When will Diesel Fuel Costs start affecting performance mods?

[hammersley]

At what point will folks start thinking - hey I want minimal increase in performance - I want mileage instead - I don't need twins - Mach 6, well you know the game????

 

[R-N-R]

Ahhh, the question few will want to face! I am fortunate with a short daily drive to work, so prices will have to increase quite a bit before I give up performance for mileage. My truck started out lower on the mpg scale, surprisingly my bombs have not noticably affected mpg... . so far.

 

[bmoeller]

I was nicely surprised, with my trucks responce to the BOMBs. The BOMBs brought mileage up, not down. Wasn't expecting that at all. But I'll take it.

 

[mcoleman]

So far everything I have done has increased mileage. But I'm sure I'm just a set of bigger injectors away from changing that.

 

[The Lockguy]

Fuel prices here in Washington state just made a $. 50 jump. It was about $1. 96 a gallon 2 weeks ago, now it's about $2. 54 at a cheap station. :--) I won't be able to drive my truck if it keeps going up like this. :{ I love driving my truck but I don't want to go bankrupt driving it either. How much is fuel in other states? I've been told we have the highest priced fuel anywhere in the US, is this true?

 

[BarryG]

I have to admit I think the performance manufacturers are missing the boat on an untapped market. Yes many people do want to increase performance but I suspect the vast majority of owners are stock (not necessarily on this board though). However I would think that some of those non performance owners might be interested in increasing their mileage. Might be a hard sell though with all of the snake oil type stuff out there that has come out in the past, now the general public seems to be somewhat leary of the increase mileage claims of such products.



I have only added an ez and 275's to my truck and mileage has remained constant even though I have added many other things in the form of weight and or less areodynamics (DOR bumper, cipa mirrors, side bars, tool box, headache rack etc).



Who wouldnt want increased mileage especially if it didnt "hurt" performance? Is the question I would be asking myself if I were an aftermarket manufacturer.



On a side note if fuel keeps going up I may very well buy a car that gets 40-50mpg and use it for my daily driver. I love my truck and use it frequently as a truck but not at work so why not cut my fuel bill in half or more 5 days a week. I have already thought about it but the added expense of additional insurance etc doesnt make sense yet but it wont be too much longer before it does if fuel continues to go up.

 

[WBusa]

Well, I reckon I'm living proof that fuel price increases get people thinking about economy mods; see this thread: https://www.turbodieselregister.com/forums/showthread.php?t=124030



It seems to be the consensus around here that many performance mods actually improve fuel economy... but, of course, only if you keep your foot out of it. Its pretty easy to see how things like a FASS, or a moderate injector upgrade, or a good torque converter, could increase the efficiency with which fuel is converted to 'go'... and so, of course, if you don't use that extra 'go' very much, what you get instead is increased MPG. Then there's another class of mods (propane injection, for instance) which, in my mind at least, are open to question (they increase power but probably don't increase fuel economy). Finally, there's all the 'kid stuff' (no offense, kids... I was one once, too, but you get over it) -- extreme fuel plates, monster injectors, lifting, big tires -- that are obvious mileage killers.



I think more and more of us will be interested in MPG mods. And hey, if nothing else, its a great way to convince the little woman that all those BOMBs aren't a complete waste of money!

 

[tURBOdIEZEl]

drove the truck down to texas last week, and i didnt loose any fuel mileage... 22mpg after the bombs!!!! Oo.

 

[Joe G.]

I'm not so sure that even big injectors hurt mileage. The affect of big injectors is to get the fuel pushed by the pump into the cylinders quicker which is usually at a more efficient point in crank rotation. They don't increase the amount of fuel delivered by the pump. My mods have not hurt my mileage. If I drive with mileage in mind I actually do a little better than I did when the engine was stock. The best mileage mod is an egg on the loud pedal.

 

[Steve St.Laurent]

The thing is that you have to look at a cost versus benefit analysis to see if it would be worth it. As an example say a box that increased mileage 10% cost $400. If you were filling up with 30 gallons each time at $2. 50/gal it would take 53 tanks of fuel to offset the cost of the mod. I've seen these comparisons made before on things like auxiliary overdrives, etc.