Increase mpg
Senior Member
Joined: Apr 2009
Posts: 354
Likes: 35
From: USA
Since where "nick picking" at MPGs
Ive been researching tire replacements (18s on my 2009) & have noticed that going from a P-rated tire to a LT-rated tire "in the same size" shows to add about 10lbs per tire.
I was shocked.
AERODYNAMIC/WEIGHT DRAG effect MPG
Maintaining slower speed requires less fuel to PUSH through the air.
Higher humidity allows objects to flow through air easier
(even though higher humidity is not HP friendly & even though you can INCREASE timing when the humidity is higher. LoL)
The underside of a vehicle creates drag.
Any vehicle "off the ground" OR nose high vehicles creates more drag.
Items that protrudes out away from the body creates drag & so increasing the width of rims/tires increase drag.
The open area on the backside of the item is in a vacuum state which creates drag. (where airfoils help)
(Tidbit-the constant changing shape of the new Towers in NY where designed to reduce that same vacuum-turbalance)
On pickups with short length bed openings, its said leaving a tailgate up is better for mpg.
On pickups with long length bed openings, its said leaving a tailgate down is better for mpg (but looks silly in my OP & there's a increased chance of it getting damaged).
Bed covers help reduce "some" of that vacuum drag BUT
the fiberglass covers are VERY heavy &
the vinyl cover dry-rot or tear easy.
(Pick your poison as comparing the cost of these items & the worth of the minor mpg differences)
I see my tool box as closing up the bed area "some".
DRIVER CONTROL(Throttle & Braking)
Hill driving.
Allowing a vehicle to increase speed while going down hill, pushes you up the following hill & so the transmission doesn't have to downshift to increase rpms to maintain the speed (IF a vehicle normally requires so).
Regulating speed to reduce having to completely stop at stop lights.
If your near sighted then have your eyes checked to possible reduce on sudden braking on "everything"
(like those things that are going to jump out in front of you like signs, cones, buildings, trees, etc).
Here was something I posted on here a few years ago on a 2005 4.6 that MAY be of interest.
Basically each mod that increased engine flow "slightly" leaned the A/F with the free-er flowing exhaust actually "lost" power UNTIL a tuner enriched the A/F.
My 2000 truck I listed below would average 16.5mpg & 18 on open highway & towing a race car on a open trailer got 12mpg
Ive been researching tire replacements (18s on my 2009) & have noticed that going from a P-rated tire to a LT-rated tire "in the same size" shows to add about 10lbs per tire.
I was shocked.
AERODYNAMIC/WEIGHT DRAG effect MPG
Maintaining slower speed requires less fuel to PUSH through the air.
Higher humidity allows objects to flow through air easier
(even though higher humidity is not HP friendly & even though you can INCREASE timing when the humidity is higher. LoL)
The underside of a vehicle creates drag.
Any vehicle "off the ground" OR nose high vehicles creates more drag.
Items that protrudes out away from the body creates drag & so increasing the width of rims/tires increase drag.
The open area on the backside of the item is in a vacuum state which creates drag. (where airfoils help)
(Tidbit-the constant changing shape of the new Towers in NY where designed to reduce that same vacuum-turbalance)
On pickups with short length bed openings, its said leaving a tailgate up is better for mpg.
On pickups with long length bed openings, its said leaving a tailgate down is better for mpg (but looks silly in my OP & there's a increased chance of it getting damaged).
Bed covers help reduce "some" of that vacuum drag BUT
the fiberglass covers are VERY heavy &
the vinyl cover dry-rot or tear easy.
(Pick your poison as comparing the cost of these items & the worth of the minor mpg differences)
I see my tool box as closing up the bed area "some".
DRIVER CONTROL(Throttle & Braking)
Hill driving.
Allowing a vehicle to increase speed while going down hill, pushes you up the following hill & so the transmission doesn't have to downshift to increase rpms to maintain the speed (IF a vehicle normally requires so).
Regulating speed to reduce having to completely stop at stop lights.
If your near sighted then have your eyes checked to possible reduce on sudden braking on "everything"
(like those things that are going to jump out in front of you like signs, cones, buildings, trees, etc).
