when you can't afford it, you can't allow your self these pigs, not as a daily driver anyways.

 

Believe me, I wouldn't just use it for a commuter truck. I use it quite frequently in the summer to pull my camp trailer. We also have a catering business and I pull a giant smoker behind it. The 8ft bed is really nice for when I haul wood throughout the year. I also bought the truck when I was sixteen so I didn't really know what I was getting myself into, (plus gas wasn't as expensive back then). As a new driver i definitely had a lead foot and I learned very fast how to correct that. I think I'm going to down grade to an SUV so I can still pull my smoker and probably my camp trailer. I also might have to invest in a small trailer so I can haul wood, hay, and everthing else that i haul living on a farm.

 

I just bought a '97 F-250 with a 460, automatic and 4.10 gears. I'm also hoping for a little better than the 9 mpg I'm currently getting. I'm thinking 3.54 gears would help me, and if I need to rebuild the rear end I'll probably do that. But spending the money to regear 2 axles to save money on gas isn't going to go very far.

I read on another thread here that the heads on the EFI 460 are very limiting when it comes to power. Do they also get in the way of fuel economy? I'm probably going to have my heads off pretty soon anyway, so if getting some porting done, or even if different heads would help a lot it might be worth it to me.

 

how big of a camp trailer we talking. most suvs dont have sufficient brakes to tow anything over a 20 footer for very long, my father in laws 3/4 ton suburban even gets some bad brake fade

 

I'm getting right around 12MPG with mine. Stock 460 with 270,000 Kms on it. Extended cab, shortbox, auto.

Make sure its had a tune up, and all fluids and filters are changed.

Other than that, plan on becoming very good friends with the cashier at your local gas station.

And drive with as light of a right foot as you can. Dont race up to red lights... try and coast untill the light changes to avoid coming to a complete stop, etc etc... Things like that will gain you a bit better milage.

 

Install a set of L&L headers.

My '95 F350 CC LB DRW 460 5spd went from 9.6mpg to 10.8 on average.

I did install true duals when I installed the headers. Make sure to pull the battery so the computer resets while doing the install.

 

I agree with what others have said. 9 MPG in town is actually not bad at all for your truck. Give your truck a good tuneup, install some headers if you can afford it, and coast in neutral as much as possible. You MIGHT be able to get up to about 11 MPG.

One thing I do, since I live in kind of a remote area, is take my bike in the bed of the truck. Drive downtown, run all my errands on the bike and then throw the bike back in the truck. Either that or buy a cheap economy car or motorcycle for when you don't need the truck.

 

My dodge V-10 does better than most 460s. My 86 F250 4x4 460 C-6 only got around 8-9 mpg. town/road. There was a day it got closer to 11 mpg.
Craig

 

My '97 supercab 460 with 5spd and 4.10s gets 13.5 unloaded and 9-10 with a horse trailer and horse or three. And I calculate every tank. But I drive like an old man and live where there is no traffic, so have very little stop and go. I just did a full tune up, plugs, wires, cap/rotor all filters and all fluids and nothing really changed.

I still have a piece of crap '93 civic that I use as my DD.