The Famous MPG Thread part ????????

[RAMnCali]

What's happening all? As you can see from my posts and sig there's not much going on with my girl...........yet. I'm playing the ol' MPG angle to do some mods, but I mean it for real not just a wife excuse. So here's what I have going on, followed by some ?'s for all you out there in Knowledge Land.

1. I have a 3815 on the way, $167.50 unlocked. The consensus I hear is 91 octane tune gets best mileage(?) from searching posts. This actually plays into my $ plan since 91 octane is at Costco and 89 isn't. So that part is good.

2. Consensus also tells me intake/exhaust improvements are my best chance of getting the 2 MPG gain I seek. Budget is a serious concern because this has to pay off in 8,000 miles or I don't want to put in the $. My calculated gas savings assuming 2 MPG is $427; but I don't want to spend over $200 to leave some room for error or too much WOT

3. So for intake, after seeing this SynthaFlow AIRAID Jr Air Intake 03-08 Dodge Ram 5.7L Hemi 300-724 (642046307240) | eBay
it got me thinking: is the restriction the stock airbox or piping? Could I make a larger, smoother connection to the intake, and increase the diameter of the cold air snorkel to increase cold air flow using the stock box and not having to buy a new filter or a kit? Or better off with high quality cone filter and homemade PVC/ducting CAI?

4. For exhaust, I've had my eye on kits from the eBay store Magnum Exhaust; they have a small selection of mufflers but is 1/2 the price of the Flowmaster kit ($235 vs $500) of the same clamp on style. What is the biggest bang for buck? Would just hacking off the stock muffler and replacing with something like the SI/SO 3" Flowmaster 50 HD give some breathing, or does my truck still have other choke points that would make this just a sound difference? My father-in-law has all the tools except a welder so we would do clamp/slip on for now.

Basically this: I can't put a lot into this right now, so would any of the above get me by for a couple years until I can do this right? Thanks for any suggestions.

 

[KGBIGCOUNTRY]

Your list will help, changing the muffler wont do awhole lot for MPGs. It would be cheaper just to get a shop to put in the less restrictive muffler of your choice.

 

[RAMnCali]

Well, the only shop I would go to quoted me $500 with labor and I was thinking about a $60 Magnaflow straight 3" muffler set with muffler clamps or using a reducer held with JB weld, also reading about stock resonator and contemplating removing that. Is that too ghetto or would it help get a little closer there for awhile?

 

[KGBIGCOUNTRY]

$500 to toss in a muffer and replace the stock resonator with a pipe? That $500 sounds more like running a new mufller single in/ dual out with two pipes and new tips. It was $100 for my last exhaust setup which included the muffler then the pipe to dump it under the truck along with the hanger. What was the shop that quoted you going to do?

 

[mikehutch]

I paid less than $100 for the muffler and the extension pipe for the shorter muffler that I installed. Then $180 for the muffler shop to run split duals out the back plus weld the parts I installed.

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[the codes]

my shop charged me 40 dollars to replace my old muffler. idk what the options are for you but I got a new, bored out tb that was basically cut down like a racing tb and I have seen mpg increase. no numbers yet though.


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[RAMnCali]

Oh yeah yeah I'm a little pain med looped, it was a dual Flowmaster set up but I am still thinking that they will be around $120-130 with local tax (9.75%) vs Amazon's $83.34 for 2 clamps and the muffler all free Prime shipping, but I'll give them a call.

 

[truckin151]

The restriction on the intake it that hat and and tube, Pick up a filter from Autozone or Orielies for $20 (+/-) and some piping from the hardware store and build one for under $50. Exhaust, find a new shop, should only be around $100-$120 for what you are asking them to do.

Between those two mods expect half a mpg gain. Definitely not a full 2 mpg's.

Tuner set it on the 91 tune, probably expect 2mpg's out of just that

Combine all 3 and you will more than likely be sitting in the +3-4mpg range.

Downside, its winter right now, so your mileage may drop even lower from the mods added. Summer they will creep back up again.

Downside #2, your truck will sound better and perform better than it has been so your foot WILL sink further into the gas than usual = loss in mpg's.

Upside, it will be like driving a completely different vehicle and be much more fun.

 

[mikehutch]

Downside #2, your truck will sound better and perform better than it has been so your foot WILL sink further into the gas than usual = loss in mpg's.

Upside, it will be like driving a completely different vehicle and be much more fun.

Lol, I've done the muffler and cai. Just picked up the tuner and did the 87 tune. First tank of gas with the tune was my worst MPG tank yet. ......but it was fun.

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[RAMnCali]

Thanks for all the input so far everyone, although 1 thing that makes some things harder to translate is the prices; our cost of living out here is ridiculous as one of the most expensive places to live in the country. Would I get a similar or better response by chopping off the resonator and running straight pipe from the muffler? That would be even better if it was cheaper and not too loud. (Using clamps also perfect to put back for visual inspection) Then I might be able to put more into the intake and make things simple. It's a little early but I'm feeling like a spark plug change might be due, kinda sluggish mileage lately. 55k so TB clean while I'm in the intake. I've read waaaay too many different threads tonight trying to achieve the magic mpg gain.

