How to execute efficiency mods for 2001 FORD E350 with 7.3L diesel?

[debit.servus]

Originally Posted by Ecky

I'm not speaking from a place of experience here, but I'd guess that you can probably burn various clean waste solvents, so long as it's mixed with and still mostly diesel. Cutting your fuel a bit is probably still achievable.

A modern engine generally trades versatility for efficiency and economy. Even if you have to run gas station diesel, you're almost certainly going to come out ahead financially.

What substances should I look for? And how should I filter them to not damage the fuel $ystem and/or clog those gold-encrusted fuel injector$? I can't afford to get this wrong, as having to replace clogged fuel injectors wipes out any and all savings and increases running costs.

I will come out ahead if I don't clog injector$ or damage the fuel $ystem, something that costs thou$$$$ands to fix.

Another way to lower running costs is to stock up when fuel is at the lowest cost. Buy a few 55 gallon drums and fill them up while it's still under $3.50 a gallon! Then burn that fuel when gas and diesel are over $4 a gallon again!

Also, don't go across town to save 50 cents on one can of soup.

Lastly, don't waste your time or time will waste you.

How can I figure out the vans aerodynamic profile without access to a wind tunnel or follow car on the highway as I spray colored mist from a jerry-rigged pump sprayer on the front bumper? This way I have data to focus my aero mod efforts most effectively?

[Ecky]

Originally Posted by debit.servus

What substances should I look for? And how should I filter them to not damage the fuel $ystem and/or clog those gold-encrusted fuel injector$? I can't afford to get this wrong, as having to replace clogged fuel injectors wipes out any and all savings and increases running costs.

I will come out ahead if I don't clog injector$ or damage the fuel $ystem, something that costs thou$$$$ands to fix.

Another way to lower running costs is to stock up when fuel is at the lowest cost. Buy a few 55 gallon drums and fill them up while it's still under $3.50 a gallon! Then burn that fuel when gas and diesel are over $4 a gallon again!

Also, don't go across town to save 50 cents on one can of soup.

Lastly, don't waste your time or time will waste you.

Depends on what you're driving. I can drive for 2 hours on the highway for about $2. If I need to go 15 miles out of my way to get something, the break-even point is around 30 cents.

I agree that this is generally good advice though. The best way to save fuel is to drive as little as possible.

[Natalya]

Aero mods are going to help, just gotta start throwing things on there. Take a look at the template if you haven't already:

http://ecomodder.com/forum/showthrea...ate-33673.html

Building out the body with a boat tail or something is going to take a lot of time and effort and probably money. But, as others have already mentioned, there's some low-hanging fruit in the rear wheel wells, just cover those up with coroplast. Next easiest thing would be coroplast under-body panels, or maybe building a better air dam on the front.

I don't think anyone mentioned moon disks for the wheels themselves. Basically anything in here is what you want to do to the tires. It can be done with coroplast or with sheet metal, or often times actual pizza trays if you can get some on the cheap.

[debit.servus]

Originally Posted by Natalya

...
But, as others have already mentioned, there's some low-hanging fruit in the rear wheel wells, just cover those up with coroplast. Next easiest thing would be coroplast under-body panels, or maybe building a better air dam on the front.

I don't think anyone mentioned moon disks for the wheels themselves. Basically anything in here is what you want to do to the tires. It can be done with coroplast or with sheet metal, or often times actual pizza trays if you can get some on the cheap.

Moon discs? Looks great, what is the best way to install them? Like the idea of an air dam on the front and belly pans.

I've seen people use shade cloth to aero mod the undercarriage, is this a good material to use?

Originally Posted by Ecky

... If I need to go 15 miles out of my way to get something, the break-even point is around 30 cents.
...

So the savings has to be 30 cents to break even?

[oil pan 4]

I filled up a 55 gallon oil barrel with diesel in 2007 and didn't use it all till 2011, you can do that. Diesel stays good for a very long time.

For aero on a big vehicle like that go with air dam and smoother wheel covers.

If you wanted to put something in that engine besides diesel or jet fuel it would have to be the consistency of charcoal lighter fluid, tiki torch fuel, kerosene, off road diesel.
Your typical waste fuels like vegetable oil (new or used), motor oil, transmission fluid and even high amounts of bio diesel at cold temperatures are too thick for the injection system.

