While it's not an F-150 I ask a lot out of my ranger. It's a 2wd ext cab 4.0L automatic. I see a consistant 19/20 mpg with highway driving and an easy right foot. I race ATV's and normally pull 2 quads on a steel trailer. Pulling hard on the expressway (75-80mph) for an entire tank of gas I saw a very depressing 11mpg. After installing a K&N air filter and allowing about 5 tanks before testing, I ran the same roads, same trailer loaded the same way, driving the same way. I saw a jump to 14mpg. Perhaps there are other factors to take into account but I'm satisfied with the filter so far.

On a side note, after I pull the trailer I'll always see about 2-4mpg better on the next normal tank. Best tank so far was 385 miles and an average of 24mpg. Sound odd?

 

My F-150 4.6 5 speed and 3.08 gear 4x4 best milage was 411 miles to 20.9 gallons. reg filter...

 

damn 3.08 lol no wonder. i usually get like 380 mile to the tank before low fuel light comes on with just city driving.

 

yall are lucky...I dont usually even see 300 miles to a tank during the winter down here. If I do alot of highway driving then I can get good mileage, but once I get back into the city it drops a few MPG.

 

up in northern mn where winter is very cold i see abou 250 miles before my light is on... you also have to account for warming the truck up and its all city miles though. still sucks but hey... i dont see no honda accords towing the sleds to the trail!

 

finally some true information about the air filter replacement. I hate these guys that say they got 5+mpg more just cause of a filter replacement, or the one guy that stated that his 4x4 supercab 4.6 got 26mpg consistantly town/highway driving....yea right...

 

My truck has consumed the least amount of fuel ever in the past two months. I have an Air Force 1 and a Superchip. In two months I have used 0 gallons. I've also gone 0 miles. Coincidently, the '90 Toyota, 4X4, reg. cab, 3.0 V6 pick up that has taken over for the winter months has provided the same fuel mileage as the F150. About 15 mpg. The Toyota has the OE paper filter.

I don't believe for a second that a high flow air filter and improved tuning are a waste of money. I noticed an increase in performance right away with both. I wasn't calculating fuel mileage regularly before I got the chip but I used to get pretty good fuel mileage. A couple years ago, even with a supercharger, I would get at least 17 mpg and at best 22 mpg. I have been keeping track of mileage for the past couple years and I see a steady decline in mileage. I know there are several factors involved. I've got plenty of power on tap, which is my main objective.

If you ask me, it's not air filters and chips that are going to get you the best fuel mileage. It's proper maintainence and conservative driving habits.

 

I just figured by now the guys at Ford have designed in as much efficiency as possible. Any mods to increase performance will more than likely decrease efficiency.

 

no noticable performance increase, no mileage increase but I did find dirt in the intake duct after the K and N. Back to NAPA gold. K and N is yard sale fodder.

 

I gained 33hp on the dyno with a drop in k&n. Wouldnt know about milage since I just run wide open. Mines in a 03 cobra though.

 

My '97 Supercab 4.6 4x4 normally gets 16.5-17 on the highway, with the best of 21 coming on an evening run that the elevation dropped 300 ft, with no a\c on, and only about a 90 mile trip. I have a K&N FIPK, and a nonrestrictive exhaust, 3.55's and stock size tires. Of course city driving consistently nets 10 mpg. You just can't get more power and better fuel economy to fit in the same mold. You have to sacrifice one for the other. There ain't enough cubes or compression in the 4.6.

 

<<cough>>bullsh*t<<cough>>

 

Mine is not an f150. It is a 4v 4.6 with the eaton blower. Most all aftermarket kits or just a drop in add 33+

 

I think in a lot of cases people are just expecting way too much. Some people read/hear the claims and spend their dollars, then say that there is no way they gained 15hp. It's not that simple. The claimed gain is peak. That peak has probably been found by measuring in 100 rpm incraments. There may be smaller gains, and there may even be losses in thoes measures, but the manufacturers aren't likely to advertize with that information.

As for fuel mileage. I've installed a supercharger on my 4.6. Can I acheive better fuel economy with a supercharger? You bet I can. I've installed the Magnacharger (Allen) which replaced the restrictive OE intake manifold and uses a much less restrictive, freer flowing manifold. Not to mention there are "fans", driven by the crank which will help move the air. If I could always drive under vacuum, that is to never create boost, then fuel economy would increase. I wouldn't do that though because it would suck, and would render the supercharger, that I spend a bunch on, pretty useless. Could be done though. We all could do the same thing with our chips and filters, drive for better fuel economy. It would suck though!

 

Lame Dude...my K&N drop-in bumped 53 HP on the dyno. I'm surprised Ford engineers didn't catch this one.