THATS ALL SHE'LL DO....
Another fuel milage thread.
Elder User
Joined: Jul 2009
Posts: 768
Likes: 1
From: Live VT, Work MA
At the end of the day we are driving a vehicle with the aerodynamics of a brick weighing between 6500-8500lbs rolling on huge rubber with a 7.3L powerplant and most of us are addicted to hearing the turbo spool up or blowing black clouds of smoke......I say we should just declare victory when we see anything north of 15mpg and move on.....
I have a Lesbaru with 167K miles on it for fuel economy and a Jap....anese truck with 145K on it to do light duty and run logging roads during hunting season......a PSD isn't a fuel economy winner......it has more capability towing than most gassers with roughly the same fuel economy....that is their selling point in my mind...
I have a Lesbaru with 167K miles on it for fuel economy and a Jap....anese truck with 145K on it to do light duty and run logging roads during hunting season......a PSD isn't a fuel economy winner......it has more capability towing than most gassers with roughly the same fuel economy....that is their selling point in my mind...
Post Fiend
Joined: Jun 2004
Posts: 9,293
Likes: 10
From: Parker, CO
Ahh I see. I was just wondering if injectors were the secret, although 1 to 2 mpgs is significant in most cases when it comes to our trucks mods, probably if you did all the mods, including swapping the turbo for the gtp38r you would get 4 to 5 mpgs better. But be in the hole for about ten years. Oh well, just a theory I guess.
Heck, if I added up all the advertised horsepower gains and milage gains from all my mods, I'd be at 450 hp and 25 mpg's. But alas, I'm nowhere near that
Heck, I have a friend of mine running Stage II singles, and the rest of the engine mods are almost identical to mine (I have stock injectors, otherwise our engines are almost identical). I have a lift and oversized tires, he's on stock suspension and stock sized tires. His mileage is currently 0.25 mpg's better than mine.
Cargo Master
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 2,902
Likes: 2
From: Pasadena, Maryland
Theory is one thing, real world is something entirely different.
Heck, if I added up all the advertised horsepower gains and milage gains from all my mods, I'd be at 450 hp and 25 mpg's. But alas, I'm nowhere near that
Heck, I have a friend of mine running Stage II singles, and the rest of the engine mods are almost identical to mine (I have stock injectors, otherwise our engines are almost identical). I have a lift and oversized tires, he's on stock suspension and stock sized tires. His mileage is currently 0.25 mpg's better than mine.
Heck, if I added up all the advertised horsepower gains and milage gains from all my mods, I'd be at 450 hp and 25 mpg's. But alas, I'm nowhere near that
Heck, I have a friend of mine running Stage II singles, and the rest of the engine mods are almost identical to mine (I have stock injectors, otherwise our engines are almost identical). I have a lift and oversized tires, he's on stock suspension and stock sized tires. His mileage is currently 0.25 mpg's better than mine.
Elder User
Joined: Oct 2005
Posts: 786
Likes: 0
From: Reno nv
yes you probably can get better mpg, but I guarantee that you WON'T like how it is done.
Never go over 2000 rpm, lower it to 2wd stock height, buy a camper shell or other aerodynamic device including air dams and flow gates, take 3/4 mile to get up to freeway speed, never go over 55 mph, change the rear end to 3.73, lose the auto tranny, don't use cruise control, only buy summer fuel, Lose the elephant ear mirrors, lose the dually setup including the wide fenders, treat the brake pedal as a hideous evil thing.
Can you say either hypermile or Ubermile?
my $.02, but I do most of the above for (right now) 20 mpg
Never go over 2000 rpm, lower it to 2wd stock height, buy a camper shell or other aerodynamic device including air dams and flow gates, take 3/4 mile to get up to freeway speed, never go over 55 mph, change the rear end to 3.73, lose the auto tranny, don't use cruise control, only buy summer fuel, Lose the elephant ear mirrors, lose the dually setup including the wide fenders, treat the brake pedal as a hideous evil thing.
Can you say either hypermile or Ubermile?
my $.02, but I do most of the above for (right now) 20 mpg
Senior User
Joined: Apr 2010
Posts: 317
Likes: 1
From: Bismarck,ND
FTE Stories
Ford Trucks for Ford Truck Enthusiasts
2027 Ford Super Duty Buyer's Guide (Every Model, Engine, & Package)
Brett Foote
Top 10 Ford Truck Tragedies
Joe Kucinski
AEV FXL Super Duty - the Super Duty Raptor Ford Doesn't Make
Brett Foote
Lobo Vs Lobo: Proof the F-150 Lobo Should Be Even Lower!
