Very nice forums you have here, I believe I'm going to like my stay. First off, my apologies if I'm asking things that are addressed elsewhere.

I bought my truck (basic specs in sig) 3 months ago and am extremely happy with it. A couple of questions:

1. Can anyone confirm that it has a speed limiter set for 96 mph?
2. Does it have a RPM limiter, and if so what is it set for? What is the published redline on the engine? I believe that I've been keeping it under 5200 rpm, it seems that this is the point where it makes more noise than power. I don't want to explore any further without knowing there's more room for safety, I'm not into abusing engines. Note - no tach, I played with the test mode on the odometer and did some rough gear/speed math - I'm thinking that 30 mph in 1st, 55 in 2nd, and 80 in 3rd are in the 5000 to 5200 range.

Now, the gas mileage thing. I've added my 2 cents to the gas mileage thread (https://www.f150online.com/forums/sh...6&postcount=19) and would like to try to get better mileage if it doesn't cost a small fortune. So far, I've put a stock K&N air filter replacement in and put a V-Force muffler on, keeping the stock pipes. I'm running 5w20 full synthetic oil. The power is plenty adequate and I'd prefer to keep using 87 octane fuel. The truck has 60k miles and to the best of my knowledge, it's got the original plugs and wires on it. It starts and runs fine, no roughness or missing - EVER. I occasionally do wind it up, but normally I shift early and drive it like an old lady. I have a tonneau cover and (obviously) keep the tailgate up. I've got 255/70x16 BFG Long Trails on it at 34psi cold. I'm assuming the 3.55 gears are killing my high speed highway mileage.

Thanks for any input!

 

Speed limiter set at 99mph (that's what I was told...)
Don't know, but I remember reading this somewhere...I remember it being off the tach's range by a bit, though. But there is a point at which you get virtually no benifit from wrapping it up that high...especially if you want your gas bill to be less than a fortune...

G'LUCK.

 

I was just wondering was the bed cover really helpful? Also is it a hard top or a soft top? One more question... .Wut does your exhaust sound like after the muffler instal and could you feel a difference in power? Thxs

 

I installed the bed cover and the muffler so soon after I bought it that I have no comparison. It's a soft rollup cover. The exhaust barks a little bit, but it's generally pretty mellow. I couldn't even hear it running with the stock muffler. It "seems" to have a bit more pep, but that may just be due to being able to *hear* it now.

I have no tach - what is the tach's range?

 

I would say that your 3.55's are probably the best gear for highway mileage. No matter what you do to your truck your not going to get good mileage... its a truck.. best thing I can tell you to do to get good mileage is to keep your foot out of it. You might pick up a mpg or so by doing a bunch of mods like air filter, exhaust, tuner, etc.. but it would take forever to save enough in gas to pay for the mods you did just to try and get better mileage.

 

Sounds like your doing all you can to keep the mpg up, tires aired up and granny shifting. Don't keep any un needed weight in the bed or cab.

 

I'm a grandpa - does that count?

I guess I just got spoiled by all my previous vehicles - everything I've owned in the past 20 years has gotten no less than 20mpg worst case. They were all cars with 4's and V6's, mostly with manual transmissions. I know this thing is a fairly heavy truck and the 4.2 V6 isn't exactly a small engine. I just drove my 89 Beretta GT with a 2.8 V6 and 5 speed down to Missouri to give it to my son-in-law for a work car and got 32mpg on the way down. The wife followed me in the truck and it got 19. We were both using cruise control.

Any input on the rev limiter and the redline?

 

You should stay away from the rev limiter and the speedo redline.

 

Of course - I just want to know what it is.

 

I have reved mine up to about 4500 rpm and wouldn't go a heck of a lot higher than that! I have speed limited it on a back road. It is 98 - 99 mph.

 

My tach goes up to 6k. I've never gone higher than 4.5k, but that was responding to a fire (I'm a Volunteer FF/EMT when I'm off paid duty), and I had a long way to go...

 

i owned a 98 honda civic b4 i got my f150 and i took the civic to redline all the time. ofcourse its a 4 banger so i could get up in the 6500 rpms. the engine never weakened. the factory puts the limiter at the point right b4 the engines starts to get to much stress. it would b stupid to put it past tht point. as long as u change oil every 3000 miles u shouldnt have to worry about reving it to high. but ofcourse you should not need to push the truck tht far at all but you wont kill it if you do.

-JP

 

speedo around 97/98

and umm you can watch my racing video to see my tach when it shifts, i dont normally pay attention to when it tachs out and shifts, b.c im driving.

http://s17.photobucket.com/albums/b6...trickedit2.flv
shifts around 5500 (last race) and you can see it top out on end of first race around 97
-Patrick

 

whats up with the V-tec crap in that video??? Its a Ford Truck, not a Honda

 

yah that was my roomate that did that for laughs. They guy i was racing is always joking about how good vtec is