Here was something I posted on here a few years ago on a 2005 4.6 that MAY be of interest.
Basically each mod that increased engine flow "slightly" leaned the A/F with the free-er flowing exhaust actually "lost" power UNTIL a tuner enriched the A/F.
My 2000 truck I listed below would average 16.5mpg & 18 on open highway & towing a race car on a open trailer got 12mpg
Heres a little something that may interest a few.
I had a 2000 ext-cab 5.4 2wd with 3.55s with tow package (2 valve per cylinder engine) that I drove something like 7 years & put like 150,000 miles on it myself before saleing it with a total of a little over 200,000.
I drove my truck for a few years with the stock exhaust except for a pipe that had replaced the muffler.
(The tone sounded as if it had dual exhaust but without the echo chop you get with 2 pipes)
Anyhow after reading this of a 2005 4.6 (2 valve per cylinder) engine.
I decided then that being I didn't have a tuner (& I didn't plan on getting 1 do to cost) to see if I would gain any torque I may had lost from the lean A/F ratio (due to the higher flowing exhaust) that I would put my stock muffler back on (I had it stored in my barn).
I flanged the muffler & pipes to allow me to play with it some.
1st I tried it all stock & noticed it had better part throttle pull but fell off quick.
2nd I removed the tailpipe & it had better pull at part throttle with out the quick fall off.
3rd I tried It with no muffler or tailpipe & it just felt like it fell on its face & was very loud with no decent tone at all (s**ked) LoL.
So I ended up running that 2000 truck with the stock quiet muffler with no tail pipe. I do right much towing & it did pull better. I was planning to run a 3" pipe after the muffler but ended up saleing the truck before I did.
"I didn't have a tuner" but these where the mods I did have & the 1st 4 was what I noticed that helped part throttle acceleration the most even though it was minimal.
1-Removed the tailpipe,
2-Electric fan,
3-K&N filter-stock replacement,
4-Removed the snorkel but later modified stock air box with a larger opening,
I noticed the easier I allowed the air to get to the air-filter the more part throttle I noticed.
(I didn't go off road so this didn't concern me.)
5-Restriction pipe removed from the intake pipe elbow.
6-Ported the upper aluminum intake/elbow.
7-Ported the front of the throttle body to match the butterfly throat. (I think I lost a little part throttle doing this but didn't recheck it with a non-ported 1)
The only issues I had with my 2000 was the alternator went out around 100,000 miles & sometime around or over 150,000 the ball joints & the rear ABS sensor went bad.
I had a 2000 ext-cab 5.4 2wd with 3.55s with tow package (2 valve per cylinder engine) that I drove something like 7 years & put like 150,000 miles on it myself before saleing it with a total of a little over 200,000.
I drove my truck for a few years with the stock exhaust except for a pipe that had replaced the muffler.
(The tone sounded as if it had dual exhaust but without the echo chop you get with 2 pipes)
Anyhow after reading this of a 2005 4.6 (2 valve per cylinder) engine.
I decided then that being I didn't have a tuner (& I didn't plan on getting 1 do to cost) to see if I would gain any torque I may had lost from the lean A/F ratio (due to the higher flowing exhaust) that I would put my stock muffler back on (I had it stored in my barn).
I flanged the muffler & pipes to allow me to play with it some.
1st I tried it all stock & noticed it had better part throttle pull but fell off quick.
2nd I removed the tailpipe & it had better pull at part throttle with out the quick fall off.
3rd I tried It with no muffler or tailpipe & it just felt like it fell on its face & was very loud with no decent tone at all (s**ked) LoL.
So I ended up running that 2000 truck with the stock quiet muffler with no tail pipe. I do right much towing & it did pull better. I was planning to run a 3" pipe after the muffler but ended up saleing the truck before I did.
"I didn't have a tuner" but these where the mods I did have & the 1st 4 was what I noticed that helped part throttle acceleration the most even though it was minimal.
