aerodynamic improvements; diesel,dually,dump
 

aerodynamics improvements.
can someone help with just a couple basic tips.
did my idea on placing a custom tool holder (the culvert,now with end caps to secure tools inside) help,hurt,or not really change anything?
if that did help,would placing a section of 8" PVC pipe on each side vertically (as that's all that would fit,and still allow me to open and close the doors of the cab) help round out the corners some more to reduce wind drag?

question two;
should i enclose the rear gates or leave them open like in the pics?
and or any other suggestions i should do with the rear.
iv looked around here,and saw the "boat tail" mods.
i really think thats ugly.id like to stay away from that,but im open to suggestions and opinions,and will consider at least a few short sections on the sides and or top.
if anyone is good with photo editing,have at it to help show me what to do.

with diesel over $4 per gallon,i really need to help out all i can.

current MPG:
14.45 over the course of 53 tanks.

id like 30 lol.but id settle for 16 if i can reach it.;)

the engine mods and tweaks iv got covered.e-fans etc.:thumbup:
id like to just focus on aerodynamic tweaks please.
thank you for reading.

You made your body essentially into a box and want to keep the utility for work.

Given that you said that you didn't want to drastically affect the looks of the truck, and that you want to get to 16 mpg with an IDI without going into the mechanicals, it may come down to driving technique. The fact that you got 14.45 mpg out a combo that does 10 - 12 mpg most of the time is not bad.

I know you wanted to keep things relegated to aero, but given the constraints and the type of truck you have, it will be hard.

If it were me, and I just wanted to get another 1.5 mpg out of it, and I am not towing heavy or anything like that, here's what I'd do:

Regear the axle. The best cruise rpm is 1600 - 1800 rpms and most of the HDs and Super Duties are geared with 4.10s, 4.88s, sometimes 5.13s. IH intentionally set up the engine to fall off the efficiency cliff past 1800 rpms. Going to 3.55s will make a big improvement with either a stick or automatic. 3.08s would be even better, but without a turbo it will be slow going. ( See Big Dave's Powerstroke pickup and see what he did )

Synthetic lubricant: Front to back, but at least do the rear axle. Lot of drag back there.

Evans Coolant: I am a big advocate of this stuff just because it'll allow you to run hotter, eliminate the need for SCAs ( 7.3 IDI blocks are bad for cavitation when the levels are not proper ), and save the head gaskets. Higher, more stable operating temps = mpg bump.

If the injectors and pump haven't been done, they'll be sorted.

Rounding off the corners could help a bit .
Don't make the tube sit higher than the top of the dumpster box - it'll increase frontal area, and you've already got plenty of that.

The top tube is also deflecting air down into the gap between the cab and the box. Try to prevent that - with small deflectors on the cab.
Same applies if you add something similar to the sides.

Close the gap aft of the tube

You'd still be pushing air as much in the gap aft of the cab as what you're pushing aside.

If you cut a pipe with twice the diameter in 4 parts, the 4 pies will only be as wide and deep as the full tube what you were planning to use .
Additionally, the whole width of the 90° pie would be rounding off the sides of the box.

http://us.cdn4.123rf.com/168nwm/spee...background.jpg


If the sides and front are closed off, it won't matter.
Kammbacks and boattails are also left open at the rear.

You could clean up the sides and make it flush like the top.

Ugly as they may be, boattails are effective - especially on square boxes.

Smoothing out airstream on the sides would help a boattail to function properly.

Those dual wheels are very much exposed.
Fairing them in, or putting a bulbous deflector in front of them would very likely help as well.
Maybe you could fabricate a streamlined toolbox that fits along the chassis, that's directing the air away from the rear wheels.


