Tuning questions

[BaconBritches]

Hey, I’m a newbie around here. Bought a 95 Ram 1500 with the 5.2. Single cab, regular bed, 2wd but sits pretty high. 261,000 miles but most everything has been completely rebuilt. No mechanical problems at all. With rising gas prices I thought about getting my truck tuned, but I decided I’d rather save the money and see what kind of tuning work I can do to hopefully slightly increase power, but ultimately get better fuel economy. I don’t expect any amazing fuel economy. After all, it’s a Dodge. Haha! but I use it as a truck hauling hay and feed and random stuff. Nothing insanely heavy. It’s my daily because I can’t afford two vehicles. Since this truck predates obd2 I haven’t been able to find much around the internet about tuning this truck. I know I may not get the results that a professional tuner would, but if a little bit of time and a small amount of money make a small difference then it’s worth it to me. I’ve heard mixed results about aftermarket computer systems. Anyways, my point is, any advice on the tuning of this truck especially for fuel economy without too much power loss would be greatly appreciated. Thanks a ton!

 

[pacofortacos]

Honestly, one of the biggest gains in power AND mpg is also one of the simplest. Get rid of the clutch fan and go electric.
I gained 2-3 mpg across the board on my 99 5.2 dakota.
A tune can help a bit but removing the clutch fan was a big gainer for me.

 

[BaconBritches]

Thank you! I’ll start researching those. I knew about them, but they didn’t come to mind. I appreciate it!

 

[Daw14]

Oversized tires will also help consume more fuel.

 

[pacofortacos]

As far as a tune up, I ran Mopar cap and rotor, summit 8 mm wires, a msd 6A with a stock oem round oil filled coil from for an 90's 4 cylinder mopar car (could probably just use a later model coil), and jeep 4.0L plugs. Mine didn't ping on 87 octane, if yours does this setup may not work.
As far as tune to the PCM, there aren't a lot of options, there used to be one or 2 people who were flashing the PCM. Used to be a Mopar performance PCM too if I remember correctly. Was a long time ago.

 

[BaconBritches]

Ok. Thanks so much for the info y’all. I’m currently getting about 14-15 mpg combined, which is not bad at all for a second gen. But I figured I’d see if there’s room for improvement. Y’all have been really helpful. The 5.2 combined with the fact that it’s 2wd and single cab regular bed helps on the fuel economy side I believe. and My tires I believe are the stock size. Although for a 2wd the truck does sit fairly high. Also, the previous owner of this truck added a cold air intake. It doesn’t have an air dam or anything so it’s just sucking hot air, but it probably is a bit more free flowing than the stock system. The exhaust is also no longer stock. He pulled the original muffler and tail pipe in lieu of a glass pack and a Flowmaster super 10 that exits underneath the bed. What I’m leading up to is, I don’t think it’s running quite within its normal air and fuel ratio. If I give it a bit too much gas from idle and let off it almost dies for a second and then comes back. That is also why I was interested in tuning because I wanted to see if I could get it running perfectly. When I start it I smell gas which would lead me to believe it’s running rich. Figured if I could get to the bottom of that it could lead to improvement. Starts every time and runs great. Feels peppy for what it is and haven’t had any motor issues. I just know that it’s not quite running within its normal limits.

 

[pacofortacos]

If you only smell gas when you start it, it could be a small fuel leak or leaking injectors that bleed down after you shut it off.

 

[Nealuss]

The first thing I would look at is the plenum plate (do a search here on the forum and you will learn all you need to know.) When it begins to leak it will act like a large vacuum leak at times. With an open exhaust set up you may even hear somewhat of a backfire. It also wouldn't hurt to replace your 27 year old oxygen sensor. On an obd1 vehicle you don't have the computer to tell you it's not reading efficiently anymore until there is a circuit problem.

 

[dapepper9]

Tuning options are full aftermarket fuel management like a Holley Terminator or similar, converting to OBD2 with a 96/97 parts truck or swapping to carb