I have a 99 f-350 with a v-10. I pull approx. 16-18k in city every day! Are there in hints for improvement?
Is there any thing for improving kick down at 65-70mph

 

Is that your combined weight or what you're towing? If it's what you're towing then you are way overweight. Anyways, K&N, headers and good quality cat-back exhaust will help some. Maybe 1 mpg. I'd also keep up on the maintenance on the tranny. Ford recomends service every 30k miles. In your case I think I'd do it at 15-20K.

 

Thanks! That is what I am towing. My trans. has been replaced once, but I have had trouble with my first trans. since 300miles.

I have k&n, but how tough is it to install the headers on this truck? Also how expensive?

Does anyone know what the difference is in the 2002 315hp v-10 and the 1999 275 v-10?

 

If you're pulling 18k you need a medium duty truck. If you're getting 7.6 MPG pulling that in town that is incredible. I would have guessed about 4 MPG.

 

I would have to agree with the last poster; 7.6 mpg for towing 18K is very reasonable. Heck, even diesels would suffer poor milage with that load.
Installing the headers is not that difficult. I believe that you have to remove the fender's inner liner/shield. But, I have not heard anyone that really gained that much. With that load, I doubt that you would notice much improvement. It maybe a better choice to replace the gears with even lower gears(numerically higher). The lower gears would move the load easier therefore, with less go pedal. For example, I had a 1996 Do-g-(!) with a 318 cu. engine. Towing with that truck, I netted 7.5 mpg Canadian gallons(@ 6.9mpg US gallons). My new truck, F250 V10, 4.30 gears, auto pulls a load that is 5000lbs heavier and gets 9.8-10.3 mpg!
The bigger the motor, and the lower the gears, the less effort the engine has to use. Of course there are limits-but you get the idea.
How have your brakes been towing that size of a load?
Tim

 

thanks for the info.
Actually they have done well. I changed the front at 30000 miles, and the back are starting to squeek at 38000.
Personally, I pulled my load on a lighter trailer with the powerstroke and was totally disappointed. At highspeeds the pstroke did fine, but i'll take the v-10 any day.

 

[font size="1" color="#FF0000"]LAST EDITED ON 12-Oct-01 AT 03:07 AM (EST)[/font][p]The header install is more time consuming than anything else. You do have to remove the passenger side fenderwell. I know of at least 6 folks that have added headers and all claim they feel more power. I know I did.

Headers: $550
Cat-back: $350
K&N $45

 

Hey cool! I have been tring to find that out for months. 500 isn't as bad as I thought. What is a cat back?

 

A cat-back is replacing the exhaust after the cat. New muffler and tail pipe(s).