Do you really need all those mirrors ?

thanks for the replies.


the truck has 3:55's with LT 225/75/R16 (29.3X8.9) Effective Gear Ratio Change: 3.84:1
i haul HEAVY very often,so that was my main focus.
the truck is my business truck,setup for my tree service.hauling wood and wood chips.
there was a lot of time spent deciding on the shorter tires.
yes i could have gone with 215's,but i load wood by hand,and NEED the truck to sit as low as possible.
i drive an average of 45 MPH,which puts me around 1400 RPM in OD most of the time.
anyway,back to my focus;aero.

yes,that's what i figured about the tube.but i needed the tube type tool carrier and was the perfect place.i guess i should have an RV deflector on the cab roof now.

as for pushing half and half on the sides with the 8" PVC.it's the best idea i could come up with that would fit.
it's got to be better than just leaving the wind smashing a flat wall,so i guess i'll start there since you agree it could help a bit.
id like to add some typ of deflector on the sides of the cab,but i just don't see enough room for anything.
if only i had a super cab.......ah well.

clean up the sides.
so cover up the stakes somehow.
the drawback to this,is weight though.any suggestions?
what type of improvement would that make on a scale of 1-10,would you guess?


mirrors.
oh yes.very much needed.
besides the large ones being required by law,the small round mirrors eliminate my blind spots so i can change lanes.otherwise id never know if there was a car,or even a large truck there.
i have a rear view cam as well,but the mirrors.....oh yes,must haves.

priority is function for work.otherwise i wouldn't even be driving anything like this.i wouldn't have a pickup at all actually with these fuel prices.
im just looking for the obvious aero mods that will for sure lead to more MPG's.
i'll study the truck some more,and try to think of a way to deflect air away from the cab-dump body.this sounds pretty important i take it?

so no simple/basic air deflectors of any sort for the rear of the dump then?
it's either a full boat tail (not going to happen/besides not liking that look,the rear gates need to swing open,so i can dump fast and easy day in,and day out) or don't waste my time type of thing?

below is a pic of the underbody toolbox.
there is another just like it on the other side.
(yes these where needed.they do not lift with my dump.they hold my gear and chain saws/other tools etc.that i use daily.)

Maine is very rural,and if i want to stay busy,i need to be prepared to travel.yet i need to stay as competitive as the other tree services who may be just across the street from the place on bidding on.i drive approx 20k miles per year.so any little aero mod,isn't so little in my case.:)

can the culvert tube be lowered? if you could lower it so the top of it is even with the top of the box, that would be good.

the toolbox is interesting. some kind of deflector under it could keep a lot of air off those tires.

some coroplast would smooth out the sides of the box, and would weigh too much.

and then? belly pan!

great work and great results so far.

dump truck
 

FORD,you've had a lot of good suggestions worth acting on.here are a few thoughts:
* if your grille opening is larger than the actual dimensions of the radiator,that opening can be reduced.If there is distance between the grille and face of radiator,if closed in with an air-tight duct,as all NASCAR racers do,you can reduce the area even more.
* if you don't have a wrap-around airdam which extends down as low as your lowest suspension member,which would still not get knocked off at jobsites,that would help.
* any gaps,like between bumper top and grille bottom at the nose of the truck could be sealed.
* with access to oxyacetylene of wire-welder,a very light and strong framework of Electrical Metal Tubing (EMT), to close in the flanks of the truck could be welded up and covered with doped fabric,as is done with vintage and experimental aircraft.
* the EMT could also provide for a very lightweight tail frame,fabric covered boat tail as well,which if hinged above the tail gates,could be winched up and out of the way with a 12-VDC Warn winch and simple cable/pulley setup.I know you don't like 'em,but they're a real money-maker.
* the box is' covered' when your driving? If not,a tarp,pulled down snug will cut drag there.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
If you'll look at small delivery box trucks today,you'll see subtle 'softening' that their doing to every leading edge which might snag and trip up the air.Any of these tricks would cut your Diesel bill.

Oh no, I really shouldn't be here LOL.

Bellypan was something I've been considering for my truck but never got around to it.

Looking at your utility box, a few things jump out at me.

1; the steel frame on is exposed on the outside of the plywood sheeting. This creates a lot of extra surface area and air drag on the sides of the box. I noticed that a lot when hauling railings on my truck. Its quite noticeable how much it slowed the truck down even with a single length on top. (which is one of many reasons I tow a trailer these days instead).

2; The cover you have on there. What you could try is removing the rear wall and storing it at home when not needed, then slant the cover down to the bed to simulate the "boat tail" effect. Better yet, the rear gate could still be hauled inside in a folded down position perhaps...

