Hello everyone,

I just bought a 2000 Ford F-250 with a 7.3L diesel and am looking for a few small things I can do to get better mileage. It is fully stock except for a K&N air filter and the previous owner put 285/75R16 tires on it. I have heard that deleting your muffler and putting a larger downpipe on the turbo will get you better mileage. Any thoughts on this? Also I have a friend with a superchips programmer for the 7.3L that he wants to sell. Would getting this help mileage if I run it on the lowest setting? Also does that affect longevity? Any thoughts appreciated. Thanks

 

Get rid of that K&N filter, it will dust your turbo and engine. Get the exhaust, some gauges, and that programmer(if really cheap if not just get a chip), and your mileage will go up, if it doesnt go up it will stay the same but it will have more power.

 

For Starters a more free flowing exhaust will help out. I don't know about the superchips but chips from T Wildman (www.totaldieselperformance.com) and DP Tuner, and some of the other expert programmers have yielded improved milage. If you can keep your foot off the gas after the big HP improvement .

Be carefull with the K & N Filter. If they are not maintained real well they can allow larger dust particle through which is no good for the turbo in the long run just like John said above).

 

The K&N was on the pickup when I bought it. I just cleaned it. It was rather dirty. Would another Air system make a difference?

 

Ford severe duty AIS, AFE stage II or the TYMAR 6635 mod. Each have proven their worth for the 7.3L. Do a quick search in this form for these 3 mods or just start a new topic and you will have all your answere/comments within an hour.

 

What is the TYMAR 6635 mod?

 

I think he means 6637

 

Whoops! 6637 (you got me Ryan) Here's the link with some pics http://guzzle.rbmicro.com/filtermind.html

Sorry, I'de like to blame my typing skills but I think it was that last beer

Nice Avitar Travis

 

I've never had a problem with my K&N it has 254,000 milkes on it. Forget about Programmers/Chips for fuel mileage. I've Tried 3, including DP Tuner and none of them have increased my fuel mileage. As a matter of fact they cut my Fuel mileage. You can't get better fuel mileage by adding more fuel. Best thing you can do is make sure you have Good Fuel. Tires are properly inflated and keep the speed down.

 

I have an early 99 running stock tires..stock turbo and a 15* HPOP..I live in the white mountains of new Hampshire where the longest flat is a 1 mile stretch if you are lucky..last summer with a stock truck I got 17 to 18 around town .and 21 to 22 on the big road..did my mods in octobor.with winter blend and cold morning and after work 15 minute warm ups I'm still getting 17 around town in my 80 econo...went to Florida for Christmas and got 23 in my 60 tow CC on 72 MPH..it may not improve for you in the flat lands..but for me where ever I go its up hill and I get better MPG cause my truck never down shifts any more..

 

when did you start getting this type of milage? after the mods, before the mods? I am getting ready to start throwing money at mine to get better milage, havent figured out if I am going after the MAO or exhasut presure sensor...

 

sorry, MAP sensor, and exhaust presure sensor.

 

As far as air filters go AFE makes a great air filter but for a stage one your looking at $300 and a stage 2 is $400. I would reccommend a S&B or Airaid cold air intake. They are both quality products and are made out of the same filter element as K&N or AFE but they run about $200 to $220 shipped to your house. Airaid offers a lifetime no hassle warrenty also. If you choose airaid I would also say to get the filter wrap because it helps keep bigger particles from getting stuck in your filter. Yea, the 6637 is a quick fix for an air filter but it is also fully open to all the engine heat and would take in a lot of hot air.

If your looking for fuel economy i wouldn't go with a programmer such as superchips. A nice fairly inexpensive setup would be to go with a 6 position chip such as TS performance or diesel innovations, turbo back exhaust, air filter, and pyro & boost gauges. The six position chip allows you to run stock, 50 hp, 90 hp, 115, 140, and a custom valet mode such as hi idle or anti theft. You could pick up one of these for about $400.

Stock I got 13.5 mpg and now in town I'm running 19.5 to 20.5 and highway cruising at 70mph I get 21 to 23!!! I have airaid filter, Diesel Innovations 6 position chip, banks turbo back exhaust, banks gauges, trans module, and Banks 4 in. turbo housing, high compression wheel, and banks wastegate.

 

I only know of one member on this site who was running the S & B intake and posted his used oil analysis (UOA) results. His oil analysis showed silicone levels at 23 which means a considerable amount of dust is passing through the system. The Ford AIS, AFE II, 6637 are normally less than half this level. But this is only one case that I know of. I have not read about other folks who are using the S&B and if they are running UOA. I would like find out some more real world results on this system to see if this was the norm.

 

Yeah, that'd be me.
All I'm waiting on is spare cash, which, oddly enough, isnt falling out of the sky since I just threw my first born kid at a set of injectors.
S&B . . . nice ads. Got me. Nice lookin filter. It's going, soon as I can get the AIS, I'm swapping.
You wanna buy a S&B, slightly used? Make ya a heckuva bargain.
As I said to WB before . . . ISO tests, look nice on paper. Real world, the Blackstone, that filter is letting way too much garbage in. Bummer.