Good luck Gman...

Now I understand your physical issues more clearly. Maybe I missed the wheelchair part. That does not change my opinions on mileage (which should be taken with a grain of salt but I have driven big vans for 27 years now and have pumped a LOT of gas into these big boxes...)

Clear the exhaust if there is a problem but if it's not clogged it won't do you much good to open up anything unless you cruise at 5000 rpm, make sure the spark is good (typically plugs; the timing changes won't usually help unless you upgrade the grade of gas you use), make sure the fuel mixture is good (O2 sensors could help here if yours are bad), and then go with the aero and tire suggestions.

Syn fluids are a good placebo but I ran full syn oil in my E150 for a while (25k miles) and never noticed a difference compared to syn blend Motorcraft oil; I put an Eaton posi in my van, and Eaton says to use non-syn gear lube. Still, I feel better about oil changes at 6-7k miles with syn oil.

Have a great trip, and we can both hope that gas is not $6 per gallon by next April (we never know).

George

 

Agreed, the O2 sensor is 117,000 miles old and needs replacement, the factory TFI coil is known to be weak and getting replaced, aside from that the only other mod i will consider is minimal ground effects..

 

The biggest difference between my 96 and yours is the missing cats. The roller cam profile adds more to the power and the mass air probably adds something to the fuel economy. Mine's got 235/75/15 tires (Goodyear Wranglers) which don't have the stiffest sidewalls either. They're going to be replaced with Cooper Cobras on wider wheels. If I were you, I'd cut the pipe behind the cats and then while someone works the gas pedal, get under it and feels what kind of flow is coming out of them before cutting them off.

 

Hey Baddad...it is my experience that a stiff sidewall does NOT make for good gas mileage. And wider rims ain't gonna help mileage but may help looks. Michelin LTX M/S's have a fairly soft sidewall but a very stiff tread that does not flex.

Coopers have always been "second string" tires compared to Michelins. Just my opinion, but if you want great gas mileage, get the Michelin LTX M/S 2's. I've had about 7 sets of Michelins on vans and cars, and they can't be beat for noise, ride, gas mileage, and treadwear. Any extra cost will be made up in tread life. (And the Michelins are made in the US--which I believe is the case with Coopers.)

A quick Internet review of the Cobras is that they are "cosmetic performance tires" which means they are an old musclecar design like the BFG Radial T/A's, Kelly Chargers, or General XP2000's (which I have had on pickups and vans in 255/70's). If you move to 255/70's, expect to lose 1 mpg at least. Been there, done that.

George

 

I'm well aware of how Cooper tires perform. Been running them for thirty years now. Never had anything to complain about them. Michelins are pricey and while they last a long time, the harder compound sucks as far as traction goes. I'll stick with em as long as they make em. As for loosing 1 mpg ? B.S. The best mileage I ever got with my 95 E150 (16 mpg) proves that's wrong. And that was with 275/60's on the rear (mounted on 15x10 aluminum slots) and 245/70's on the front (15x8.5 slots) The treadwear rating is right up there with some Michelins too.

 

Thanks for your good report on Coopers; I have been tempted by them in the past but have usually gone with Michelins as a sure thing. Michelin makes many different tire lines and compounds and your "hard rubber" statement is probably about as accurate as my "Cooper=2nd string" comment. I admit to some bias against Coopers from hearsay and may review my opinion next time I need some tires.

I seriously doubt that the wider tires helped your mileage. As an old hot rodder, I have moved 4 pickups and vans from 235/75 tires to 255/70's since 1979 and my LONG TERM mileage averages always decreased by at least 1 mpg. This conclusion is based on tens of thousands of miles. I have been OCD about tracking gas mileage...

My '02 E150 with 4.6 has a LIFETIME fuel mileage average of 16.02 mpg, every fillup for 114k miles since I bought the van new, all of this on 235/75x15 Michelin LTX M/S tires (the OEM tires and a replacement set of the same tires). On the road, I have gotten single tank readings of 19+ mpg, but usually my trip averages are 17-18 mpg. Again, over multiple tanks. And not driving really slow.

Good luck, and thanks for the input.
George

 

I have some advice from doing heavy mods on Mustangs.

Changing to under drive pulleys will not give you 15HP in your van, you will waste your time, unless you plan on revving at 5000rpm all day. You may also drain your battery down if extended idling is occurring. Put your $35 into good plugs.

Change your two cats to one Magna-Flow cat, flows great and passes all emissions with flying colours.

