Fuel Economy, Cruise Control, Roof Rack

[Michael Fisher]

My Explorer is a 1999 Sport with two wheel drive and 5 speed manual transmission. It is capable of 25 miles per gallon at 55 MPH and 32 PSI tire inflation. I'm considering removing the roof rack cross bars to reduce wind resistance. Has anyone tried this? Also, I'm thinking of installing a salvage yard cruise control from an Explorer or Ranger with a 4.0 L OHV (pushrod) engine. How big a project would this be?

Thanks for your ideas,

Mike Fisher

 

[Blacksheep Josh]

Look up Aldive. He has a 99 SOHC V6 and hes gotten up to around 38 miles per gallon.

As for the cruise control, you should be able to install it, might take some figuring out though but I don't see why it shouldn't be possible.

I've taken off the crossbars on the roof rack, and I gained a couple miles per gallon. So it'll help.

 

[BrooklynBay]

Welcome to this forum! AlDive's thread is called Quest for 30. He's now experimenting with HHO.

 

[redneck21]

I got a 99 sport 2door 2wd. I got the roof rack still on but i use it so. Cruse helps if you live wear it's flat or good hwy driving pump up your tires a lil more i think the max on mine say 40. i got it at about 38 or so all around. I get about 400-450 with mean i get 23-28 mpg over a full tank 40/60 hwy/city driving i still need to get new plugs and wires to.

 

[Michael Fisher]

Hi Matt and Rob,
Thanks for your ideas...most helpful. Enclosed below is some input from blacksheep josh on the forum...sounds pretty knowledgeable. Those factory roof rack bars are easy to take off and put back on...worth it for even one MPG improvement! That 38 MPG figure may not be as wild as it sounds. That 4.0 L single overhead cam engine's reputation is not too great -- short-lived, high maintenance, but it can squeeze more miles from a gallon of fuel than the old workhorse pushrod engine that I have. I put in a new 195 degree thermostat in response to low coolant temperature...good for another small MPG increase. That Mazda 5 speed with overdrive is a great manual tranny...buttery smooth gear changes, up and down. The engine just ticks over 1600 Revs @ 55 MPH in overdrive, while turning in better than 25 MPG. My old XJ-6 Jag turns 1950 Revs at the same speed, and gets 19 MPG.
I'll check out Aldive to see how he got those astonishing miles per gallon figures with his Explorer. I looked at his 32 MPG Explorer project and got some ideas from it. He has a custom-tuned, lean-running power control module (computer), synthetic lubricants all around, and other trick stuff like indexed spark plugs, underdrive accessory drive pulleys. etc. Experiments with electrolytic HHO (hydrogen, hydrogen, oxygen) injection are also underway. Electrical energy is expended to separate the water molecule into its atoms. In a perfect closed loop, energy recovered would just equal energy expended. I suspect it's hokum, but what do I know? These measures are not for everyone, but many are effective. Why not start out with good maintenance, sensible tire pressures, low drag exterior, no more weight than necessary, and steady, moderate speed. That should enable you to beat the EPA rating of whatever you are driving.

Happy trails,

Mike Fisher

Posted to Ford Explorer Enthusiast Forum on June 15, 2008:
My Explorer is a 1999 Sport with two wheel drive and 5 speed manual transmission. It is capable of 25 miles per gallon at 55 MPH and 32 PSI tire inflation. I'm considering removing the roof rack cross bars to reduce wind resistance. Has anyone tried this? Also, I'm thinking of installing a salvage yard cruise control from an Explorer or Ranger with a 4.0 L OHV (pushrod) engine. How big a project would this be?

Thanks for your ideas,

Mike Fisher


Dear Michael Fisher,

blacksheep josh has just replied to a thread you have subscribed to entitled - Fuel Economy, Cruise Control, Roof Rack - in the New Member Forum forum of Ford Explorer Ranger Enthusiasts Serious Explorations.

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Here is the message that has just been posted:
***************
Look up Aldive. He has a 99 SOHC V6 and hes gotten up to around 38 miles per gallon.

As for the cruise control, you should be able to install it, might take some figuring out though but I don't see why it shouldn't be possible.

I've taken off the crossbars on the roof rack, and I gained a couple miles per gallon. So it'll help.
***************


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Ford Explorer Ranger Enthusiasts Serious Explorations
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[IZwack]

I'll be the newb and ask: doesnt cruise control actually decrease MPG? Because it overworks the engine trying to stay at a constant speed when going up a hill/mountain?

My thought is, ideally you want the greatest speed as you approach a hill and have the least amount of speed at the top (provided you're not going too slow to cause hinder the flow of traffic or whatever).

 

[Blacksheep Josh]

I'll be the newb and ask: doesnt cruise control actually decrease MPG? Because it overworks the engine trying to stay at a constant speed when going up a hill/mountain?

My thought is, ideally you want the greatest speed as you approach a hill and have the least amount of speed at the top (provided you're not going too slow to cause hinder the flow of traffic or whatever).

tis why i feather the "coast" button going up a hill. keeps it from shifting down, but enough to get over the hill. or you can take over manually until you get over it. but for the most part, the fuel saved from cruise control will be much more then what is used going up a hill.

 

[Dopler174]

My Explorer will murder gas with the cruse on, but without is better than the Durango. My Durango, it never changes, is slurps it up cruse or not, the Mustang (5spd) does great with cruse, in fact, every car I've ever owned saved gas with cruse OTHER than my explorer.