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Best Mods For Fuel Economy? (New here)

2006 F350 PowerStroke

Aside from exhaust and air intake, what else can be done to increase mpg?
Is a programmer necessary when trying to gain the most mpg?
How often to change the fuel filters?

New to the diesel world and looking to improve my fuel economy, not towing more then 7k lbs, and this is my daily driver.

Thanks everyone, I'm looking forward to checking the site out more as I get time!

Matt

Quote:

Originally Posted by EXTREMEFUN1300 (Post 8991118)

2006 F350 PowerStroke

Aside from exhaust and air intake, what else can be done to increase mpg?

Don't drive it and it really improves fuel economy. Buying and using a VW diesel also really helps.
Air intake makes virtually no difference. Exhaust, limited.

Is a programmer necessary when trying to gain the most mpg?

Depends. Most people use programmers to gain output, not for economy.
The reality is, there is very little gain a programmer can do for economy.

How often to change the fuel filters?

Now.
Then every 10,000 miles or whenever you get a suspect or known bad tank of fuel, or whenever you get a Water in Fuel warning.

New to the diesel world and looking to improve my fuel economy, not towing more then 7k lbs, and this is my daily driver.

Buy a bicycle.

If fuel economy is your No. 1 concern, you bought the wrong vehicle.

Diesels are work vehicles who do work (like moving a lot of mass around) efficiently.

The best mod you can do for economy is to keep it in top condition maintenance wise --- EGR system completely cleaned and working, intake, turbo, etc.

Don't let it go to limp mode.

I change my engine oil 5K-7K with Rotella 5w-40 synth. Fuel filter change every 3rd oil change. I use Diesel Kleen as an additive every full up. Keep it routeen and keep it simple. As a precousilon install a coolant bypass filter by diesesite. If it's a used truck change every fluid and filter. There is more but heres a start.
Keep an eye on your degass bottle for any puking or any white residue around the cap.
Don't idle the truck for more then 5mins.
Don't let the battery ever die. (replace both)
Don't let yourself run out of fuel.

Come on guys help me out and add some other low cost regular maintenance.

^^^^what He said^^^^

Keep the stock air filter system.

Also, LIFT YOUR RIGHT FOOT A LITTLE! These are fun to drive though. Mine doesn't do well for MPG, but I bought it for getting out of town most weekends. 8500lb TT. Am using it as daily driver, but may use it less for getting to work. 6 miles doesn't warm it up much.

What Amdriven said 200%. Total waste of money to change intake and could be hazardous to youe engine and turbo.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Headviking (Post 8991243)

DUDE, I cant read your reply because of your avatar!!! To distracting.

fuel economy is best had from a honda or the like. you have a truck that ways 4+ tons. it will get better fuel economy then ford stated on the window sticker other then that its you get what you get. I will say the best gains in economy are from higher c-tain fuel.

I don't think Extreme is asking for his superduty to make equivalent fuel economy as a honda, although wouldn't that be great.

One thing to add to the list is don't run oversize tires. Try to stay with a stock tire ON road style tire (D-Rated preferably) and keep the tire psi at the max. When driving at highway speeds don't let the turbo boost go over 10 psi or highway speed between 65 - 70 mph.

and thats the key to mpg right there. low boost levels will do it all the time.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Troy Buenger (Post 8992242)

Try to stay with a stock tire ON road style tire (D-Rated preferably) and keep the tire psi at the max.

Minor point: Think all F-350s are E load range tires:

Original Equipment Size 1: 265/70-17
Load Range E

Sizes To Fit Your Vehicle

Thank you, Troy.
I'm amazed at a select few that interpret someone asking a question or two as that they're idiots and don't know anything.
I actually got rid of my 21 1/2mpg 2007 Tacoma for my truck, because what I tow was simply way to much for the Toyota. I build and race fuel injected turbocharged ProStreet motorcycles that make more HP then the majority of the trucks on this site, so I'm very familiar with mechanics and electronics and why things do what and when.
My truck has 33k miles on it, it's a 2006 in prestine condition, and I simply came here to get better informed (because we all know for every one opinion there's 50 others that disagree with it) as to what I need to do to keep it for as long as I can with the least amount of issues.
I asked about fuel economy not because I think I'll ever get 21 1/2mpg, but because I want to get better then 15 1/2-16mpg. I'm not looking for big HP/TQ gains, I don't need it only towing 7k lbs, I simply asked what are the best, most practical modifications to make to help with fuel economy. It's a beautiful, classy truck that does more then what I actually need it for, I got an extremely solid deal on it and I want to make sure it lasts.
Thanks to those who have helped, apprecaite that!
Matt

...and it has 18" wheels btw, but I did not know about the E load range, thank you for that information.

Quote:

Originally Posted by EXTREMEFUN1300 (Post 8992361)

I actually got rid of my 21 1/2mpg 2007 Tacoma

I want to get better then 15 1/2-16mpg.

I simply asked what are the best, most practical modifications to make to help with fuel economy.

Diesel fuel roughly contains 34.92 MJ/L.

Roughly, the 6.0 is about 35% to 45% efficient in converting that energy to power before losses from accessories, transmission, etc. vs. a gasoline engine efficiency of 20 to 35%.

http://www.epa.gov/otaq/models/ngm/may04/crc0304c.pdf

Quote:

The MAN S80ME-C7 low speed diesel engines use 155 gram fuel per kWh for an overall energy conversion efficiency of 54.4 percent, which is the highest conversion of fuel into power by any internal or external combustion engine.

Since road / vehicle diesels cannot run at low speeds at an optimal RPM, there is no way it can approach the 54.4% efficiency of a stationary diesel.

You can play around the margins, pick up a 1/100% here and there, but there are simply no large gains to be had short of a redesign.

15% of the gain in MPG is from increased energy content of diesel fuel (a bit less in winter) vs. gasoline.

So what that means is my 5.4 van can haul along and get 15mpg on the highway at 70mph.

My 6.0 can do the same and get close to 20mpg.

Or, Tacoma level fuel economy in a vehicle with nearly 40% more weight and 100% more frontal area that is about as aerodynamic as a brick.

The reality is, there are NO serious mods you can do that will drastically improve fuel efficiency of a 6.0 diesel.

You can slash weight, drag.

The engine itself is so efficient that there is not much more you can do short of a fundamental redesign.

The 6.7 is considerably more efficient -- but that took a nearly clean sheet.

It sounds like you don't like the answer.

Tuning for fuel economy is a totally different art than tuning for high hp and output.

Tuning for power mean you can try to get more air / fuel processed.

Tuning for economy means converting more of the energy in a given quantity of fuel into usable power.

A much harder task.

That is why mod / tuners are rarely good at both tunes for power and "economy".

Don't like WHAT answer? Drastic to me would be 4-5mpg increase, I'd settle for 2-3...outside of buying a new bicycle or a Honda, what does it take. Is that so hard for God sakes? LOL