Better Gas Mileage Mods

Obscenejesster · November 15, 2017

If you spend $500 on mods and increase your average by 2 mpg (19 up to 21), it would take you over 40,000 miles to recoup your investment. That's assuming there's mods that would actually give you that increase and that gas stays at $2.50 per gal. I to strive for better mpg, but at the end of the day the how much did I actually save by driving like a grandma? If I do the math, for me it's about .50 cents per day. Some days it's worth it, but most days I'd rather use every single one of the horses under my hood.

Not to mention, it's good for those horses to be used on GDI engines. Higher RPMs help heel the intake valves cleaner.

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Donstar · November 15, 2017

22 minutes ago, Nickel7 said:

Some days it's worth it, but most days I'd rather use every single one of the horses under my hood.

Saving gas and having ample power are not mutually exclusive. My current 6 cyl truck has approximately triple the horsepower and uses half of the fuel of some of my earlier trucks! When my truck is in V4 mode it goes to V6 as soon as I call for more"power". The same applied to my previous 5.3. As an aside, I believe the majority of truck owners today would be quite surprised at what 100 hp with proper gearing can accomplish. I like knowing that I have the extra power but it is seldom, if ever, required.

aseibel · November 15, 2017

3 hours ago, Grumpy Bear said:

I did to and for a long time. That is until I saw some wind tunnel test. Shortly after I read a paper from a grad student's theses he published where he and his fellows did some pressure modeling of various layouts for pickups. Then there is professional truck oval track and road racing. Tailgates and bed covers. Even when the bed is uncovered that tailgate pressurizes the box area to 'act' like a solid shape. Air is weird. It's measurement isn't new to me. I've done cylinder head work on a wet bench. It doesn't always do what seems like it should.

Mythbusters has tested the tailgate up vs. down as well as varying tire pressure's effects on fuel economy. Their results were: driving with tailgate up, and slightly over-inflated tires will give you the best fuel bang for your buck. I know their experiments are not always comprehensive, but they were interesting nonetheless.

Sierra706 · November 15, 2017

Better. Hum...Better is a funny word. I believe the question was about fuel efficiency so I'll bite. How do those nine make mpg 'better".

I was making a connection between 9 fuel efficient modifications or lack of and 9 modifications many of us make to enjoy our trucks more.

Someone’s grumpy [emoji6]

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swathdiver · November 15, 2017

11 hours ago, SirenRed16 said:

It was my thought that running a high tier gas is useless unless you're tuned for it? I know on the 6.2 it's recommended to run a higher tier gas than the 5.3 but is there any real testing done in a stock 5.3 running a higher tier vs lower tier makes a difference?

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Nope, all engines benefit from running higher octane fuels. They run smoother, cleaner, cooler, etc. There are even differences between brands. Ignorance is legion on this subject, even among the experts. Do the tests yourself, it takes patience as it can take a while but you'll soon see that running 93 octane from a top tier gas station will increase your mileage over running that station's 87 and especially over a non top tier's 87.

If the money is most important in such a decision whether or not to run, you can download these little E85 apps that compare the price you pay for gas versus the mileage you get from it, or just do it old school. Right now, in my area, it costs more to run E85 over 93 and it costs one tenth of a penny more to run 93 over 87. 87 makes the engines run so poorly I don't bother with it save for testing. I can still squeeze out more mileage between different brands of 93, not tenths of a mpg mind you, but 1 or 2 miles per gallon. And of course, let's say that your testing has shown that your truck runs best on Sunoco 93. You may very well discover that your vehicle runs best on the fuel from a particular station too.

As for performance increasing mpg, well, you can do things to an engine to make it run more efficient, to unleash locked up power which will in turn show better fuel economy. With these LS engines in these trucks, the tune is the best bang for the buck. Go BlackBear!

