Miles per Gallon....
Thread Starter
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Fleet Owner
Joined: Aug 2001
Posts: 29,941
Likes: 46
From: Drummonds, TN USA
Miles per Gallon....
- I messed up, this was meant for the general forum...
(I might get down rated over this, but I wanted the widest spread interest to see this. It is in two other forums, and may be considered automotive, or suggestion...)
I wanted to find out how much support there might be for exploring our options in getting the most we can out of a gallon of fuel - whether diesel or plain old GAS.
I should have suggested this aeons ago, but the time is here, and the petroleum barons are jacking prices up left and right.
We've GOT to look at that - there are better ways to spend a gallon of fuel, and we should try like hell to FIND them...
Lightening trucks, streamlining, aerodynamics, wheel technology, fuel systems tech, transmission advances, tips to reduce friction, ALL of the above blends in to higher efficiency. And we need that now....
We should band together on a fuel efficiency forum, and find ways to make fuel stretch...
It would HAVE to be a tech forum, but I want to get the idea out there and attract attention to a very important topic in these times.
~Wolf sendz
(I might get down rated over this, but I wanted the widest spread interest to see this. It is in two other forums, and may be considered automotive, or suggestion...)
I wanted to find out how much support there might be for exploring our options in getting the most we can out of a gallon of fuel - whether diesel or plain old GAS.
I should have suggested this aeons ago, but the time is here, and the petroleum barons are jacking prices up left and right.
We've GOT to look at that - there are better ways to spend a gallon of fuel, and we should try like hell to FIND them...
Lightening trucks, streamlining, aerodynamics, wheel technology, fuel systems tech, transmission advances, tips to reduce friction, ALL of the above blends in to higher efficiency. And we need that now....
We should band together on a fuel efficiency forum, and find ways to make fuel stretch...
It would HAVE to be a tech forum, but I want to get the idea out there and attract attention to a very important topic in these times.
~Wolf sendz
Last edited by Greywolf; Apr 28, 2005 at 08:30 PM.
Thread Starter
|
Fleet Owner
Joined: Aug 2001
Posts: 29,941
Likes: 46
From: Drummonds, TN USA
Miles per Gallon
(I might get down rated over this, but I wanted the widest spread interest to see this. It is in two other forums, and may be considered automotive, or suggestion...)
I wanted to find out how much support there might be for exploring our options in getting the most we can out of a gallon of fuel - whether diesel or plain old GAS.
I should have suggested this aeons ago, but the time is here, and the petroleum barons are jacking prices up left and right.
We've GOT to look at that - there are better ways to spend a gallon of fuel, and we should try like hell to FIND them...
Lightening trucks, streamlining, aerodynamics, wheel technology, fuel systems tech, transmission advances, tips to reduce friction, ALL of the above blends in to higher efficiency. And we need that now....
We should band together on a fuel efficiency forum, and find ways to make fuel stretch...
It would HAVE to be a tech forum, but I want to get the idea out there and attract attention to a very important topic in these times.
~Wolf sendz
I wanted to find out how much support there might be for exploring our options in getting the most we can out of a gallon of fuel - whether diesel or plain old GAS.
I should have suggested this aeons ago, but the time is here, and the petroleum barons are jacking prices up left and right.
We've GOT to look at that - there are better ways to spend a gallon of fuel, and we should try like hell to FIND them...
Lightening trucks, streamlining, aerodynamics, wheel technology, fuel systems tech, transmission advances, tips to reduce friction, ALL of the above blends in to higher efficiency. And we need that now....
We should band together on a fuel efficiency forum, and find ways to make fuel stretch...
It would HAVE to be a tech forum, but I want to get the idea out there and attract attention to a very important topic in these times.
~Wolf sendz
Senior User
Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 484
Likes: 0
From: Roland, Ar
Your idea works for me, I have done some mods to my truck to get better MPG's:
Flowtech shorty headers and Flowmaster "40" muffler {need make duel someday}
K&N Air filter
Accel coil and TFI module
Bosch plug wires
I now get 3.5 miles more to the gallon.
Flowtech shorty headers and Flowmaster "40" muffler {need make duel someday}
K&N Air filter
Accel coil and TFI module
Bosch plug wires
I now get 3.5 miles more to the gallon.
Logistics Pro
Joined: May 2004
Posts: 4,998
Likes: 131
From: Maryville
My big van is getting 9-11 MPG in the city right now, I'm forced to a big van. I need to put in lower gears, I have 3.50, combined with van wieght, they are too high for driving in the city and cause gear changes on the HYW. I'm wondering about an LPG conversion, that would be close to running Hydrogen in the far future too.
