How to execute efficiency mods for 2001 FORD E350 with 7.3L diesel?
To start off I have a basic knowledge on hypermiling and ecomods, know all the cheapest and most effective efficiency mods, including aerodynamics & driving style. I am in this purely to improve my financial environment. If I am going to be enslaved to the oil monopoly, I need to minimize the cost of the slavery in both money and time.
I am looking primarily at aero mods, low rolling resistance tires, and fluid additives to reduce friction in the drivetrain.
Looking for thick, knobby low rolling resistance tires as I plan to be on bad dirt roads and don't want tires blowing. I believe if one is using city tires to save fuel, and has to replace them because they blew on dirt; the cost to replace city tires will wipe out any and all fuel savings. My dream tires are a set of four solid rubber tires, but if they have too high an upfront cost or cost about the same per year as conventional air-filled tires; then I'll get 10-ply tough tires used by country folk and fill them with rubber cement as a reasonable compromise.
Aerodynamics I am interested in as it has the biggest gain for the lowest cost, especially for a high-top van like this. I need to know how to see the vans wind envelope so I can work on minimizing drag and streamlining the front, bottom, top and sides.
I hear higher fuel economy can be had by changing to lower viscosity oil, and thinking about changing to 5w30 from 10w30 as I don't plan to spend too much time in the Canadian winter. Should I change to 5w30 from 10w-30 before I travel thousands of miles this summer? Will the fuel savings pay for switching early, and if so how many miles to break even? When I change the oil I am planning on using full synthetic and want to know what the best full synthetic oil is? Currently have 4 ounces of a product called NMF Ionic Friction Reducer in the engine oil, has anybody else used this fluid additive?
Anything I can do with the OBD to increase fuel economy through the vans software? Isn't efficiency why modern cars have computers and sensors?
How about fuel additives? Any diesel additive that saves more fuel than the cost of the additive to save the fuel? What about different flavors of diesel?
For fluid additives I am looking at any friction reducer/efficiency fluid that can be applied in the engine, transmission, differential, wheel bearings, suspension, etc.
Letting everybody know right now & to make it clear: I am NOT going to swelter and travel/live miserably in this endeavor. I know not running the A/C saves some fuel, however when it's 100+ F outside and I am in the van you bet icebergs I will use the A/C!
All mods have to pay for themselves in fuel savings and be net positive within 20,000 miles, as I am not one to do efficiency mods just for show. They have to save me money, by reducing the biggest expense for my dream life: fuel.
Last edited by debit.servus; 04-28-2016 at 04:21 AM..
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