[barco]

hello all!
I have had the truck for a little bit it has more power than any truck I have ever been in before! Its bone stock I am sure you guys have some pretty insane stuff out there i have read 13s and 12s in the 1/4 WOW!

But that is not for me. What can I do to make an MPG MONSTER.

One of those programmers?
Some Banks product?
Exhaust?
Magic driving tricks?
Gear ratio?

Please share I am a NEWBIE I know nothing

 

[patracy]

Good timing box or programmer
Propane setup (I've got a thread here... http://www.cumminsforum.com/forum/a...5928-poor-mans-propane-setup-help-needed.html) I got 29mpg on diesel with that.
Exhaust
3.55 gears
keep the pyro under 600F and boost under 5psi
Some see an improvement with 2cycle oil in the diesel
slow down (keep rpm's under 1800)
Arm dam for the front bumper
max psi in the tires
shed all the weight you can
draft behind semis
don't use the AC
quality fuel

 

[barco]

THANKS!!!

Good timing box or programmer (recommend any?/how much improvement?)

Propane setup (AMAZING! I read some a little TOO extreme for me

Exhaust (recommend any?/ how much improvement?)

3.55 gears (I have heard others say that is it a big help over the 4.10?)

keep the pyro under 600F and boost under 5psi (So I would need what to measure this?)

Arm dam for the front bumper (any pictures?)

quality fuel (How can i determine this?)

I will try the others and read up on that 2cycle oil.

 

[patracy]

Answered in bold

THANKS!!!

Good timing box or programmer (recommend any?/how much improvement?)
I personally like quadzilla, great customer service. Edge is great as well. Expect 1-2mpg

Propane setup (AMAZING! I read some a little TOO extreme for me
It's really not all that complicated, you see my results. I'm pleased

Exhaust (recommend any?/ how much improvement?)
I did my own. Just ditched the stock muffler and resonator with a 4' section of pipe and glasspack. Cost me $50 from summitracing. 1mpg

3.55 gears (I have heard others say that is it a big help over the 4.10?)
lower your engine rpm's, lower your fuel consumption. The cummins has a narrow rpm range compared to a gas engine.

keep the pyro under 600F and boost under 5psi (So I would need what to measure this?)
EGT gauge/probe, and a boost gauge.

Arm dam for the front bumper (any pictures?)
No, but I recall someone who was getting 30mpg out of their truck with all sorts of tricks having a large homemade airdam. Kinda like something you'd see on a stock car.

quality fuel (How can i determine this?)
Personally I like to fill up at truck stops. The turn over of fuel there is a lot faster than mom and pop stations. Some of the discount fuel (wal-mart for example) doesn't seem to get as good of mileage in my truck

I will try the others and read up on that 2cycle oil.
just search for threads started by mopar1973man, he's our resident 2 cycle oil guru.

Hope this helps. :thumbsup

 

[barco]

Thanks I will look into all of that!

 

[dom42]

3.55 gears (I have heard others say that is it a big help over the 4.10?)

it depends if your hauling/towing more than you are empty. gets the truck moving faster with alot more ease.

with my 4.10's and my 35inch bfg's, the gear ratio is equal to 3.7's:thumbsup

 

[barco]

What version did you get from quadzilla

 

[barco]

typically I would have 1500-2500 in the bed. i am looking to buy a 20ft dual axle trailer.


So I guess for the ability of the truck I am not even close to pushing it.

 

[side2000]

patracy covered most of the ways to get mpg and i dont wanna repeat anything he said so sorry if i do. depending on how deep your pockets go "gear vendors" (just google) are the way to go. they are a couple grand but can drop your r's significantly at highway speeds. its worth it if you drive highway a lot cuz you will see a multiple mpg increase.
the thing i would add to his list as a PRIORITY would be free locking hubs for the front axle. converting your factory hubs to free locking hubs (the kind you gotta get out and manually engage) certainly shows significant gains.
one last thing is to put synthetic fluids in everything (axles & motor) to decrease drag and friction.

 

[barco]

"gear vendors" that looks awesome! I can't justify that sort of cost I dont drive enough. But I am sure for some it is a MUST HAVE!

I am a little overwhelmed with all the info on this site.

I only have 2WD so I would not need the free locking hubs.

Do you have a list of synthetic fluids you recommend? Or point me to a post section. I have heard royal purple is good for cars not sure about these trucks. It is VERY expensive.

i just found this looks pretty interesting. Quadzilla Mileage Max claims up to 12% increase for $180
Rollin Smoke Diesel. 2003-2004 Dodge 5.9L CR Quadzilla Mileage Max

 

[Joe Reitman]

Wonder if the Quad is undetectable by dealer?

 

[patracy]

Wonder if the Quad is undetectable by dealer?

Boxes are undetectable, provided you remove everything before you head into the stealership. Unless it's a 2nd gen with a VP44 that taps the pump. Boxes just play man in the middle between the engine and ECU, sending different information both ways to increase power and keep the ECU in the dark.

 

[barco]

At $180 I am interested if someone else has bought one and gotten results...

Newbie question. Is it safe for the engine considering i have NO EGT gauge...

 

[Joe Reitman]

Boxes are undetectable, provided you remove everything before you head into the stealership. Unless it's a 2nd gen with a VP44 that taps the pump. Boxes just play man in the middle between the engine and ECU, sending different information both ways to increase power and keep the ECU in the dark.

I suspected/hoped that was the case, makes sense- no Smarty type ecu reprogram...

thanks

 

[Cummin A Long]

if you just drive paved roads the cheaps thing to do is take the front driveshaft off

 

[patracy]

if you just drive paved roads the cheaps thing to do is take the front driveshaft off

What's the advantage of that? Your front axle is still engaged. The shaft doesn't spin all that much. The spider gears in the carrier are what's turning.

 

[barco]

I have gotten between 20-22mpg with my stock truck and just driving smart. Does anyone have more info on an airdam?

1997 Dodge Ram 3500 Dualie Cummins - Diesel Power Magazine

 

[patracy]

I have gotten between 20-22mpg with my stock truck and just driving smart. Does anyone have more info on an airdam?

1997 Dodge Ram 3500 Dualie Cummins - Diesel Power Magazine

33 mpg - Dodge Diesel - Diesel Truck Resource Forums