A Question For You Guys That Personally Know

[Blaine]

Do you have personal knowledge that a good open muffler, Flowmaster for example, and a performance air filter like a K&N improve MPGs? I'm talking about my new F-250 with the 6.2 gas motor. It's a real monster and I'm liking it.

[crs]

I have turbos and K&N on the Ford V6 in my Sunbeam Alpine, but sports car drivers never check gas mileage.

[Pete44ru]

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I've used both on automobiles, and K&N air filters on my Norton Commando - but installed them for improved performance, and not with an eye toward better gas mileage.

Both installations required additional work - like carb re-jetting & other (needle & float) "adjustments". (F.I. engines might require computer mods, but IDK for sure)


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[GunnyMack]

The muffler rotted off just after the resonater on my Dodge 5.9 Cummins. After market pipes & muffler were about 500 wholesale. So I spent 60 bucks for 1 pipe and a down turn exhaust tip. Now the exhaust dumps out in front of rear wheels. Has my mileage changed? Not really, still average around 20-21.
It is true that less back pressure is a benefit but are you going to see major gains- doubtful. Couple MPGs for a gas burner is really doing something.
Of course the bigger the displacement engine the lower the MPGs.
Just be happy it's NOT a boat or airplane, then you would be talking gallons per hour!

[Pete44ru]

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More like GPM (Gallons/minute).........


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[Sixgun]

Absolutely. I run K&N air filters on my three Jeeps....on top of that, I punch out a section of the original factory box that holds the K&N for more air flow. These air filters are the way to go....good for a lifetime. I clean and recharge mine once a year.

A week after buying my Rubicon, I replaced the exhaust with a Borla stainless steel....guaranteed for life. It's not a radical loud muffler...they are for punks....it's a performance sounding muffler.

It's called "letting more air in and letting more air out"====more power and better mileage.

Here in the East, where power is paramount for personal prestige, all the knowing guys here do these two things after purchasing a vehicle. The Feds have engines all choked up but at the same time, you don't want to go too far with this as the computers on engines depend on some backthrust.

You had better check first as your in Washington and I'm assuming you have the same crazy environmental laws as California does. Just stop in any four wheel drive shop and they will guide you.----6

[harry]

Do you have personal knowledge that a good open muffler, Flowmaster for example, and a performance air filter like a K&N improve MPGs? I'm talking about my new F-250 with the 6.2 gas motor. It's a real monster and I'm liking it.

Blaine the cold air intake is a good idea but you won't gain much with the muffler, your money would be better spent on a high flow cat first because most of your restriction is in the catalytic converters

[Tycer]

No it will not.
Performance will increase if your computer map allows it and your injectors match it but no. Airflow matters squat at less than WOT(Wide Open Throttle). Up your tire pressure a bit and google hypermile.

[Sixgun]

Tycer,
I beg to differ with you......I have no idea where you get your info but I do know, from experience, for a fact it works. Maybe no dramatic increase but in the dozen or so instances that I have been personally involved in, it has worked....noticeably. My son, who is a hard core off road Jeeper tells me the first thing the guys in Colorado do is change out the exhaust and air filter on Jeeps, pick up trucks, and especially diesel trucks. If it did not work, there would be no billion dollar business for aftermarket filters and exhaust.

In diesel trucks, most knowledable guys get rid of the skinny exhaust pipes and go to the bigger variety..not sure on size..4"? Then some guys who have lots of loot to spare chip it out. My best friends son, who drives a King Ranch Ford Diesel smokes the tires..and I mean smokes em after changing out the exhaust. My buddy Gunny, who drives a 60K diesel Ford and pulls a 32' fifth wheel did the same to his truck after buying it new.

UPS, upon getting new delivery trucks change out the exhaust to Borla.

[Blaine]

I don't expect the moon and the stars, but a 1 or 2 MPG increase would be huge. Air filter and muffler won't hurt my warranty.
I once had an old 72 F250 Camper Special with the 390. When I ran it without the air cleaner, it bumped the mpg up 2 mpg...

[rossim92]

flowmaster have resonating chambers with no packing and will drone, you can hear inside the cab, magnaflows use stainless steel packing and will not drone, in my opinion magnaflows sound better. even better after packing settlers down a bit.. use an cold air box with a k@n filter. engine will breathe much better coming and going. sometimes this will help mileage, sometimes no change. I guess it all depends on engine management system setup. You might have to get it reflashed.

[Camel73]

One of my old road toys had that stuff, among other things..

I had a couple flowfasters on a 3" crossover exhaust. On top was a k&n with an airflow top too, cowl induction hood. I could definitely tell a change in mpg.. just like people who reload to save $. I could also definitely tell if you had false teeth.

Throttle response at the higher rpm range improved noticeably. Those were some good times.

[gundownunder]

When you read about economy or power increases with after market add-ons you will notice that they pretty much all say "UP TO" when they talk about improvements.
So "up to 10%", means, "from 0% to 10% depending on how you drive, the phase of the moon, or how much liberty we have taken with the truth".
I run a K&N filter on my 4 liter Ford Falcon. If I am getting any extra mileage it is insignificant as far as I can see. The real advantage to the K&N is that it lasts pretty much for as long as I'm likely to own the vehicle and yet only costs 40% more than a throw away filter that Ford want to replace every year or so.

