How to increase HP and gas mileage in Tundra

[Larry Mac]

Besides the supercharger which I can't afford, , what are reasonably affordable ways to increase horsepower, performance and gas mileage in the V-8 Tundra?

[v8Toilet]

Besides the supercharger which I can't afford, , what are reasonably affordable ways to increase horsepower, performance and gas mileage in the V-8 Tundra?

Stone Mountain headers $200 or JBA headers $475!
Performance muffler of your choice welded in place of the stock muffler $100.
Remove the 90-degree elbow in fender, free.
Cut out top of tongue in lower section of filter box, free.

[KLS]

Larry,

Why do you assume that Toyota's engineers left out anthing to improve power and fuel consumption that was legal, drivable, and affordable?

You can do a couple of things to improve power. There isn't much you can do to improve fuel consumption. You can spend a lot of money, but if fuel consumption is an issue, then the cost of modifications is also an issue, and the only thing you can do to save fuel that pays for itself is to avoid carrying unneccesary weight in the truck, air up the tires, and drive slower.


Ken

[file014]

According to the JC whitney catalog, you can increase horsepower and fuel economy by buying one of their glasspack mufflers for $17. What a bunch of baloney. Havent they updated their catalog in the last 30 years? I got a glasspack on my tercel and now its got low idle and less power!

[peid]

If you really want to increase fuel economy, buy a new Prius, if you want more power buy a Diesel.

Some things in life just don't go hand in hand, it like people asking a H2 owner what they get for mileage? Who cares, you paid $60K for the vehicle, does it matter if you only get 8 mpg?

Just my opinion, if you bought a truck, fuel economy shouldn't even be in the same sentence.

More power, sure I can understand that, but how much do you want?

[DevinSixtySeven]

yeah, i agree...it's one of those "if you gotta ask, you can't afford it" kind of things...the best way to conserve gas is don't goose it unless you need to, don't drive unnecessarily, and factor fuel consumption in to your activities so you know how much things really cost--lunch for five bucks costs more than five bucks if it's halfway across town, for example.
i don't need to drive much, so i don't worry about mileage, just the monthly expense for gas--two tanks in a month for the usuals, and the rest gets factored in to playtime expenses under the "if you gotta ask, you can't afford it" heading. i will also buy gas in advance if it's cheap, just stash it for when the price jumps from 1.30 to 1.70 overnight, then i can enjoy a hearty laugh when i drive by the pumps with the needle on E.

now on the other side of the coin...around here it's easy to get pump shock, as they change the prices ~20c/gal every week or two, and it's not a gradual change, either, it's an overnight change. after a while it's not shocking, it just makes me cynical--as if i need to be more cynical --so i do understand the desire for better mileage. why? for the principle of it, and besides, well, why the @#$! not? i want my cake and i will eat it, too. there is no "karma law" that states a comfortable, powerful vehicle must get terrible mileage...you are limited only by physics and the depth of your pockets (or your ingenuity in overcoming shallow pockets and marketing scams).

-sean

[rjrjs]

yeah, i agree...it's one of those "if you gotta ask, you can't afford it" kind of things...the best way to conserve gas is don't goose it unless you need to, don't drive unnecessarily, and factor fuel consumption in to your activities so you know how much things really cost--lunch for five bucks costs more than five bucks if it's halfway across town, for example.
i don't need to drive much, so i don't worry about mileage, just the monthly expense for gas--two tanks in a month for the usuals, and the rest gets factored in to playtime expenses under the "if you gotta ask, you can't afford it" heading. i will also buy gas in advance if it's cheap, just stash it for when the price jumps from 1.30 to 1.70 overnight, then i can enjoy a hearty laugh when i drive by the pumps with the needle on E.

now on the other side of the coin...around here it's easy to get pump shock, as they change the prices ~20c/gal every week or two, and it's not a gradual change, either, it's an overnight change. after a while it's not shocking, it just makes me cynical--as if i need to be more cynical --so i do understand the desire for better mileage. why? for the principle of it, and besides, well, why the @#$! not? i want my cake and i will eat it, too. there is no "karma law" that states a comfortable, powerful vehicle must get terrible mileage...you are limited only by physics and the depth of your pockets (or your ingenuity in overcoming shallow pockets and marketing scams).

