OPERATION BETTER MPG!!
The Southernmost Mod
Joined: Dec 2004
Posts: 6,902
Likes: 20
From: Caracas, Venezuela
1.- I agree with this one.
2.- Platinum spark-plugs of any brand don't work well in these trucks, copper cores are the way to go.
3.- Pulling/pushing air from outside will actually affect the air flow negatively, creating drag, wich is more than the load/impact the water pump could have on the engine, still, working cooler is always a good thing.
4.- Dropping weight is a good thing, but usually these trucks are work trucks, and mostly everything on them is needed, what you suggest here would be more suited for a weekend racer, not a daily driver.
Don't be dissapointed at us, it isn't that we didn't consider these changes, we did and ended up thinking they were unnecesary, so nodoby posted them.
2.- Platinum spark-plugs of any brand don't work well in these trucks, copper cores are the way to go.
3.- Pulling/pushing air from outside will actually affect the air flow negatively, creating drag, wich is more than the load/impact the water pump could have on the engine, still, working cooler is always a good thing.
4.- Dropping weight is a good thing, but usually these trucks are work trucks, and mostly everything on them is needed, what you suggest here would be more suited for a weekend racer, not a daily driver.
Don't be dissapointed at us, it isn't that we didn't consider these changes, we did and ended up thinking they were unnecesary, so nodoby posted them.
Senior User
Joined: Mar 2010
Posts: 459
Likes: 0
From: Fayetteville, NC
i like froggy imports with a nice ciante and some fava beans.....lol
welcome to the club mustang chick ! plenty of awsome gearheads around here to learn lots from!
Senior User
Joined: Mar 2010
Posts: 459
Likes: 0
From: Fayetteville, NC
I'm kind of disappointed that I've seen several in depth ways to increase mileage, but none of the easiest ones... I've done the following with all of my vehicles, (1999 Mustang, 2008 F-150, my boyfriend's 2004 Mustang) and have gotten good results for the money.
1.) Cold-air intake- the better your rig breathes, the better and easier she runs
2.) Bosch Platinum 4 plugs & wires- very smooth, easy starts, so you're not wasting gas gettin her goin, and the money you spend to get them is saved in all the time they last. The set I put in my Mustang 4 years ago still look brand new!
3.) A hood with vents in it- I just cut out the plastic insert in the Mustangs, but found a cowl hood for the truck, had a vent cut into it, and machined a simple aluminum "grate" to give it a finished look. This simple step has made all of my motors run much cooler under even the worst conditions! (I live in central CA, where it's over 100* in the summer, and regularly race the Stangs and pull with the truck) If you think about it, you set up your hood like you would for a RAM-air intake, keep a cold air on the motor- your motor will always have cooler air running over the top, (the hottest part) which means the accessories that pull power off your motor to cool it don't have to work so hard.
4.) Drop weight in the easiest places- aluminum pans, racing style seats, (which actually tend to look and feel WAY better) aluminum wheels, fiberglass hood, sideskirts, aluminum bumpers, mount subs straight to the underside of your back seats, (if you keep them- check out Memphis audio low-pro subs- boxes are nothing but extra bulk and weight) and there's a million other parts that can be switched out for lighter aluminum.
A lot of those changes are oh-so-simple, cheap, and pretty effective- if I'm not stompin the gas, I get low 20's (mpg) in my truck, and low 30's in my Stang, so I'm sure it'll help your old girl!
1.) Cold-air intake- the better your rig breathes, the better and easier she runs
2.) Bosch Platinum 4 plugs & wires- very smooth, easy starts, so you're not wasting gas gettin her goin, and the money you spend to get them is saved in all the time they last. The set I put in my Mustang 4 years ago still look brand new!
3.) A hood with vents in it- I just cut out the plastic insert in the Mustangs, but found a cowl hood for the truck, had a vent cut into it, and machined a simple aluminum "grate" to give it a finished look. This simple step has made all of my motors run much cooler under even the worst conditions! (I live in central CA, where it's over 100* in the summer, and regularly race the Stangs and pull with the truck) If you think about it, you set up your hood like you would for a RAM-air intake, keep a cold air on the motor- your motor will always have cooler air running over the top, (the hottest part) which means the accessories that pull power off your motor to cool it don't have to work so hard.
4.) Drop weight in the easiest places- aluminum pans, racing style seats, (which actually tend to look and feel WAY better) aluminum wheels, fiberglass hood, sideskirts, aluminum bumpers, mount subs straight to the underside of your back seats, (if you keep them- check out Memphis audio low-pro subs- boxes are nothing but extra bulk and weight) and there's a million other parts that can be switched out for lighter aluminum.
