Ideas to increase F350 MPG (DIY Cyl Deact?)

[mwilliamshs]

Originally Posted by csnyder

My Dad's old 350 cu in Chevy Cubevan got the same mileage, +/- 2mpg whether running empty or loaded with 2 tons of electrical supplies, if driven at the same speed...

That means it was nearly at full load just from aero drag.

[dremd]

I had a 460 powered E350. About 7 unloaded and high 5's loaded.
I'm going to guess that any sort of cylinder deactivation will never pay back.
How about a motor swap?

[oil pan 4]

As far as engine swapping Ford trucks goes I have always been told not to.
Might be better off with a gear swap and tuning.

[mwilliamshs]

Originally Posted by oil pan 4

As far as engine swapping Ford trucks goes I have always been told not to.
Might be better off with a gear swap and tuning.

you gotta quit listening to whoever told you that

[dremd]

Originally Posted by oil pan 4

As far as engine swapping Ford trucks goes I have always been told not to.
Might be better off with a gear swap and tuning.

I once helped put a 12 valve Cummins in a beloved F-350, wasn't a huge deal, but there isn't much controls on a mechanical injected Cummins.

[csnyder]

Originally Posted by mwilliamshs

That means it was nearly at full load just from aero drag.

No, it was FAR from fully loaded from drag alone - it was just not tuned for economy. The old 4BBL carb was like a calibrated fuel leak (back about 1975?) and emissions control was in it's infancy.

Another Chevy V8 gas guzzler was a friend's G3500 van that he towed a 35 foot trailer with from Toronto area to Texas and back for several years. One weekend we drove with him to Elicotville New York. It was a $200 trip for gas alone, and the foot was buried all the way (with very little chance of getting a speeding ticket). After opening up the TBI unit it used about half as much gas towing the trailer, at less than half throttle, and was capable of a lot better cruising speed. An RV cam and bigger exhaust the next year made even more difference - but the next year he blew it up - it had a LOT of real hard miles on it.

Some of those engines were not tuned for economy, and poorly tuned for power as well. The 385 Ford (370, 429 or 460 cu inch)engine family was one of those. They were built for medium truck service where, at the time, fuel mileage was not a major consideration. They were built for TORQUE.

Any dreams of getting decent fuel mileage from a 460 in a 4X4 F350 are just that - dreams - without pouring in a LOT of money and effort.

[mwilliamshs]

Originally Posted by csnyder

No, it was FAR from fully loaded from drag alone - it was just not tuned for economy. The old 4BBL carb was like a calibrated fuel leak (back about 1975?) and emissions control was in it's infancy.

Another Chevy V8 gas guzzler was a friend's G3500 van that he towed a 35 foot trailer with from Toronto area to Texas and back for several years. One weekend we drove with him to Elicotville New York. It was a $200 trip for gas alone, and the foot was buried all the way (with very little chance of getting a speeding ticket). After opening up the TBI unit it used about half as much gas towing the trailer, at less than half throttle, and was capable of a lot better cruising speed. An RV cam and bigger exhaust the next year made even more difference - but the next year he blew it up - it had a LOT of real hard miles on it.

Some of those engines were not tuned for economy, and poorly tuned for power as well. The 385 Ford (370, 429 or 460 cu inch)engine family was one of those. They were built for medium truck service where, at the time, fuel mileage was not a major consideration. They were built for TORQUE.

Any dreams of getting decent fuel mileage from a 460 in a 4X4 F350 are just that - dreams - without pouring in a LOT of money and effort.

right. I did not mean full load as in, all the drivetrain could handle, just that it was using nearly all the power it was making. Kinda like LOD on a scangauge, can be at 99 with the throttle barely cracked and making maybe 10% of max power.

[csnyder]

Originally Posted by dremd

I once helped put a 12 valve Cummins in a beloved F-350, wasn't a huge deal, but there isn't much controls on a mechanical injected Cummins.

Another friend repowered an F250 4X4 with a Deutz air cooled diesel for use in Belize. He had no more boil-over problems or plugged/punctured radiators after that. He didn't need the heater.

[csnyder]

Originally Posted by mwilliamshs

right. I did not mean full load as in, all the drivetrain could handle, just that it was using nearly all the power it was making. Kinda like LOD on a scangauge, can be at 99 with the throttle barely cracked and making maybe 10% of max power.

Other than the power wasted as noise or heat in the Rad and exhaust a vehicle pretty much always uses all the power it is making. It just isn't always making it very efficiently - -

[RCB]

If its in your budget, check out the cummins swap. Simple and reliable. I know being in AZ, a rainwater system isn't going to net you a lot. Keep it at 55, you might put some skirts on it, but beyond that keeping it properly tuned up will help. If you don't want to swap motors, might look into a supercharger/turbo charger setup. A 460 is great for its intended purpose. Not good for much else.