New Ford mods

[GasSavers_Tippy]

Hello all. I was searching the internet on ways to increases the mileage of a new Ford Diesel, and come across this site. I have read alot of threads and you guys really know your stuff. So, if you don't mind noobs, I would like to pick your brains.

I own a woodshop, and we have two trucks. An F150 @ 18mpg and a Chevy 3500 @ 3-5mpg (it has a 454). We would really like to get rid of them both and get one truck. I am leaning towards the F250 or 350, but I haven't heard of anyone getting over 18mpg consistantly. For a diesel, that just isn't right. I have read that the deplorable mileage is due to all the emmission controls. That leads me to my question. Can that stuff simply be removed to increase mileage? It seems backwards to me to burn twice as much fuel just to get cleaner exhaust. I am in ND, so I don't have any emmissions tests to worry about.

On another forum, Dieselpower.com maybe, someone said that these trucks are capable of 32mpg+ but wouldn't elaborate. I can't remember if it was because the methods were illegal, voided the warranty or would just make your arms and legs fall off. (I have read alot of forums over the last couple of weeks and can't keep track of all the info.)

Anyways, that was my question. Thanks everyone.

[2TonJellyBean]

"It seems backwards to me to burn twice as much fuel just to get cleaner exhaust."

If we run out of gas we stop driving, if we run out of breathable air we die. But the two should never be mutually exclusive.

I've heard claims on full size diesel pickups that run from staggeringly low to unbelievably high. Diesels will run best when running hardest (heavily loaded - empty they can be worse than gas) - nature of the beast. Sprinters are supposedly good on diesel while hard on brakes. There are smaller diesels in our future... but it's taking them forever to get here. :-(

[omgwtfbyobbq]

I've heard that the difference in mileage has little to do with mileage, but a ton to do with the cylinder head designs. Supposedly, back in the oil crisis days, diesels were designed to get great mileage at low load and haul a decent amount of stuff. Now they're designed more to get better mileage hauling and the unloaded mileage takes a hit because of this optimization. If you look at the emissions systems, there's no way they could hit mileage that much. Even the brand new stuff that's supposed to come out on VW's new diesel cars can only result in a 1-4% difference in mileage IIRC. And this is while getting emissions down to what gasoline vehicles are at.

I imagine just about any older diesel pickup is capable of 30+mpg with the right mods and driver.

[Sludgy]

None of the newer diesels get milegae over 20. I have the 6 liter 4wd Powerstroke diesel, and I average about 19 hwy.

If your trucks are 2wd, I'd take them to a shop and have the gears changed. If you go really radical, like a 2.73, even your 454 should get over 10 mpg.

If you have 4wd, it's just too much money to replace both rings and pinions.

[GasSavers_Tippy]

Shucks, I was hoping everyone would chime in and say, "Yes, remove this, this and this, and you will get 30mpg easy." I guess I have more footwork to do. I am getting conflicting opinions depending on what forum I go to. I have asked a couple diesel mechanics, but neither were familiar enough with the new 6.4s to say for sure what the solution is.

I think I am going to see if I can get it with a Cummins. I know you can get 550s and 650s with Cummins. Maybe I can get just a rolling chassis and put my own powerplant and drivetrain in. The answer is probably going to be no, but it never hurts to try and it doesn't cost anything to ask. All I need to do is find a good dealer that will actually know the answer and not just say no because it is easier. Or, maybe even one willing to pickup the phone and call Ford and ask. I smell a bet here. Any takers?

Thanks for the responses.

BTW, I had thought about putting a shorter gearing in my 454, but I didn't know how it would affect towing, which, when I do drive it, is what I drive it for.

[ezeedee]

what do you tow with them?

[omgwtfbyobbq]

Originally Posted by theclencher

There are plenty of people out there willing to say 30+ is achieveable. Problem is, none of them has ever done it.

watchootalkinboutfoo! I can pull 30mpg no sweat in my half ton pickup, w/o mods. if i toss mat timion in the back, i'll get 50mpg fer sur.

[omgwtfbyobbq]

Mah truck has the aero drag of a full size pickup. Although, I will say that full size has gotten bigger and bigger in terms of towing, but not really hauling. For instance,

The GVWR for an F-250 SuperDuty is 8,800 pounds. So the XLT CrewCab mentioned above would have a payload of only about 1,800 pounds, or a little more than three-quarters of a ton. (Mybe that’s why they call it a three-quarter-ton pickup".) For two people and their luggage and "stuff" and a full toolbox with a combined weight of about 1,000 pounds, that leaves only 800 pounds for the gross weight of a camper or for hitch weight of a trailer. Believe it - 800 pounds is not much of a camper, and only 800 pounds hitch weight is not much of a 5th-wheel trailer - although you could pull a reasonable-size tag-along trailer over 7,000 pounds GVWR that has a hitch weight of less than 800 pounds.

But keeping the weight of passengers and gear down to 1,000 pounds will be a real challenge to some travelers. If the driver and passengers and gear weighs 1,800 pounds, then you will be traveling at your truck’s GVWR without any camper or trailer hooked on. And for your own safety you never want to exceed your rig’s GVWR.

So my teensy tiny pickup can haul 1400lbs of people/stuff compared to 1800lbs for a brand spankin' new decked out F-250 SuperDuperDuty. Towing otoh, is where it's left in the dust, being able to tow only a third of what the SuperDuper could tow. But, otoh, the SuperDuper seems to get around half, or a third, of what my teensy tiny pickup w/ no overdrive gets in terms of mileage, so even if it can tow three times more, it gets a third of the mileage doing so, and can only haul about the same amount. It's either a disadvantage or wash imo.

[stinkindiesel]

Diesel Power Magazine (maybe it was Diesel World or Big Stinkin' Oil Burner Truck Digest- don't quote me, I'm notoriously inaccurrate) just did an article in which the author pulled 31MPG out of a late 90's full size Ram 2500 with the great Cummins and an automatic. Cardboarded up the grill, made cardboard discs to tape to the rims, used a massive connecting rod as a throttle stop (placed under the go-juice pedal), kept the speed @ 55mph, folded in the mirrors and a few other bitty little mods. KEPT the dual rear tires and giant rear fenders. Didn't touch the tuning. 31MPG. That's Honda territory, isn't it?
I've gotten 21.something in my 1993 Dodge Club Cab with the A/C on, a 600-lb liftgate and the usual non-lockup slush-o-matic tranny and tall wide rubber.
I make my own biodiesel, so I make 5 times the fuel for the same price. That's over 100 miles per gallon, right?

[omgwtfbyobbq]

That's Honda territory if they drive it into the ground. Not in any similar comparison I've heard of... Great engine efficiency, but it's still a huge brick. With efficiency like that in a Honda the driver would see ~100mpg at the same speed fosho.