Hey guys, I am fairly new to the whole engine tweaking thang, I just got my dad's 88 f150 4X4, towing package and such. With gas prices so high now I am wondering what I can do to get the best power out of the engine without sacrificing mileage, have been looking at K&N air filters, but want to know if the gains are even noticable, and also want ANY suggestions from you guys no matter how small the mods may be, load on the suggestions guys!!!

 

is the truck completely stock? you should look into modifying the exhaust. theres enough cat-back systems out there to drive you crazy (flowmaster, gibson, borla, dynomax...). do some research and find the one you like the best. i personally love my exhaust (no mufflers) but most people find it annoying at highway speeds. also, i didint notice any gain with the k&n air filter, but i hear that the k&n f.i.p.k. works pretty good. even though i didint notice any gains with the k&n, id reccomend it just because its not disposable. all you have to do is clean it whenever it gets dirty. thats all i can think of right now, good luck with the truck!

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1989 F-150 XLT Lariat: 2WD 302 5spd[*]Performance Accessories 3" Body Lift[*]33x12.50.15 BFG A/T's on 15x10 AR Rims[*]Rancho Steering Stabilizer[*]Rancho RS 5000 Shocks[*]K&N Air Filter[*]Gutted Cats with Straight Pipes For Now...

Go Full Speed or Go Home!

 

Hey Donate54 where can I get a K&N f.i.p.k, I was under the impression that they don't make them for my 88. And yes my truck is ALL stock. I see you have a 3" lift on your 89, have you noticed much of a bumpy ride? My dad is saying that it will make my truck ride awful. What is your experience with your lift? How do 33s fit?!!!

 

Hi superedge7,

You might want to check with Roger Lemere, of Lememere Enterprises, who provides the e-commerce service for the F-150 Online store here. He carries that product line, and he can double-check for you to see if anyone makes an application for that year of truck. You can reach Roger or one of his staff at: 916-361-2510, & they'll take good care of you.

Good luck!

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Mike Troyer
Performance Products, Inc.
National Distributor of Superchips
(540) 862-9515
Email: mtroyer@compuserve.com
Performance Products F150Online Superchip ordering system: F150Online Superchip Ordering System
First National F-150 Online Rally Event Organizer

 

hey superedge7,
the body lift did not affect the ride quality at all. the 33" tires fit great with the body lift (and mine's a 2 wheel drive). the only down side to lifting it and putting bigger tires is that it will affect your gas mileage. right now my truck gets about 12 miles per gallon. you can check out www.truckperformance.com for some more ideas, they sell all sorts of parts there. good luck!

 

Superedge7,

Both the intake and exhaust will benefit your power without hurting the mileage, and will wake the truck up some.

Ford Racing had an underdrive pulley set for my '95 for $100. They should make a set that will fit your truck. They are usually sold as a Mustang part but they have a cross reference for the trucks.

As far as actually improving mileage, I had good gains in performance and mileage with a Jacobs ignition. My mileage increase alone has paid for the unit. They are about $400 for a complete setup, but my exhaust was also $400 and didn't give me the same gains.