A lot of those changes are oh-so-simple, cheap, and pretty effective- if I'm not stompin the gas, I get low 20's (mpg) in my truck, and low 30's in my Stang, so I'm sure it'll help your old girl!
louvres and side skirts???????....really?...lol......maybe on your california stang.....not my truck..... i see where your getting at with the side skirts though.....smooth out the air flow around and UNDER the vehicle for improved aerodynamics.....
and my fav....racing seats
......you must not have done a cross country in those seats yet........the idea is to retain the comfort level.....and maximize what you have to work with.... remember, these are trucks were talking about here, a lot used for work, most all daily drivers
New User
Joined: Jul 2010
Posts: 7
Likes: 0
I'll have to check those out- I've always run Bosch Platinum 4's and Royal Purple in my Stang and had great performance, and they've done well in my truck so far...
As far as spending $5000- not even close! I haven't gotten near that number with 3 vehicles! If you shop around online, you can find aluminum replacement parts cheap as hell, and fiberglass isn't expensive at all if you buy the materials at dealer prices online, and then have the patience to tech yourself. I'm pretty sure the jump in mileage I've gotten has saved me more than what I've spent with what I've bought- but that's a matter of how much you drive and whether or not you're payin $3+ a gallon like I am...
As far as spending $5000- not even close! I haven't gotten near that number with 3 vehicles! If you shop around online, you can find aluminum replacement parts cheap as hell, and fiberglass isn't expensive at all if you buy the materials at dealer prices online, and then have the patience to tech yourself. I'm pretty sure the jump in mileage I've gotten has saved me more than what I've spent with what I've bought- but that's a matter of how much you drive and whether or not you're payin $3+ a gallon like I am...
New User
Joined: Jul 2010
Posts: 7
Likes: 0
Lol- it is kinda hard to argue with aerodynamics and the basic funstion of a motor- I'm not necessarily talkin about a body kit, but replacing some of the metal panels on a truck with fiberglass is easily done and does shave some weight! As far as the seats- trust me, I know all about daily drivers. I also know about having to drive from central CA to Fallon NV for detachments, up to ID for leave to see my family- and I'll never switch back from racing seats! Unless I'm on the boat, my truck is my daily driver, it's my grocery-getter, it's what we take family trips in, and the memory foam most racing seats are made of now is so much more comfortable, it's not even funny- not to mention the body-hugging contouring, the lower back support... I could go on and on. Unless ya got a good set, you don't know what you're missin!
Der Postmeister
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 6,859
Likes: 560
From: Long Beach, Calimexiforia
I'm kind of disappointed that I've seen several in depth ways to increase mileage, but none of the easiest ones... I've done the following with all of my vehicles, (1999 Mustang, 2008 F-150, my boyfriend's 2004 Mustang) and have gotten good results for the money.
1.) Cold-air intake- the better your rig breathes, the better and easier she runs
2.) Bosch Platinum 4 plugs & wires- very smooth, easy starts, so you're not wasting gas gettin her goin, and the money you spend to get them is saved in all the time they last. The set I put in my Mustang 4 years ago still look brand new!
3.) A hood with vents in it- I just cut out the plastic insert in the Mustangs, but found a cowl hood for the truck, had a vent cut into it, and machined a simple aluminum "grate" to give it a finished look. This simple step has made all of my motors run much cooler under even the worst conditions! (I live in central CA, where it's over 100* in the summer, and regularly race the Stangs and pull with the truck) If you think about it, you set up your hood like you would for a RAM-air intake, keep a cold air on the motor- your motor will always have cooler air running over the top, (the hottest part) which means the accessories that pull power off your motor to cool it don't have to work so hard.
4.) Drop weight in the easiest places- aluminum pans, racing style seats, (which actually tend to look and feel WAY better) aluminum wheels, fiberglass hood, sideskirts, aluminum bumpers, mount subs straight to the underside of your back seats, (if you keep them- check out Memphis audio low-pro subs- boxes are nothing but extra bulk and weight) and there's a million other parts that can be switched out for lighter aluminum.
A lot of those changes are oh-so-simple, cheap, and pretty effective- if I'm not stompin the gas, I get low 20's (mpg) in my truck, and low 30's in my Stang, so I'm sure it'll help your old girl!
