Article: pickup mileage - manufacturers are ecomodding their trucks for better MPG

[IndyIan]

Originally Posted by Old Mechanic

Something like the T100 with a 4 cylinder and a 6 speed. It would carry the regulation 4X8 sheet of plywood if memory serves me right.

regards
Mech

A 2.5L ish 4 or 5 cylinder turbo diesel would be nice! 180hp and 300ftlbs at 2500rpm could tow 8000lbs no problem, maybe not at 80mph up a mountain but thats ok, I'd rather get 30 mpg the rest of the time...

[tjts1]

Originally Posted by IndyIan

A 2.5L ish 4 or 5 cylinder turbo diesel would be nice! 180hp and 300ftlbs at 2500rpm could tow 8000lbs no problem, maybe not at 80mph up a mountain but thats ok, I'd rather get 30 mpg the rest of the time...

It took an Indian company to realize that you can sell a 4 cyl diesel pickup in America.
Taj Mahauler: We Drive Mahindra's Diesel Pik-Up - PickupTrucks.com News

[Big Dave]

Lower axle ratios will help, but the rest of it is just nibbling around the edges of the problem.

As I put it here: Piddling-around efforts bring piddling results.

You want big improvement, you gotta go to war.

1. Real aero improvements. Ask Phil Knox.
2. Diesel engines. Yeah I know the EPA hates them
3. Get rid of the dratted torque converter transmissions. Go with a manual or dual-clutch transmission.

[RobertSmalls]

What do they do in Europe, where gas has consistently been >$6/gal? I bet the answer involves diesels, compact cars towing things Americans "need" a truck to tow, vans, and using the smallest truck necessary for the job.

In Germany, you can get a Mercedes-Benz Sprinter pickup: Mercedes-Benz Deutschland - Technische Daten - Maße & Gewichte

If you select the 4 cylinder diesel with the six speed stick, you get 29mpg on the Euro combined cycle, and a 2200lb payload capacity. Go with a big V6 gasser, and you get an unimpressive 18mpg.

[bgd73]

I have always argued the v8 is not allowed to get out of its own way enough and put power down. I experimented with this growing up. the 300 hp v8 with non-grandma actions got 10mpg more. The whole think needs to be scrapped. starting with drivetrain. Not one idiot thought of the benz crank v8. the counterbalanced engine is a half butts attempt at one engine being a diesel and gasoline..the diesel wins with the crazy design. They never evolved to gas properly. Today with delayed injection, the sloppy lower half sucking up 40% of every revolution needs to be smartened for injection alone as an argument. Engineers are stuck, they are capitalized, they are owned. Game over.

I have owned trucks and maintained v8s for years. All goals were to gain power..it saved fuel every freakin time, all versions even the boggy smoggers of the 1970s. today is even more difficult because of injection. Injection is a SLOB. ALL VERSIONS..ok mr.piezo?