Hello everyone, its been awhile since my last post (about my new 4.2L needing spark plugs). Well for starters my truck has been running excellent but my gas mileage could be a tad bit better. I commute to work everyday on the freeway with cruse control on going 60 miles an hour and I am averaging 16.8 MPG highway & city. It doesnt seem to matter where im driving, if I do all city driving I will still get 16.8 - 16.5. I have been thinking about buying a Flex O Lite EFan because losing that 11 pound fan may help the little 6 significantly! Would the Efan be worth it?

Also my dad has told me that my stock fan is on ALL the time, I thought the fan goes off on the freeway? Is the fan on all the time or no?

And when my truck is at normal operating temperature I hear a very slight tapping noise, my local dealership has told me that it is natural engine sounds and that these older engines were noisy but I think its my fan. Even though my engine makes noises I have no codes and no power/mpg loss.

All inputs would be highly appreciated!

 

Anyone?

 

Consider yourself lucky getting mid-16s in all city driving. As for the highway mileage, it depends on how far you are driving at 60 mph. For instance, I drive 70 mph on the freeway to work, for about 15 miles. At 70 mph i typically get 19-20 mpg average. However, since i'm not "theoretically" utilizing a full gallon driving that 15 miles, it pretty much goes to waste, causing me to, in turn, lose mileage. In other words, you have to drive for awhile at a certain speed to achieve a higher mileage.

An electric fan will be a great boost for your gas mileage. By ditching the clutch fan assembly, you no longer have a fan that spins with the engine. This is what your dad meant by saying your "stock fan is on ALL the time." The fan rotates "loosely" with the crank assembly of your engine, and then engages to spin at the matching RPMs your engine is turning in order to achieve more airflow. By upgrading to an electric fan, you not only lose the weight of the clutch fan, but you also no longer limit the amount of air flow coming through the fan. The fan will turn as fast as it needs to at freeway speeds to allow air to easily pass through the blades. when sitting still, the fan will need to be turned on manually (or with a controller) since it no longer operates off if the engine crank.

Also the ticking noise you hear is just the injectors/pushrods/lifters. Are engines are notorious for being loud, as you've noticed. You should hear mine. :o

 

Thank you for the input for it was very helpful.

One more question though: Do I need to install a manual switch or can I just use the temp sensor through the radiator trick, doesn't the E-Fan turn on automatically if the temperature goes over 180 degrees or so?

Btw your truck is beautiful!

 

You will need to get a temp controller, which you can pick up at an Auto Parts store, like Autozone, or you can order one from online. If you get the Flex-a-lite kit, I'm pretty sure it comes with a controller, but I can't remember for sure.

 

You should be able to find a switch to run your fans from your fan's manufacturer. If not, check with derale.com or http://www.flex-a-lite.com/auto/

 

under drive pulley from troyer performance should be good for some miles per gallon

 

I have oversized tires so the under driven pulley is out of the question.

 

The sound you're describing is usually called ticking from what Ive been told its perfectly normal on the V6. My 4.2L ticks a lot too but has done it ever since I first bought it at 20,000 miles. Now it has 129,000 miles on it and still going strong.

 

This isn't so clear to me....if your engine is turning at the right RPM the underdrive makes very little difference in the way of the accessories operating normally. Didn't you change your gears when you switched to oversized tires or is it because you wheel offroad and need the waterpump working harder at slow speed driving? In normal street driving I have only good things to say about the underdrive pulley.

 

Im not sure if my truck is geared according to the oversized tires, their only 33's and my speedo seems to be accurate according to automatic radar signs on the sharp turns here in town. I was told to not get an under driven pully if you have anything larger then stock tire size.

 

The only problem I can see with UDPs is the power steering. Even then, if you are turning the wheel at idle you are probably dry-walling the tire

 

I ordered the Flex A Lite 270 fans for $503.99, cant wait till they get here!