1.) Cold-air intake- the better your rig breathes, the better and easier she runs
2.) Bosch Platinum 4 plugs & wires- very smooth, easy starts, so you're not wasting gas gettin her goin, and the money you spend to get them is saved in all the time they last. The set I put in my Mustang 4 years ago still look brand new!
3.) A hood with vents in it- I just cut out the plastic insert in the Mustangs, but found a cowl hood for the truck, had a vent cut into it, and machined a simple aluminum "grate" to give it a finished look. This simple step has made all of my motors run much cooler under even the worst conditions! (I live in central CA, where it's over 100* in the summer, and regularly race the Stangs and pull with the truck) If you think about it, you set up your hood like you would for a RAM-air intake, keep a cold air on the motor- your motor will always have cooler air running over the top, (the hottest part) which means the accessories that pull power off your motor to cool it don't have to work so hard.
4.) Drop weight in the easiest places- aluminum pans, racing style seats, (which actually tend to look and feel WAY better) aluminum wheels, fiberglass hood, sideskirts, aluminum bumpers, mount subs straight to the underside of your back seats, (if you keep them- check out Memphis audio low-pro subs- boxes are nothing but extra bulk and weight) and there's a million other parts that can be switched out for lighter aluminum.
A lot of those changes are oh-so-simple, cheap, and pretty effective- if I'm not stompin the gas, I get low 20's (mpg) in my truck, and low 30's in my Stang, so I'm sure it'll help your old girl!
My 87' MAP 302 gets over 20 MPG @ 65 MPH. And is basically stock except for this Mod: Ignition system Upgrade which allows a 25% increase in plug gap, w/ timing bump (16 BTDC), stock Nic plated copper cores (sidegapped) & all synthetic fluids. Still 87 octane. FullSizeBronco.com - 78 - 96 Ford Bronco offroad club, forums, tech, installs (this Mod's good for any Ford w/ a distributor ignition)
Bosch plugs did fine in my Porsche, but cost me 2 pistons in a low mileage ford engine (Stock base timing). I learned the hard way about Bosch plugs in Ford's. I can run Stock Motorcraft's at 16 BTDC, 80 mph for 700 miles non-stop. No problems.
Double plats last longer & burn hotter to self clean. None of which interests me at the expense of higher combustion chamber temperatures.
New User
Joined: Jul 2010
Posts: 7
Likes: 0
Ok- either a truck is a daily driver, or it's a workhorse. If it's a daily driver, there's a lot of weight that can and should be cut to help with mileage. If it's a workhorse, there are alloys that are significantly lighter, yet stronger than what Papa Ford puts on his trucks at the factory. Either way, there's no reason not to get lighter wheels, more efficient pulleys, aluminum pans, avoid getting a sub box, and find various small parts than can be swapped. None of these things is that expensive- I live off E4 pay, (check a military pay chart) and have a kid in diapers. They do save money.
Der Postmeister
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 6,859
Likes: 560
From: Long Beach, Calimexiforia
Ok- either a truck is a daily driver, or it's a workhorse. If it's a daily driver, there's a lot of weight that can and should be cut to help with mileage. If it's a workhorse, there are alloys that are significantly lighter, yet stronger than what Papa Ford puts on his trucks at the factory. Either way, there's no reason not to get lighter wheels, more efficient pulleys, aluminum pans, avoid getting a sub box, and find various small parts than can be swapped. None of these things is that expensive- I live off E4 pay, (check a military pay chart) and have a kid in diapers. They do save money.
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Der Postmeister
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 6,859
Likes: 560
From: Long Beach, Calimexiforia
Pretty much everything mentioned, Especially a reduction in weight of anything that rotates. You sound more like an E5 material!
Elder User
Joined: Jun 2010
Posts: 641
Likes: 0
From: TX
Truck wasn't running rich but computer threw a code at me. Dang O2 sensor. I was too lazy to replace it and I just got under my truck removed that little fella and it was black
. So I got my carb cleaner and sprayed it and it looked new again. Haven't had a problem since then.
. So I got my carb cleaner and sprayed it and it looked new again. Haven't had a problem since then.
Der Postmeister
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 6,859
Likes: 560
From: Long Beach, Calimexiforia
Everybody's had em, some people just don't know it. It start's w/ them becoming less accurate & their switching speed slows w/ age. MPG starts going down the crapper. Then it's really down hill from there, CEL's, stuff like that. The O2 codes are not alway symptomatic of bad sensor. Like a : always rich/ no switching code. That could actually mean a malfunctioning fuel pressure regulator. Not switching/ alway lean could mean a EGR valve not closing.