On my 1999 Ford F 250 Super duty 7.3 in my signature.
I'm considering removing the cat, yes mine has one.
Also bilstein shocks are rough riding or are worn out !
What advantages will I get from the cat delete ?
What shocks will give a smoother ride ?
Would a muffler delete help ?
With the price of diesel I'm trying anything to increase my mpg.
Thanks

 

Which bilsteins do you have? Are the yellow and blue(HD) or zinc coated and black boots(5100)? What is this truck used for? daily driver, towing etc. Rancho has the RS9000's out which have got good reviews and are adjustable meaning you can change the settings for daily use or towing.

If your going as far as a muffler delete why not do a turbo back system?

In search of mileage is your regular maintenance up to snuff?

 

When I bought the truck I needed 4x4 and F250.
Now I'm down sizing as I no longer need the orig. equip.
It is a daily driver with a 38 gal. tank. and gets approx. 15.5 mpg
Therefore I'm considering down sizing but I need to maintain and keep
the veh. looking good.
I'm concidering a currect F150 since I'm a Ford Guy.
But it will be about a year before I can change.
Any auggestions or information will be appreciated.
Thanks
Robert

 

PS....what about a chip or are they too expensive ?

 

A chip won't improve mileage. If it does, it will be so insignificant that the chip won't even come close to paying for itself in a year or two.

If you want better mileage. Drive slow. Don't let the rpm's get over 2,000, even when accelerating.

 

I've got the yellow Bilstein shocks and feel every bump in the road.
The truck has 220,000 miles and is used as a daily driver if I need to go
anywhere. I try not to drive very much due to the cost of diesel and might average 1,500 miles per month. And I drive about 65 MPH .. Keeping below 2000 rpm !
Would changing shocks help with the ride ? And if so what shock would
work best ?
Thanks

 

Any shock is an upgrade over a worn out one, but if the Bilstien isn't worn out, you likely won't see any improvement.

 

What mileage are you seeing? 14ish city is average. If you're worried that much about mileage and are not pulling anything have you thought about down grading? 1500 miles a month isn't squat.... Just saying...

 

The question is how many miles have you had the shocks? When I purchased my truck at 126k I installed new shocks and it was a huge improvement, mostly because the PO only did oil changes in 7 years an 13k miles. Most of my truck has been gone through. At 220k you may need shocks, bushings, ball joints and sway bar bushings if they have not been changed. If your not keeping it though I'm not sure I would invest a lot since you likely will not recover it on a trade.

 

Removing the cat I didn't see any improvement and really wished I didn't remove it. If your going to sell it, it mitt be better to keep it on.

 

Be sure to sell the kitty for enough to fill that tank a couple times!! The core guys all come around our shop all the time and drool over the big 7.3 cats. But, it won't help MPG. Cat/muffler delete (straight piped stock exhaust) will increase the noise level (which many people enjoy), but not as much as a typical 4" turbo-back with a straight-thru muffler. It can also decrease EGT's a bit while towing, but frankly towing with a stock truck (no chip) EGT's should never be an issue anyway.

I cannot recommend a chip either. Like Chris said, no improvement in MPG that you can't get by changing your driving style.

For better MPG, I recommend the following:

- Properly inflated and rotated tires.
- Stick to 265/75/16 or 235/85/16 10-ply 'highway' tires. Bigger tires suck more fuel.
- Good quality and CLEAN air filter. Stock is FINE as long as airbox is sealed good/not broken.
- Regular oil changes with good oil. Our injectors use oil to fire and depend on oil quality to perform efficiently.
- Check for and fix boost leaks. The worm clamps on boots between spider and heads tend to loosen up over time. Lost boost = lost MPG!
- Check for drive pressure leaks. The pipes that go from the exhaust manifolds to the turbo will eventually leak at the collector. Leaks here hurt MPG, power and drive up EGT's.
- Use a scan tool (or Torque app, etc) and determine the health of HPO system (ICP holding 2500-2800psi and IPR Duty Cycle below 40% accelerating from 60mph).
- Check EBP sensor tube and clean if obstructed or leaking/rusted through.

Lift/leveling kits hurt too. That factory rake is partially there to improve MPG by reducing drag. On that note, bug shields, window visors, those big, fake racecar wings, sports flags and any other superfluous junk attached to the outside of your truck is hurting MPG as well. Of course, if you have a wing - we probably couldn't help ya here anyway!!

Weight is definitely a factor, albeit a distant 2nd behind aerodynamics. Take everything ya don't need out of the truck. 500 rounds/weapon is PLENTY, mmmkay!!

Driving style is the biggest change you can make. My ex-wife could regularly get over 20mpg in our Excursion - a solid 2-3 MPG better than I EVER could - even trying hard!! (OK, my self-control sucks after 320k miles burning mostly-free veggie oil )

Good luck and keep us posted!!!

 

In Dallas, the converter buyers only pay about $25 for a cat off a 7.3. The new Cummins cats, they're paying up to $600 depending on the model.