3; rear skirts. I've started to notice big rigs using these lately. (it seems I can't post images or links yet but just google big rig aerodynamics skirt on an image search and you'll see the filler panels they hang on either side of the longer trailers)

hey David! great to see you here too man!
thanks for the suggestions.
while googling big rig aerodynamics skirt,i found a cool avy lol.
i can see how i can copy that aero mod, no problem.
i didn't realize i had so many aero improvements that i could make.
i figured this big box was a hopeless write off.im glad to see iv got much room for improvement.
looks like my focus right off is going to be;
smooth out the sides.
round out the front corners some.
probably not a whole belly pan,but at least a custom bumper valance.
then work on enclosing the rear tires in,and perhaps some air deflectors on the under side of my toolboxes.i probably wont go too steep with those,because i haul heavy,and need the air to keep my tires cool between the duals.but im sure i can direct most of it to hit more down on them.
this should keep me busy for a while.
i had no idea really that those stake sides were causing much drag.so this is great to hear it will help free up quite a bit just in that.
im so happy no ones written my setup off as a hopeless,lost cause,areo brick lol.:)
thanks a mill guys!
i'll get working on some ideas and have pics of my progress within the month.

rigging up the back section of my hinged roof so it slants down some (at least when im not hauling stuff and don't need the room)......ok.im not going to write that idea off.as it really does sound like it could make quite a difference by many here.i'll need to keep an open mind.after all my wallet is much more important than looks:),and with the slant in the bed like that,it wouldn't be like something hanging off the end anyway,and really not alter the looks much anyway.

edit;
while searching the big rig aero kits some more,something called a "Trailer Tail" came up.
with some impressive results.
www(add the . here lol)findatruckingjob.com/trucking-info/trucking-articles/trailer-tail-improves-miles-gallon
i think i could live with incorporating these onto my rear french door style gate.hinged as well,so i could still open the gates to dump easily.hmmmm
search this on youtube:
TrailerTail - Fuel savings of 6.5%+ for tractor-trailers
i could build one of these for my bed.

I've actually admired this forum for a while and followed the odd thread but never registered until now. I probably know some of the members here who also frequent DIYelectriccar.com (where I am an admin).

Yeah, I found that trailer tail too although I didn't realize it was designed to collapse like that. Neat idea.

I'm not sure how easy this would be to do, but one thing I thought of on one of many drives in the rain (it rains a lot here......) was to try and either videotape or photograph a vehicle while it drives in light rain and use the image as a reference for where the drag comes from. The water mist tends to highlight any vortex as well as the airstream as it passes over the vehicle. Its also easy to see the big trailing wake behind the vehicle along with the typical stalled bubble in the pickup bed that mythbusters made famous a few years back (my 24~25 MPG runs were all with the gate up:thumbup:). Although I suspect many here already knew that effect was real.

With a chase vehicle in the next lane and a good quality camera, it might be possible to use this as a reference for what works or what doesn't when trying different aeromods. Never tried this myself though, just thinking aloud. The other way is to simply tape small strings at several places all over the vehicle which wind tunnels still use to this day AFAIK.

Look forward to seeing how it works out.

The least aerodynamic big truck is the car carrier in a 3/4 crosswind.

I know that this is about aero, but I'd make even the smallest steering slop disappear.

I'm impressed by the mpg at present with that big box. The hotshot guys I work around would like to have an IFTA average that high (the combination of loaded and deadhead miles for tax purposes) for their flatbed chassis cab trucks & flatbed trailers in the oilfield.

I'd be thinking about side skirts/front air dam where conditions permit.

A boat-tail would be "the answer", IMO, once the rest is covered/smoothed/melted/radiused.