 

[truckin151]

Well I can tell you for a fact right now that with all my mods in my sig, my mpgs consistently went up and I gained maybe 5-6mpgs total. There is no magic combination that will jump it that much that is cheap or exists.

 

[bigbadram1500]

I have an intake, exhaust, and superchips. I only saw some mpg increase on the interstate and that was after adding the intake.

 

[RAMnCali]

Called the best shop in town, (not gougers, they have almost 5 star Yelp review and they've been straight with me in the past) they quoted mufflers from $95-175 and about $40 install just for the SI/SO, plus tax is over $150. I am getting more confused about it the more I try to look for different solutions. So it's been 10 years since I had JC auto shop, can I ask a bonehead ? There are 3 pieces I see under the truck (2007 5.7 QC): first what I thought is the catalytic converter, straight tubing to a long-ass 8" diameter chamber, then the pipe bends over the axle, and at the tail what looks like a standard muffler. Is the long chamber a resonator or is that the muffler? Just wondering if there is a piece that I can remove to improve flow increase SC 3815 benefit. Or at least know where to cut to insert a muffler and install with stock setup for now since it will prob cost too much to get done at a shop.

 

[Hammer_Z71]

Best fuel economy gain for the money spent is still yanking out that parasitic clutch fan and sticking in an e-fan. About 14 HP gets free'd up on a Ram and you should see your 2 MPG gain - at least in citytown driving conditions...

 

[TheSatinPumpkin]

Might be different for your year buy my stock set up was
Stock Header manifolds >> 2 Cats >> Y Pipe >> Muffler >> Resonator >> Passenger rear tailpipe exit.

I would remove the factory restricted Y pipe for a more flowing Y. Replace the muffler to one of the many muffler options available. Optional is getting aftermarket headers and removing the resonator.

Called the best shop in town, (not gougers, they have almost 5 star Yelp review and they've been straight with me in the past) they quoted mufflers from $95-175 and about $40 install just for the SI/SO, plus tax is over $150. I am getting more confused about it the more I try to look for different solutions. So it's been 10 years since I had JC auto shop, can I ask a bonehead ? There are 3 pieces I see under the truck (2007 5.7 QC): first what I thought is the catalytic converter, straight tubing to a long-ass 8" diameter chamber, then the pipe bends over the axle, and at the tail what looks like a standard muffler. Is the long chamber a resonator or is that the muffler? Just wondering if there is a piece that I can remove to improve flow increase SC 3815 benefit. Or at least know where to cut to insert a muffler and install with stock setup for now since it will prob cost too much to get done at a shop.

 

[RAMnCali]

Ok the muffler is the big chamber? Looks right after watching a Flowmaster install video. So if the rear is the resonator, does that just decrease sound? Would making a cut in the pipe after the muffler just make it louder, which I could then run a short slip connector then a 45 degree or whatever angle fits and dump that IFO the rear tire for a new sound and look? Ditto with a SI/SO muffler replacement, except cut everything off past cat then run pipe to a similar side exit?

IDK, maybe if the shop can do that for $150 I'll go for it but prices in the Bay Area suck......my house payment for a 1400 sq ft house would blow your mind

 

[RAMnCali]

Best fuel economy gain for the money spent is still yanking out that parasitic clutch fan and sticking in an e-fan. About 14 HP gets free'd up on a Ram and you should see your 2 MPG gain - at least in citytown driving conditions...

An E-fan? is that just running off charging system rather than drive belt?

 

[RAMnCali]

The restriction on the intake it that hat and and tube, Pick up a filter from Autozone or Orielies for $20 (+/-) and some piping from the hardware store and build one for under $50. Exhaust, find a new shop, should only be around $100-$120 for what you are asking them to do.

Is there a compelling reason to use a new filter? With the tubing at PepBoys could I just make this and save money on a different filter?

http://www.ebay.com/itm/SynthaFlow-AIRAID-Jr-Air-Intake-03-08-Dodge-Ram-5-7L-Hemi-300-724-/250980172973?pt=Motors_Car_Truck_Parts_Accessories&fits=Year%3A2007|Make%3ADodge|Model%3ARam+1500|Submodel%3ASLT&vxp=mtr&hash=item3a6f9584ad

Just copy this and remove Hemi hat, and drill hole for sensor?

 

[Hammer_Z71]

An E-fan? is that just running off charging system rather than drive belt?

I have a Flex-a-Lite 180 Extreme, only draws 18 amps, but pulls 3300 CFM all the time, no matter of RPM. One of the best (and least expensive) mods I've ever done...

 

[RAMnCali]

Ok, the responses have helped so much. If I can combine for 2-4 mpg with SC, E-fan and a homebrew CAI, I think I have my assignments. Next up pics of the of finished product. Thanks everyone