wa, the #1 BEST WAY TO GET MORE MPG is to IMMEDIATELY replace your clutch fan with an electric.
When I got back from Japan I converted to an electric ($10 junkyard) fan and I dished out $100 and bought a high tech e-fan variable current controller (
http://www.dccontrol.com/) and let me tell ya, what a WISE decision that was. Not only am I getting MUCH better gas mileage, but of course I have a considerable increase in throttle response and much more power at the higher RPM, where my engine tends to "run out of steam" (4700+ rpm).
I was getting on average, going all the way back to last summer, I have recipts documenting 14-15 MPG. By the time my trip OD was hitting 190-200 miles I was back at the pumps again. Anything more then 200 miles was really pushing it. But the VERY FIRST TANK after installing an electric fan, my OD sky rocketed to 240 MILES!!! It has never since gone below 240 and I always run the trip OD to 250 and then hit the pumps out of habit (I still have about 1.5 gallons remaining).
So I went from 14-15 MPG to (OBD-II scanner proven) 17-17.5 MPG.
That means that in 4 fill-ups with the electric fan, I have gone the same distance that I used to go with the stock clutch fan on 5 tanks! (250 miles x 4 = 200 miles x 5). Where I live it costs me about $35 to fill up. So by the time I hit my 12th tank, the e-fan + controller will have paid for themselves [4 tanks = 200 more miles than before (distance per tank with stock clutch fan) = $35 (price of a tank) for free, $35x3=$105 (apprx price of e-fan setup), so 4 tanks x 3 = 12 tanks].
If that doesn't convince you, then this will:
12 tanks @ 200 miles per tank (pre e-fan) = 2400 miles
12 tanks @ 250 miles per tank (post e-fan) = 3000 miles
That means that in my experience, the time it takes for the entire e-fan setup to pay for itself is exactly the same service interval for my engine. So I experienced the benefits of having an e-fan setup and it fully paid for the cost of itself in just one service interval.
Wow.
And get this, beings that it's still winter weather here, I will drive ALL DAY, yes ALL DAY LONG and the LED light for my Fan Controller will NEVER turn on, not even once! Driving to the freeway, on the freeway, off the freeway driving to college, hunting for a parking spot at the college, heading back home in the warmer afternoon weather, stuck in 5pm traffic, the electric fan NEVER TURNS ON. After the truck has already warmed up, the fan does kick on if you let it idle without moving for more then about 5 mins, and I do not get stuck at a red light for that long.
So I could have just removed the stock clutch fan and been driving all over town, just the same way that I usually drive, without it even overheating. Of course once the weather warms up it will be turning on more often, but it is just amazing to see how much we really don't even need the fan for regular city driving during the winter.
BigMike
