Yeah, that's what my F150 did, too... about 15 at 70+. Speed makes a big difference with diesel MPG, too, more so than RPM.

 

Speed definetly does make a hell of a difference when trying to get the most MPG with a diesel, I like to do 70 everywhere I go, but when I stick around 60 - 65 I get the best mileage.

I will look into the propane conversion, but vegtable is pretty much free after the inital setup! Plus, you never know when propane too will skyrocket in price!

 

If I were to consider a propane system, I'd have to be pretty confident the valve couldn't leak or stick open and fill the intercooler and intake tract with propane when the engine wasn't running.

If you had a runaway motor, paying for a new engine would negate a lot of fuel savings.

Maybe I just need to buy a bunch of stock in fuel companies...

 

I am looking to trade 1 good kidney for 5,000 gallons of Diesel. Kidney is clean and in good shape. Only 24 years old, low mileage. Diesel fuel must be clean and water free. Please send sample of Diesel fuel, and I will send MRI of Kidney....

I may have another kidney to trade at a later time, I just have to wait until the girlfriend falls asleep....





This is a joke, so please do not take it seriously......

 

<div class="FTQUOTE"><begin quote>Originally posted by: Faster250R

I don't know what the downsides are (maybe someone can comment), but a propane conversion seems like it is making alot of sense. Were at $4 here and propane is $2.99 at the hadgi-mart.</end quote></div>

That 2.99 a gallon doesn't include road taxes most likely. Though I think some states exempt it, but you're still left with another 18 cents or so for Fed excise taxes. I believe that propane is also less energy dense, so it may take more to run.

Propane can also get volatile in cost as well.

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<div class="FTQUOTE"><begin quote>Originally posted by: ss97
<div class="FTQUOTE"><begin quote>Originally posted by: JeffinTD

Yeah, I've noted a wide spread on DTR, too. Some folks claming 19+ and others 15 on the highway with similar trucks.

None seem to be claiming 21 or better with the new motor, which my 03 3500 SRW 4x4 would do. A buddy with an old 12 valve would do even better when his camper wasn't on. Every time there's an engine change, it seems to be lower emissions, more HP and Torque, and a drop in MPG.

Anyway, with my luck I'd get one of the 15 mpg trucks, which is about what my last gasoline truck got on the highway, only now gas is like 40-50 cents higher than diesel...

When I needed a dually, I found a used 06 5.9 laramie stick/jake, and it seems to get 19+ on the highway, which I can live with...

Anyhow, if something doesn't give, I'm thinking we are going to need to regulate fuel prices the way utility prices are regulated.

Like utilities, there's just no competition, and the oil companies have learned that sales don't drop much when prices hit $4 a gallon, profits just go up and people have to cut back on food, retirement savings or other expenses to be able to get to work...</end quote></div>

I can get 18-20 in my F150 5.4L on the highway..... but that is at about 60MPH.....

The more the speed creeps up the faster it drops... I hit 70MPH and I'm probably down to about 14-15MPG ...... the increase in RPMs is slight but the wind drag really climbs on a truck when you get past 65....</end quote></div>

Exactly. That's why way back when the Feds limited speeds to 55 with some allowable areas at 65. California now those 65 areas are 70, most divided highways are 65.

I think, but may be incorrect on this, drag squares with the double of speed.

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Yeah, if I did the math right, dropping to 60 mph is like knocking 30 cents off the price of a gallon...

 

<div class="FTQUOTE"><begin quote>I think, but may be incorrect on this, drag squares with the double of speed. </end quote></div>
It cubes, not squares.
That is why it makes such a BIG difference in fuel economy.

 

This last weekend I drove to my home town in Wyoming from Western Nebraska. Something I've been doing for nearly 20 years now. When I was going to college I could do it for $100 round trip including gas, food and beer for the 300 mile one way trip. Keep in mind that was the college days and my largest cost was beer. Last week it cost $200 just for gas. And just $9.50 for the 12 pack that was only 1/2 consumed.

Propane was 79 cents a gallon 3 years ago. At Christmas time it was just over $2 a gallon. I'm not sure what it is presently. It only has about half of the heat energy of gasoline so it takes twice as much over gasoline. Still not a good alternative. And E85 that has made such a fuss over lately is just as bad. Just because gas is up E85 is up also? I didn't see corn jumping that much.

If the Democrates were in the White House the speed limit would be back to 55MPH. But I'm not sure that would be a bad thing anymore. And I hate Democrates.

For some reason I have to much time on my hands occasionally. I've searched car and truck ads for the 80s and they show gas mileage just as good if not better than current models. I had an 85 Dodge Charger that got over 30 MPG. Around 35 if you went the speed limit of 55. Today a Chevy Colbalt is listed at just over 30 MPG. What has gotten better with 20 years of technology? The cars are 800 pounds heavier, 20% more horse power and just as poor handling. The poor quality GM 350 diesel engine got nearly 30 MPG. the Mid 90s Dodge diesels got mid 20s with the Cummins. Today we are at high teens. We are some what responsible for this problem. Hell we are the problem. We, the consumer, keep buying bigger and better. And bigger is not always better. We are horse power hungery and can't get off the drug. These new pickups with 600+ lbft of torque and 350 HP match a semi tractor of 1980 vintage. Except the pickups don't have the brakes to handle the weight they can pull. Gas pickups aren't any better. My 77 Jeep J20 got 14 MPG. The 94 F-150 with a 302 got 14 MPG. The 2000 GMC with 4.8L 5 speed got 16-18 MPG and the present 2000 F-150 with a 5.4 gets 12-16 MPG.

I don't see anyone beating down the doors of dealerships yet requesting low horse power/high mileage cars and trucks. I would like to but I can't afford a new car anymore as the gas prices are to high. My current car is an 03 Cavalier that was totaled and rebuild. It gets 28-30 in town and low 30s on the highway. What I really don't understand is why Chrysler, and I would assume both Ford and GM sell all their vehicles in Europe with Diesel engines. All Jeeps are Diesel in England but none are left in the states. GM recently bought the engine company that Jeep used to make the 2.8L Liberty engines. They make several different size engines for the European market. I hope they will start to market some in the states also. A 3 cylinder turbo diesel in a Cobalt size chassis would push 50 MPG. VW has been doing this for years and own the US market.

I'm not sure that the point of all this is. I do know the cost of energy controls our economy. Eggs cost $2.50 a dozen. They were $1 two years ago. Milk at $4 a gallon. 10 years ago we were killing all the milk cows as the prices were too low for farmers to make a profit. A good steak at the market is $12 a pound. Why is it that everytime the big 3 auto makers start to make high horsepower super performance cars we have an energy shortage?

 

Part of the popularity of diesles is driven by fuel being much lower than gasoline over there. In the US emission standards for diesels are now so strict that many of the european brands have had great difficulty meeting standards, while keeping any sort of reliability.

Diesels are inherently low in hydrocarbon emissions and better from a greenhouse gas standard. What they do produce, though, sulfur and particulate carbon (soot) is visible and smells. Although this contributes to smog, I think most folks think of dsl engines as dirtier than they really are.