Can I improve my gas mileage?
I have a Bigfoot 2500 on a Chevy 2500HD with a big block gas engine. The truck only had about 60,000 miles and is stock. On a recent 900 mile round trip camping expedition, where we also flat towed ...
Forum Discussion
My last two trucks have been a diesel, but I don't agree that they are needed for everyone or cost effective. In my area, I have mountains to cross regularly and decided to pay the premium to be able to cross them easier and for future planning if I go with a fiver later. The diesel with 4.30s does that much easier. Mods can make a gasoline a lot better and I was close to getting one if I wasn't thinking about a fiver.
I have done a variety of modifications in the past. The most extreme in cost was when I put a Banks Power Pack on the Class A that I had which both increased the mileage and also made it possible to go up the passes at the speed limit with minimal shifting pulling a Jeep. I made the change after struggling up the Vantage hill. Those of us who drive the mountains have seen lots of RVs beside the road with transmissions dead. I didn't want that to be me with my family. That was years ago.
I had a '97 Ford Expedition that had two catalytic converters when one was failing. I replaced the whole exhaust with two high performing catalytic converters and more flowing mufflers all at once for slightly more than what one OEM catalytic converter was going to be. The end result was about 2 MPG improvement in town and a shocking amount of increased power and that was without a tuner. I have a tuner and other basic mods on my Mustang which completely woke it up. I have a rather basic SCT tuner on my Explorer that improved the mileage and kept it from shifting at strange times on slight grades.
There really is a lot to do if you want and even minimal changes can help gasoline engines get better mpg, more air is good. Still, no doubt that the diesel is nice for what I do with mine.
I have done a variety of modifications in the past. The most extreme in cost was when I put a Banks Power Pack on the Class A that I had which both increased the mileage and also made it possible to go up the passes at the speed limit with minimal shifting pulling a Jeep. I made the change after struggling up the Vantage hill. Those of us who drive the mountains have seen lots of RVs beside the road with transmissions dead. I didn't want that to be me with my family. That was years ago.
I had a '97 Ford Expedition that had two catalytic converters when one was failing. I replaced the whole exhaust with two high performing catalytic converters and more flowing mufflers all at once for slightly more than what one OEM catalytic converter was going to be. The end result was about 2 MPG improvement in town and a shocking amount of increased power and that was without a tuner. I have a tuner and other basic mods on my Mustang which completely woke it up. I have a rather basic SCT tuner on my Explorer that improved the mileage and kept it from shifting at strange times on slight grades.
There really is a lot to do if you want and even minimal changes can help gasoline engines get better mpg, more air is good. Still, no doubt that the diesel is nice for what I do with mine.
