Truck Plan Update

[magnethead]

Well Here's an update: We've narrowed our selection down to a dodge ram 1500 or a van..no joke. We couldn't even find a ext. cab with 75+" of bed length. We test drove a Ram 1500 Lone Star edition with a HEMI :drool: and it's the most likely to be bought...considering it's the only crew cab we could find with a big enough bed (dodge doesn't make extended cab's anymore- they replaced that half door with a normal door thats the same width).

There's one thing- the ram was 14/18 on the fuel sticker, the chevy HD's (the other option- crew cab 8' bed, but much more $$) were 9/12 on the sticker. My dad figures he could just use our dually since it's actually got a decent turning radius- he just doesn't know if he could fit it into the parking slots without taking up 2 slots.

We assume we can easily get our dually to that 9/12 mark for much less than that 30K+ price tag of the HD and still have a full size cab and 8.2' bed. Does this make sense and look like it could add a hefty bit of fuel mileage?

New intake
New Carb
New Radiator (currently leaks)
electric fans
cold air intake

add to that a fixing of the heat/AC system. After we made some decent money, maybe a gear vendor OD unit would be next for $2500.

What would make that ol' wore out 454 reliable? (definition of reliable: able to withstand 900+ miles a week, week after week after week)

[N2TRUX]

Just so you know that Dodge should get about 13mpg to start with, but after it breaks in it should climb to 15.5mpg average.

I think you should look at putting a TBI set up on the 454 rather than replace the carb, etc. If you want your best fuel economy anyway. Beyond that, use a premium grade of oil and change it every 5k. Yeah I know everyone says at 3k, but that's bogus.
I have had a lot of GM trucks with well over 100k miles, and quit a few with over 200k. My 88 has 385k, and my 96 has 320k all on the same motor. Every one of these trucks have had the oil changed every 5k....

[SanitysBane]

my 454, with a worked over q-jet is getting about 20 on the highway and around 12-14 in town, with a normal cruise rpm on the highway at around 2600 to 2800

[magnethead]

Originally Posted by N2TRUX

Just so you know that Dodge should get about 13mpg to start with, but after it breaks in it should climb to 15.5mpg average.

I think you should look at putting a TBI set up on the 454 rather than replace the carb, etc. If you want your best fuel economy anyway. Beyond that, use a premium grade of oil and change it every 5k. Yeah I know everyone says at 3k, but that's bogus.
I have had a lot of GM trucks with well over 100k miles, and quit a few with over 200k. My 88 has 385k, and my 96 has 320k all on the same motor. Every one of these trucks have had the oil changed every 5k....

The truck has 200-300K miles, with 2/3 of that pulling a trailer equal or heavier than the truck itself in weight. My dad and I dont really know how to set up TBI.

Sanity, your truck has a 700R..we have a 3 speed TH400. Our highway RPM is "screaming"..it doesnt have a tach so i can't tell you for sure..My math says 2800 is 60 MPH in top gear (i say it's screaming because in our camaro (see sig), 2800 would be a pegged needle on the speedo in OD).

[SanitysBane]

well if you know the rear end ratio, the final transmission ratio and the tire hight than you can calculate it.

[magnethead]

well i know that- thats what i did.

Does anybody know what all that would add up to in the fuel dept.?