I have a 1994 ford IDI Turbo Diesel 4x4 and was wanting to increase the fuel mileage and the power. I just bought a big honking air filter and was wondering if any one could give suggestions about how to adapt it to the idi turbo diesel. I am not a mechanic by no means, but I can follow directions. If any one else has suggestions on how to increase my fuel mileage and power and stay under $700 please let me know. Thank you for your help

 

Brent,
Great timing on trying to save some $ on fuel...check one post below this for a start.

Mike

 

If your setup is stock right now, you likely still have a 2.5" downpipe comming out of the turbo.

An upgrade from ATS puts a larger outlet housing on the turbo to accept a 3" downpipe. I don't think the mod will cost $700, and it will improve performance in terms of power and economy (and EGTs).

The floor seam at the firewall will have to be bent back to fit the larger pipe, and the bigger pipe may also give off a little more noise in the cab.

Making a ram intake to feed the air filter will also help.

Whats your milage right now?

 

David85 my mileage right now is 8 to 11mpg and the truck is completely stock. I bought the truck off of an old couple that pulled a fifth wheel and only put 76000 miles on it. The truck has 3.55 gears and will really scoot down the highway empty, but add a sixteen foot horse trailer and the power is gone plus the fuel mileage has been as low as 8 mpg. What is the best way to make ram air for this model or would you suggest a cold air intake.

 

I would go ahead and get the 3" exhaust outlet and downpipe from ATS and either a 3" or 4" exhaust behind it. If you want some info and pics of how I did my open intake PM your email address and I will oblige, but I'll warn you- I chopped fuel lines and made a new fuel filter bracket, so if you're not comfortable with that then it won't be of much help.
If you can afford it, I'd refresh the fuel system with new injectors and injection pump. That could be part of your poor mileage. How many miles are on the truck?

 

Thank you for your're response but your open intake is probably way above my head. The truck has 76000 original miles on it.

 

Bent,
That milage seems low to me, maybe right, but I am getting 14 to 16 no matter how I drive it. I would start with fuel filter and air filter change. I know you have a BHAF and I wish I could figure a way to get one on mine with enough cold air...But here is what I did. I replaced the factory filter element with one from AFE ($55). It is like K&N but from what I read better. I replaced the intake tube with a piece of 4" metal dryer tube routed to the left (drivers side) of the radiator. I used a Dremel tool to cut a 4"X9" hole in the radiato support and exited the hose through it. It is partially blocked by the plastic grill but still gets cool air. I could tell a difference right away after doing this. So far I am happy with this set up.. I may design a better intake later, love to hear what you come up with.

When you replace that fuel filter do what Dave S. suggest. Fill the new filter with Diesel Kleen you will be shocked at the power and milage gains with the first few tanks. Also, ALWAYS use some time of additive. Keep those injectors and pump kleen and lubed. It maybe that you have to use a lot of additave for awhile. I think it is cheap for the way my truck runs with it.

I do plan on getting the turbo snail and 3" down pipe to 4" stacks done soon. That's about 1grand. If you are going to make mods and or pull a trailer get a pyro and boost gauge at the least.

 

Brent, your truck is capable of at least 18mpg empty and should even hit the low 20s if the contitions are right. If the fuel filter has not been changed recently, that would be the first place to start. A good quality diesel conditioner (even ATF) may help refresh the the injection system.

Filling the replacement filter with diesel kleen is a good idea, and using additive with every fillup will pay for itself with slightly better performance and longer lived injectors and injector pump (strait diesel these days lubricates about as well as tap water).

3.55 gears will put the engine right in its powerband at freeway speeds, even with 3.08s in my truck, it pulls just fine.

Are you actually having trouble holding 65-75mph while towing (or empty)?

Have you noticed smoke at all, and if so, under what conditions?

 

Air Filter and fuel filter have been changed just recently and I try to change the fuel filter ever 5000 miles while the air filter is every 10,000. The truck does not smoke at all and I have a hard time holding 65 or 70 pulling a three horse slant gooseneck with three horses in it. It is pratically all the truck can do to hit 70 mph foot all the way to the floor in 4th gear and this is not what I would call a heavy trailer. Hell a half tone truck can pull it down the road.

On another problem I recently had a new slave and master cylinder put in the truck after a few weeks the transmission was not shifting right so I took it back to the mechanic and he said the new ones were leaking so he replaced both once again. During his test drive actually blew the master cylinder of the fire wall was how he discribed it. After that he dug a little deeper and found that I needed a new clutch assembly. After replacing the clutch assembly and new master cylinder and slave cylinder and near two weeks of easy driving around town the slave cylinder has blown up again as so has the master cylinder. Hope fully the mechanic will get it figured out this time, but in the meantime has anyone ever experienced this with there manual transmission and if so what was the fix.

 

With your truck in 4th gear, you have a better final drive ratio than me with my C6 in top gear (3.08 gears), so you should have no problem pulling that load. If you are having to floor it just to hold 70mph and not seeing any smoke, I suspect the turbo is working properly, but the fuel system may not be. I would run a large dose of diesel kleen or powerservice to see if that helps, Its an easy thing to try for now.
Its also possible that your lift pump is not feeding enough pressure to the injector pump. At idle, you should have 5-6psi at the valve at the fuel filter.

For the master cylinder, yes, others have had the same problem. Aparently, the parts manufacturer does not always clean out the fillings from the machining procces, I don't know if some are worse than others. The fillings cause a premature failure of the seals. The solution is to flush the cylinder with brake fluid several times to make sure everything is clean. As a precaution, the rest of the system should also be flushed, since it could have been exposed to the same crap. I don't know how the parts jobbers can get away with this, but apearently they do.

 

How can they get away with this?

Just look at where some of the parts are made....

Quality control means there is a part or part of a part in the box.
Just because it is new does not mean it works.

I have a couple mechanic friends that are about ready to close their shop.
Hard to back charge the parts suppliers, even harder to charge the customer for changing the same part 3 times to get a good one.

Short story, a rear window defog switch.
Cost 45 dollars from dealer.
Takes 1 hour to change.

Replaced on Monday.
Worked on Tuesday.
Broke on Wednesday and brought back to the shop.
Switch removed and returned to dealer.
Six switches straight off the shelf broke in under five flips of the switch.

Master and slave cylinders should be filled with clean fluid and then pumped out into a clean container before they are installed.
9 times out of ten you will see a bunch of metal shavings from the machining process.
If you see them, repeat the flush till you get clean fluid.

Brake cylinders also need this treatment before the install.

 

To increase the power - ATS outlet and down pipe, then 4 inch exhaust ( one for a 94 1/2 power choke ) . If you are not to mechanically inclined doing the outlet housing may require taking the turbo off, if you "round" the 5/16 12 point bolts that hold the housing on then you will have to take the turbo off (out of 5 that I have done, had to take 3 off). For the intake Hypermax makes a 'cowl induction' (around $ 70). All you do is cut a slot in the firewall and screw the snorkel on, then run your hose to the existing air box. Run several heavy doses of 'diesel cleen' and see if that improves your performance.
As for your clutch/master cylinders I now take the so called re-man ones apart before installing (just pull the circlip and remove the piston) you would be amazed at the "crap" that is in there.