Tattooo · November 15, 2017

Nope, all engines benefit from running higher octane fuels. They run smoother, cleaner, cooler, etc. There are even differences between brands. Ignorance is legion on this subject, even among the experts. Do the tests yourself, it takes patience as it can take a while but you'll soon see that running 93 octane from a top tier gas station will increase your mileage over running that station's 87 and especially over a non top tier's 87.
If the money is most important in such a decision whether or not to run, you can download these little E85 apps that compare the price you pay for gas versus the mileage you get from it, or just do it old school. Right now, in my area, it costs more to run E85 over 93 and it costs one tenth of a penny more to run 93 over 87. 87 makes the engines run so poorly I don't bother with it save for testing. I can still squeeze out more mileage between different brands of 93, not tenths of a mpg mind you, but 1 or 2 miles per gallon. And of course, let's say that your testing has shown that your truck runs best on Sunoco 93. You may very well discover that your vehicle runs best on the fuel from a particular station too.

As for performance increasing mpg, well, you can do things to an engine to make it run more efficient, to unleash locked up power which will in turn show better fuel economy. With these LS engines in these trucks, the tune is the best bang for the buck. Go BlackBear!

87 to 93 is a 50 cent per gallon difference by me. Why would it be just about the same price or a penny more for higher grade gas by you ? Sounds a bit off.

Grumpy Bear · November 15, 2017

3 hours ago, Nickel7 said:

If you spend $500 on mods and increase your average by 2 mpg (19 up to 21), it would take you over 40,000 miles to recoup your investment. That's assuming there's mods that would actually give you that increase and that gas stays at $2.50 per gal. I to strive for better mpg, but at the end of the day the how much did I actually save by driving like a grandma? If I do the math, for me it's about .50 cents per day. Some days it's worth it, but most days I'd rather use every single one of the horses under my hood.

Here's an interesting point. If you look at it, as you did, as pocket change it doesn't make much sense does it? How about this; 19/21=.905. A nine and a half percent increase in MPG translates into a nine and a half percent reduction in fuel cost no matter what the pump value is. Would you turn down a 9-1/2% TAX FREE raise? If so you can make your checks payable to....me

Grumpy Bear · November 15, 2017

2 hours ago, Bushleaguechew said:

I was making a connection between 9 fuel efficient modifications or lack of and 9 modifications many of us make to enjoy our trucks more.

Someone’s grumpy

Maaaaaaaaaaaaaaybe.

aseibel · November 15, 2017

18 minutes ago, Tattooo said:

87 to 93 is a 50 cent per gallon difference by me. Why would it be just about the same price or a penny more for higher grade gas by you ? Sounds a bit off.

He's not saying premium is 1 cent per gallon different, he's saying that becuase he gets "better mileage" with the premium, it actually costs him within 1 cent per mile to buy it. I think.

But I still don't believe it. I'll wait to see something from a credible source telling me I should pay for premium gas.

Do you think the Federal Trade Commision is credible?

https://www.consumer.ftc.gov/articles/0210-paying-premium-high-octane-gasoline

"Unless your engine is knocking, buying higher octane gasoline is a waste of money.

In fact, in most cases, using a higher octane gasoline than your owner's manual recommends offers absolutely no benefit. It won't make your car perform better, go faster, get better mileage, or run cleaner."

Nickel7 · November 15, 2017

2 minutes ago, Grumpy Bear said:

Here's an interesting point. If you look at it, as you did, as pocket change it doesn't make much sense does it? How about this; 19/21=.905. A nine and a half percent increase in MPG translates into a nine and a half percent reduction in fuel cost no matter what the pump value is. Would you turn down a 9-1/2% TAX FREE raise? If so you can make your checks payable to....me

We're talking about money spent on gas, not ones entire income. Even after you've driven 100,000 miles, a 9% gain will only save you $1,200 in gas costs. The only reason I say "only" is because at what cost did you get that 9% gain? Was it from spending money on mods? Was it from avoiding having the mods that make your truck more enjoyable? Was is from hyper-mile-ing and pissing off everyone behind you? Was is from never letting your overweight friends ride with you? Etc. For any gain there's a cost - that was my original point.

Tattooo · November 15, 2017

He's not saying premium is 1 cent per gallon different, he's saying that becuase he gets "better mileage" with the premium, it actually costs him within 1 cent per mile to buy it. I think.

But I still don't believe it. I'll wait to see something from a credible source telling me I should pay for premium gas.

