my 2001 f250 will set at 30mph

 

Best way I save fuel in my truck is by not driving it.

 

Why do you have it if you don't drive it?

Not to be a dick, but the same type question can be asked of you...

If your so insanely concerned with MPGs, why did you start with a 1 ton truck?

BTW, I think all your mods and data are awesome and interesting, just doesnt make the most sense.

 

Why do you have it if you don't drive it?

 

Why do you have it if you don't drive it?[/QUOTE


as far as my comment I was kidding, but everytime I get it in I know its not going to get great mpg , just one of those is what it is things, and like yourself I also need the truck to haul with haul trailers with etc etc just not going to be concerned with the mpg it gets thats all. no need to get heated about any of it :doh:

 

There's no stuffing me in a dinky little car.

I drive a lot and like the room of the huge SD cab.

I do often carry stuff around - 4x8s, machine parts, etc. A Prius or Jetta TDI won't do that.

I have thought about a smaller truck - mabe a F-150 with a 4 cylinder Cummins and a stick, but for now the F-350 is paid for.

A vehicle that never gets driven is a piece of sculpture that sits in your garage. You see lots of these in show'n shines. 4x4s with no scratches or traces of mud are show-only vehicles. Garage sculpture.

 

I gotcha. Makes more sense now. I agree with the fact that nothing beats being in a fullsize truck. I respect the amount of time, research, and testing you have done to make your truck fit you the best. I didnt mean it as an insult, just different styles and I was confused on the choice of platform.

 

MPG is one of the Reasons I bought a 7.3L diesel... Shure beats a gas any day!!!

 

Did the check engine light came on when you disconnected it?

 

Dear Dave
I see you list the Gear Vendor in your truck. Did you install it? If so, how are you liking it?
How many miles did you got with?

 

PM him he might not see it here anymore.. But you never know!!

 

I'm around.

Yes, I installed the Gear Vendors, but haven't been able to do any relevant testing because I put my tonneau on instead of my "fastback" bed cover. Also, I just found I had two rear brakes dragging.

24-26 MPG (one-third urban/suburban, one-third two lane state roads (60 MPH). one-third Interstate) with both rear brakes dragging.

 

2000 7.3 4x4 crew cab long bed with a shell, 285 tires, php 6 pos using 80 hp.
113000 miles, just did a hand calc, filled up at the same pump both times and got 16.3 mpg on winter fuel mixed hwy 1900 rpm and city driving.
Hand calced on an I-5 2200 rpm trip and it was 17 mpg.
The truck does burn oil but 0 smoke so I don't know where it is going, so I just keep an eye on the dipstick and don't worry about it.

My 05 and 07 cummins 5.9 crew cab short bed both got 17 mpg hand calced mixed city/hwy driving, but close to 20 mpg out on a hwy trip. Both trucks had a shell and 315 tires. Stock tunes on both.

 

That's about what I'd expect from those configurations.

 

I also have a under rail tool box with close to 600# of tools in it, It's a heavy truck, I'm happy with it's current mpg.

 

my stock excursion with no tunes or programer or anything, has full turbo back 4" exaust and a 6637 airfilter, with 265/65/18 bfg all terrains, stock 3.73 gears, with the air dam ripped off. with 70% hwy 55mph and 30% city stop and go back and forth to work 50 miles a day. I get 17.5mpg hand calc.(over head display said 18mpg) my speedometer is almost dead nuts on as well. I had an edge juice w/attidude on it and my hand calk in the same senarios was 17.9 to 18.2 but the overhead would read 20 plus so i think the edge tricks the overhead into thinking its getting better than it actually is getting? i got tunes from php on the way and an airdam going to be put back on then well see what i can squeeze out of it. Im also going with synthetic in the rear ends, and tcase as well as continue using 5w40 syn in the engine as well. these numbers are with winter blend fuel in northern michigan as well. i want to get it to the point that i get 20 to 21 on the hwy at 70 mph but it may take some time to get it set up that way cause this 4x4 ex is heavy.... i beleiev it is right around 7300 or so pounds.

 

A 7.3L excursion, that only weighs 7300 pounds??? Sounds a little lite to me..

My 7.3L OBS 4x4 CCLB is like 7100 to 7200. A LOT liter then a CCLB 4x4 2000 year range ford.

I would think the Excursion would be over 8000 pounds???

 

As you can see from my post count, I'm pretty new to the Powerstroke scene. I have a 12-valve Cummins, but my dad just bought a '99 F-250. He is mainly interested in maximizing fuel mileage while pulling a two-axle camper. From what I've read, the 7.3 is very capable of great fuel economy. I spoke with a mechanic that suggested I use a little ATF to clean the injectors in my Cummins. Basically, he said to fill the fuel filter with ATF the next time I change it. According to him, the detergents in the ATF would help to clean the injectors. I decided to give it a shot.

At the same time I changed the filter (and filled it with ATF), I also changed the fluid in the rear end. It didn't appear to have ever been changed. The end result was a jump from just over 20 MPG on the highway to almost 26 MPG. If I had to guess, I'd say that the ATF trick made more of a difference than the differential fluid. Has anyone tried these things with a PSD? I believe the mechanic that suggested it also has a 7.3. I'm planning to have my dad give it a go, but I figured I'd post something on here to see if others have done the same (and seen some improvement.)

