Town MPG in a CTD

[slowmover]

Received the above part via USPS the other day. Just now installed it. A nicer piece than the one from aftermarket supplier GENO'S GARAGE (whom I otherwise highly recommend). Left three of four flaps open for our "winter season" of around ten days (temps stay below 60F in all instances). The next six days is just going back & forth to work. The grille block was removed during the towing trip south (above) and not reinstalled.

Temps going to work (7-miles) get up to 160F pretty easily with ambient of around 60F. Op-temp is 188.6F. We'll see how this piece works as temps are now low 40F, high 50F daily for this week. When I keep the block heater plugged in for around 2-3 hours, the engine coolant will come up about 50-60F from ambient. So, I expect to hit the op-temp mark on the way to work (any hour of 24) and look forward to how it does on the return.

All of this is something of "just an experiment". I expect to move north in the next year or so, so am having fun establishing a baseline for use where the temps are marginal for such.




The sides attach with included velcro strips. The top is a combination of clips and velcro. The lower side is clips. The heat exchangers are all of them open to airflow at bottom.

One post by a man from Canada indicated that it was his opinion that the open bottom allowed for "cooling" to some degree. My experience with big trucks is about the same. Keep the fan area open in all but the coldest temps and that -- plus open bottom -- will keep things okay.

My end of it will be the next time I am off and going out on my errands round. If temps permit, we'll see how far under what temps this device is workable waaaay down south.

[Diesel_Dave]

Originally Posted by slowmover

All of this is something of "just an experiment". I expect to move north in the next year or so...

How far north are you expecting to move?

[slowmover]

Denver, CO is the thinking.

[slowmover]

Time to bring this up to date.

I use the winter front a few weeks of the year, and the four piece grille block the rest of the year when solo. A/C season means no block at all. Temps come up faster and are more consistent with the block. This means those three gallons of engine oil come up to temp faster.

I've added a rear antiroll bar where none was present on this 2WD IFS truck, and changed the front bar to a larger size. A Panhard Rod is on the list.

Today the truck tools around at just under 8k lbs for normal load. About 1200-lbs of bed topper and gear as in above weights.

Divorced since 2012, I set up my usual errands to occur in one part of town. And other services or suppliers are near or on the route to and from.

I don't pay too much attention to FE, but have kept new habits. Usually see around 19-mpg in the city limits.

Recently ran a 1,025-mile round trip out to West Texas for a job, and saw 25-mpg overall. 62-mph.

Sure do like 10-cpm highway!!!

Plan to move about seven hundred miles with travel trailer in tow. Am expecting to be near 17,000-lbs combined, in a 63' long rig. 14-16 mpg has been the usual range. Am going to shoot for higher if the stars align and I can attend to some mechanical details.

This site a great place to keep on track with reduced operational expenses. Where to spend for where it counts.

[slowmover]

Getting ready to make a 440-mile run with the 35' Silver Streak in tow. Referring to Post #7 of this thread I'll be traveling at 1600-rpm give-or-take which with the factory gearing is approximately 54-mph.

Some local freeway runs at this rpm show (round trip) the truck settling in at 27-mpg (28.5 uncorrected).

The trip will start at around 2200 Saturday and end near 0600 Sunday morning. Avoiding that killer IH35 traffic north to near Fort Worth.

I've not been able to finish the list of mechanical entails to optimize mpg, but have done a wheel bearing and brake adjust on the trailer. The hitch setting will be roughed-in, and I may decide to get a scale ticket or two. Etc.

Planning to stop twice, with maybe a third.

The combo has hit 15+ in the past.

At the lower speed (and hopefully no winds) 16.2-mpg would be a 40% towing penalty. 30% (the future goal) would be 18.9-mpg.

I'll be excited if I can hit 17-mpg (corrected) for long stretches. The ton mile calculation should be impressive.

Looking forward to correcting the fuel CPM for towing in my sig from the current 17-cpm as prices have dropped as well.

I'll be looking at engine run time to see the actual travel speed. Google estimates 6' 45" for a solo vehicle, or about 65-mph.

[skyking]

Love it, driving at night to miss that traffic. you've loaded the dice in your favor as best you can.
I had the opposite week of commuting.

[slowmover]

Great to use Google maps to plan stops. Never easy to park 64'.

Left town and was at 13+ up to fuel stop at mile 56. Readjusted hitch now on paved level ground and found a full mpg. Steadily climbed past indicated 15 thru Austin at 0245.

Arrived at Weatherford at a solid 15-mpg. Trailer axles out of alignment, so was dog legged the whole way. That's with being only 1/4" out plus wear.

Really need to drop truck gearing to 3.42 from 3.73. This 9k trailer is simply no challenge. Even future routes thru mountains will just give the diesel a needed workout.

Trailer axle alignment, rebuild truck front end, and higher gearing can take me to that 17-mpg desired under best circumstances (so I presently believe).

Higher than that will take more work. I'd sure like to see 18 on a regular basis as that is a common number for the 4WD crowd running the highway solo.

[gumby79]

Impressive level of detail subscribed just got a personal best of 3.61g/100mi 100mi no aero mods 8mi costing engine on the rest cc set to 55mph.no EOC I crested Bolder hill pass Summit @55mph 825egt and went to neutral egt was 500°f for the first 1.5 mi slowly droping EOC would kill my turbocharger in no time as the egt will rise to match the glowing 800°f exhaust manifold and turbine housing from pulling 800EGT for 4+ mi . Plus an automatic transmission @ 85+mph and EOC for 4mi ×3 passes each200mi round-trip to the VA = trans failure...
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Slowmover do you have an EGT gage if so do you notice a coalition betweenEGT and psi boost. I run a fast responce k-type thermocouple moves as fast as a tachometer sinitve enough to Sinise the ac compressor's 25°f load at idle and 50°f for being in gear.
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Duse your trans use a TV cable (Throttle Valve)if so try adjusting it . My 91 D-250 took 4 notches to pull the pass in OD@55mph. Now it downshifts @850°f EGT instead
of 650°f. I can hold 55mph in the flats @500°EGT compared to 650 EGT @65mph I need to get a trans temp gage befor tomany 55mph passes
Gumby stay flexible

[skyking]

Slowmover has a 6 speed manual, no TV cable.

[slowmover]

And no ET gauge. Or, Manifold Pressure. Yet.

My driving is pretty much set the cruise control except in hilly terrain. Towing, I'm more likely to downshift early. Same for winding out the motor once past Third also when towing.

Otherwise am concious of slowing early for planned stops from highwAy speeds. No last minute decisions.