95 Centurion f150, 5.8l, 4x4 - MPG, performance
 

I just sold a 89 F150 4x4 xcab with 5.0 and 5 speed.
My new ride is a crew cab f150 with 5.8, 4x4, and E4OD auto.

Man what a gas hog.
It is heavier, and auto...I understand, but I was shocked!

Few questions, all specific.

1)It has 18.2 gal tank in rear...that is it...it goes dry fast.
Can I add a tank? I have no 2nd door...maybe find a short bed with 2 tanks to swap on? ANyone know if I can add the front tank? It is a custom truck so I understand if that makes a difference.

2)Are there are EEC upgrades or tunes or tuners that are worth the money? If god forsaken i can't get any more MPG, then I want more performance...plus I don;t like how the trans "thinks."

3)Lift kit, what is the best 2" suspension kit? No body lifts please.

i dont know what ur mileage is but im pretty sure once you do the 6 liter tune up it probly wont get much better. i get about 15 with mine and thats the best it will ever be. if u get more than that out of a 351 auto then u have magic.....

i think the 2" leveling kit is the best idea. daystar makes one and im sure others do.

i dont beleive that there are any tunes for it, but i could be wrong.
do a new exhaust and help it breathe more, and for god sakes stay away from the hot air intakes... these motors hate them. and almost everyone on here hatew them

HOT AIR INTAKE...I assume you mean the stock intake.
So upgrade to the GT40 I guess?

no what i mean is a cold air intake that actually shoots hot air in....everyone on here will tell you to avoid them.. our trucks dont respond well to them at all... got any pics of ur centurion yet?

as far as adding a tank, some pictures would be great. i am thinking a 32 gallon bronco tank swap is in order truthfully.

Some 351 powered trucks get 8 miles to the gallon. Did you think that a 4-Door F-150 would get better than that?

The transmission will "think" a lot smarter if you put some lower gears in the truck. Just a suggestion.

usually the 250 and 350 get the 8 mpg's... the half tons should get 12-15 i would think. he should have 3.55's in it and with the 235's stock should have no problem getting 15 after the tune up... IMHO of course

Eric, is he running stock sized tires? He wants a lift so he probably already has oversized tires or plans on getting oversides tires.

And his 4-door weighs as much or more than most F-250's. Most F-2's were in the single cab style.

Is his truck four wheel drive?

yes, 4x4, crew cab, stock tires for now

I am a mustang guy, so the normal upgrades I am sure still apply.
It has 85k - and frankly the wires appear to be OEM - so plugs, filters, ect are probably 85k old.

any proven techniques to increase MPG with bolt ons?
I am leaning towards some kind of tune or chip to help...any thoughs.

and no...I did not consider it to get BETTER mpg, just didn't expect my 5.0 xcab 4x4 5 speed to kick its ass so bad.

do explain the hot air intake...my search did not give me much with those terms.
CAI is what we call it on the mustang...the duel intake pipe from the filter.

Well buddy I'm sorry but I don't know what to say besides give the ole' girl a tune up.

I know this isn't helpfull, but it would be pretty neat if you did a Cummins swap. You would double not only your fuel mileage but power output!

Question: Do you do more highway driving or backroads driving? What is your top speed? What size tire do you plan on sticking with?

If the air filter is open to the engine bay area that is a HOT air intake.. despite what the advertising says. The stock intake setup is a true cold air intake.. meaning it draws air from outside the engine bay which in general should be cooler than what is near the motor.

What size tires are on the truck and what milage are you getting now?

My former 95 F250 4wd with 5.8L it weight appor 6400 lb Mpg in city 13-14 and highway 14-16. It had 3.55 in axle.

It wasn't worth to keep while gas go up so I went back with Explorer I see 18-20 in city and Highway 20-23

Those chips are a waste of cash, cant really tune or mess with the old OBDI system.

Start with the basics....

Do a tune up!
Make sure all sensors good ESPECIALLY O2
Change fluids in Engine, Trans, Diffs, old fluids do hurt MPG
Make sure tires at proper PSI
Check all U Joints and bearings
Check brakes

All and any combination of the above will have adverse effect on MPG in any vehicle.

Also do you have auto or manual hubs? Hubs Locked/Unlocked?
What Diff ratio?


That is the starting point. In stock form it should get mid teens for MPG hywy unless you have tall gears then your just SOL....