Hello everyone.
I commute over 100 miles a day and am trying not to go broke just getting to work. Though not too bad, fuel prices still hurt. I've thought about buying a new penatly box to commute in, but at around $16k for a fairly basic ride I can put that money into what I already own and have much better and safer ride with more economy to boot.
My current goal is to see what maximum economy number I'll get prior to installing any other mods. Along with the mod list I'll also include a running tab of associated costs.
Starting MPG: just under 16.
The mods so far:
DP F5 (bought used, don't know what tunes are loaded but keep in 1) ($100)
235/85 Falken Landair HT's, inflated to 70 with nitrogen ($400 for tires, $20 fill for all 4)
Homeade CAI (parts laying around the house, filter from friend)
Bed cover (came with truck)
Drier vent tube with lint trap air intake (found in house) and ZooDad
Synthetic Rotella ($50+filter)
Emtpy cab and bed, no extra crap (sweat)
Flag mirrors ($45)
Muffler delete ($20 for sawzall, $20 for pipe, $160 for labor:doh
Keep it under 65, light throttle around town, roll to stop lights
Rarely approach 2000 rpm
Keep A/C off as much as possible, drive with defrost on high (almost as good as A/C at higway speeds)
Sub total: $815
The reward so far: nearly 22 mpg in mixed driving (85% highway), which is a 28% improvement. Believe when you hear how you drive has the most impact on economy. I just filled the tires yesterday, so I'll see what the difference is after next fill.
Next steps:
Remove spare and tools, carry 12v compressor and plugs
Remove tailgate and rear bumper
Remove passenger mirror, cover hole with blank-off plate from cab chasis van
Block off most of front end/ seal seams around lights
Once I've experimented with all that, the expensive part comes in with the bolt ons. At this point my goal, and emphasis, will be on efficiency and longevity rather than raw power. The mods will include:
4" turbo back
Intake
John Wood valve body/overhaul if required
6.4 convertor
CNG system with tuning (being developed by Deluca Fuel Products)
4 3500# CNG bottles (6 gallon equivalent or more each)/custom rack
38R turbo/ upgraded cooler
Upgraded Stage 1's
ITP fuel system with bowl delete
FASS system
Hub conversion
Electric fans
Waterless coolant
Upgraded cooler
From talking with others who have these systems, and Marc at Deluca, it's possible to see hundreds of miles on a single gallon of fuel. I'll keep this going and continue to post my progress.
I commute over 100 miles a day and am trying not to go broke just getting to work. Though not too bad, fuel prices still hurt. I've thought about buying a new penatly box to commute in, but at around $16k for a fairly basic ride I can put that money into what I already own and have much better and safer ride with more economy to boot.
My current goal is to see what maximum economy number I'll get prior to installing any other mods. Along with the mod list I'll also include a running tab of associated costs.
Starting MPG: just under 16.
The mods so far:
DP F5 (bought used, don't know what tunes are loaded but keep in 1) ($100)
235/85 Falken Landair HT's, inflated to 70 with nitrogen ($400 for tires, $20 fill for all 4)
Homeade CAI (parts laying around the house, filter from friend)
Bed cover (came with truck)
Drier vent tube with lint trap air intake (found in house) and ZooDad
Synthetic Rotella ($50+filter)
Emtpy cab and bed, no extra crap (sweat)
Flag mirrors ($45)
Muffler delete ($20 for sawzall, $20 for pipe, $160 for labor:doh
Keep it under 65, light throttle around town, roll to stop lights
Rarely approach 2000 rpm
Keep A/C off as much as possible, drive with defrost on high (almost as good as A/C at higway speeds)
Sub total: $815
The reward so far: nearly 22 mpg in mixed driving (85% highway), which is a 28% improvement. Believe when you hear how you drive has the most impact on economy. I just filled the tires yesterday, so I'll see what the difference is after next fill.
Next steps:
Remove spare and tools, carry 12v compressor and plugs
Remove tailgate and rear bumper
Remove passenger mirror, cover hole with blank-off plate from cab chasis van
Block off most of front end/ seal seams around lights
Once I've experimented with all that, the expensive part comes in with the bolt ons. At this point my goal, and emphasis, will be on efficiency and longevity rather than raw power. The mods will include:
4" turbo back
Intake
John Wood valve body/overhaul if required
6.4 convertor
CNG system with tuning (being developed by Deluca Fuel Products)
4 3500# CNG bottles (6 gallon equivalent or more each)/custom rack
38R turbo/ upgraded cooler
Upgraded Stage 1's
ITP fuel system with bowl delete
FASS system
Hub conversion
Electric fans
Waterless coolant
Upgraded cooler
From talking with others who have these systems, and Marc at Deluca, it's possible to see hundreds of miles on a single gallon of fuel. I'll keep this going and continue to post my progress.