Ways to increase fuel efficency?
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New User
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Ways to increase fuel efficency?
I have a 1992 Ford F250 with a 460 engine EFI in it and I am looking for any and all idea's for fuel efficency, if it works for your truck it might work for mine(hopefully), can I get what you do to your truck to incease efficency?
My idea's not sure how much it saves:
Remove tailgate
Match all tires and keep them all aired up.
Do regular maintance and change parts when they need to be changed.
K&N Air Filter
Keep my foot out of the pedal
Put on cruise control when traveling aways
Keep the RPM's under 2000
Shift into neutral when sitting still no matter how long it is.
Any other idea's to make my truck get more fuel mileage than it currently gets?
Thanks
My idea's not sure how much it saves:
Remove tailgate
Match all tires and keep them all aired up.
Do regular maintance and change parts when they need to be changed.
K&N Air Filter
Keep my foot out of the pedal
Put on cruise control when traveling aways
Keep the RPM's under 2000
Shift into neutral when sitting still no matter how long it is.
Any other idea's to make my truck get more fuel mileage than it currently gets?
Thanks
Posting Guru
Joined: Jul 2009
Posts: 1,069
Likes: 1
From: Toledo, Ohio
pickup trucks are MADE to be run with a tailgate. Ever notice the wind tunnel it creates in the bed? A tailgate does NOT hurt mileage. Its been proven.
Air, good. Maintenance, good. Off throttle, good. Better is to shut truck off when at idle. Supposedly they did a study and its proven that letting a vehicle idle for a minute uses more fuel than a start-up. I didnt believe it but GM proved it and now UPS and Fed-Ex shut their trucks off at every delivery. Ever notice? You can use cruise control or just keep the speed steady. Lower RPM's will also help. Good plugs also.
Air, good. Maintenance, good. Off throttle, good. Better is to shut truck off when at idle. Supposedly they did a study and its proven that letting a vehicle idle for a minute uses more fuel than a start-up. I didnt believe it but GM proved it and now UPS and Fed-Ex shut their trucks off at every delivery. Ever notice? You can use cruise control or just keep the speed steady. Lower RPM's will also help. Good plugs also.
Hotshot
Joined: Sep 2001
Posts: 11,958
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Removing the tail gate won't do anything Mythbusters already proved that.
KN won't do anything either. They also do not filter well and let in more dirt. Also, the oil can get on electronic sensors in the intake tube.
I have discovered that cruise control actually makes my truck get worse fuel economy. I noticed that when I engage the cruise the pedal moves down a bit.
I don't think shifting into neutral will do much of anything. Are you talking auto or manual?
Keeping the RPMs down is good, but don't lug it too much thats bad too.
Your best bets are:
A good tune up with good parts (plugs, wires, cap, rotor, air filter, fuel filter)
A good flowing exhaust
Properly inflated tires that match and are not excessively oversized
Keep your foot out of it
Also, cold air intakes that suck in underhood air, throttle body spacers, and chips are all junk.
KN won't do anything either. They also do not filter well and let in more dirt. Also, the oil can get on electronic sensors in the intake tube.
I have discovered that cruise control actually makes my truck get worse fuel economy. I noticed that when I engage the cruise the pedal moves down a bit.
I don't think shifting into neutral will do much of anything. Are you talking auto or manual?
Keeping the RPMs down is good, but don't lug it too much thats bad too.
Your best bets are:
A good tune up with good parts (plugs, wires, cap, rotor, air filter, fuel filter)
A good flowing exhaust
Properly inflated tires that match and are not excessively oversized
Keep your foot out of it
Also, cold air intakes that suck in underhood air, throttle body spacers, and chips are all junk.
Thread Starter
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New User
Joined: Oct 2009
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Automatic, and thanks for your guys suggestions and help, I'll start doing this when the sun comes up(making it more fuel efficent)
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Postmaster
Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 4,728
Likes: 8
From: Cleveland, TN
Well, sombody HAS to say it, so it might as well be me..
Drive down hill as much as possible!!! 
Drive down hill as much as possible!!!
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Post Fiend
Joined: Nov 2008
Posts: 23,849
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From: McKenzie River
Your running a 460................"fuel efficiency" is not a term associated with our motors. Keep it tuned, keep the tires up to press., keep your foot out of it. I did notice a SLIGHT improvement in mpg after going to headers vs. stock manifolds (11mpg vs. 12mpg).....I do not worry much about the mpg, its a heavy duty truck and not driven every day........Thats what Ranger's are for!
