mpggggg

[gordo]

Measure the inlet "snorkel" !

I was reading this thread and I think you may be overlooking a real issue with intake air restriction. That "snorkel" that comes from behind the headlight on my '08 XLT is tiny. There is also a rubber deflector flap that's out behind the headlight bucket - probably because of the wiring harnesses passing through the same access hole. All this stuff is ahead of the filter element.

When I get some down-time, I am going to take that assembly completely out and take some measuements, etc. If it's as restricted as what it looks like initially, maybe putting some holes through the bottom of the air-box, ahead of the filter element, would get more air through the filter.

 

[Wicked_Sludge]

the factory snorkel isnt smaller than the factory TB. that rubber deflector is to keep water out of the intake and engine compartment. think about this...engines with more HP sell better. if increasing the output of these engines was as simple as increasing the size of the factory snorkel (which would cost the same for ford to manufacture either way), they would have done so. theres a reason its the size it is.

drilling holes in the airfilter box allows warm engine air to enter the engine. warm air is less dense and thus produces less power per stroke...meaning your engine makes less power and you need to get heavier into the throttle to maintain speed...thus, less economy.

 

[jax4bangin]

was that focus running fuel with ethenol?? iv herd that that stuff kills mileage

 

[Wicked_Sludge]

like i said, i saw focus' all day long (i was a service tech at a ford dealership here in town)...it wasnt just one car.

they dont make a flex fuel 2.3...so no they werent running ethanol.

 

[gordo]

Snorkel measurements

The "snorkel" (Part # XL2U-9A675-AA) measures 1.793" ID on the inlet and 2.301" ID on the outlet (air-box side).

So, it's 2.52 sq-in inlet and 4.15 sq-in outlet. That's 36% less area at the inlet of that snorkel. That will restrict the air-flow.

This is a 2008 and has an altogether different cold-air set up that my other (older) Ranger. I am glad I took this apart because for a company so intent on making sure I have max-horsepower they hadn't done a great assembly job. The plastic "push-pin" on the left side of the rubber inlet boot was never pushed into the hole in the sheet-metal cowl, so the boot had dropped and it was partially blocking the snorkel. The other side of the snorkel was allowing plenty of engine compartment air into the air-box. This is why it looked so strange to me initially and I wasn't able to pass anything through the snorkel-tube and out to the space behind the headlight. I thought that there must have been a screen on the front of the snorkel-tube. At least it's put together correctly, now.

 

[milje]

I've made the trip from my parents house to my apartment at college on less than 2.9 gallons of gas before (filled it right to the top because I didn't believe it was full), it's a 100 mile trip. Not sure how much more gas that was than just letting it click off, but figure it at 35+ mpg. Truck is bone stock except for a tonneau cover. It's really hilly on the drive up, no nice flat ground, 60 mph except for slowing down for towns.


I've only done that once, a few times I got low 30's, usually around 29.

 

[crazypj]

Best I ever got was 34mpg at around 60~65mph. had about 400lbs in bed and passenger (coming back from NH, awful lot of cops in Maryland)
Had a tarp over bed, pulled tight so that may have helped?
The weight only makes a difference if your going uphill or pulling off, when its moving, its moving.
Only dropped to 23mpg coming back from Pennsylvania with 4 Honda CB360's in the back (about 1600 lbs+) braking was 'interesting'
It ain't that far to Florida
'Normal'? driving, 27~29mpg.
PJ