how to get better gas mileage

I'm new so bare with me. and i thank you all for you imput and info. I'm going to be buying a '96 ranger with a 2.3 sohc waste spark ign. 4x2 5 speed man. I've owned rangers in the past and have better luck with mileage out of a full size truck . The other rangers I've owned got about the same milage as my v8 full size maybe a little better but nothing to write home about. I'm a die hard Ford guy but currently driving a (it hurts to say) 1991 dodge shadow america 2.2l 5 speed man. Although the odometer does not work im guessing I'm averaging about 30-35 mpg and it's going to hurt dropping in mileage. I'm thinking with a shit ton of work and thought, I can better the mpg on the ranger with the old school methods like making a cold air intake (I'm a broke mofo so I build what I can and buy cheap) I'm thinking of using 3" exhaust pipe and wrapping it in header wrap to deflect the heat for the cold air intake and making the exhaust itself as free flowing as possible. Also was thinking on gasket matching upper and lower intakes and changing to hotter plug. Just wondering if it would be worth the effort and how would I tune it to my mods (should I advance the timing a degree or 5 )and was thinking on changing the final drive gear to a high ratio but would need to find a speedometer gear any thoughts?

Just because a car/truck has lower gearing doesn't mean you will get better fuel mileage. IF the motor is turning out 2k and you have it floored vs turning out 3k at half throttle you will get better fuel mileage at 3k. As for the rest my dad has the same setup and he gets about 25-27. Which isn't bad considering the motor as 237k on it. The best thing to do is a complete tune up and make sure all the basic things are in order( engine is running right/No cell/new plugs/wires/clean tps/mas air). Also grease everything. Make sure the wheel bearing are good and free(Not worn out though)

Haywire6000 said:

Just because a car/truck has lower gearing doesn't mean you will get better fuel mileage. IF the motor is turning out 2k and you have it floored vs turning out 3k at half throttle you will get better fuel mileage at 3k. As for the rest my dad has the same setup and he gets about 25-27. Which isn't bad considering the motor as 237k on it. The best thing to do is a complete tune up and make sure all the basic things are in order( engine is running right/No cell/new plugs/wires/clean tps/mas air). Also grease everything. Make sure the wheel bearing are good and free(Not worn out though)

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X2 ^^^^^

Keep it simple, 3" exhaust pipe may make it a tiny bit better, or it may not. Wrapping the exhaust won't do anything but make your exhaust rust out alot quicker. A cold air intake may make it a tiny bit better, or it may not. Transmission, rearend gear ratio, tire size, and how you drive will make the most difference. I'm getting 22 mpg in the city, 27 mpg on the highway with a 5 speed, 3.73 gears, 26" tall tires, and not driving faster than 65-70 mph.

Iam getting 22 mpg and 35 highway, but I have to be doing at least 70mph to use it , I have a true overdrive and not a five speed, 86 2.3 300k plus, and yes it was factory installed says so on the oem label on the sunvisor, one thing for sure that shadow will be dead before that ranger by a long ways, pump them tires up keep it aligned, will eliminate a lot of rolling drag, driving habits make a big difference if they suck so will your mileage

I went to a nice 2.5" exhaust, with an oversized muffler and wrap. No real change in mileage, but that may be because now I can accelerate faster

http://www.therangerstation.com/forums/showthread.php?t=145330

I'm a big fan of exhaust wrap-I've had it on my bike and my truck for 3 years now, no problems. The trick is to paint the pipes, wrap them, then paint the wrap.

My truck is in tip-top shape (new bearings, all fresh synthetics, good tires, aligned, etc.) but I only get 23mpg around Baltimore, because everyone drives so fast. If I only go 55 I can get 28.

If you don't care about appearances and want mileage add a super speed racer front air dam. I did that once upon a time, made from rubber with 1.5" ground clearance. I got roughly 4 more mpgs

Adding a "cammback" which transitions from your cab edge to tailgate is the best, a tonneau cover is second best.

I'm able to completely block the radiator on my 2.5 in the winter, don't know the specific effect on mileage but it should help. Your truck may or may not be as cold blooded.

Road Angels said:

Iam getting 22 mpg and 35 highway, but I have to be doing at least 70mph to use it , I have a true overdrive and not a five speed, 86 2.3 300k plus, and yes it was factory installed says so on the oem label on the sunvisor, one thing for sure that shadow will be dead before that ranger by a long ways, pump them tires up keep it aligned, will eliminate a lot of rolling drag, driving habits make a big difference if they suck so will your mileage

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Mine has the overdrive, taking out the 3.40 rearend gears, and going to the 3.73's I can run in overdrive at 50+ mph. My brothers 92 Ranger had the 3.40 gear, and had the same problem as you (had to be going 70 mph to use it) so I swapped in a 3.73 gear, now he can use overdrive at 50+ mph like I do, has alot better acceleration, doesn't hardly have to downshift to go up a hill like he used to, and it didn't effect his gas mileage. The 3.73's helps keep the engine in it's powerband rather than below it.

Mill the head for better compression, lower it, put an air dam on it. The stock intake does a better job of getting cold air in than most other setups. 2.5" exhaust, use a die grinder to open up the exhaust manifold at the collector. Narrow tires, most people over look that, but next to wind resistance, rolling resistance is the highest mileage sucker.