1-Removed the tailpipe,
2-Electric fan,
3-K&N filter-stock replacement,
4-Removed the snorkel but later modified stock air box with a larger opening,
I noticed the easier I allowed the air to get to the air-filter the more part throttle I noticed.
(I didn't go off road so this didn't concern me.)
5-Restriction pipe removed from the intake pipe elbow.
6-Ported the upper aluminum intake/elbow.
7-Ported the front of the throttle body to match the butterfly throat. (I think I lost a little part throttle doing this but didn't recheck it with a non-ported 1)
The only issues I had with my 2000 was the alternator went out around 100,000 miles & sometime around or over 150,000 the ball joints & the rear ABS sensor went bad.
Last edited by Fordjunkync; Feb 23, 2014 at 02:32 PM.
Member
Joined: Jan 2014
Posts: 661
Likes: 127
You can save more fuel if the tank is always full. It may sound stupid but it really does reduce your consumption a lot. The only logical answer I can think of is if the fuel tank is full of liquid fuel the space for vapor. The fuel tank has a vent that allow fuel vapor to escape in order to maintain proper pressure.
Since where "nick picking" at MPGs
Ive been researching tire replacements (18s on my 2009) & have noticed that going from a P-rated tire to a LT-rated tire "in the same size" shows to add about 10lbs per tire.
I was shocked.
AERODYNAMIC/WEIGHT DRAG effect MPG
Maintaining slower speed requires less fuel to PUSH through the air.
Higher humidity allows objects to flow through air easier
(even though higher humidity is not HP friendly & even though you can INCREASE timing when the humidity is higher. LoL)
The underside of a vehicle creates drag.
Any vehicle "off the ground" OR nose high vehicles creates more drag.
Items that protrudes out away from the body creates drag & so increasing the width of rims/tires increase drag.
The open area on the backside of the item is in a vacuum state which creates drag. (where airfoils help)
(Tidbit-the constant changing shape of the new Towers in NY where designed to reduce that same vacuum-turbalance)
On pickups with short length bed openings, its said leaving a tailgate up is better for mpg.
On pickups with long length bed openings, its said leaving a tailgate down is better for mpg (but looks silly in my OP & there's a increased chance of it getting damaged).
Bed covers help reduce "some" of that vacuum drag BUT
the fiberglass covers are VERY heavy &
the vinyl cover dry-rot or tear easy.
(Pick your poison as comparing the cost of these items & the worth of the minor mpg differences)
I see my tool box as closing up the bed area "some".
DRIVER CONTROL(Throttle & Braking)
Hill driving.
Allowing a vehicle to increase speed while going down hill, pushes you up the following hill & so the transmission doesn't have to downshift to increase rpms to maintain the speed (IF a vehicle normally requires so).
Regulating speed to reduce having to completely stop at stop lights.
If your near sighted then have your eyes checked to possible reduce on sudden braking on "everything"
(like those things that are going to jump out in front of you like signs, cones, buildings, trees, etc).
Here was something I posted on here a few years ago on a 2005 4.6 that MAY be of interest.
Basically each mod that increased engine flow "slightly" leaned the A/F with the free-er flowing exhaust actually "lost" power UNTIL a tuner enriched the A/F.
My 2000 truck I listed below would average 16.5mpg & 18 on open highway & towing a race car on a open trailer got 12mpg
Ive been researching tire replacements (18s on my 2009) & have noticed that going from a P-rated tire to a LT-rated tire "in the same size" shows to add about 10lbs per tire.
I was shocked.
AERODYNAMIC/WEIGHT DRAG effect MPG
Maintaining slower speed requires less fuel to PUSH through the air.
Higher humidity allows objects to flow through air easier
(even though higher humidity is not HP friendly & even though you can INCREASE timing when the humidity is higher. LoL)
The underside of a vehicle creates drag.
Any vehicle "off the ground" OR nose high vehicles creates more drag.
Items that protrudes out away from the body creates drag & so increasing the width of rims/tires increase drag.
The open area on the backside of the item is in a vacuum state which creates drag. (where airfoils help)
(Tidbit-the constant changing shape of the new Towers in NY where designed to reduce that same vacuum-turbalance)
On pickups with short length bed openings, its said leaving a tailgate up is better for mpg.