.

thanks slowmover.
i think the key to my success thus far is my 45 MPH/1400RPM average cruise speeds.
i also have a very light and constant foot.
about the only time i work this diesel engine is on the hills.i don't mind revving her up to 3k+ when loaded,where required.
other than that,i drive all the time like theirs an egg under my peddle and as if iv got no brakes.
i drive so slow and easy,id put granny to sleep.:D
i recently fixed a DRW problem,that i put off for far too long,and i'll be seeing great improvement from that (see my last two tank results.)

i also started with the lower sitting f250 hd 4x4 and converted that into a dually,rather than the higher sitting f350 drw 4x4 which likely helps some.

sig test.
testing 123.

http://ecomodder.com/forum/fe-graphs/sig5088a.png

hmm.ah well.maybe latter lol.

ok guys.iv started taking your advice and began to streamline this old gal out some.
as you can see,iv covered up the stake sides,and i was able to angle the front and the rear sections a little too which i hope helps.

You sure whipped that together quick!

FORD[...], I think you are on the right track. I don't see much low fruit to pick. You've tightened the nut behind the wheel very well indeed based on all your info and current FE not too shabby at all for such a rig. I wouldn't over think front end mods at least not just yet. Ideal attached flow up front and along the sides tends to amplify suction drag at the large flat rear. If you could trade off some percentage of volume capacity of the box I could see a FE return via cleaner, smaller wake. That could also synergize with front end optimizations. Honestly, for 10-25% improved FE you should expect a different "look" to the truck. I believe it's possible to please the air without offending the eyes. If this line of thought holds your interest I would try to sketch something; I just need to make a little time. Either way, keep up the good work and thanks for sharing!

david85
yeah it was pretty easy to do.i just took my time after work and got it done.i primed the sections i just cut to fit,and while drying i cut the other sections.before i was done,they were ready for paint.i just threw one thick coat on the insides,and then once everything was done,i rolled the other thin coat on the outside,the next day.so it only took me a couple hrs after work for two days really,and i was done.
its just very thin plywood from home depot.it may only last a couple yrs before its rots away,but then they where only just 12 bucks a sheet or so,and i only needed to buy 3.
i figured the sooner i just get it done,the sooner the payback,and then savings.

KamperBob,
i'll never consider going smaller with the bed.the whole reason i drive this truck is to move wood and chips etc.the larger the bed-the fewer the trips,making FE almost meaningless.by the miles driven less because i can take more at once,and all the time saved by doing so as well.since its a 100% work truck only,you know what they say time is....
truck duty first.fuel economy will always be secondary.
iv got a small car when i need to just haul myself around.
however if you have some ideas for the bed in its current state,id be interested to see some ideas.:)
im not going to get hardcore,like many here do.for example trying to close up gaps between trim/headlights etc.
all im looking for are the big obvious things,and a few smaller.but nothing tedious.
this truck doesn't move,unless it's to make $.however,i don't want to be like most folks,who just do nothing about aero once they setup their work trucks either.fuel costs way too much now,to do nothing.
basically,if i can gain .5 (true average) mpg from aero modding,then im a happy guy.though,if there is obvious room for improvement after that,i won't stop until most here say iv got all the big basics covered.:)


next up i guess will be building a lower bumper valance to clean this up.
not sure what im going to make this out of.but id like to rig it up so i can toss two large pins through my plow push plates so i could remove it quick and easy when required.
i may need to go to my local steel/welding fabricators to build it for me.
in the pic,the bumper is just barely shown on the upper left side.
the push plates are about 1" higher still than the front axle.-though i haven't measured yet.
because iv got pretty short tires on her to set it low,i really don't think i want to go lower with my valance than the push plates,though i know it should be as low or slightly lower than the axle.i just don't want to be plowing road kill,know what i mean lol.
but surely blocking off at least most of this mess has to help:

here we go.i figure its best to provide more pics with what im working with here.
hope these help.

What is that giant metal thing poking down below the front bumper? Besides a perfect place for an airdam? :)

that's my snow plow attachment brackets,called push plates.
(off topic; fuel economy not tracked when plowing,as that cannot be tracked in miles per gallon,but rather tacked with time,which i have no reason or desire to track anyway lol.)

Ah, gotcha. Don't see many of those down here. ;)

You could easily bolt on an air dam there.
Swap it out for the plow when required.

Looking at your fuel record, it looks like you've already broken the long downward trend. :thumbup:
@ 15mpg, even small improvements are going to add up to a lot of fuel.

I hear you loud and clear. I don't start my truck without good reason. The car gets 2X, motorcycle 5X, and bicycle or walking infinitely better FE.

