Strange way to improve fuel economy?

[Nhaz]

Is it possible for a engine to be working fine but have enough junk in the engine to harm fuel economy?

I slammed my 4.0 pretty hard this weekend. Hard enough to bend a front axle bust out both my front lights, snap one of the top mounts on the rad(spewing coolant), put a dent in the backside of the cab from the bed impacting it(not sure why the window didn't bust). And shift the driver side fender back so its in contact with the door.

And my fuel economy went from about 500 kilometers per tank to about 900 kilometers per tank.

 

[Dweano]

Did you put a fuel magnet on it!?!?!?! Those things will like double economy haha...but that is really strange, i wish...are you sure you calculated it correctly? Its possible you added a bit of gas and didn't reset the trip odo. I've done that and i always am happy i'm getting great fuel economy...until i realize i added more gas lol

 

[Jay FX4]

I'm going out to wrap my truck around a tree right now....

 

[Nhaz]

LoL. It was a really steep hill that I took too fast. I got some air .. enough air that I was only seeing sky.

And to be perfectly honest. I did this 600 kilometers from my house and I would fill the tank when it got to 3/4 full. I was getting 225-260 on 1/4 tank. prior to that. 150 on a good day.

oh and my back hurts.. =>

 

[Jay FX4]

That is strange...

Glad you're okay, and glad you're truck is still runnin'.

 

[Dweano]

Whoa wait dude...your getting 500km's to a tank with a 4.0 OHV in a 4x4? I'm lucky if my 4.0 OHV 4x4 gets 400kms to a tank when i baby it on the highway...do i got something wrong?

 

[Toms01PSD]

Whoa wait dude...your getting 500km's to a tank with a 4.0 OHV in a 4x4? I'm lucky if my 4.0 OHV 4x4 gets 400kms to a tank when i baby it on the highway...do i got something wrong?

Yes. Read original post. Beat the living shit out of your truck.

 

[el_conquistador]

Yes. Read original post. Beat the living shit out of your truck.

 

[Jay FX4]

Hey Tom quoted me! U RULE!

 

[AllanD]

If I was only getting 400km's to the tank on my 4.0(OHV) 5sp 4.10 geared 4x4 I'd be
really pissed off. That's only 250miles to a tank!

I typically get atleast 340miles (548km) out of 20gallons of gas.

My personal record is 420miles (622km) out of a 20gallon tank
Yeah, that's right 21mpg.

Just a few weeks ago I drove back from Indiana TOWING another Ranger
(a 1991 3.0 5sp longbox truck with a 4.0 in the bed), the total trip? 678miles
Fuel used? 43gallons 15.7mpg

that's a 4.0 driving TWO rangers and still getting almost 16mpg
at a steady 65-70mph with the A/C running full blast.

so I gotta ask, what are you guys doing wrong?

AD

 

[Jay FX4]

so I gotta ask, what are you guys doing wrong?

Right foot.

 

[AllanD]

Take a ride with me sometime, you won't feel like you are going slow at all

Ask anyone who's ever ridden with me...

It's all about technique.

I'm absolute hell on "energy management" maintaining speed rather than slowing unnecssarily and while I'll accelerate hard I'll rarely actually use full throttle.

The point is avoiding "open loop" operation of the engine.
Keep it in "Closed loop" and you go 95% as fast,
but you burn 30% less fuel.

AD

 

[Toms01PSD]

LOL. I thought it was hilarious Jay.

Allan, I get up to speed and hold it steady. I still get crap gas mileage. I'm just used to it...

 

[Dweano]

Whoa...I'm used to crap mileage but apparently i can do better. AllanD please help me! Haha, I hate paying for gas. Heres what I got: 4.0L OHV, 4x4, 4-speed auto, 3.73 gears....33 inch tires. I know what your thinking...big tires kills mileage, EXCEPT!... day one i bought it, bone stock...400km's to a tank. The big tires did not affect mileage at all hardly. And i do not drive like a maniac, I accelerate slowly (keeping it under 3000 rpm's...usually trying to keep it around 2300 when accelerating and around 2300 rpm's on gravel,(in third cuz i go slower and its hard to keep it in over drive on the gravel) but on pavement i leave it in overdrive and try to keep rev's around 2000 for cruising. So i don't know what i am doing wrong, most of my driving is like...70% highway and 30% town. But still i was assuming i got abnormally low mpgs. I'm going to replace the fuel filter, air filter, pcv valve and spark plugs when i can and hopefully see a change. I also saw a thread awhile ago that said a bad ECT sensor would make mileage crappy...so tempted to replace that too.
P.S. I realize this is kinda thread jacking...if its more appropriate to start my own thread someone just tell me and i would be happy too
P.P.S. I would try the wrapping it around a tree and/or other methods of beating the shit outta it...but the one dent i have already bugs me so more would just make me sad

 

[JohnnyO]

Is it possible you broke the exhaust and thus less restriction?