jmoretti13
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hahaha, i get 10-12...but I do have 35" tires and 4" sus lift. can't keep my foot out of it
Fuel efficiency improvements
- Thread starter rdhenderson
- Start date
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hahaha, i get 10-12...but I do have 35" tires and 4" sus lift. can't keep my foot out of it
billiam7787
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ok, nothing too impressive, upgrades/mods are as follows: spider, real cold air intake (completely enclosed section with air funnel), high flow cats with megan racing exhaust, copper plugs, 18" fan, local tune, and light syn oil. as an added bonus, my driving tires are 235/95/16.5, which were the tallest, skinniest tires i liked. stock gearing. trans cooler. and last but not least, i used about 2 and a half liters of acetone, one cup every full tank. i can guarantee that helped me a ton. it helps with all FI gasoline engines, just make sure u dont spill any on the paint, it WILL eat it.
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My '97 without any mods gets 15-18 all around. It has 139,000 miles on it. I knew that when I bought it used and it has been right in that range. I may go to electric fans and water pump if the cost isn't too high. On this old Tahoe, I don't see the need for much in the way of mods. After 2 years, I'll probably just donate it to Purple Heart.
I'm not sure if this pertains to you but there is an updated crank position sensor to fix that, had to do it on my dad's truck, damn thing barely wanted to crank some mornings.
atis
Full Access Member
Wally, I will look into the new crank sensor. I figure with 180,000 miles its getting near its life expectancy. The hard start was the fuel pump...had the dealership replace it. I now have a life time warranty on the FP, 3 yr 100,000 mile on the motor, and 3 yr 100,000 on the tranny...dang its like a new truck.
Ok, I managed my best mpg ever.... 19.1 mpg!!!! Disclaimer is that I drove 190miles of freeway and only stopped once so my daughter could get a soccer ball at Dicks Sporting goods. We live in a small town so wally world is the normal shopping location.
Ok, I managed my best mpg ever.... 19.1 mpg!!!! Disclaimer is that I drove 190miles of freeway and only stopped once so my daughter could get a soccer ball at Dicks Sporting goods. We live in a small town so wally world is the normal shopping location.
SunlitComet
OBS Jedi-Do Good
Still good mileage.
Firstoneman
Member
ok, nothing too impressive, upgrades/mods are as follows: spider, real cold air intake (completely enclosed section with air funnel), high flow cats with megan racing exhaust, copper plugs, 18" fan, local tune, and light syn oil. as an added bonus, my driving tires are 235/95/16.5, ...
Can someone give examples of manufacturers (perhaps links too) of these "spiders"? Also, good suppliers for electric fans for a '99 5.7l Tahoe? Any brand/size fan better than another? Are they complicated to install (i.e. wiring)? Am attempting to improve mpg on a new-to-me Tahoe.
Thanks. D
hahaha, i get 10-12...but I do have 35" tires and 4" sus lift. can't keep my foot out of it
With 35's and a life 10-12 is great mileage for these trucks!
SunlitComet
OBS Jedi-Do Good
for the fuel spider go with this unit. It is from an OEM supplier and comes with the bracket as well. There are different fan setups you can use but a complete ready to install kit would be the flexalite 280 it comes with everything you need and is pricey at $549.Firstoneman
Member
Thanks for the
Lots of great info here - though I'm finding it a bit difficult to decipher what will make the most impact on fuel efficiency up front. Seems like offloading the fan is immediate impact on engine efficiency - but $549 is steep. The spider may or may not - I haven't even driven this Tahoe - picking it up in Texas next week. I figured with a 1400 mile drive I could start the savings right away by doing a couple mods before I got on the road. But really, it seems like I might need to know how the Hoe performs currently before trying anything. Am told it gets around 13-14mpg - combination mileage. I'll pick up some acetone per Billiam's thoughts. It does have 3.73 rear, an L31 5.7liter, and 4 speed tranny.
Any other options on the fan? Or, on the spider for that matter? What brand copper plugs are preferred/used by some?
I am a bit perplexed by these vehicles lack of fuel efficiency - generally. I see some get "okay" mileage. My 1991 Chevy ext.cab, 4x4 1/2 ton p/u (210,000+) gets better mileage (16mpg-5.7l 350) than the Tahoe I'm picking up - and about 13-14 when I'm hauling 3 tons of stone plus tools - I do have a 5-speed manual tranny. Just wondering how this all really works. I have a 96 Explorer and a guy on a forum with a similar vehicle built his 6cyl Explorer up to 34mpg - better than my Acura Integra. A buddy of mine with a stock 4x4 1999 V8 Explorer (kept tuned) gets 19 mpg - no mods. So it is possible to create significant efficiency gains in some vehicles like these Tahoes.
Cheers and Thanks!
Dave
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