Michael S. Palmer
Ford's 2001 Explorer Sportsman Concept Looks For a New Home
Verdad Gallardo
10 Best Ford Truck Engines We Miss the Most!
Joe Kucinski
2026 Shelby F-150 Off-Road: Better Than a Raptor R?
Brett Foote
2027 Super Duty Carhartt Package First Look: 12 Things You NEED to Know!
Michael S. Palmer
10 Most Surprising 2026 Ford Truck Features!
Joe Kucinski
Posting Guru
Joined: May 2007
Posts: 1,141
Likes: 0
These trucks off the factory floor get 13mpg believe me. That's the 02' 03' model, they would improve to 17 at the most stock!! Gaining 3 miles per gallon or slightly with mod's is about it. JMOP.
Junior User
Joined: Oct 2010
Posts: 79
Likes: 0
Just do what I do - fill up when you have to and do your best to NOT do the math. I was really hoping I would get better MPGs when I traded my 08 Dually for the 01 - it is better - but not much. Both Lie-O-Meters have me averaging 12.5 - almost all highway.
A full tank in the 01 is lasting me a little longer and I can go faster in it and still do a little better so I am trying to be happy with that.
When doing the math I think I am averaging about 14.
I also look on the bright side, if one of the idiots in their 30 mpg cars that likes to tail gate me on the highway actually hits me one of these days, I will most likely walk away from the wreck -
A full tank in the 01 is lasting me a little longer and I can go faster in it and still do a little better so I am trying to be happy with that.
When doing the math I think I am averaging about 14.
I also look on the bright side, if one of the idiots in their 30 mpg cars that likes to tail gate me on the highway actually hits me one of these days, I will most likely walk away from the wreck -
Senior User
Joined: Sep 2008
Posts: 419
Likes: 0
From: Alfred NY and Long Island
I drive around 200 miles a week, mixed city and highway, and I have been averaging 15-16 mpg. Needless to say I don't really beat on the truck, and it stays below 2 grand most of the time. I look at it as I wanted a big truck, because I actually use it, and my old 94 f250 got like 10 mpg at best, so I am doing better then I was and I have a ton more power to go with it.
Bottom line is if your daily driving a 8000 pound truck you should be happy with anything over 15. Otherwise its time to down grade to a VW jetta diesel and get 50 mpg (hey this smoke too by the way, and ive even seen one with a stack) so if black smokes and stacks gets you going, this is always an option lol! heres an example for all you smoke loving folks!
YouTube - Jetta With A STACK! TDi Diesel Rolling Coal
see I wasn't lieing!!!
Bottom line is if your daily driving a 8000 pound truck you should be happy with anything over 15. Otherwise its time to down grade to a VW jetta diesel and get 50 mpg (hey this smoke too by the way, and ive even seen one with a stack) so if black smokes and stacks gets you going, this is always an option lol! heres an example for all you smoke loving folks!
YouTube - Jetta With A STACK! TDi Diesel Rolling Coal
see I wasn't lieing!!!
Elder User
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 718
Likes: 0
Another reason for poor mileage MIGHT be due to the way the truck was broke in. I have a feeling a lot of us arent the first owners and dont know the first owners. Who knows, maybe the truck idoled almost as long as it was driven. Maybe the injectors are dirty.
I see a lot of guys are getting the same or worse than my truck. I run 2" lift, 35s with a sun visor and get 14.5-16 city hwy and the best highway was 19 on 25 gallons with the only engine mod being a 6637.
I see a lot of guys are getting the same or worse than my truck. I run 2" lift, 35s with a sun visor and get 14.5-16 city hwy and the best highway was 19 on 25 gallons with the only engine mod being a 6637.
Senior User
Joined: Apr 2010
Posts: 317
Likes: 1
From: Bismarck,ND
I havent had the truck long so just trying to see what it can and cant do,plus it hasnt been above 0 degrees yet when drivin. I will do mods and monitor the differences. It has 200k on and all sounds good. I also noticed some air like noise the other day, as if someone turned the blower motor on high on the heater when i put load on it, mite have sum leaking boots or something which would rob me of power=loss of mileage.