I was planing on the 3" exhaust with header rap was going to be for the cold air intake . im broke and id bulid what i cant buy and since all a cold air intake is ,is a pice of pipe with rubber hoses and a place for the MAF sensor. and as for the exhaust i was going to keep it bout the same sixt as the out put end of the manifold maybe a 1/4" bigger what ever i cant get my hands on or what evers laying around

I think maybe you have a misconception on the Cold Air Intake(CAI).

Warmer air is less dense than colder air, i.e. "hot air rises", hot air balloons, ect.

The point of a CAI is to keep the air going into the engine as cool as possible so the "air temp" sensor on a fuel injected engine will see there is denser air and add MORE fuel, so better performance, but less MPG.

This is why engines are peppier in colder months, colder air = more fuel added = more power.
So generally you will get better MPG in the summer than in the winter.

And CAIs are a bit of a scam, if you want to have cooler air in the intake put in a 160deg or 180deg Thermostat, it will do a better job than a CAI, but won't sound as good.


Best way to get better MPG is to cut down the weight, run narrower tires, leave tail gate UP.
And make sure engine is in good tune, run 192-195deg t-stat, make sure air "pre-heater" is working
New O2 sensors wouldn't hurt, 60-80,000 miles is the recommended expire for these.

Rangers have poor aerodynamics, but cars with good aerodynamics can't haul stuff, lol, so that's your chosen trade-off

mobilly said:

I'm new so bare with me. and i thank you all for you imput and info. I'm going to be buying a '96 ranger with a 2.3 sohc waste spark ign. 4x2 5 speed man. I've owned rangers in the past and have better luck with mileage out of a full size truck . The other rangers I've owned got about the same milage as my v8 full size maybe a little better but nothing to write home about. I'm a die hard Ford guy but currently driving a (it hurts to say) 1991 dodge shadow america 2.2l 5 speed man. Although the odometer does not work im guessing I'm averaging about 30-35 mpg and it's going to hurt dropping in mileage. I'm thinking with a shit ton of work and thought, I can better the mpg on the ranger with the old school methods like making a cold air intake (I'm a broke mofo so I build what I can and buy cheap) I'm thinking of using 3" exhaust pipe and wrapping it in header wrap to deflect the heat for the cold air intake and making the exhaust itself as free flowing as possible. Also was thinking on gasket matching upper and lower intakes and changing to hotter plug. Just wondering if it would be worth the effort and how would I tune it to my mods (should I advance the timing a degree or 5 )and was thinking on changing the final drive gear to a high ratio but would need to find a speedometer gear any thoughts?

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My suggestions would be this:

• Do not lift the truck.
• Get alloy wheels, they weigh less
• Use factory size tires that are street or light terrain only
• Make sure your tires are properly inflated
• Buy a Scan Gauge II or Install a vacuum gauge to help you stay off the pedal
• Make sure you have a tailgate and keep it up

Here is info from FuelEconomy.gov:
96 Ranger compared to 91 Dodge Shadow | Driving More Efficiently | Keeping Your Car In Shape | Fuel-efficient Driving Techniques

I would say do not alter the exhaust maybe you can swap out a good cat and muffler from the bone yard or go new. shift at higher rpms. lugging a four cylinder will reduce mileage. Get the engine close to 100% as possible change all the gear oil from tranny to rear axel. Then be light on the skinny pedal as was stated. Does it have the stock rear differential confirm the ratio with the tag on the cover?

Cold air does make more power, but more dense air makes more power, and if you stay off the throttle, cold air will make the same mpg. They problem isn't density, the problem is always the driver. At least when it comes to changes in air temp.

I put smaller tires on my BII (got them free, wouldn't normally have done otherwise). On my next big trip I noticed my fuel economy increased from 22 to 24 miles per gallon. That was really cool.

But at the same time, Dayton Ohio (my destination in that trip) which used to be 600 miles was now 660 miles taking the exact same route.. Oh well, so much for the better fuel economy eh.

Not to bust any bubbles but the Ranger (if stock) already has a CAI and any of those fancy under hood filters are a great way to spend your way slower.

But the nice thing is you can make the stock CAI better by removing the muffler in the center portion, the snorkus in the fender and install a cleanable high flow air cleaner to let more air in. Search and you will find all the simple mods that make the most difference..

Larger exhaust would only be good for a few top end horses and may make driving it a miserable experience with the resonance at speed depending on how fast you drive and what muffler you pick.

Stock sized tires on OEM or lightweight aftermarket alloys will get the best mileage.

Best bet is regular maintenance with quality components and not trying to make it perform like a larger truck. I finally got my 2.3 extended cab 5 speed in the mid 20's MPG wise from the high teens just from doing a throttle body/ intake tract / MAF cleanout, Fresh sparkplugs and spiral wound 8mm wires, synthetic 10-30 oil, low rolling resistance tires and driving it like I owned it (instead of stolen it) made a HUGE difference.

The 4 bangers unless turbo'd or heavily modified accelerate about the same if you are pushing the limits or driving normally so enjoy the ride and dont expect the moon and stars from 100 or so Horsepower in a 3200lb vehicle.

This horse has been beaten enough already

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