gas saving mods

[sargergp]

Does anyone here have experience with the Helix Power Tower? They claim among other gains to help with MPG so I was thinking of trying one.

[omgwtfbyobbq]

Short answer, maybe a little itty bitty bit, but likely not much if anything. Search for info on intake runner length and read this for more info. TB spacers likely move peak torque down a bit in the power band, but depending on where the exhaust system is designed to optimize scavenging, or if the engine has some version of variable exhaust valve timing, it may not be as helpful as possible, or helpful at all, since a lot of automotive design involves synergistic stuff.

[sargergp]

Maybe I should have mentioned what it would be going on. '01 Ford F150 SuperCrew w/4.6L Triton. Just trying to find out what I might do to get more MPG out of this boat. Already have a PVC bedcover, flowmaster muffler, and K&N air filter. Also running synthetic 5W20 motor oil.
Thanks for any help.

[omgwtfbyobbq]

I'd go with a TB spacer last, but that's just me. Does your PVC bedcover slope down from the top of the cab at no greater than a 15 degree angle? Have you replaced the transmission or read end oil with synthetics? What are driving conditions and mileage figures generally like for you? I bet grabbing a scanguage and changing your driving style could net you mid 20mpg numbers.

[sargergp]

Sorry, I think you missunderstood what I meant by bed cover. It's one of those molded PVC covers that lays flat over the surface of the bedrails and is contoured to the shape of the bed all around. It only rises maybe 2" above the bedrail height in the center.
As for the MPGs. My calculations from pump readings divided into trip meter totals tell me mid teens commuting and high teens on straight highway miles of mostly west Texas flatlands to mild hills.
No on the tranny and gear oil as of yet, but I hadn't thought of that before, I'll definitely be changing it.

[Red]

Welcome to the site sargergp. Is your F-150 a 4x4 or 2x4? Might see some points by unhooking your front drive line if its a 4x4

[omgwtfbyobbq]

Ah, nah, I figured you meant one of the flat dealies, but I was just makin' sure you didn't already have an aerodynamic bed cover. The ideal slope for aerodynamics will be around 15 degrees down. Any less and the area of the flat end in the rear of the vehicle where flow separates is too big. Any more and the air flow will start to separate early, inducing the same turbulence we're trying to minimize. A flat bed cover will do little if at all during most driving, so you may want to look at designing something yourself, like this. Something as simple as a frame with a cloth cover would likely help out more than a tonneau cover.

A scanguage is definitely nice to have, since it allows you to see what speeds and in what gear you get your best highway mileage at. You may want to also search for posts by kitcar, since he's gotten a full sized V8 Dodge into the mid twenties combined. Should be plenty of useful info for your truck.

[phantomcow2]

I think a hydrogen booster is the most practical mod for a car to increase FE, and holds the most promise.

[Telco]

Those TB spacers don't do anything for fuel injected vehicles. They help a tiny bit on throttle body injection and carbs, and I do mean a tiny bit. The only tests done that show an improvement are conducted by the company selling the product, and they are hardly an independent source.

I'd unload the K&N filter, they don't filter the air as well, and the first cleaning can cause engine problems if you aren't very careful about oiling the filter. Too much oil will foul the MAF and cause the engine to run poorly. On the Chevy trucks (my own forte) fine dust is usually found inside the air intake hose after the filter when a K&N is used. MPGs aren't affected either way (paper vs K&N), either. I did the K&N because of their claims, and got rid of it because of the reality.

Not familiar with the Ford trucks, do you have an electric fan or clutch fan on that truck? Chevy has proven that electric fans do just fine with towing heavy loads, as they are selling them as OEM equipment on their trucks now. You can either try to run a Chevy fan set, or build yourself a fan shroud and get aftermarkets. A lot of the Chevy guys are also running Taurus 3.8L twin fan sets on their trucks, with some of the trucks being supercharged 350s and 383s with no overheating problems. I saw a solid 2MPG improvement on mine when I added them to my 96 Tahoe, and my S15 2.8L with a single electric fan added 5MPG on the highway MPG. Not to mention the increase in power over 2500RPM. The mechanical fan is a huge drag on the engine. On top of all this, having an electric fan will also allow a faster warmup in the wintertime by not forcing freezing air over the engine when it's cold, which will allow closed loop operation a lot sooner.

Another thing you can do, long tube headers. They will emphasize low end torque, which is what you need in a truck. And, as you will normally be cruising at a low RPM, this increase in torque will only help. Go ceramic coating to keep underhood temps down and help fire the cat faster.

Course, had you just bought a Chevy Duramax to begin with...

[sargergp]

Thanks Telco,
I had been looking at the electric fan option also, but just thought if the spacer helped at all it would be worth it because of the cost difference.
And Red, it's just 4x2.