Requirements definitely come first. If you need every square inch of every corner of that box then you're stuck with a 100% full box that cannot be shaved anywhere. Nothing wrong with that. My point was expectations. A required big flat rear limits the good that front mods can do.

Under side work could pay dividends.

You're a man of action. I look forward to following your ongoing trials and results. Rock on!

There's a good thread on boat tails here:

Big Rig Boat-tail Can Cut Fuel Consumption By 2 Percent - CleanMPG Forums

It's a different site, but heck - I read and learn from both sites;)

There is one boat tail configuration which claims 7.5% improvement. In light of some automotive boat tail experiments discussed here I think the number is reasonable.

Jim E.

The Waggoner's Trucking Co.
 

I don't know how to link it,but @ GOOGLE IMAGES at the search word above,on page- 3 is a photo of their boat tail that they've been running for years now

custom built front air dam
so i finally got around to building my custom front air dam.
i had running boards on my old '96 f150 super cab (perfect length) that i kept.i used one of these.
i flattened it out by running over it with my heavy dually.
anyway.doesn't look half bad either i don't think.
perhaps a few running lights on it sometime to dress it up a bit too.you can see where i used to have some still.not polished up yet,and the holes are still there.(look along the bottom.)
it does need a little more polishing to really brighten it up to match my under body toolboxes on each side.but i can do anytime.
it does make my rusty bumper look worse though haha.
when i eventually replace that bumper (its worse than it looks.there are actually large rust holes on each bottom side now.) i'll do something about adding a clean make shift trim between it and the bumper to really finish it off.

the air dam with my TTB front suspension (f250) and shorter tires: LT225/75/R16 (29.3X8.9) is 9.5" above the ground even still.

pic of behind too.
the running board is pretty near dang perfect,because it has two reinforced bars already.
simply got out the torch and made a couple notches up at the top where i wanted my bends,and bent it around to follow the bumper mostly,and then just drilled a hole on each outside and one in the center and bolted her on.come winter,when its time to hookup the plow,removal is easy as pie.

Hmmm......

That's not half bad. I have sheet metal that I could make that out of, but I've seen others here post noticeable gains from a forward belly pan under some pickups too. Decisions, decision....

Looks like you are doing good work already here! I think every little thing you can do will add up and pay for itself eventually. 15+ mpg on a rig this size is good work!

I have a brother that does landscaping/tree service/etc in Michigan and he is in a very similiar situation to you. He has a 1 ton diesel chevy duelly+box that gets about 14 mpg that he hates to drive. I'm not sure how many "little" jobs you do, but with the economy the way it is up there he does about 50% of his business anymore on small, one day jobs. He was getting eaten up on diesel whenever he had to travel to do one of these jobs.

His solution has been a Diesel Nissan pickup from the early 80's and a small trailer. I know getting another vehicle is never ideal, but if hes just going to timber the front of somebody's house, or plant/remove a few trees or whatever, he just doesn't need to get the beast out. At well over twice the gas mileage, he can afford to take some of those jobs he would have passed up on in the past.

Glad to hear that all your mods are working out for you and looking good too. I wouldn't think that 16 is out of the question considering the speed you drive. Good luck man.

i got it just nicely below my front axle with some garden edging now.
so i think that takes care of this.
next up; side skirts.
i'll work on enclosing the dump bed sides at least a little.
i'll go the whole length of the bed from toolboxes to the rear,but im only going down to the tires,not over them or anything.

I think it looks nice!! I'd be proud to roll into any c-store parking lot as I know others will be asking me how it's working out. 14-15 mpg is great after a 200-mile day: $55 for fuel and now it's beer o'clock.

A world of difference from the 8-mpg guys where maybe a 40-oz is the reward after spending just over $100 on fuel.

Look forward to more.

I'll never forget a guy riding with me one time, many years ago, (who didn't, and couldn't, have a vehicle) as he looked over a truck and said, "Man, I could really make some money with that truck" I'd never thought of that way (have truck, will work, can do) so it stuck with me. Been looking at all of them ever since.

.

Found you from FTE.


Well my thought with idi 7.3L I used to own 87 F250 6.9L they are alike.

