How to get Better Mileage out of a Pre Emission Engine

What are the best ways to maximize fuel efficiency in older engines?
In this video, Brian shares some pointers on how you can get better mileage out of an older pre emission engine. Alex, ET's Shop Manager chimes in and answers some of Brian's questions.
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[@rd5991]

For those who are truly serious about maximizing their mpg: 1. Maintain the recommended tire pressures 2. Drive at 60mph, less braking and wear and tear 3. Don’t idle 4. Don’t smash the throttle every chance you get, slowly accelerate and decelerate 5. Make sure your alignment is correct otherwise there will be extra resistance against the truck 6. Try to coast as much as possible. If you’re going to exit in half a mile, start slowing down ahead of time instead of last minute 7. Keep the gap between truck and trailer minimal as well as the gap between your tandems and your trailer skirts (depending on weight and axle restrictions by state) 8. Service your truck routinely (oil changes, filters, etc) 9. Closed shoulder tires will give better mpg than open shoulder 10. Keep weight distribution even among your drives and tandems 11. A trusted tuning shop can alter parameters in the ECM to increase efficiency (and sometimes a bump in power output) 12. For a lot of older Cat engines a less restrictive muffler helped with mpg. This doesn’t necessarily mean straight pipe your truck but there are free flowing mufflers on the market. 13. The shortest route doesn’t necessarily mean you will make more money. Sometimes the extra 30-40 miles may mean less hills, less traffic, less stop and go, and cheaper fuel prices. 14. Progressive shifting without lugging the engine (shift at lower rpms at lower speeds and slowly increase as you get up in the higher range of gears) 15. Find your engines max boost pressure and try to stay 5-10 psi under. Hope these tips help someone out.

[@Hempfuelgroup]

Awesome !!! Thanks ✌️

[@markbroad119]

Exactly.

[@lawrencesmith1985]

Thank you!

[@philhatch1140]

Exactly the way i drive my c15 386 to get 7.2 mpg

[@deru-bahn6622]

16. Clean your air filters from time to time. I clean mine once in a month and could improve my consumption by 0.1mpg, which saves me a lot of money. ;)

[@Chris4mz]

DRIVING HABITS is a big one ! As some have already said 😊

[@CBZ406]

Little late to the party but when I became OO I instantly hated things about my truck, it is mechanically sound and a good puller (as any Cummins should be) but the biggest thing was fuel mileage. Instead of trying to recoup my money I decided to change the way I drive the way I view traffic and HOS. When I first started with that truck I was getting 4.7-5.1!! Pulling my hair out because fuel has just hit $6. Not a math whiz but that’s over a dollar a mile operating cost and it was killing me financially. Since then I’ve watched videos like this one and educated myself, peak torque, gearing, pm everything. What I’ve discovered changed everything. Peak torque @1500 Tires 41.2 Geared 3.9# I learned quick I wasn’t geared for the highway while the truck could do 70+ I was way out of my peak torque range. One guy said hold your pedal at 65, slow up and fast down hills. I tried that maybe increased .5-.6 mpg. Later I realized it wasn’t a speed he was holding the pedal at it was a throttle position “duh”. But that made me think how to I tell what my throttle position is? In came BullyDog HDGT, while yeah I put the eco/power tune on it actually shows me what percentage I hold the pedal at. What I’ve learned that it doesn’t really matter between 45-50 throttle the truck just goes. However it will not go past peak torque on flat ground. To do so I need to give it an extra 15-20% more throttle!! Literally dollar signs coming out the stacks. The way I view my gear set up now is not fast or how much it can pull but as gallons per hour. 5 gallons an hour at 59-62 mph is substantially better than 11 gallons at 63 it sounds dumb but there’s a very fine line from 5.5 to 9 gallons an hour when your pressing the pedal down. And I understand every truck and trucker is different and this took extreme will power to master it but now I’m getting 8.5+ mpg loaded!! I add 45 minutes to my day and make an extra 150 bucks. My truck is a 07 International 9200 Cummins 400 Flat top Turbo wing Bulldog hdgt Later I will regear the truck and keep playing with it. Super singles and making it a 2x6. Reduce rolling resistance. Sorry for the rant but maybe it gets someone t thinking

[@roburquhart2350]

I don't know why but in my 08 T800 with 525 ISX using Howes fuel additive gained me almost half a mile per km and increased the throttle response. I did the numbers repeatedly and always got the same beneficial results so I just went with it. In the 13 years I had it i replaced two injectors under warranty and had it inframed at 26,000hrs because of a cracked injector cup that couldn't be replaced at the time. Mechanics said engine looked brand new inside at that time and chalked it up to my anal obsession with changing my oil every 400hrs and only using Fleetguard filters and Rotella 15W40 oil.

