Diesel

[SVOboy]

I'd like to see a link to these h2 fuel cells!

[philmcneal]

yes keep us to date on that Hydrogen storage improvement.

[Sludgy]

Updated F350 mileage: 19.1 mpg over mostly highway miles at ~60 mph. It's TORTURE driving that slowly in MA, you get dirty looks from drivers who were caught behind you.

My F350 has about 35K miles, so it's fully broken in, and the Eprom has been reflashed twice. No excuse for a diesel to have mileage that poor at such low speeds.

Duramax 6.6 mileage is probably worse, because it's bigger and has the same gearing. I should have bought a 5.9 liter Cummins. It's smaller than both Ford and Chevy, and it's a 6 instead of an 8.

I wonder why you can't buy a pickup with the 4.5 liter Powerstroke that Ford puts in its class 5 LCF trucks. I'd swap the 6.0 for the 4.5 if I could find someone to do it.

[Sludgy]

Originally Posted by Randy

BTW, you can try http://www.ringpinion.com/ for gears. I don't know what sort of axle that has, but for example they have a 3.08 for the 10.25" ford.

Yup, I've looked at ring/pinion swaps too, but it doesn't make sense. first is cost. Each axle is going to cost $7-800 installed, and I have a 4x4. Then there are speedo calibration issues. So it's less expensive for me to burn the extra gas, er diesel.

Finally, there's resale vale. With 3.08 gears, I'll never be able to sell the truck to a yahoo who wants to install 44" tires.

[Sludgy]

Finally, someone is going to DO it! A small, light duty diesel in a pickup truck!

25 mpg in a full size pickup will begin with this engine:

http://www.cummins.com/cmi/content.j...=true&menuId=4

[lovemysan]

Originally Posted by Sludgy

Updated F350 mileage: 19.1 mpg over mostly highway miles at ~60 mph. It's TORTURE driving that slowly in MA, you get dirty looks from drivers who were caught behind you.

My F350 has about 35K miles, so it's fully broken in, and the Eprom has been reflashed twice. No excuse for a diesel to have mileage that poor at such low speeds.

Duramax 6.6 mileage is probably worse, because it's bigger and has the same gearing. I should have bought a 5.9 liter Cummins. It's smaller than both Ford and Chevy, and it's a 6 instead of an 8.

I wonder why you can't buy a pickup with the 4.5 liter Powerstroke that Ford puts in its class 5 LCF trucks. I'd swap the 6.0 for the 4.5 if I could find someone to do it.

I hate to say it but 19mpg for a 4x4 1 ton sounds pretty good to me. I've yet to drive the 6.0 but I driven every generation of the 7.3. My 95 2wd auto will get 20-22mpg under 62mph. I used a company 99 f250 auto 2wd extended cab and got 23.5 mpg. I used a company 00 f350 6 speed, dually 4x4 and never got over 14mpg(according to the mileage computer). My 91 dodge cummins reg cab, auto, 3.55s got 20mpg with a non lockup convertor. All these numbers are interstate mileage.

To put it simply there is no cheap way to push 4-5 tons around at 70mph. Also remember that most people who claim to get high mileage don't keep a fuel log. They can't tell you a lifetime average. They figure one tank that looks really good and thats what they brag about.

Of all the diesels I've driven/owned the the mechanical injection 12 valve dodge gets my vote. I tuned mine for performance and it only affected mileage when you let it. The first gen cummins was also as simple as dirt to work on. If you can keep the cheap dodge wrapper from rattling apart its a great truck.

On a side note my brother has a 95 gmc 1500 v6 5spd and gets 23+ mpg on the highway which I think is excellent.

[omgwtfbyobbq]

Toyota already sells a diesel powered Hilux/Tacoma overseas, and I've read reviews where they get impressive mileage (~45mpg UK). I think this is more of a marketing move for Toyota because by pairing with an american manufacturer (Cummins) they won't incite as much hostility by introducing fuel efficient light pickups, and can also take advantage of Cummins knowledge of smog regs. Apparently, a diesel Hilux/Tacoma from Europe gets o.k. mileage when tested (similar to the difference between EPA diesel/real world diesel here).

All Hilux models are powered by the same 2.5-litre D4-D diesel engine, a second generation common-rail unit that produces 102bhp. Although this powerplant will probably prove quite adequate for commercial vehicle customers intent on keeping costs down, the leisure-orientated contingent at which the Invincible is aimed may find 102bhp a tad underwhelming in a vehicle with the dimensions of the Hilux.

The engine pulls smoothly and quietly but is often found out when the need arises to accelerate up a gradient or overtake dawdling traffic. With a substantial load on the pack the problem will become more pronounced but buyers can console themselves with an average fuel economy figure of 34mpg [UK], [28mpg US].

Something else thats interesting is the 3.0L turbo diesel supposedly doesn't hurt mileage at all, just adds power/torque.

[The Toecutter]

To put it simply there is no cheap way to push 4-5 tons around at 70mph.

Aeromods are your friend.

Pickups have so much more room for improvement than cars, that they can have their drag coefficient cut in half with good aeromods. This would allow increases in highway fuel economy between 30-40%, making them not much different on the highway than a normal 27 mpg car.

An aeroshell alone will probably give a full size truck 3-5 extra highway mpg.

Phil Knox has done extensive mods on a smaller truck, and increased highway fuel economy by over 30%. What used to get 25 mpg highway now gets 32 mpg highway, from only aeromods.

Apply the same percentage increase to a 19 mpg highway full size diesel truck if similarly extensive aeromods are performed.

Just from the aeromods alone, you'd get a 5 mpg boost.

Add LRR tires, synthetic transmission oil, machine your brakes to correct any brake drag if it exists, adjust your alignment to 0 degrees camber/0 degrees toe, and you should be set for the upper 20s highway MPG.

[Sludgy]

Already tried a plywood tonneau cover, which is claimed to improve mileage by ~10%, and it did nothing on a long trip to Maine. A custom aero truck cap might help, but I can't find one on line. Unless I learn how to work with fiberglass and the wife allows me to set up a 'glass shop in the garage, an aero cap isn't in the picture.

The OEM tires are listed by Greenseal as LRR, and the brakes are fine, had them checked before I went.

I think the truck is just too damned big.

[The Toecutter]

Unless I learn how to work with fiberglass and the wife allows me to set up a 'glass shop in the garage, an aero cap isn't in the picture.

I've seen a plywood frame covered with sheets of plastic used as well. It won't look pretty, but it would get the job done.