87 4X4 Gas Mileage

[RustedRanger]

I finally got my Ranger running decent enough to check the gas milage for a tank of gas. Yesterday I came up on 300 miles and the gauge was getting close to empty and I was only a mile from the gas station so I filled it up. It took slightly less that 13.5 gallons to fill it up and that comes out to 22.2222 miles per gallon. The only things different than stock are a "cone" air filter on the intake tube,a cherry bomb glass pack,semi sythetic oil with synthetic Lucas oil treatment and a can of Restore. My tires are a little shorter than stock (225/70/15's) so the speedo seems to read about 58 at 55 mph. I realize the short tires will raise the miles a bit so I figure maybe 21 mpg avg?
I'm guessing its probably getting 23,24 mpg highway? I live in the country so I probably do 1/3rd of my driving in town or going through towns. I'm happy with the mpg Do my estimations seem right to you all? It seems really good for having 149,000+ miles. I have done A LOT of work to this truck to get running right,it still stumbles around a little at idle but a friend who does vehicle diagnostics checked it out and told me that it runs good for the age and miles.

 

[baxtej44]

wtf... i get like 14 city on my 1988 xlt 4x4 2.9L v6..
i get nervous around 190 miles for a tank
and mine only has around 85,000 miles on it

maybe i need a different air intake system?

 

[RustedRanger]

Baxte,it does seem to do much worse in town. I drive easy too. I used a Spectre cone filter because my air filter box was broken and needed a new filter and Autozone had that air filter for $20 bucks. It's a 3 inch inlet but it clamped onto the outside of the stock air inlet tube just fine after removing the air filter box. I used a couple zip-ties to hold it in place. (edit) Sorry for the double post....I only hit post once.

 

[baxtej44]

Baxte,it does seem to do much worse in town. I drive easy too. I used a Spectre cone filter because my air filter box was broken and needed a new filter and Autozone had that air filter for $20 bucks. It's a 3 inch inlet but it clamped onto the outside of the stock air inlet tube just fine after removing the air filter box. I used a couple zip-ties to hold it in place. (edit) Sorry for the double post....I only hit post once.

so where it goes from the actual engine to the air filter box you got rid of the box and it just goes straight to a filter then? no box?

 

[RustedRanger]

Yea I took the box clear out. I clamped the filter right onto the end of the rubber intake hose. I guess most 2.9's have a couple vacume lines that run to the air box that need plugged. All the ones I saw in the junkyard had these two lines also but mine didn't. I don't know how to upload photos here or I'd post a picture.

 

[wrecking-crew]

i still need to do my gas mileage. but with the lucas gas treatment, it idles better. im going to try gumout. see how well that works

 

[88gt]

wtf... i get like 14 city on my 1988 xlt 4x4 2.9L v6..
i get nervous around 190 miles for a tank
and mine only has around 85,000 miles on it

maybe i need a different air intake system?

if you truck seems to run fine and just gets crappy mileage, try to change both of your battery cables, they could be corroded thru and you wouldnt know cuz you can see the cable. my 88 got lousy mileage, about 13, and after i changed the cables, back to 21mpg. give it a shot , 20 dollars in cables is quickly recouped in gas money now at days

 

[Hahnsb2]

I finally got my Ranger running decent enough to check the gas milage for a tank of gas. Yesterday I came up on 300 miles and the gauge was getting close to empty and I was only a mile from the gas station so I filled it up. It took slightly less that 13.5 gallons to fill it up and that comes out to 22.2222 miles per gallon. The only things different than stock are a "cone" air filter on the intake tube,a cherry bomb glass pack,semi sythetic oil with synthetic Lucas oil treatment and a can of Restore. My tires are a little shorter than stock (225/70/15's) so the speedo seems to read about 58 at 55 mph. I realize the short tires will raise the miles a bit so I figure maybe 21 mpg avg?
I'm guessing its probably getting 23,24 mpg highway? I live in the country so I probably do 1/3rd of my driving in town or going through towns. I'm happy with the mpg Do my estimations seem right to you all? It seems really good for having 149,000+ miles. I have done A LOT of work to this truck to get running right,it still stumbles around a little at idle but a friend who does vehicle diagnostics checked it out and told me that it runs good for the age and miles.

Your mileage sounds about right, my B2 when it was stock would do 23MPG highway.

wtf... i get like 14 city on my 1988 xlt 4x4 2.9L v6..
i get nervous around 190 miles for a tank
and mine only has around 85,000 miles on it

maybe i need a different air intake system?

You don't need an "intake". It's a 2.9 auto 4x4 driving around the city, 14 sounds about right.

 

[RustedRanger]

I forgot to add that I did have Lucas gas treatment in that tank. Also something weird...... when my friend checked out my truck the vacume was kinda low at 15-16 so I put the Restore in the oil and the gas treatment in and filled it up and it started running worse so after about 90 miles I unhooked the battery to "clear" the computer and when I hooked it back up and drove it I was amazed how much better it runs and idles. From that I gather that it made enough difference that the computer couldnt adjust enough for it running better. I had run cleaner in the gas 3 or 4 times before that.

 

[baxtej44]

Yea I took the box clear out. I clamped the filter right onto the end of the rubber intake hose. I guess most 2.9's have a couple vacume lines that run to the air box that need plugged. All the ones I saw in the junkyard had these two lines also but mine didn't. I don't know how to upload photos here or I'd post a picture.

yes i have 2 lines i would have to plug.. but no idea how to do that...

if you truck seems to run fine and just gets crappy mileage, try to change both of your battery cables, they could be corroded thru and you wouldnt know cuz you can see the cable. my 88 got lousy mileage, about 13, and after i changed the cables, back to 21mpg. give it a shot , 20 dollars in cables is quickly recouped in gas money now at days

how intensive is replacing the cables though? i guess i've never even looked where they go from there... but it probably wouldn't be a bad idea, they've gotta be stock cables i'm sure, and old cables on a new(1 year old) battery isn't probably the best set up.

i'd be in love with 21mpg!

 

[b2rich]

i got 11 and 13 before i did a trany fluid and filter change and did a oil change with castrol edge. going up the oregon coast i got 19. pretty happy with that.
running 235.75.15s

 

[RustedRanger]

I just looked online at a couple sites and here is what they show: fueleconomy.gov for an 87 shows 16 city and 20 hwy but it says the figures are revised to compare to 2008 and up estimates and doesnt show manual or auto, mpgomatic.com shows for an 87 manual trans:18 city 22 hwy,17-22 for auto trans. 88 17 and 21 for auto and 18-23 for manual. All these are for the 2.9L.