[@markbroad119]

Love the videos. Yes I subscribed already. I notice better mpg with a fresh oil change,fuel filters and air filter. Air pressure in the tires and staying below 70mph. The sweet spot is 60-65. You spend more time driving but less refueling so you get there in the same time. Saves everywhere.

[@viarnay]

60 mph is a lot. The faster you go the more fule you burn just fighting against the air resistance.

[@johnhoward7298]

I have driven both pre emission motor trucks . The older trucks didn't leave Me broke down , & at the mercy of the shop or Dealership . My main problem with the emissions motors is just that the emissions ! They on average leave Me in a loaner for 90days when they go down .

[@clintonandrews1538]

A retired Ford engineer told me that 'above 45 MPH, fuel mileage is all about aerodynamics.' If you've ever been on a two-lane and passed by a Kenworth W900 going in the opposite direction at 70 MPH, the wake turbulence coming off of that big flat front is nearly enough to shove a four-wheeler into the ditch. Pushing that much air comes with a cost: more energy, more fuel burn. Period.

[@hudsondonnell444]

Aerodynamics, altitude, weather, wind direction, and a properly spec'd drivetrain are all involved in whether or you get good mileage or not. I can get 9.3 MPGs from say Flagstaff Arizona running East to the NM TX line while driving 75 Mph most of this section of I-80.

[@viarnay]

Pete 372 dude :- 1

[@richardsprings1414]

Lucas diesel fuel treatment for diesels only is the best stuff I've found

[@raypabon4346]

Appreciate your time and insight. All the Best Brian 👍

[@GurpreetSingh-kx2pv]

GREAT CONTENT APPRECIATE THEIR EFFORTS

[@twinforce_fusion6560]

Basic regular preventive maintenance is a must, I did see an improvement overall MPG's switching all fluids with %100 synthetic oils, gear and ATF. Engine was the Cat C7 300hp/925tq. That's my biggest recommendation I give to all truck owners, switch all fluids with %100 synthetic oil.

[@michaellee5399]

You could drive slower and keep your boost below 20 psi as much as possible

[@michaelbuck6535]

I was watching Heavy Hauler Nation, and this guy started using a fuel additive that was suppose to help with fuel mileage. Couldn't find that video but he said it worked for him

[@richardsprings1414]

Hey Brian awesome videos appreciate your content I was in trucking for 5 years got out of it in 92 I'm back into it now and I'm in the same position you are I want to put in a good 10 years or so and get out your company has the most Fair policies that I've seen as far as Lisa operators want to come on as a company driver and then lease operate after that again thank you so much for your content and your candor

[@cargotoolshop5319]

When we are talking about pre emissions motors we are talking owner operators and then we are talking about who has the biggest balls, the only thing you need to know about a N-14 is a 330hp engine gets the best fuel mileage, the 460-525 HP engines suck the fuel, every time you turn up the power they eat more fuel, my buddy runs 700 in his heavy haul business and gets 4 mpg

[@diesel266]

🇦🇺 I rarely comment, been subscribed a while now.. great content mate🤙

[@anonymousinc6330]

In my time driving OTR, I got my best mileage at 50, 58, 63 mph.

[@carlthor91]

Yes, the combination of your gearing, and aerodynamic load, overtaking rolling resistance at ~50-55 mph.

[@peted5205]

I put a propeller on the back of my trailer. It’s doing really well.

[@Freightlinerbob]

When you’re hanging around the shop on a Friday night, drinking n’ bullshiting and someone decides to “create content “ …..meanwhile Brian’s wife is wondering-where the hell is that SOB?

[@Freightlinerbob]

@@KittyKrazeWithDar glad to hear it. He’s mentioned having 5 kids and almost as many cats and dogs so it’s obviously working. But he did mention whiskey…..

[@louchitouchi831]

😂😂😂😂

[@EduardoSilva-xe3gp]

Now that you mention gears and you're probably on the search for new topics, how about making a video explaining in deep about the different gear ratios and their functionality? What ratios are good with what type of transmission for what type of work, there's very very little information about that on the internet and maybe not a single video on KZbin that talks about that ( in trucks of course)

[@joshmuffler9880]

Driven trucking has a video of you are looking. But I agree it is a very uncommon topic and more content about it would be great

[@DieselTrucker2018]

I drive a 2019 Kenworth W900L and LOVE IT!! I get 7.6 mpg at 65 mph. DELETED- I will NEVER drive an UGLY Plastic Aero POS. I want to make money, BUT I have to LOVE what I do or I won't do it. SO, THERE!!

