I know there are a lot of posts asking about mileage. I am going to be putting in a new plenum gasket from hughes engines (the kit) and 4.10 gears. I have 3.55 right now. I will update this post when I am finished and let everyone know what improvement of gas mileage I get. I am getting 14 on highway and 9 [:@] in town. My wife is after me to either get a different vehicle or to get better gas mileage.

If you have any suggestions (good or bad) please let me know as I want to get the gasket part done this weekend and the gears next week.

Specs:
I have a 1997 Dodge Ram 1500 2wd. I have a 3 in. lift and 295/75/16 Nitto Terra Grapplers. I am stock besides a K & N drop in, headers, 180 thermostat, and Flowmaster exhaust. I will also post pics because I like looking at other peoples rigs to get ideas for my own.

Thanks for all the great reading

Brad Beyer

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2wd on a lift? ROFL!!!

Anyway...take the lift down and go back to normal size tires and you'll gain a whole lot of gas mileage back just by doing that. If your plenum is blown, replace it and it will improve your gas mileage too.

 

Ok I have got the plenum in but the check engine ligt came on [:@] so I am going to run to auto zone and have them read the code. I am assuming I did not get a wire hooked back up somewhere.

The gears are going in this Thursday (I hope).

The reason I have a lift on the truck is because I pull my Jeep with it and sometimes need the clearance to get it some places and really don't need the 4wd. I got the truck at a great deal so i was not going to worry about having a 2wd since I have the jeep. Plus it is a spindle lift and I don't have the stock spindles.

Thanks again
Brad

 

mpg improvement suggestion... 50mm fastman TB, 1.6 roller rockers, single output flowmaster no bigger than 3". also if you talk to shot8283 he did an e-fan install and might be able to tell you his fuel economy gains...

 

Steve00ram360:

ok I have the single input/dual output flowmaster 40 series, is that what you are suggesting?

I thought the TB would just give you more HP and use more fuel. I don't race the truck I just have it to pull my jeep and boat.

Why would roller rockers help gas mileage?

Shot 8283:

Did installing an e-fan help your mileage?

All:

How much gains are we talking and which would do the best for the money?

 

Switching to an e-fan is a slight mileage enhancement because there is less of a load on the engine.

 

ok I went to Auto Zone and it was a low voltage temp sensor so i will be replacing that tonight. So all in all the plenum gasket was a pretty easy but lengthy process.

I will post any gains by next monday (7/31/06) but I can tell the HP gain in changing the gasket...the gasket was completely gone.

Thanks for the help
Brad

 

1.6 roller rockers will reduce the friction in the valve train which will give you about an 8 hp bump w/o opening the valves longer. The TB will give you power everywhere but if you can control the right foot, you'll se a mpg improvement.

LJPierce (I think that's his login name) bought my 52mm Tb for his 360, we met 1/2 between his house and mine and did the swap in a walmart parking lot (I needed his for my truck). took about 30 minutes. On his way home he checked his milage and found 1.5 mpg better on the return trip....

on your exhaust, take it to a muffler shop and have them put in 2 reducers on the output of the muffler... currently it should be 2.5"... make it 2.25" and you'll get another 1~1.5 mpg back. your loosing too much low end torque. I had this setup on my truck, added the reducers and got a solid 1.5 mpg back.

if you want more top end... mod your intake. do a search on it and you should find info on it here on DF.

 

When we did my plenum, i got a C/E light because two of the sensors we pulled off....the temp sensor and the number 5 cylinder sensor, had pulled one of the pins out of hte plug when we pulled 'em off...so we simply pulled the pin out to where it would make contact with the plug.

 

BTW I am going from 3.55 to 4.10 gears....does this sound good?

Specs:
I have a 1997 Dodge Ram 1500 2wd. I have a 3 in. spindle lift and 295/75/16 Nitto Terra Grapplers. I am stock besides a K & N drop in, headers, 180 thermostat, and Flowmaster exhaust. I will also post pics because I like looking at other peoples rigs to get ideas for my own (hopefully tonight)