-sean

With the dohc and 4 valves per cylinder I would think this 4.7 would have all the technology to deliver better mileage. Chevy can do it with a push rod 2 valve engine.
Thas not my question though. You always hear of installing a new air filter to improve mileage. With the mass air flow sensor, atmospheric pressure sensor, and O2 sensors adjusting the injectors for correct stoichmetrics, why should the filter affect mileage. I took the air filter out of my lincoln on a trip that I regularly take and know that cars mileage. I found no difference. A friend spent $50 some dollars on a K&N filter for his Accord and claims it improved his mileage by 2 mph. Anyone have any Ideas.

[H2O_MAN]

Larry,

Why do you assume that Toyota's engineers left out anthing to improve power and fuel consumption that was legal, drivable, and affordable?

You can do a couple of things to improve power. There isn't much you can do to improve fuel consumption. You can spend a lot of money, but if fuel consumption is an issue, then the cost of modifications is also an issue, and the only thing you can do to save fuel that pays for itself is to avoid carrying unneccesary weight in the truck, air up the tires, and drive slower.


Ken

Ken makes great points here. Toyota engineers did a good job with these trucks.

[mustang67408]

Ken makes great points here. Toyota engineers did a good job with these trucks.

I have to agree with Ken also.

[thumbster]

Trucks are not designed primarily (and secondarily) for fuel mileage for two reasons:

- They are not at all aerodynamic (brick in the wind)

- They are heavy

- The engines are calibrated more so to tow and haul stuff, rather than unloaded driving, so they don't and can't be run as lean as passenger car engines (detonation, pinging).

On older carbureted trucks you could crank some decent timing into the engine if you drove around without any extra weight, but as soon as you loaded the engine more (weight, towing) you would have to pull out the spark timing to avoid detonation. My old 87 toyota pickup with a carbureted 22R would get 32 mpg with the timing cranked up, but I would have to adjust the distributor back as soon as I loaded up the truck to keep the pistons from being pulverized. The stock timing would only get me 25 mpg.

The manufacturers designed our trucks to be trucks and not cars, so be happy if you get 18mpg out of your empty-bedded everyday driven Tundra!

[Steelshot]

I haven't heard of, or tried, anything that increases mileage dramatically. Checking tire air pressure religiously and driving conservatively are the only two givens. Interestingly, I get my best fuel mileage when I'm loaded down. Probably more of a factor of all the freeway driving, but when I'm off to Utah or Colorado on my annual deer hunts, I have gotten up to 21 mpg. This is with all my hunting and camping gear which includes a very heavy canvas wall tent. I'm probably right up against the recommended GVWR. I'll go from SB, CA to Colorado, hunt for a week, then return and average 18 mpg. I do allow for a couple of days to get there and back, so I average 70 mph or under.

[42GAMI]

improve power, get a turbo.

improve gas milage, always keep it under 2200 rpms. especially while accelerating. "pu55yfooting"


"pussyfooting" with a turbo is surprisingly fuel friendly.


ps. more hp + fuel economy = oxymoron

[Steamboatsig]

Why are you guys such jerks. The guy asked a legitimate question. Everyone knows to increase HP and Mileage, all you have to do is...

1. Install a "Tornado" in the intake
2. Change your oil to synthetic
3. Use a K&N Air filter
4. Use the most expensive spark plugs you can find
5. Get a Hyper Ground kit
6. And the most important...you need to install TRD, K&N, and Bilstein decals all over your truck. Each decal is worth 5hp easy.

[42GAMI]

Why are you guys such jerks. The guy asked a legitimate question. Everyone knows to increase HP and Mileage, all you have to do is...

1. Install a "Tornado" in the intake
2. Change your oil to synthetic
3. Use a K&N Air filter
4. Use the most expensive spark plugs you can find
5. Get a Hyper Ground kit
6. And the most important...you need to install TRD, K&N, and Bilstein decals all over your truck. Each decal is worth 5hp easy.

[randyeverett]

Why are you guys such jerks. The guy asked a legitimate question. Everyone knows to increase HP and Mileage, all you have to do is...

1. Install a "Tornado" in the intake
2. Change your oil to synthetic
3. Use a K&N Air filter
4. Use the most expensive spark plugs you can find
5. Get a Hyper Ground kit
6. And the most important...you need to install TRD, K&N, and Bilstein decals all over your truck. Each decal is worth 5hp easy.

And for us "old" guys:

7. Can of STP
8. water injection
9. Take the hub-caps off
10. Flip breather cover upside down and re-mount
11. Date skinny girls
12. Drink lite beer



RE