Do you think the Federal Trade Commision is credible?
https://www.consumer.ftc.gov/articles/0210-paying-premium-high-octane-gasoline

"Unless your engine is knocking, buying higher octane gasoline is a waste of money.
In fact, in most cases, using a higher octane gasoline than your owner's manual recommends offers absolutely no benefit. It won't make your car perform better, go faster, get better mileage, or run cleaner."

Oh o.k that makes sense but yeah I'm with you on everything you said.

swathdiver · November 15, 2017

50 minutes ago, aseibel said:

He's not saying premium is 1 cent per gallon different, he's saying that becuase he gets "better mileage" with the premium, it actually costs him within 1 cent per mile to buy it. I think.

But I still don't believe it. I'll wait to see something from a credible source telling me I should pay for premium gas.

You are your best credible source. If you drive pretty much the same route all the time, give it a try. I have been proving those who say it doesn't make a difference wrong for thirty years and you can too.

And yes, right now with prices as they are, it's a wash in money and get all the benefits of a cleaner burning fuel, detergents to keep the system clean and so on. Until recently, It cost considerably more to run "cheap" gas. Here's an example, about five years ago I was making deliveries with a Pontiac Montana. With 87 octane it got 8 mpg and with 93 it got 12 mpg with the motor running about 13 hours a day and much of it idling. I do not remember anymore exactly how much gas cost back in 2012 but do remember the pain in my wallet for running 87 that day. Never again. That van loved Sunoco or Chevron 93 and would get even better mpg with those brands than say Shell, about 2 mpgs better and that is comparing 93s from different stations.

Same holds true for the LS engines in our trucks.

KARNUT · November 15, 2017

I go from Texas to Myrtal beach 4 times a year same route. My 14 GMC ran the best on E-85. As far as gas mileage no difference running reg gas or premium. Same with my Santa Fe no difference in mileage I traded in for a Camry did a trip with reg getting ready for another trip I’m going to try premium gas I expect the same results.

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Grumpy Bear · November 16, 2017

3 hours ago, Nickel7 said:

We're talking about money spent on gas, not ones entire income. Even after you've driven 100,000 miles, a 9% gain will only save you $1,200 in gas costs. The only reason I say "only" is because at what cost did you get that 9% gain? Was it from spending money on mods? Was it from avoiding having the mods that make your truck more enjoyable? Was is from hyper-mile-ing and pissing off everyone behind you? Was is from never letting your overweight friends ride with you? Etc. For any gain there's a cost - that was my original point.

So you think the money you spend is of different value than the money you earn? You also believe that if you give something you should expect something more in return than you gave. Not an uncommon notion. Prevalent in fact. I don't buy it, but, whatever.

Soon or later you're going to need tires. This is an example. To toss perfectly good tires for ones more energy efficient; your point is well made. Payout is too long. But doing so when needing them cost you nothing more than the difference in cost if any.

Gibberish about fat friends is nonsense and a non starter with me. It's recklessness speech guilt targeted. Mind your manors.

Enjoyable modification. A personal decision you or anyone is more than welcome to make. But he, the thread starter, did ask for specific advice and I gave it.

This last one about hypermiling; driving responsibly and hypermiling are not the same thing but lets say for a minute they are. Riddle me this: You pay for my gas? Did you buy my truck? Do you pay my tickets? Pay for my maintenance? How about be responsible for loss of life or property damage? You going to do my jail time? Take care of my family? You pay for my insurance? Gong to buy my next truck? Well?????

That established then the question becomes; where exactly is you stake in my affairs? I drive between the limits established by law. Those who take exception to this, for the most part do not. And although they haven't a leg to stand on they believe I should for some reason foreign to me, give a rats arse about how 'pissed' they become. News flash...I don't. Any idea how silly it sounds for someone to drive 15 over the speed limit telling someone driving within the speed limit that their a danger and your feelings about that matter carry more weight because....why???? Your in a hurry? Get a grip!

Nickel7 · November 16, 2017

2 hours ago, Grumpy Bear said:

Get a grip!

Settle down man! You’re taking my statement out of context and making a lot of wrong assumptions with your response. I’m a nice guy, so I apologize if I offended you.