New Diesel Owner. Please Help

[chromersrus]

Ok guys, First off I have to admit I am a chevy guy and love the Duramax, just couldn't afford to get one right now and I ended up buying a 2001 F-250 super cab with the 7.3. It has 55,000 miles on it two days ago. Can't tell if it has a leveling kit or a 4" lift with 35" tires. I took it on a freeway trip yesterday a round trip of about 240 miles. I filled up before I left and filled up when I got there. I got 14.75 mpg, which with 35" tires and bone stock I figure is probably about right???? My purpose of buying a diesel is to get more mpg. I am on a tight budget and would like to do some mpg mods. I only tow a jet boat that weighs about 4000 lbs 5000 lbs if I tow the big boat, and my drift boat weighs 450 on the trailer. Power is not a huge issue, it will pull what I need it to pull.

My main question is about how to get better mileage on a fairly low budget and what to start with first. I have looked at the Quadzilla tuners because they are fairly inexpensive, and seem to not void warranties and claim to be extremely safe. I also have looked at the superchips cortex, and another superchips. I won't lie a little more power would be nice of course but mostly concerned with better mpg. I know you guys are gonna say custom tunes instead of canned as you put them. Thinking maybe an intake, and exhaust at some point. I don't want too loud of a truck. My last truck was a nissan titan with a banks monster exhaust which sounded good but was loud as hell.

Maybe a few of you diesel pros with 7.3 experience could help me out with some of the cheaper safer ideas on how do accomplish this. I'm not expecting 20 mpg although would be nice. I am hoping more for 17 or 18.
Thanks in advance.

[03_Turbo7.3]

....Ok ill be honest.. get rid of the 35's and go back to stock suspension and stock tires..thats your biggest fuel saver..

Second..you can toss and intake on it..you dont need exhaust, cut the muffler out and your good for 400Hp all day long.

chips...well if your towing..custom tuned my friend or your going to destroy your trans if u beat on it. also think about getting a valve body..

17-18 will be in step then..lose them tires and lift.. sorry

PS..chev is junk..sorry ..i dont know a real truck with an IFS front end.. ill give it to them there quick..but there pick ups suck

[dereku]

yup I get 17.5 doing 70 on the high way anything over 70 and the mileage will drop off considerably.

Try driving 65 or even 60 you will get close to 20

[chromersrus]

I can't agree more about the tires and lift. I bought this truck to save money and I will be defeating the purpose of the by going back to stock in terms of labor, wheels and tires. I only paid $8,000 with a 4 year 60K warranty. As for beatin up the truck, I drive pretty easy and take good care of my rigs, and I don't tow anything really heavy. I really do appreciate your input and anything else in mind would be great. You say cut the muffler i'm assuming you mean straight pipe it?? Will that create black smoke???

Originally Posted by 03_Turbo7.3

....Ok ill be honest.. get rid of the 35's and go back to stock suspension and stock tires..thats your biggest fuel saver..

Second..you can toss and intake on it..you dont need exhaust, cut the muffler out and your good for 400Hp all day long.

chips...well if your towing..custom tuned my friend or your going to destroy your trans if u beat on it. also think about getting a valve body..

17-18 will be in step then..lose them tires and lift.. sorry

PS..chev is junk..sorry ..i dont know a real truck with an IFS front end.. ill give it to them there quick..but there pick ups suck

[03_Turbo7.3]

Originally Posted by chromersrus

I can't agree more about the tires and lift. I bought this truck to save money and I will be defeating the purpose of the by going back to stock in terms of labor, wheels and tires. I only paid $8,000 with a 4 year 60K warranty. As for beatin up the truck, I drive pretty easy and take good care of my rigs, and I don't tow anything really heavy. I really do appreciate your input and anything else in mind would be great. You say cut the muffler i'm assuming you mean straight pipe it?? Will that create black smoke???

If you do not tune the truck you wont see black unless cold and your foots into it the truck wont fuel enough to get that thick black smoke.

To go back to stock suspension would cost you next to nothing and so would rims and tires..You can easily find someone to 'trade' with and get some money out of it..Super duties are the same from 99.5-04, 05 the diffs got a little wider and coil front suspension all the way to current, our trucks are EXTREMELY easy to modify, unlike chev.

You got a pretty good deal on the truck and trust me it will last you forever, im at 250 000km thats like 150K miles without a beat missed, i upgraded my trans due to the fact of the 4r100s stock have issues once power is put to them, change the TC and Valve body on a low mile 4r100 and it will last you the life of the truck..

Everyone likes to say they wont " beat" on there truck..but guess what..lol were all liars..haha...once your tuned and you feel the ponys unlocked under your foot..guess where it goes..to the floor! its night and day difference and trust me youll beat on it more haha

Any questions fire away..most of us here are to help and have yrs of crap stuck in our brains..

[nielsencc86]

One thing to consider about your mileage is the tire size. The odom said you went about 240 miles. Unless you have a superchips speedo calibrator you actually went further. The difference of a 35" tire compared to the factory 235/85/16's is about10.88" or 63 revolutions per mile. So over 240 miles that is 15120 revolutions the odometer didn't pickup. that is equivalent to 13708 ft or 2.6 miles. It is not a big difference but when you are counting mileage every bit counts!

[ToMang07]

As of right now, mine is 100% stock and I'm getting 16.8mpg.

I would be willing to bet the tires are your biggest MPG-killer.

I will soon (tax money) have a new intake and pipes.... hoping to get a couple more out of her.... see what an Edge programmer will do, too.

Course, now that I have the plow on her, I'm sure the MPG's will go down, lol!

[ToMang07]

Originally Posted by nielsencc86

One thing to consider about your mileage is the tire size. The odom said you went about 240 miles. Unless you have a superchips speedo calibrator you actually went further. The difference of a 35" tire compared to the factory 235/85/16's is about10.88" or 63 revolutions per mile. So over 240 miles that is 15120 revolutions the odometer didn't pickup. that is equivalent to 13708 ft or 2.6 miles. It is not a big difference but when you are counting mileage every bit counts!

IDk about the 01's, but my 02 has stockers on it, and they are 265's, not 235's.

[nielsencc86]

Originally Posted by ToMang07

IDk about the 01's, but my 02 has stockers on it, and they are 275's, not 235's.

Your truck should have come from the factory with 265's being a f350. The F250's came with the 235's. Unless the dealer put a slightly larger tire-I don't know how you got the 275's

[ToMang07]

Originally Posted by nielsencc86

Your truck should have come from the factory with 265's being a f350. The F250's came with the 235's. Unless the dealer put a slightly larger tire-I don't know how you got the 275's

My bad... I think they are 265's.