[crs]

BTT

[Tycer]

Six

I don't know pelosi from shineola but I stayed at a Holiday Inn once...

He asked about fuel economy in a gas 4 cycle engine. At idle, quarter throttle, half throttle etc. there is not a demand for more air or fuel over what the stock box gives. Having the potential of more airflow is useless for fuel economy.

The computer maintains a perfect A/F ratio and once the throttle plate is open to a point where the vacuum of dropping pistons exceeds the available air mass, close to WOT or more often never, the computer interprets the lack of O2 as too rich a mixture and dials back the fuel the injectors provide (IF the injectors are large enough) robbing the engine of potential power. Opening up the air and exhaust takes advantage of unused injector potential at deeper throttle. Before computers, when opening up the air we often had to re-jet the carbs with larger orifices or the engine would run lean and hot at wide open and it took a dyno and an O2 sensor up the pipe to dial in. Today fiddling with air to gain more power often requires remapping and bigger injectors or you end up with a weird dead spot or screwy throttle feel at some unknown RPM and chucking some un-tuned exhaust will definitely cause a drone at some RPM(Murphy will pick the one you drive most). CAT-back exhausts like your Borla are usually tuned to avoid this with stock manifolds. Remapping also adjusts valve timing on those with VVT which can really increase torque. We used to have to advance the timing with timing chain sprockets to gain that torque back that was stolen by the drive for lower emissions.

Want better gas milage without fiddling with the engine? Go to a taller final drive ratio with larger rolling diameter tires of the same or narrower width or swapping to taller diff gears.

[Blaine]

Want better gas milage without fiddling with the engine? Go to a taller final drive ratio with larger rolling diameter tires of the same or narrower width or swapping to taller diff gears.

On trucks, I can attest that making the truck taller creates less MPGs....I have no idea about cars, but increased wind resistance = less MPG

[Sixgun]

Tycer,
Yep...Your right..I was wrong.....on the newer cars/trucks. My brain is still some years back.

Just off the phone with the expert and replacing the air filter and bigger, easier flowing exhaust produces nothing as the computer senses more air flow and therefore will lean out the fuel. He said you might get away with it but you have to chip it out.

Easiest way to get more low end power is to change out the gears.

The days of backyard mechanics are done.----6

[ollogger]

Blaine, I can tell you when I ran KN filters on my chain saws it increased run time on a tank of gas from 5 to 15 minutes
with much more power, how many more miles to a gallon I got? I don't have a clue? at best maybe one more tree per tank
I have a 4 door 1 ton ford with a 460 1997, every thing I read bout it says be happy if it gets 12 on a trip, mine will get almost 15
at 65 mph, run it up to 80 & things change fast & not for the best, seems you can spend a lot on after market parts & really
get no where, my Ford is stock except rims & tires




Brad

[M. M. Wright]

Blaine,
It's been a while back but my '01 Dodge/Cummins gained a mile and a half when I put the K&N intake and the 5" stainless exhaust on it. That 24 valve wore out so we put an old 12 valve out of a school bus in it a couple weeks ago and it's getting 19.5-20 now. '04 GMC 4x4 with a 366 ( I forget the liters) is doing 19 with K&N and 2" exhaust. '49 3100 with SB 400 & 700R4--never mind.

[Blaine]

Blaine, I can tell you when I ran KN filters on my chain saws it increased run time on a tank of gas from 5 to 15 minutes
with much more power, how many more miles to a gallon I got? I don't have a clue? at best maybe one more tree per tank
I have a 4 door 1 ton ford with a 460 1997, every thing I read bout it says be happy if it gets 12 on a trip, mine will get almost 15
at 65 mph, run it up to 80 & things change fast & not for the best, seems you can spend a lot on after market parts & really
get no where, my Ford is stock except rims & tires




Brad

This is my 4th F250, so I know not to expect much. I think the K&N will be a no brainer just because it doesn't have to be replaced. I'll probably get a different muffler because I haven't grown up yet and like the sound. If I get 1 mile to the gallon better it will pay off eventually. Especially when I put on a camper.

[Tycer]

Set your calendar to clean and reoil it. Do not use any compressed air on it. Do not over oil. It will not look the same as new after reoiling. You will be adding more superfine silica to your oil so don't skip oil changes.

[Rusty]

Why not do away with the mufflers all together? You should have twin cats on it. Just find a shop that will cut the pipes after the cats and run the pipes out from there. It will make you feel like you're 19 again.

[Blaine]

For now, K & N has not come out with an air filter for a '17 F250 6.2 gas V8....maybe towards the end of the year.

Removing mufflers altogether is out of the question.

I've picked up about 1 mpg after nearly 2,000 miles break in.

A Flowmaster 50 series, or 70 series will do nicely. Not too loud, but badazz in a subtle sort of way.