Fuel Mileage 6.0 vs 5.9

[Big_Daddy_T]

I here tale that the 7. 3 got pretty good mileage. Comparable to the 5. 9. It seems in the limited reading that I have done that the 6. 0 is a little bit thirstier. I read through about 10 pages of posts and see about 15-17 to be the norm for winter fuel. A few lower not many higher. I would take this as the final slap in the face for a motor with so many teething problems. How Is the isbe doing?



One of the major reasons I bought what I did was fuel mileage.

 

[bmoeller]

Even after joining the TDR, I've kept my membership to Powerstroke Registry(PSR). 15-20mpg seems to be the norm. Some get down to 9-10 fully loaded/overloaded. I get 15-15. 5 when using Lucas Fuel Additive on winter fuel. Otherwise it's about 14. This with an "empty" truck and 4. 10's.

 

[Sticks]

Sorry, this is a little off, these are 7. 3 (?) PSD's



Two real close friends of mine both got Ford 250 psd's both are '01's, short beds, QC, 4X4, and auto. Neither of them have got better than 15mpg, both summer and winter fuel. One of them pulls a 35' 8k 5er. He gets around 10-12mpg, and has already replaced the turbo.



Blew the bearing on the way to Vegas from Denver last year only 80 miles from Denver. Now there was a smoker. The service dept in Vegas that he dropped the truck off at said that Denver must have gotten a bad batch of PSD's. He said this was the third one he had done and the second this week, all from Denver. While it was in, he had 8 or 9 warranty related recalls done, and the mech raised his boost level to 16psi... Raised to 16?



What cracks me up is when he is driving empty or with a light load, they both have to look for fuel at 250 miles. I found it so hard to hell him that I should start looking at 450, and I have time. 525 and I can start to worry a little. Granted I have about 10 more gallons in my tank than him, but still. I get better mileage with 2k-4k in load either in the bed or a trailer, than empty.



They even admit that Dodges get better mileage, and are a very good trucks. They get better mileage when you BOMB them, whereas Ford goes down. The only thing they keep rubbing in my face is when we are both towing equal weights, they will leave me in the dust, especially on hills (an actual test has not happened yet, they are stating this on Ford faith). Even if this is true, I will still get to the same destination before them, as I have to stop and fill up half as often.



Interesting point;

Take two equal base model vehicles from Ford and Dodge. Add modifications to the Dodge to equal the price of the Ford (you can go insane with $5k - $8k) Now you have a Truck that will run forever, twice as fast, twice as far, tow as much or more, and leave the Ford standing in the dust (smoke) wondering "How is this possible, I have a Ford, why is my check engine light on?"



Sticks

 

[Cobra]

fuel milege

Sorry if this is long winded but it takes a while to tell.



I followed a friend home from Daytona Fl. He was driving an 02 Ford with the PSD pulling a motorcycle trailer with two harleys in it. I was driving my 01 RAM with some mods pulling a trailer with one Harley in it.



We refueled at the same time and I didn't check gallons or milege at first. Then we stopped at a road side rest to use the rooms and before we left the rest area he says "Bill, when we leave here we will be going up a long steep mountain, do I need to hook a chain to you so you can keep up. " My reply, " I'm not sure Chuck, maybe so, we'll see.



When we got to about 80 mph he seemed to stay there so I passed him and waved as my truck hit 92. I did wait for him after reaching to top and when we refueled the next time I took note. I took 24 gallons and he took 29 gallons.



It was neat when I said "hey Chuck, that's a thirsty bugger for not wanting to pull real good on the hills.



The next day the guy that was riding with him told me that Chuck's transmission kept shifting up and down when he was trying to stay with me but it would hold a gear and so he couldn't keep up.

 

[BFaoro]

I have a 00 Excursion chipped to 300 with an auto. pulling on hills my Stock Cummins will go up better, but in the open flat the Excursion will flat get up and go and leave me. The chip is a, Hypertech Excursion off road that puts the hp to 300 and removes the limiter. But the Cummins fuel milage is much better, the Cummins gets 20 to 21 mpg where the Excursion gets 15 to 18 mpg. I still like the Cummins better, the X is for the wife I know if my Cummins was at the same horse it would eat the X

 

[roadranger]

Originally posted by sticks

Blew the bearing on the way to Vegas from Denver last year only 80 miles from Denver. Now there was a smoker. The service dept in Vegas that he dropped the truck off at said that Denver must have gotten a bad batch of PSD's. He said this was the third one he had done and the second this week, all from Denver. While it was in, he had 8 or 9 warranty related recalls done, and the mech raised his boost level to 16psi... Raised to 16?

Sticks

Do you think it might be the high altitude mountain pass crossings, the low boost pressure, and very high EGT's that are killing them?



It's more than just a bad Denver batch of PSDs, my buddy lunched his PSD with a camper and towing a trailer on I-70 west of Denver, and HIS wasn't bought in Denver.



I know on my CTD, towing and hauling heavy I can bury the EGT gauge on those tough pulls, and have to back out of it .

 

[Big_Daddy_T]

Yeah a V8 should almost always walk a 6 on flat land. The hills the 6 can pull ahead but not always. The v8s are great light to light too. I know this guy I drink with. He has a 7. 3. Good lookin truck. Takes good care of it. Wife works for ford so he gets great discounts. He swears he gets 24. Its not unheard of but thats a big number for a 460cu motor. He says hand calculated. Hes a bit of a boaster. Raggin on dodge all the time. I dont reply. Once he went on a 30 minute spew about the cummins. I finally said. Hey man lets take it to the street. We go 1/4 for pinks on our classic cars. He hasnt said another word.

I seen a comment about the smokey cummins. Doesnt the psd smoke too when at comparable hp? I would think it would smoke more cause we can push more air. Enlighten me.

Another guy I know has a 7. 3 non intercooled. He suped it up but says its not usable for towing. I tried to help but I dont know how to get the egts down. Any ideas? He has higher flow air filter bigger exhaust and only a 50hp chip.

 

[bmoeller]

Originally posted by sticks

Sorry, this is a little off, these are 7. 3 (?) PSD's

Sticks

7. 3L PSD. Haven't had a chace to talk to anyone withe new 6. 0 motor. I've seen 4 and heard 1.



My uncle has 2 trucks('91 and '92) with the 7. 3L IDI N/A. One with O/D gets 13mpg. The other with the C6 gets 12. Both trucks have 3. 55 gears too. My grandpa had a '97 1 ton PSD/auto and it got 15-16 empty w/4. 10's. Got about 10 with 37' tri-axle King of the Road 5er.

 

[MCummings]

Originally posted by Big_Daddy_T

Another guy I know has a 7. 3 non intercooled. He suped it up but says its not usable for towing. I tried to help but I dont know how to get the egts down. Any ideas? He has higher flow air filter bigger exhaust and only a 50hp chip.

A better Downpipe, (3")

Straight through Muffler.



Or do a Banks kit,,



As silly as it sounds,, Banks has the stuff together to make the '94 - '97 trucks move,, intercooler, turbo, Chip,, All that.

Sounds steep, but for $2,500 you can get 100 USABLE HP out of that truck.



Look now,, he has 50HP, and it's not usable.



Power Strokes LOVE propane,, Oh yah,, They'll breath in that Propane All day, get a 50HP shot, and EGTs should come on down,, If they don't come down,, well,,, he has 50 more HP,



HTH,