They get horrible mileage when it cold so you could try running little hotter thermostat like powerstroke 7.3L come with 203oF

They don't like run low rpm work. Mine get worse mileage if I have rpm around 1300-1600. Try run at 1700-2000 rpm it should improve.

City mile is BIGGEST KILLER. I try coast much I can in high traffic in city. It get 18-20 in warmer weather. In winter it 14-15.


I got much better mileage if I put about 2-3 gallons of used clean oil in tank. I did put oil in there first then go to diesel refill then reset mile. After that I refill with straight diesel. I saw 21 mpg city but it was slightly running hotter.


What psi you running on tires?



Have you thought of rewire switch to torque convertor to stay LOCK while you cruise 45 mph but turn off so it let rpm drop to idle while you coast.

My 00 F350 if I keep overdrive off I can let rpm drop to 600-700 while coast 25 to 55 mph. If I let overdrive ON it annoy it keep Lock torque convertor too early when you are try to coast it act like brake.

Forgot to list.

I believe that injector pump still pump fuel if you off pedal.

I would put shift in neutral when stoplight so it coast like 1-2 miles from 45 mph to 25 mph. Let rpm at idle.


That how I got 20 mpg in city. I have hard time believe those people say they only get 10-16 mpg out IDI with 5 speed.



Have you try coast? Like you drive 45 mph and there stop sign or light change red then try coast to avoid use sudden brake.

Example bad driver waste gas. Light change RED or stop sign but driver still drive 45 mph until it 40 feet close then SLAM BRAKE HARDER. No coast.

Haha! he dragged me over here from FTE.....

For what its worth, I'm able to get 19 MPG towing a 20' flatbed trailer with 16" walls if I can keep it at 55 MPH. Same speed empty nets me 24 MPG.

With 3.08 gears and the transmission in overdrive, that puts me at 1200 RPM roughly. I will eventually retest those conditions in 3rd gear to see if the fuel economy is better or worse but the engine seems content to run at those low RPMs as long as the loading doesn't cause smoke lugging.

My old f250 was alway LOADED with tools I would say mostly it around 500-1000 lb in bed depend what work I do.

I have T19 4 speed with 3.55 No overdrive so highway I cruise 60 about 2,100 rpm if I remember. Tire were highway type. Size 235/85/16


I am hearing impaired so I only feel when it lug it act like struggle acceleration that mean rpm are too low to run with stuff in bed.

Yeah for acceleration or getting over hills, I allow the RPMs to go above 1500 or more depending on the conditions. It can crawl over shallow or brief hills at 1200, but for longer ones I'll lock out overdrive and let it pull the way it wants. I think our trailer is about 1500 lbs empty.

I generally keep an eye on the side mirror to decide when I'm crossing the thresh hold for ideal running. I'm starting to give serious thought to installing a fuel aneriod from hypermax.

Did you account for the oil when you you calculated the mileage ?
If you put it into the fuel tank, you're using it as fuel.

To make clear. I put used oil in tank first then go to gas station and refill tank to FULL then drive for about 300 miles then go straight to gas station and refill tank FULL then calculate.

well,i have electric engine fans,and try to run around 210-220 degrees normally.
i run around 1400 rpm mostly @ 45MPH.
in order to get higher rpms,id need to go faster (wouldn't help because im pushing a large dump bed.speed is my killer) or id need to lock out over drive and just run third gear all the time.
im not interested in going backwards.;)
i feel the lower the rpms,the better the FE with the diesel.
but,what the heck,i'll go ahead and try a tank without using OD once.you have me curious enough to try it,but it wont be until 10 more tanks or so,as i want to see what the newly installed air dam yields over the course of the next 10,without any changes.i'll trying running your rpms on a tank,but im very,very skeptical.:D
when i do,i'll reply back here (could be a month or so.)



im running max tire pressure in all 6 tires.

i have thought about putting the torque convertor on a switch,so that i could lock it up sooner.but as is,it locks up at 32-35 mph.not sure id want to mess around trying to lock it any sooner due to the truck weighing in at over 8,000lbs empty.
that said,
the TC does disengage when you let off the throttle to coast to a stop,and locks back up when you just touch the fuel again.
when i let off to come to a stop,she drops right off well below 1k rpm at 45 mph.



this truck weighs too much,and pushes too much air to be able to coast 1-2 miles.
if im going 45 mph,and let it coast to a stop,on the flat it would probably only go a 1/4 mile until stopping on its own.thats probably being kind too.

when im sitting at a stoplight and the light just turned red,i often do slip her in N rather than keeping it in drive sometimes.
if i know i'll be stopping at a light or sign,sometimes i will slip in N before getting there too.