On pickups with long length bed openings, its said leaving a tailgate down is better for mpg (but looks silly in my OP & there's a increased chance of it getting damaged).
Bed covers help reduce "some" of that vacuum drag BUT
the fiberglass covers are VERY heavy &
the vinyl cover dry-rot or tear easy.
(Pick your poison as comparing the cost of these items & the worth of the minor mpg differences)
I see my tool box as closing up the bed area "some".
DRIVER CONTROL(Throttle & Braking)
Hill driving.
Allowing a vehicle to increase speed while going down hill, pushes you up the following hill & so the transmission doesn't have to downshift to increase rpms to maintain the speed (IF a vehicle normally requires so).
Regulating speed to reduce having to completely stop at stop lights.
If your near sighted then have your eyes checked to possible reduce on sudden braking on "everything"
(like those things that are going to jump out in front of you like signs, cones, buildings, trees, etc).
Here was something I posted on here a few years ago on a 2005 4.6 that MAY be of interest.
Basically each mod that increased engine flow "slightly" leaned the A/F with the free-er flowing exhaust actually "lost" power UNTIL a tuner enriched the A/F.
My 2000 truck I listed below would average 16.5mpg & 18 on open highway & towing a race car on a open trailer got 12mpg
Senior Member
Joined: Jul 2013
Posts: 129
Likes: 13
From: Arvada Colorado
That 'Ford Truck Performance' article is depressing.
Imagine spending untold hours reading a blog about F150's, where you read 1000's of posts about the absolute NEED to get a programmer, intake and exhaust, to the tune of $1500+ (with some dyno time) and get.... ...16.8 miserable horsepower.
Don't forget, for all your efforts you are rewarded with the need to buy 93 octane and listen to an annoyingly loud exhaust. Funny, the article never mentioned mileage.
FML.
Imagine spending untold hours reading a blog about F150's, where you read 1000's of posts about the absolute NEED to get a programmer, intake and exhaust, to the tune of $1500+ (with some dyno time) and get.... ...16.8 miserable horsepower.
Don't forget, for all your efforts you are rewarded with the need to buy 93 octane and listen to an annoyingly loud exhaust. Funny, the article never mentioned mileage.
FML.
Last edited by howie2092; Feb 23, 2014 at 03:33 PM.
Senior Member
Joined: Sep 2013
Posts: 1,267
Likes: 85
From: Behind You
TRUTH is STRANGER than FICTION
Senior Member
Joined: Jul 2013
Posts: 129
Likes: 13
From: Arvada Colorado
You get more Miles Per Gallon if the tank is full. To prevent the fuel tank from bursting it vents fuel vapor out to reduce pressure. Have you notice how far can you go without the needle moving? Before I taught that it was only due to lag but after filling it up I was very surprise how less fuel was consumed. At first I taught the fuel tank vent was not working properly.
TRUTH is STRANGER than FICTION
TRUTH is STRANGER than FICTION
Senior Member
Joined: Apr 2009
Posts: 354
Likes: 35
From: USA
Strange as I dont get any mpg when my tank is empty.
Mine consumed less fuel also after fill up but once I started my truck I knew at that moment it was consuming more again.
I agree
I agree
Last edited by Fordjunkync; Feb 23, 2014 at 03:52 PM.
Senior Member
Joined: Apr 2009
Posts: 354
Likes: 35
From: USA
My factory manual clearly states (in the 1st 1/4 of the manual) my truck already has some kind of factory installed driving recorder in it.
Toyota has had them for years LoL.
Title
Joined: Sep 2012
Posts: 6,672
Likes: 499
From: USA
You get more Miles Per Gallon if the tank is full. To prevent the fuel tank from bursting it vents fuel vapor out to reduce pressure. Have you notice how far can you go without the needle moving? Before I taught that it was only due to lag but after filling it up I was very surprise how less fuel was consumed. At first I taught the fuel tank vent was not working properly.
TRUTH is STRANGER than FICTION
TRUTH is STRANGER than FICTION