Want Better Gas Mileage and More Power. Thoughts?

As title says, looking for power and better mileage. Thinking complete exhaust system with long tube headers better breathing on top. Thoughts? Also tired of it downshifting so often when on cruise control. Thinking added power may help the shifting. Is there a transmission program to change shift points?

 

Lets say you spend 1100 bucks doing a full exhaust and get 1mpg. How many years do you have to drive to save 1100 bucks on fuel?

I do agree toyota has the cruise control way too sensitive for downshifts. What size tires are you running?

 

What kind of MPG are you getting currently?

 

"It was my understanding there would be no math."
265/75/16 Toyo 10 ply M/S. Recently got 10ish pulling trailer and probably 14ish general driving.

 

That sounds about normal. Your tire is slightly taller/heavier than factory, that’s probably the main culprit in your cruise control issues.

Really depends on what the budget/goal is. I would do 4.56 gears before a full exhaust if it were me as the cost is similar. Would give you some more rpm’s in all gears

 

Normal as stated above.

Good starting points below in order of cost effectiveness.

1)Reduce weight in your truck.

2)Keep her tuned up. Air tire pressure.

3) Transmissions are sensitive to the exact fluid levels (effects shifting and power transfer).

3.5) Eliminate cats.

4) New Gears.

5) Exhaust.

 

Dirty deeds industries 270cc 12 hole fuel injectors, jba long tube headers, dirty deeds exhaust.

You got bigger tires? Bigger rear gears.

You still got money to burn? Uprade your intake tube with Airaid intake tube. Or uprgade the intire intake system but make sure it's a true cold air intake and not a overpriced hot air intake. Maybe add a snorkel.

If you're not affraid of a little custom work, find a used TRD supercharger for the 2000-2004 4.7L v8 and all the parts to go with it and get to fabricating an adapter plate for it to connect to the top of the 2005-2006 4.7L v8 vvti engine. Then move a.few things around the engine bay and maybe everything fit.nice.
Or
Buy the Underdog Racing Development stage 3 supercharger and intercooler kit for the gx470/4runner v8 and make it fit your truck.

Again if.youre not.afraid of custom work, you can go to any junk yard and find Eaton Generation III M90s superchargers out of old GM cars that you can fab up to work on your engine with enough skill and time.

 

The cheapest and biggest gain is driving habits. Pick up a Scangauge2, calibrate it, run real time mpg and trip average mpg, learn to drive by keeping real time higher than trip average. I would not be surprised if you pick up 2mpg doing this.

 

Hmm I have a sg2 and I've never run the real time. Just the avg. I'll try this. Thanks.

 

It becomes a fun game. Also watch load "LOD" and you'll get a sense for when you're straining the motor.

 

Yeah I've done the load before when I haul a trailer

 

It's a truck. They are what they are. It's the old saying " Speed cost,How fast do you want to go". Exhaust, cold air intakes and such are mostly hype. Very little bang for your buck.

If you want towing power and milage get a diesel. You need to match your truck to your towing needs. I just sold this F-350 to my son because of health/medical reasons. It gets better milage and can tow circles around my Tundra. But I like my Tundra and use it within it's capabilities. Anyway that's just my . 02 cents worth about fuel mileage and power.

 

Well, here's half of the solution:

 

Welcome.

More power and better fuel economy. Those two performance metrix are generally at odds with each other. Pick one.

 

Not true at all. You can get more power and better efficiency, the cost just isn't going to balance the savings on fuel. Those saying "it's a truck", he isn't asking for 40mpg, he just wants improvement. If you can't help move on.

 

As a great engineer once said

 

Good info and good humor too.
I appreciate both.
May go with long-tube headers, more open exhaust/dual, and a K&N air-cleaner. I'll research the gearing a bit more as I don't understand that as well as I should. I like the "sleeper" look more than the "Look at me" kinda lifestyle. To each their own and all that. Any ideas on remapping the shift points on the transmission? My car doesn't need to downshift when climbing a hill and I think that is simply the difference in torgue. If I can get a few more ponies/torgue out of it, it may solve the shifting issue. At least that's my idea.

 

You need over tune or some other tuning device. That’s how Toyota tune the tundra transmission, downshifts for no reason.
And my old Tacoma, can’t shift fast enough To higher gear.

 

What size tire you running? Gears and headers and fuel injectors will likely be the best bang for your buck. I gained about 20-30 miles to a tank with the injectors and I'm on 295/75r16 (33.5"x11.5")

 

Slow down. Problem solved. Toyota trucks have never gotten good mileage. Not even the 4 bangers.

 

True that. My 22RE 4Runner consistently got 23 mpg.

 

I'd expect like on all my past vehicles... K&N air filter and freer flowing exhaust. I got better mileage and power. Same on my Harleys. On my Harleys, I also camed up a notch to a 302 and got even better mileage and power.

 

Even changing the air filter won’t do much on these trucks. stick with the stock air filter or equivalent. The only aftermarket intake I would even consider is AFE. free flowing exhaust would get expensive; headers, mid pipes, x pipe, bam mufflers plus labor. I would love to do it, but I’m eyeing a regear instead for 33” tires.

 

My mpg went up after 2 speeding tickets, amazingly simple trick

 

My 4.7 2002 has a Kazume/TRD LSD and JBA short tube headers. The LSD applies the slight gain in power the JBA's produce and this improves drive-ability. I turn the Over Drive off whenever the transmission has trouble finding a gear to match my needs, and I roll on standard size 16" Michelins. The only way I have been able to achieve better than average MPGs is to remain below 66 MPH.

I could gain a little more power with a BAMuffler system, and I may do this in the future.

If you really want a power boost, find yourself a nice used 2007 to 2010 5.7 Tundra, my 2007 is a beast and they are tune-able for more power, better shift point, speed governor removal, etc....

 

6) BUY A PRIUS!

 

Just buy the Torque Pro App. It tells me I'm getting 21mpg. Problem solved.

 

Supercharge it. I have over 500hp and still get 17-18mpg on the highway. But boy it lets me know when I put my foot in it, both in power and gas mileage.

 

Keep it under 65 or better yet 55 and use sport mode and run 6th gear always use express way.
I average 17.5 -18mpg on hwy running 65 on six gear.
As far as more power good luck. Every mod you do exhaust, CAI headers what ever will usually show up at WOT in the 5600-6000 rpm range. now if you spend 8+ thousand dollars for super charger then that is different.