Give the motor a good tune up using FORD PARTS! Plugs, Caps and wires. If you want to go to a hotter coil then go for it, but it will not give you astounding mileage improvement. Read your plugs for issues, Google it!

Change your O2 sensors with your cats.

A good tune up is worth more than bolt-ons in your case.

 

I agree with George on the Michelins, I am also getting 15-16 on the highway with my E. I had Goodyears on before and they rode a bit better and were fantastic in the snow. But the Michelins wear better and make the van a better driver.

I have never had a good experience with my Cooper tires, my wifes Suberloser has them on now and the thing is horrendous in snow, and its all wheel drive. They are coming off in a few weeks now that Costco has the tire rebates on.

 

I never said wider tires helped the fuel mileage. What I said was they didn't hurt it. I track gas mileage too, being a 36 year veteran 18 wheeler driver. I know what affects mileage, having driven all kinds of vehicles in all kinds of weather, racking up several million miles. Coopers are just as good a tire as any other brand, plus they're made in the good ole USA.

 

Despite your long experience, you might want to read this link to Copper Tire's company history. Especially since 2005.

Cooper Tire Corporate - Cooper Tire History

Apparently not all Cooper Tires are "made in the good ole USA" these days.

 

I haven't had the best results with coopers, tread corners peeling off after only a few months and 10-15 thousand miles, out of round by 1/8" in that same time, and completely worn out within 9 months. Buying coopers is a mistake I don't plan to repeat.

 

Big Labor dispute over in China at the Cooper Tire Plant right now..........moving to India or someplace like that.

 

And neither are any other brand. Michelin is a French company, or was.

 

I'm with you guys, Coopers suck. Drove a limo years back, right around the corner from our dispatch center was a local cooper dealer/repair shop so we had a contract with them to service the cars. They gave us a deal on the tires and even at the reduced rate the short 20k life span (which meant 3-4 sets a year per car)wasn't worth it, they were garbage in snow and after 6-8k were really bad in the rain. Obviously we got passenger white walls not performance tires but still they were the top of the line (for cooper) white walls. Didn't matter if they were on a super stretch (like mine) or standard size Town Cars & Fleetwoods, no one liked them. Talking with drivers from other companies on "the hill" (a staging lot for limos & taxies at O'Hare) they had various favorites but basically all name brand tires seemed to last 2-3 times longer and rode better. I timed (on purpose)my next tire purchase when I was a good 50 miles away and had a flat and just so happened to be by a Sears when they were having a sale, I was authorized to get tires there as they were only $10 more then we got the coopers for. They were Michelins but forgot the model. SIx or so months later the boss called me on the radio, going through the paper word he mentioned he didn't see where I turned in the receipt for the last tire change, I said I in fact did, the last change was the one at Sears. He couldn't believe it as I was close to 40k and the tires were still good. The lasted to about 55k. The guy was impressed but stubborn, after that he still had us get coopers unless a driver said he found a good sale on Goodyear/Firestone/Michelins at some other place.
Years later I bought a new used car, a Taurus wagon the previous owner put coopers on a couple thousand miles earlier. The car was horrible in the snow, everything would pull away from me at lights while I fathered the throttle just to get moving, cornering at slow speeds what a white knuckle affair. I blamed the car and seriously thought of getting rid of it. Driving through an unplowed snow covered parking lot I didn't see a low curb and bubbled the two fronts. There was a Super Shops (sold Radial TA's by the millions) down the block, I didn't want 'performance' tires but the price was right. Pulling out of their lot I noticed the front now stuck very well but the rear still floated around turns. Went back to the unplowed lot the test out these tires, it was night and day, I could pull away with almost the same throttle as just a rain soaked street. I drove right back to the shop and told them to replace the rears too. The guy was puzzled as they still looked new, I told him about the traction difference and if he wanted to use what I said as a testimonial he had my fullest permission. Swore right there I'd never own a car with coopers any longer then it took to drive straight to a tire dealer.

 

Oh yeah, the previous owner of my '98 Chateau with 4.6 and 153k, stock size LTX's, stated he just got 19 mpg at 75+mph on a 900 mile round trip, up from 17mpg on the same trip before he changed the plugs and wires a couple weeks before the last trip. I sorta too the claim with a grain of salt, set the cruise at 63 for 95% of the 240 mile drive home. I was hoping to get 18-19 at those speeds. Was happy to see I actually got 21.85. Around town it's a different story, 16.5 usually, winter 14+ especially if I'm just making shorter trips.