increase MPG while towing??

 

There is many things you could do.
1) intake
2) programmer
3) exhaust
4) headers (longtube not shorty)
5) e-fans

but to answer your question, mine would have to be my Hypertech programmer. not alot more power, but much better mpg though.

 

for towing probalby intake and or tuner.

me personally by best solid gain has been from lowering my truck. (better areodynamics)
-Patrick

 

What do you mean by the above statement?

 

I have many mods but for towing the E-fans,Xcal2+AF1, Long tube Headers, I can get 16+ when I tow my boat 18'6 Sea Ray cuddy cabin.

 

For towing I'd say exhaust first. All other mods listed above are good too, but they seem to shove more air/fuel into the engine (except E fans) that's having a tough time getting it out. Second, all other mods aren't able to give you their full benefit with out it. Next would be the tuner, more power and better shifting. Also consider the deeper trans. pan for towing. About $110 for additional 1.5 qt capacity, it's aluminum with cooling fins, and a drain plug. Cheap insurance if you plan on keeping the vehicle.

 

I know there are 2000 different opinions as to exhaust, but since you seem to know a bit about towing, what exhaust option do you recommend for towing?

 

gotta be my 37's my mpg went up to 23......

 

Aww man, you didn't ask that did you? People on here are passionate about the parts they buy, and will tell you theirs is the best and have 3 diiferent reasons why. But, most people on here run the Magnaflow and love it. I personally have the Banks, but I don't like it, (highway drone sound) or feel it is good for towing. I bought it b/c it had great HP increase, and I went on just that, my mistake. You want high torque numbers at low RPM, since you're rarely above 3000 RPM. And make sure the system you get doesn't interfere with the trailer, or trashes what you're hauling with exhaust fumes/carbon. That being said, a single outlet would be the best choice for you I think. Duals look cool but sometimes prohibit use of the stock spare tire location (not good) and dirty your cargo more. Do your own research for what you think is best suited to your needs, but I am interested in the Gibson Swept side. That is the only set up I have not heard ANYTHING about, good or bad. Gibson claims it to be best suited for towing and the quietest aftermarket system out. I really don't care about sounding loud and mean, but want good fuel economy and be able to talk to my passanger without having to shout on the freeway. DO NOT waste your $$$ on short headers for the 5.4L. High price, 8 hours to install and very little performance gain. Good luck with your purchase and let us know what your feelings are on what you chose after you ran it for a while. Not to beat a dead horse, but have you changed or at least removed and cleaned your sparkplugs yet? My dealership felt that towing and plowing increases the chances of the plugs breaking when removing them. Sorry about he long thread, just felt everything was important for your consideration.

 

How did adding 37" tire increase your MPG? Please, I am curious, I assumed MPG would drop turning larger tires.

 

Thanks for the info xlint1! I'll probably go with a magnaflow, as I had a similar setup on my old Jeep and it made a huge difference in power. As far as the plugs...I've only got 8300 miles, so I figure they're still in good shape!

 

in theory they could have gotten that high but are you saying hwy or city.

theory= higher gearing+ larger diameter wheel= lower engine RPM= less fuel used

BUT THIS IS JUST IN THEORY

 

Mac Side exit exhaust is a really nice mild toned exhaust that sells for way cheaper than Magnaflow and sounds better IMO. Not sure about Gibson. ANd I would also go with the Edge. I woudlnt bother with anything else if you dont want to spend the cash for some Gears.

 

I can get 25mpg when i'm drafting......

 

They will be in good shape, but if you have a 5.4L 3V engine, you need to remove them and use a nickle antiseize on the extension below the threads. If you wait too long to remove them, the extension below the threads seizes in the head. So when you attempt to remove them, they break, leaving part of the sparkplug in the engine. Ford issued a service bulletin AND a tool to remove the broken piece. This doesn't always work and removal of the head is required, often telling customers at their expense. Don't assume it is covered under warranty either. If you do a search on this site for 5.4L sparkplugs, you'll see this is a problem. THAT is why I asked you if you removed them.