Most of the K&N gains are high RPM... where our motors suck anyway.The exhaust IMHO is not a restriction until the revs are up past 4k. Long tube headers would be a good addition for better cylinder filling down low, but good ones are expensive and noisy. Also, those "kegger" intake manifolds everyone hates are tuned for low end torque and efficiency. When people cut the runners it will breath a little better up top but you loose that tuned port ram effect that fills the cylinders better down low and that translates into better mileage . An unmodified "kegger" is a dog over 4k rpm but very responsive in normal city driving.

 

I’m not lying when I say I get 30mpg with my 1998 Dodge Ram 1500 5.9l v8 with close to 300,000 miles. A trick you can use; change your existing spark plus with a set of e3 spark plugs, get some decent set of wires, a performance coil, and a cold air intake. That will make all the difference. I’ve also seen that if you run high mileage synthetic oil in the engine, it runs a lot better, and put sea foam I’m the oil, in the gas, and through the vaccum lines. You could also change to an electric fan vs pulley driven to remove stress on the engine. I live in the city, and I get about 30 mpg city and 33 highway. I beat the hell out of my engine too, so you could get a lot better fuel mileage then me. It costs me $60 to fill the tank, and it lasts me 2 weeks of every day driving. I learned about these tricks from me buying a lot of these trucks cheap and fixing them up and selling them.

 

 

12 miles per gallon, city and highway. Regular unleaded 87.

 

I get about 13 mpg or more in mine, but i drive like a grandpa

 

11mpg. on 87, 8-9 mpg on 93 tune...In town driving. ( Rarely on the highway...ever)
The recent Hughes FI Airgap, and 3" exhaust upgrade, ( added to the already done bolt ons ) killed my mileage along with my bottom end torque....even with the 4.11 rear....LOL.

 

Think I would go back to the stock tune, and see if it isn't any better....

 

Been there, done that.
Thanks though.
Not really worried about the mileage, I only drive 14 miles a day back and forth to work.
I might give Hughes a shot at the tune, the Hemifever tune does great at WOT, but "around town", "light to light" pedal stomping, its slightly better then stock.
This is my 3rd, second Gen Dodge, and EVERYTIME I start working them up, seems the first thing I loss is the bottom end.
The stock Kegger may have been a HUGE vacuum leak, but it was tuned pretty well to get more torque from the bottom. Once you go to something else, you generally loose the bottom end.
The 46RE isnt any help either. Even with the changes I had done.
It'll get there....might take the cam and heads, but it'll get there....
Thanks though HeyYou...

 

A cam more in line with your manifold, and heads to match, sure wouldn't hurt. If you want just a bit of a bump, for not a ton of money, and work, the harland sharp 1.7 roller rockers get you around 10hp/tq, on a stock motor..... with a tune, likely a bit more. Not necessarily something you will feel in the seat of your pants, but, it will make all the rest of the mods work together nicely as well.

What have you got for exhaust?

 

Already got 'em... ( just now trying to update my sig....)
Thanks again...Like I said, its all a big puzzle, trying to get the right pieces to get what you want. In my case, still working on getting it...
Exhaust.. Gibson shorties, a custom "Y" pipe.. ( had to make a custom to work out the TCI shifter intstall..) Magna flo cat, Flomaster 40, dumped at the muffler.