Handicap conversions for mini vans to make them wheelchair accessible is around $30,000 and the van can be no more than 3 years old, making them another $25,000. Full size vans require little to make do, and have no age limit, but burn lots of fuel.
Handicap conversions for mini vans to make them wheelchair accessible is around $30,000 and the van can be no more than 3 years old, making them another $25,000. Full size vans require little to make do, and have no age limit, but burn lots of fuel.
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Trending Topics
Lead Driver
Joined: Feb 2003
Posts: 8,140
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From: Oak Harbor, OH
I am getting ~25 in my Windstar. It's trans seems to shift about 5 times before it hits it's rock bottom RPM of 1900 at 60mph... At 80 it's turnin 2400 and the mileage stays the same.
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Post Fiend
Joined: Jun 2001
Posts: 5,228
Likes: 5
From: Running Springs CA
Since right now they wont let us have light-duty turbodiesels, at least Ford and the rest could cut the weight instead of making each new design heavier than the last. The empty weights on the current generation of light-duty trucks is insane. There is no reason for 5000+ lb unladen "half ton" trucks. Even the latest Ranger is dripping with extra weight compared to my 2700lb 1988 model. A typically equipped SD is over 7000 before you put anything in it! A pre-1980 F-350 was more like 5000.
All of the expensive and complex computerized engine and transmission technology is not giving us better mpgs because of basic physics.
Jim
All of the expensive and complex computerized engine and transmission technology is not giving us better mpgs because of basic physics.
Jim
Senior User
Joined: Mar 2003
Posts: 248
Likes: 1
From: Ottawa, KS
It seems that the V-8 engines from the 70's and 80's are making the same mileage as current day powerplants. My 77 F-150 has a 400 in it, which most people complain gets terrible mileage. I avg around 15-17 mpg. From what I have heard, most half ton trucks do the same today. So much for technology. You would think that after thirty years of OPEC screwing with us, we would do something about it... 
Thread Starter
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Fleet Owner
Joined: Aug 2001
Posts: 29,941
Likes: 46
From: Drummonds, TN USA
I tend to think streamlining is at the lead end of the issue. Overdrive trannies help a lot, and wheel bearing tech is going to figure into it.
ALIGNMENT is a major issue. Any toe-in, or Toe out will eat up milage faster than a ball and chain dragged behind.
Dragging brakes are an issue.
Tranny design is an issue.
Whatever eats up horse power will fight against the power liberated by an engine/powerplant.
Keep those ideas coming....
~Wolf
(PS: Military)
ALIGNMENT is a major issue. Any toe-in, or Toe out will eat up milage faster than a ball and chain dragged behind.
Dragging brakes are an issue.
Tranny design is an issue.
Whatever eats up horse power will fight against the power liberated by an engine/powerplant.
Keep those ideas coming....
~Wolf
(PS: Military)
Lead Driver
Joined: Feb 2003
Posts: 8,140
Likes: 4
From: Oak Harbor, OH
We need more efficient transmission. Some sort of hydraulic system that can operate at 1500 to 2000 rpms, and have sufficient pressure to run 65mph+. would be ideal. You wouldn't have to worry about idling. The "accelerator" pedal would be linked to a valve to allow fluid to flow at various rates to the motors. They already use a system like this in large trucks for industrial work sites. Current technology has us limited to what we can and can't do. We need smarter people, or at least real world people in those engineer jobs.
Senior User
Joined: Jun 2004
Posts: 445
Likes: 0
From: Prince George B.C.
My biggest Beef. People who drive them big honkin Trucks/Suv's just because they can and really don't need them ( sorry guys ). The big three car company's are also to blame for pushiing the horespower wars to the N th degree, while forgetting all about fuel economy. I do realize that there is a place for big V-8's, V-10's, Hemi's, and big torque Monster Diesels. But eventually we will be paying similar prices for fuel like they do in Europe or Down under. I will forever have a full size truck in my life, but I think for my daily driving I am going for something alot smaller that sips alot less gas. I hope no one get's too mad at me, it was not my intention lol . I'm done.
Gone but not forgotten.
Joined: Jul 2001
Posts: 6,521
Likes: 2
Some time back I read an article on improving gas mileage. The two most beneficial mods were a small spoiler to reduce drag and an air dam to keep air from under the car. It seems that air under a vehicle's ragged undersurface tumbles and causes a lot of drag. Benz has specifically addressed undercar drag in some designs..... if your truck is high, so will be your gas mileage.
Dono
Dono