[debit.servus]

I don't have $150 for the Scangauge right now, what is the cheapest MPG reader on the market that you would recommend?

[Insight for life]

Originally Posted by debit.servus

I don't have $150 for the Scangauge right now, what is the cheapest MPG reader on the market that you would recommend?

torque app, and ELM bluetooth dongle. that is if you already have a phone.
if not I would recommend an ultra-gauge.

[Natalya]

Originally Posted by debit.servus

Moon discs? Looks great, what is the best way to install them? Like the idea of an air dam on the front and belly pans.

I've seen people use shade cloth to aero mod the undercarriage, is this a good material to use?

The white stuff is called coroplast, it's a corrugated plastic material used primarily for temporary signs -- political signs usually, but also sale signs and stuff. It's smooth and more rigid than shade cloth so it probably has better aerodynamic perfomance. A big election is coming up in November, there should be plenty of free coroplast signs all over the place once the election is over. But in the mean time maybe call a local sign store and ask if you can come get any scraps, or you can buy a whole sheet (4' x 8') at home depot or probably lowe's has it too.

Moonies can be made out of whatever, you could probably affix them with zip ties if you want to go super cheap, just leave some kind of opening for the valve stem, or like use a box cutter and cut a H shape into the coroplast or aluminum moon disks above where the valve stem is located so you can bend it open if you have to.

I bet if you had some good cardboard and lots of duct tape you could make moonies out of the cardboard and just seal them from the weather with the duct tape, then zip tie them to the rims. It would be super crispy and look like garbage, but you wouldn't spend anything to make them.

Also, use cardboard to prototype designs for coroplast panels. Like when you do the wheel wells, make one out of cardboard first just to make sure you get the design right, then use it as a template for the coroplast.

######

People mentioned lose the roof rack and running boards, have you removed any of that yet? Running boards def. need to go, almost as badly as the roof rack, you'll save lots of weight too. Are your tires at max PSI?

[hayden55]

I skimmed the article but I hope someone stated the fact of how easy it is to swap gears in the Ford axles! Stock the E350 I wanna say runs 3.73s? And you can go to 2.73s and drop how rpm's a ton!

[debit.servus]

Originally Posted by hayden55

I skimmed the article but I hope someone stated the fact of how easy it is to swap gears in the Ford axles! Stock the E350 I wanna say runs 3.73s? And you can go to 2.73s and drop how rpm's a ton!

Okay. This van has overdrive, which means the wheels are spinning faster than the engine at freeway speeds right? Wouldn't lowering the RPMs further cause more strain on the engine & transmission, strain that they weren't really designed for?

Originally Posted by Natalya

The white stuff is called coroplast, it's a corrugated plastic material used primarily for temporary signs -- political signs usually, but also sale signs and stuff. It's smooth and more rigid than shade cloth so it probably has better aerodynamic perfomance. A big election is coming up in November, there should be plenty of free coroplast signs all over the place once the election is over. But in the mean time maybe call a local sign store and ask if you can come get any scraps, or you can buy a whole sheet (4' x 8') at home depot or probably lowe's has it too.

...

Coroplast is only free after election seasons, which luckily were in right now; keep that in mind.

######
People mentioned lose the roof rack and running boards, have you removed any of that yet? Running boards def. need to go, almost as badly as the roof rack, you'll save lots of weight too. Are your tires at max PSI?

I have to let everyone know that I don't own the van and I am not allowed to make major modifications to it, including removing running boards and roof rack. I can probably get away with moon caps and a inconspicuous air-dam but I am not counting on it. Since I plan to have this van for at least the next 10 years, these mods are great to know when the van is transferred to my name after paying it off.

I just ordered https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01A6EABJE/ and will set it up with a spare ANDROID phone I have, so it stays in the van full-time like the ScanGauge. This should pay for itself really quick.

I am concerned since the data is streamed over bluetooth that I am making myself susceptible to car thieves who can hack into the van via this OBD dongle, or the government who will take control of the van through the device and have me crash and die like Micheal Hastings.