10-16 mpg for a SRW stock pickup going over the flat road for an hour or more at a time at a pretty constant speed, out on the flat,could be kinda low.but you need to remember im;
a.DRW
b.large frontal area dump body
c.weigh in at 8100 lbs when empty(full of fuel and tools-no passengers though),and this truck isn't for running empty.;) often i'm carrying a couple ton or more in the bed,and towing another ton as well.
d.never out on the flat interstate.i drive hilly back curvy roads in rural Maine.if it's not that,then im in the city,which yields even lower FE.
so under these conditions,10-16 is actually better IMHO than a pickup running empty out on the flat interstate pushing 20 mpgs empty.

when looking at my FE,you need think,large wind pushing dump bed,12-16k gross averages on rural hilly roads with various alternating speeds of 25 MPH zones through 45 MPH zones (occasionally 55's but those are our larger roads.i like to be on those when possible.those help a lot,and i still try to stick to 45 when i have the time too.) along with that 14+ lifetime FE.;)
taking everything into account,you can see this to be not too shabby.;)
also im non turbocharged still..........but this will change at some point.

so do i have this right?
its a 7.3L IDI N\A, with E4OD auto trans 25% O\D, and 3.55 gears

if it is, direct drive will put you right at the 1,800 rpm MAX torque at 45 mph
factory turbo IDIs are 1,400 rpms
and the first power strokes 1994 1/2 year model, are 2,000 rpms for MAX torque.
non turbo 7.3Ls and 6.9Ls had two HP ratings each.
166 and 185 depending on what country they where made in.
don't remember what the 6.9Ls rating is but its a little less.






using your truck for work, you may know this but if not, read up......
are two auto trans fords 89 and 94 do a very strange thing but they do it from the factory :confused:

if the hazards are on it makes the converter stay unlocked, at all times.
same as pushing the brake and fuel peddle at the same time and unlocking the converter. the hazards use the same wiring as the brake peddel and delock the converter.

we KFC COUNTRY FRIED a E4OD with the 12.5K dozer on the trailer do to this.....:mad:


also for some E4ODs some do it with out help.
when you lock it in 2nd gear with the shift lever and go WOT with out the hazards on...
you can lock the converter in 2nd gear. :thumbup: about 300/400 rpm drop on a steep hill pull with a big load a massive drop in trans temp
but if you take your foot off the fuel peddle, you must repeat the proses.

yeah.thats my setup,but with shorter than stock tires for an actual gear ratio of 3.84.1
so in overdrive im hanging around 1400 rpm @ 45 mph.

yeah,i read that hazard lite thing before.i checked it out and hit my flashers going down the road at 40,and sure enough.
what it did though was lock and unlock with the flashes lol,very odd.of course i turned them right back off,after just a couple times.it probably isn't good for it lol.
but i never have a use for them driving so fast,and would have never found this issue on my own at lockup speed.
when plowing though,im never going fast enough that the TC would lock,so there's no issues there.i experience no problem with flashers on when plowing,cus im only going like 10 mph max.:)

ok,this last part i haven't heard before.interesting.

..................

on another note,
this front air dam is looking like it's VERY effective on my truck.
this is all i have to say so far,because im only down 3/4 tank and don't want to jinks it.:D

Fine, but then you've still added 2 or 3 gallons of oil to the fuel tank.
The oil is also burned as a fuel, so it should be taken into account.


If you added 2 gallons of oil, and later filled up with 20 gallons of fuel for say 200 miles, you didn't get 10 mpg.

You then used 22 gallons of fuels (oil + gas) for 200 miles - or 9.1 mpg.