 

ATF = snake oil

 

Are you referring to when people run it in their tank? I don't run ATF in my fuel, but I have filled the fuel filter with it (when I was installing a new one). If the ATF wasn't responsible for cleaning injectors with nearly 300K on them, then I guess changing the diff fluid (also with 300K) is what was responsible for a nearly 5 MPG jump in highway driving, right? Nothing else was changed.

 

when i first got it (99cclb,dit,auto,3;73 ratio,)i was getting max-14mpg ,
so thru the years i have done several things and am up to 22.3mpg,(mixed driving)
dptuner, 35" tires, modified intake and exhaust,
the only drag i added was a big visor and a heavy rack and toolbox.
recently did an injector job and that jumped it by 3.
i dont accelerate quickly from lights.
i get it into high overdrive as much as possible and lope along, unless i gotta get somewhere,, but usually drive about 10 over on the hiways.
it loves to run 70+.
and i'm going to put flames on the side to get even better mpg!ointlaugh:
other tricks i've learned,(with other vehicles) less toe-in, not so tight wheel bearings(i've seen "mechanics" get these over-tight)
brake drag,quality fuel, drafting, windows up,
if you notice the slight differences, you can become fanatical, just don't let it drive you nuts.

 

well idk i only get 11-12-and 16 on the highway so mine sucks and dont think i can get away from it....lol

 

well i figured id update my progress on getting the 01 excursion going in the right direction for mpgs.... i got 18.2 mpg over the last 1200 miles with a php 6 pos chip in 80dd mode, 6637 intake, and a 4 inch exaust... then i did a few mods to try and help the mpgs... so heres what i got. i put a ander bumper airdam off a 2009 ford f 350 that we had a snow plow put on. the air defector is about 5 inches so its a big improvment over the stock excursion one. it obviously didnt fit right and i had to make tabs to bolt it up and trip a little off the back side but it looks nice now and does a lot of good. i also switched the rear ends to amsoil synthetic and deleted the AIH at the same time. so with all these mods i just got back off a 1900 mile round trip to memphis tn and back all on hwy averageing 67 mph and i got an hounest 20.7 average mpg. so not sure what mod gave the most jump in mpg but i can only assume it was the airdam and the synthetic oil in the rears cause taking the AIH out shouldnt have done anything for mpg at shuch a low throttle position. im just glad to have an ex that gets 20 mpg hwy now instead of 17 i started out with this thing.

 

I just did Chicago to NC and back. On the way back my avg on each tank was anywhere from 14.9-17.1. The first tank was about 25 miles driving around town then through the West Virginia TP which has a lot of hills and I also had my cruise set at 70MPH. I had about 800 pounds of stuff in the bed and in the cab combined (moving my stuff back to Chicago). Keep in mind I have 285/75R16s on there, I have an added leaf up front and air bags in the back so my truck sits up about 3 inches higher then a stock truck and I dont have an air dam on the front because I have a snow plow bracket. Keep in mind also this is on winter fuel so I was very pleased with it and I also have my SES light on because of an injector that the poppet is contacting the solenoid.

All this taken into perspective I would guess that I could get 18.5 on summer fuel and keeping my cruise at the 60-65mph range and if I was to change out to new injectors maybe single shots I could hit that 20 MPG maybe 21.

 

for your ebv i disconnected my air intake temp sensor and it only comes on, on start up and never comes on after

 

If you drive alot of highway. Pull the tailgate off. Mythbusters is full of it. I've tried my truck numerous time with the tailgate on and off and get similar results everytime. I gain 25-30 more miles at half a tank everytime. Again this is only a benefit if you drive alot of highway speeds. There is no gain at in the city.

 

I have wondered about that was well.. :whs: tailgate up is better MPG sounds like snake oil.. if that is true then how come if you put a hard or soft cover on the bed you get better MPG..?? you get rid of the big flat thing blocking the air. If you have ridden in the back of a pickup at speed you know if close to cab the air if over your head.. sit at the tailgate and you get blasted.

i have to say BS as well..

 

You're the only one.

 

so with your gear vendor overdrive you have grained a lot from. i know comparing your truck to mine would not make sense because yours is a one ton manual and mine is a 3/4 ton auto but is there a spliter out there for the auto because i have hit about 23mpgs but would like a bit more or would it be worth the switch to a manual.

 

Howdy, I am confused because I hear chips, intakes, bigger exhaust, and bigger intercoolers all increase fuel economy. Then someone else says all that stuff doesn't do anything. I have a late 1999 F-250 w 7.3l with some kind of a "flash" in it, and I have routinely got19-20 mpg in most conditions. (I also never get on it). I am very happy with that mpg, then I when down to Mississippi to pick up a new to me 5th wheel, I got 10 mpg! I am sick about that. I think the first thing to do is the improved intake, but which one? Or should I try something else? I am very close to Swamps here in Middle Tennessee, so I guess I would probably go with chips they would recommend. Kindly advise any recommendations. Thanks.....Ghyslain

 

All those thing things will likley improve your mpg while towing....likley not to improve while unloaded though