What mods to maximize MPG

[Hammerhead]

Hello all,



My dad has a 2004. 5 3500 4x4 DRW 3. 73 automatic truck. He's had it for over 2 years and the thing just now crossed over 10,000 miles. The main reason he isn't putting any miles on it is the Horrible fuel mileage he is getting. Usually between 9-11 mpg. He has a 12 ft box trailer that may weigh 2500 lbs that he uses for his handyman business. We swapped trucks for a while so I can pull my mowing trailer with it and help break it in.



We would like to know what the best mods to do that will maximze his fuel mileage are. He isn't concerned with the power side of it as his trailer is very light and thier 5th wheel camper isn't very heavy either. We orderd an AFE filter for it last night and were looking at the Smarty CR and also the Edge juice w/attitude. Any opinions on which of these will net the most gains on MPG? I've also talked with him about removing the Catalytic converter.



He's had it to the dealer twice for thier "software upgrades" and they made little or no difference.



Please give us some opinions on what to do.



Thank you very much!

 

[p-Bar]

You need to put miles on the truck , that motor is still tight. I didn't start seeing mileage till I got 30k or so on it. The air intake is a great place to start. I'm not sold on the "boxes" ,I had a Quad box on mine and fuel mileage went down some will say I am smoking crack but it is what it is. They break in faster when towing with em'. Don't give up

 

[Diesel Power]

yes put miles on it and run it hard, there made for it. also use amsoil fluids they made my mpg jump 4 mpg but thats at 55 mph and i use it front to rear. also the only box that will give you a mpg gain is a pressure box--it atomizes the fuel better by adding pressure vs more fuel from a timing and duration box.

 

[boydo]

I would suggest a AFE Progaurd 7 filter kit for starters breaths better and will solve the stock air box trouble ( dust passing). I use the super chips fash paq with the towing program and with the cat removed I get around 22 mpg. I wouldn't recomend adding more than 70-80 hp in fueling and try to stick with timing and/or pulse width boxes rather than fuel pressure. Also your stock turbo I believe has a 56 mm inducer and for a few hundred bucks PDR can install a 58 mm which will help aswell.

Good Luck

 

[MChildress]

Like said above I was getting around 13 mpg and around 30,000 started averaging around 17 mpg. I have been playing with the Smarty for the last two weeks and have been having too much fun to check mileage. As soon as the new wears off I will have to turn it down and check the mileage. Oo.

 

[sniper351]

My truck has about 56,000 on the ticker and I was getting about 16-17 stick. I put the edge juice w/ attitude and it jumped to about 18. 5- 19. 5. The others are right, I've always heard that you have to put miles on them to get them going right. Tell him to drive it more often and it will come around. Mine is just like his except that I have the 6 spd. Best of luck with it!!!

 

[Hammerhead]

Thanks for the advice everyone

 

[driverno8]

What about doing some injectors. Maybe mild ones 50-60hp extruded/honed. Check out Dynomite Diesel. They claim 4-5mpg gain with their '06 and 60hp injectors. I know I gained a bit with the 90s. . 02¢

 

[Plowboy]

What about doing some injectors. Maybe mild ones 50-60hp extruded/honed. Check out Dynomite Diesel. They claim 4-5mpg gain with their '06 and 60hp injectors. I know I gained a bit with the 90s. . 02¢

I've heard extruded injectors cause EGT's to skyrocket. Any truth to this?

 

[RMarkey]

True?

I've heard extruded injectors cause EGT's to skyrocket. Any truth to this?

Well that would suck, otherwise I'd get the injectors if I could get and extra 4-5mpg! That would pay off pretty fast.

I meant nozzles, they claim "Mileage on your truck should increase by about 2 miles per gallon" and "This leads to better atomization, which provides less smoke and heat, and more power and mileage. " with the 50hp nozzles, I can't afford all new injectors. But maybe nozzles.

 

[ColemanR]

I've heard extruded injectors cause EGT's to skyrocket. Any truth to this?

I installed KAX injectors at 20k (no gauges) then installed gauges around 40k I about had a heartattack 1500 egt with out trying make sure you have gauges I did gain about 1 to 1. 5 mpg Randy

 

[ccie]

Run the tires around 80psi

 

[catoiler]

I ran my 05 at 619hp on the street every day and it would get 15-17 in town and 19-20 on the road @80mph. I did not baby it and I would race anything! and every truck that i up'd the hp on always got better milage, for the fact that you don't need to use as much throttle to get it to move. don't beleive me watch the boost gauge with and without the added power and it will almost always run less boost at the same speed with the bigger hp. less boost= more mpg.



ps it's also a hp/tq thing!

 

[John - K5AWO]

The biggest mod for your truck to get better mpg, is your right foot. Keep the engine at about 1800 rpm and that is the best mpg you are going to get. Your gear ratio should be a numerically low number also. 3. 55 would be ideal for good mpg numbers with light loads.

 

[RMarkey]

1500 egt's sounds a bit higher than I want to go without meth injection...

 

[AKaiser]

The real fix is aerodynamics. Post 03 DR model trucks are worse aerodynamically than the 94-02 BR models, which were the most aerodynamic truck built, until Ford redesigned it's F150. One thing you can do, is to close off about 3/4 of your grille, so all the excess air doesn't go thru the engine compartment. As long as you're not towing much, it shouldn't get much over 200 deg F. Open up the grille if you tow tall/heavy trailers. Aerodynamics is less of a factor at that point, if you're pulling a tall box. No one wants to talk about it, but lowering the truck also helps aerodynamics.

 

[JHenry]

I added a Banks intercooler and intake, and AFE stage II filter, dumped the CAT and went straight-piped. The biggest improvement came after Dyna-Track hubs. All of these provide better air flow and less pressure, as well as less resistance on parts. Mileage improved around 2-3 mpg. , but I believe the savings will be in the long run, as in longer life for the engine and the running gear.

 

[Turbo_Bob]

The two things that I added that picked up MPG was the TAG, (turbo air guide) 1. 5 mpg and the muffler eliminator pipe . 5 mpg, 2 MPG total for both.



Also installed the Moore pipe, Banks manifold, AFE air filter, they did not pick up the MPG but did not hurt it either.



Your biggest increase for MPG is how you drive. Drive the posted speed limits all the time vs. driving with the flow of traffic all the time.

 

[AKaiser]

Drive the posted speed limits all the time vs. driving with the flow of traffic all the time.

Not only that, but also "acting like there's an egg under the pedal" when you accelerate. Of course, that's part of the problem with going with the flow of traffic, you end up speeding up and slowing down. That's the killer.

 

[wcjp]

I'm running 83hp DDP injectors. EGT's are not an issue. Also have the Smarty set to either SW #1 or #3. I've only done the $8 airbox mod. Recently towed to Lake Tahoe and back. I saw 1100egt once. Most was 1000egt and below. Jeep and trailer is 6k. I had about 2k lbs in the bed. Mileage was 13mpg doing the speed limit (55-65mph).