6.0L mods that finally worked for me

jamashke · August 15, 2005

Well I have been putz'ing around with my truck for over a year now doing this and that and I am now down to what I think works for me. Installed a K&N filter into the stock airbox (returned the aftermarket intake), running true dual exhaust (2 turbo cherry bombs 3" in and 3" out) {done 800 miles into the trip}, and a Predator tuner running the 87 octane tune.

One way I averaged about 7.8 mpg for about 800 miles of my trip running around 15800 pounds total weight.

While in Flordia I had the Turbo exhaust and installed the K&N filter. Ran around emtpy and my truck finally saw 17.8 mpg's on RTE 192 running from Melbourne, FL to Kissimmee, FL and back with the A/C set around 68 degrees.

Then hooked up and came home this past weekend. WOW gone two weeks and gas went up 30 cents. Anyway... Running around the same weight (less 50 gallons of water) and averaged 9-12 mpg's. 9 mpg was running in clean air and the 11-12's were running on the tail of a 18 wheeler.

No matter what I did, straight pipes, tuner, aftermarket intake, blah blah nothing really worked. It seems this setup I have now works the best and it was the cheapest. Go figure. From what I have seen not much else can be done for mpg's.

$400 for the predator (gave me about 2 mpg's better)

$48 for the K&N

$291 for the 2 Turbo mufflers installed and exit in-front of the passenger side tire.

So I went from 10/11 mpg's prior to the tuner to the now 15+ mpg's. So for all in all $800.00 gave me 5+mpg's better (130 more miles a tank with the truck empty). So as of current for every 2 tanks of gas I am going the mileage of the previous 3 tanks. A savings of roughly $48 dollars a week.

I wish I would have just did this in the first place versus the trial and error that costs lots of $$$ . (althought many items I have been able to return )

BADGERMAN · August 15, 2005

What is the details on your truck?

Like cab size, tires size, and bed size, 4x4, transmission?????

I have the Predeator programmer (87 tune) and the K & N aire filter and 285 tires, I get about 9mpg pulling a 6500lb trailer and 11.7mpg average empty.

I am trying to decide if I should go back down to the stock size tires and see if this will improve my milage. I just don't like the size of the stock tires.

jamashke · August 15, 2005

I have a 2004 2500HD 4x4 ext. Cab. shortbed. I have the 4l80e tranny. I am also running the stock size tires.

Oh...Also I was pulling a 29FBS Jayco travel trailer loaded for two weeks of vacation. Although the actual feet is just over 32 feet. With the bed of the truck loaded (grill, extra propane for the grill, 4 bikes, concrete blocks for the trailer stablizers, etc.)

When pulling I was running around 65-70 mph. Any more than that I could not stay in OD. Depending on the head wind I would have to drop down to 60-65 to stay in OD. When I was running behind the 18 wheelers I could run 75+ in OD as they were the ones breaking the wind for me.

But one thing I stay out of the pedal when I can. I watch the DIC instant economy and try to keep it as high as I can. Very seldom do I break 2000 RPM's when acelerating. Now if I keep my foot in it the mpg's suffer badly but she is FUN to drive But with gas going up to over 2.50 a gallon no more tire burning for me.

One thing I do want to share. With this load I hit the gas a light (the wife ticked me off) to the floor and the truck left two nice long rubber trails and smoke. Of course it confirmed my maturity level to the wife

MDenny · September 1, 2005

Is the 87 tune for the Predator only available for the newer pickups or does it apply to the 99-02 predators? I just received my predator today for my 2002 2500HD 6.0 and it only allows "performance tune". Do you have to have the 87 tune specially programmed?

Thanks