Propickup Digital Magazine
Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/93729
SHOPTALK By Steve Temple TIPS TO KEEP YOUR PICKUPS IN TIP-TOP SHAPE advantage of in a business trans- action. Well, when it comes to fi lling up at the pump, not only did they see us comin' "T , they called for us. But that doesn't mean you don't have some alterna- tives to squeeze more miles out of every gallon of gas. We've seen a number of wild claims about var- ious mileage extenders, so we're naturally a bit suspicious, and won't put anything in print until we've actually tested it ourselves, or obtained docu- mentation from independent sources. Here are a couple items I have fi rst-hand experience with that do improve mpg: 10 PROPICKUP August 2012 hey saw me comin'!" is a typical reaction to getting taken INJECTION PROTECTION We've heard a number claims from Prolong about its lubricants for both engine and transmissions, along with its fuel additives. So we asked a tile and cleaning contractor we know to test Prolong's fuel injector cleaner in his 2008 Ford F-250. He'd been seeing a drop in fuel economy, but after trying just a couple bottles of the fuel injector cleaner, he noticed a 1/2- mpg gain towing on his regular route from Reno to Lake Tahoe (a climb of about 4,000 feet). Prolong claims its Fuel Injector Cleaner (avail- able for both gas and diesel) removes car- bon deposits on injector tips and intake valves, restoring The right combination of engine and drive- train modifi cations can bring unexpected gains in fuel economy. the factory spray pattern and effi cient operation. So if your rig feels like it's draggin' its wagon, a bottle or two might give it some new life and boost your mileage too. We can't vouch for ProLong's other products at this time, but we'll let you know if we fi nd any other obvious fi rsthand benefi ts. CUMMINS MPG BOOSTERS Speaking of mileage extend- ers, we checked with another owner of a working pickup, Rene (pronounced Renny) Semple of Sangudo, Alberta, northwest of Edmonton. Semple builds road- beds on the frozen tundra for oil companies for a living and tows a 35-foot travel trailer with his '06 one-ton Ram when the family goes on vacation. When new, Rene's 3500 Ram was reasonably effi cient for a stock rig, running about 17mpg when empty. Now his Ram's digital display shows mpg in the upper 20s. His truck runs an NADP 450 Heavy Hauler 450 series automatic (nadp.ca) with a billet input shaft, crisper-shifting valve body and 1,700rpm stall-speed continued on page 13