Reclaiming exhaust energy!

[t vago]

This past weekend, I installed two items in my truck that actually cause the energy in the exhaust to do something other than just get expelled out into the open air. These items didn't take too long, and I've noticed an immediate increase in available power (especially at low end and midrange), throttle responsiveness, and fuel economy. My overhead computer used to report an average fuel economy of around 18 to 19 MPG on my commutes, and it is now reporting over 20 MPG.

Granted, the overhead computer is not the world's most accurate, but I have a secondary indication that my fuel economy increase isn't just imaginary. On this current tankful in my truck, I travelled about 261 miles, and my fuel gauge is just a hair under 3/8 of a tank. Prior to installing these exhaust energy devices, the fuel gauge would read midway between 1/4 and 3/8 of a tank.

I will have a better idea of what this past tank's fuel economy will be tomorrow, when I do my fillup.

Can anyone guess what these exhaust energy items would be?

[Mustang Dave]

A turbocharger comes to mind.

[zonker]

pre-heated intake?

[CigaR007]

An adapted exhaust header ?

[bestclimb]

afterburners?

[tangomar]

fuel heater

[zman]

What is this, jeopardy!?

[Odin]

what is diarrhea?

[Odin]

on a serious note, did you find a small sterling engine and stick it in the trunk? by simply having the exhaust gases flow over the hot end you could turn your alternator via the sterling engine, and depending on how close to the exhaust you got you could even maybe turn a power steering pump, vac pump, water pump- making the gas engine do very little

[Frank Lee]