Is it worth tinkering?
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Joined: Jan 2008
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Is it worth tinkering?
Ok guys I've got a bit of a dilema, in a good way. I've got a 2wd 97 running 3.55s with a 6637, 4" downpipe and the rest is stock. Over the past year I've managed to average 17.8mpg in town and and 21.6 over the highway with a few trips up to 23mpg I cruise at about 72-73mph. These are all hand calculated. It seems as though this is about as much mpgs I could squeeze out of the truck. The tinkerer in me wants to throw on a less restictive exhaust and possibly a chip, but I'm pretty happy with what I've got now. If MPGs are my main goal I'm scared that more mods might adversly effect what I'm getting now. When chips say they offer a stock setting is it exactly that, or is it the new chips version of a stock setting? I hope to hear some advice, keep in mind I'm after MPGs, but also wouldn't mind a little kick in the pants every once in a while.
Lead Driver
Joined: Aug 2006
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From: Gambrills
Hi MaxRedD90! Welcome to FTE! Here is a very cool site for ideas: Tips - Idea - Hints Exhaust and air Mods are what I would do 1st!
Hotshot
Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 10,008
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From: Austin, TX
Ya with stage 2 injectors and everything else i can still pull 21mpg on the highway(hand calculated of course). that is only when i can keep my foot out of it long enough to do that which is only on long trips when i set the cruise at about 65-70mph. i would get you a chip with a good economy tune and tow tune if you tow a little bit at least. if you want that kick in the pants here and there get you a good performance tune. best places for chips are www.totaldieselperformance.com, DP-Tuner, or Power Hungry Performance - Feed your hunger for POWER! Check out our Gryphon Programmer for Ford vehicles!.
i would also do the exhaust all the way back with 4" or 5" pipe w/out a cat and a good performance muffler or no muffler at all if you like the sound. LoL.
get you some boost and egt guages. boost guage is kinda nice b/c you can look at how much power your making the engine use by checking the boost level. the more boost rises the less MPG your going to get. if you keep the boost wayy down low you will get better mileage. egt is just to keep from burning up the engine
now get you a better high pressure oil pump(HPOP). adrenaline claims good MPG improvments, as do some of the users of the adrenaline.
i would also do the exhaust all the way back with 4" or 5" pipe w/out a cat and a good performance muffler or no muffler at all if you like the sound. LoL.
get you some boost and egt guages. boost guage is kinda nice b/c you can look at how much power your making the engine use by checking the boost level. the more boost rises the less MPG your going to get. if you keep the boost wayy down low you will get better mileage. egt is just to keep from burning up the engine
now get you a better high pressure oil pump(HPOP). adrenaline claims good MPG improvments, as do some of the users of the adrenaline.
Hotshot
Joined: Oct 2003
Posts: 17,799
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From: Ashland City, TN
I wish i could get 21 mpg.
My truck will roll forever, but I havn't seen more then 16 yet.
Maybe I will now. if i can keep outa the throttle.
My truck will roll forever, but I havn't seen more then 16 yet.
Maybe I will now. if i can keep outa the throttle.
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Joined: Dec 2007
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From: Lizton, IN
you and me talyn. but i use my 4 wheel drive a lot and I would never trade it for another 5-6 mpgs. I know i can do some things to improve mine ,but I know I will never see more than 18
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From: North East Ohio
Maxred,
I bet you could easily get a couple more mpg with small skinny tires up front, skinny tires in the rear, and dropping the whole truck 2" or 3". Add a small wind dam under the front bumper, a cover on the bed, maybe drop your rear end ratio, and keep your foot out of the throttle.
I bet you'd be amazed at what you can pick-up doing these things. I planned on doing all of the above to my '97 cc 2wd, but the torch had other ideas and the truck is a dedicated drag truck now.
I bet you could easily get a couple more mpg with small skinny tires up front, skinny tires in the rear, and dropping the whole truck 2" or 3". Add a small wind dam under the front bumper, a cover on the bed, maybe drop your rear end ratio, and keep your foot out of the throttle.
I bet you'd be amazed at what you can pick-up doing these things. I planned on doing all of the above to my '97 cc 2wd, but the torch had other ideas and the truck is a dedicated drag truck now.
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Wow guys for my first post I'm so glad to get such great information. I live in the south Ga area and do most of my driving in Florida thus 2wd and flat terrain help MPGs. Looks to me like the worst downfall with mods is that it takes more discipline to keep the right foot conservative. I like to keep an eye on things before changing mechanics so guages are going in first, then exhaust. That'll be stage one.
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To be honest with you I had horrible milage when I was bone stock, all the basic mods are very complimenting, the filter was first on the list, sounds cool and its peice of mind, then I did a down pipe following straight open ewxhaust to the stacks after that, with a chip, bone stock I could not get more than 230 miles out of 18 gallons according to hand calculations, when I got the chip I went to 260-280 pertank and now with the exhaust I'm at 279 miles and I still have a quarter tank left, I'm guessing about 315 a tank with all the mods, I'm also running 3:55s and 4x4. Id say that's a hell of a difference, I run a 100 hp dailey driver aswell. As long as you stay out of it, id say you can hit 24 or 25 mpg highway and 20 around town. Also the difference in the truck running with and with out the chip is amazing, it just physically starts easier,faster and its very responsive