FTE Legend
Joined: Jun 2006
Posts: 31,930
Likes: 1,499
From: Ottawa, Ontario
Yeah... a that truck is never going to deliver great milage.. particularly in town, but carefull driving practices can make a difference. Plan your route and avoid stop and go traffic as much as possible. You can also try advancing the timing from 10 to 12 or so, it'll generate more TQ so you won't have to get into it as much.
Post Fiend
Joined: Nov 2008
Posts: 23,849
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From: McKenzie River
Mine gets exceedingly good mpg..............while parked in the driveway for weeks at a time!.....And, Conanski is right, bump the base timing up to 12, you will get more kick with less throttle.
Postmaster
Joined: Apr 2003
Posts: 2,703
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From: Harrisburg, NE
just because its a work truck doesn't mean that you can't get a few more miles for your doller...
cruise is alright if your on a stretch of long flat road. but if you have to do with curves or hill it will constantly be in and out of the throttle. is there any reason why you need climb that hill at 75? i hardly ever drive over 60, and i can tell you for a fact that you dont get there that much sooner.
take a look at your front tires, a close look... alignment is a big killer of mileage. some vehicles are bad enough that its like driving a plow...
and there is alot of guys that are saying that the hot air helps with mileage. check out the forum at GasSavers.org - Fuel Efficiency, Save Gas and Gas Mileage Forum, they have their misfits (we all do) but they also have some very dedicated folks that are very straightforward (you tell them about your 300mpg carb and they call bs and tell you to prove it)
cruise is alright if your on a stretch of long flat road. but if you have to do with curves or hill it will constantly be in and out of the throttle. is there any reason why you need climb that hill at 75? i hardly ever drive over 60, and i can tell you for a fact that you dont get there that much sooner.
take a look at your front tires, a close look... alignment is a big killer of mileage. some vehicles are bad enough that its like driving a plow...
and there is alot of guys that are saying that the hot air helps with mileage. check out the forum at GasSavers.org - Fuel Efficiency, Save Gas and Gas Mileage Forum, they have their misfits (we all do) but they also have some very dedicated folks that are very straightforward (you tell them about your 300mpg carb and they call bs and tell you to prove it)
Postmaster
Joined: Sep 2008
Posts: 2,995
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From: raymond alberta
shut it off and coast downhill? ... a sail works well if you live in a windy area just watch for low bridges and light poles...
on the intake subject...the kits that suck air from under the hood seem to decrease or do nothing to performance or efficiency...a GOOD (probably expensive) cold air kit can make an improvement but the way i see it, to get the biggest improvement in either intake or exhaust you need to make the engine work less ie. ram air, let the air come to the engine dont make the engine suck in the air...or free flowing exhaust, good exhaust velocity will reduce load on the engine and also make an improvement...electric fans take more load off the engine and will help improve efficiency
remember the less energy wasted by sucking air pushing exhaust or turning a fan is more energy that can be put into moving the vehicle making it more efficient...more efficiency means more power AND better fuel mileage
on the intake subject...the kits that suck air from under the hood seem to decrease or do nothing to performance or efficiency...a GOOD (probably expensive) cold air kit can make an improvement but the way i see it, to get the biggest improvement in either intake or exhaust you need to make the engine work less ie. ram air, let the air come to the engine dont make the engine suck in the air...or free flowing exhaust, good exhaust velocity will reduce load on the engine and also make an improvement...electric fans take more load off the engine and will help improve efficiency
remember the less energy wasted by sucking air pushing exhaust or turning a fan is more energy that can be put into moving the vehicle making it more efficient...more efficiency means more power AND better fuel mileage
Postmaster
Joined: Apr 2003
Posts: 2,703
Likes: 4
From: Harrisburg, NE
9.5 brings up a good point, it's a matter of making the engine work less while going down the road. this is one of the reasons why headers are use for mileage purposes, they allow the engine to work easier, therefore allowing more power and mileage
an engine is a big thermally run air pump. the only true two ways to improve efficiency is to make it more thermally efficient (most of the energy produced by fuel either goes out the exhaust, or into the coolant), or to make it breath easier.
something else to keep in mind is aerodynamics, and that horsepower required to overcome wind resistace is cubed, for example it takes 4 times the power to go 80 than it does to go 45.
an engine is a big thermally run air pump. the only true two ways to improve efficiency is to make it more thermally efficient (most of the energy produced by fuel either goes out the exhaust, or into the coolant), or to make it breath easier.
something else to keep in mind is aerodynamics, and that horsepower required to overcome wind resistace is cubed, for example it takes 4 times the power to go 80 than it does to go 45.