[@pinata-whacker4635]

Hauling 20k or less😂😂😂 stop the cap… w900 worst ride and worst mpg- facts- w9 gearing is not for mpg

[@pjnelson8971]

I hate to tell you this... but your hood is just as much plastic as mine..

[@adambibinski180]

@@pinata-whacker4635 not cap

[@avm5496]

I liked the comment about "closing gap" and moving fifth wheel towards the cab amap. What about the weight on steer axle?)

[@andrewbarnett4621]

Brian Good tires give you good mileage too. 🙌🏼🙌🏼🙌🏼🙌🏼🙌🏼

[@raystarky3896]

Turn down the fuel pressure so engine doesnot blow black smoke out the pipes, only have engine Horsepower to do the job and not go wild for big horsepower. Probably running bigger exhaust pipes would help. Keep up on tune ups on oil changes, air filters as mentioned in video. How about changing to synthetic oils for Transmission and rear ends, Great video by the way! How about quit trying to speed up and pass everything on the road; We dont always have to beat our friends on time and log books just for a few extra bucks. WOW I got a few answers correct with turbo;s and exhaust manifolds. Tire size , and type of tires are important along with costs. I just wonder if porting intake and exhaust ports would make difference??? Dont know (and probably not) do they even make rollers cams and lifters for older engines???

[@mikeleonard7722]

Pre emission motors need to have progressive shifting syntheticoil in the proper geared rear ends and take your foot off the petal and use the power wisely

[@cargotoolshop5319]

The new engines have progressive fuel rates and computer control that helps with fuel mileage, I can get better fuel mileage with a carburetor than fuel injection, but that doesn't just happen, properly driven mechanical diesel engine could easily have the same result, our old N14's can get 8mpg but have to be ran hard and always in that sweet spot

[@loganjohnson3589]

@@cargotoolshop5319 years ago an owner op gave me a tired 2001 freightliner classic xl with a N14 13 speed that was set up for heavy haul first thing I did was a full service including changing the oil in the tranny and rear ends the insides of the fuel tanks were black inside and with fuel additives in 3000 miles I had to change the fuel filter 5 times by then the tanks were clean and the motor had more power and better mileage .when i got back I changed all the fluids again .the owner almost had a heart attack . but when I showed him the fuel mileage change 6to 9 mpg he was very happy .then i worked on arrow dynamics I got rid or that big front bumper and installed a shorter one skirted the underside of the tractor all for less wind drag .then adjusted the wings on the sides of the sleeper and made one for the roof line at the back of the cab. cense I was a long hauler I would shorten up to have minimal gap between cab and trailer when I got close to town i would stretch out back out .I could do this on the fly .I had the oldest truck in his fleet but I had the highest mileage . I called her my red headed girl friend .within 6 months I had the best lookin truck and the highest mileage in the fleet .and one hell of a bonus every paycheck.

[@trenelbrumant4828]

@@loganjohnson3589 what fuel additive did you use in your truck?

[@loganjohnson3589]

@@trenelbrumant4828 Too be honest I don't really remember now .that was 20 years ago and all i was using it for was to clean out the crap in the tanks ,fuel lines and injectors .Way back they used to use gasoline .then later injector cleaners came out .this stuff in my fuel system was something most diesel owners don't know about or remember It was biological .YEP weird right .if your running an older truck and your just wanting to clean things out seafoam maybe .the gas thing was to get an octane boost and remember that was when it was leaded gas 1 gallon of gas to 100 gallons diesel would give about a 5 mile per hour boost .

[@truckomize9326]

What's the tip for driving longhood in 15+ mph wind? Cus that's when I get the worst mpg

[@spiderbrandt4066]

The Quickest way to save Fuel is Don't Drive , You have been pushing the new Trucks but they Use AdBlue we in Australia are looking at a shortage of AdBlue do you have the same problem ?

[@omarhafez1980]

Thanks for your effort it's great knowledge Just a question I met an owner operator he use steer tires for the drive axles as he thinks it does save him a lot of money he drove a Volvo dedicated from Chicago to Albany round trip , does that might make sense ?

[@louchitouchi831]

Makes sense way less resistance on steers, the important thing is to switch them up when winter comes.

[@MotoCarMania16]

hey i know its not a question for this video but i wonder if you guys know if electric trucks are coming and ''we'' as people are gonna sleep in them how are we gonna deal with radiation that electricity prduces

[@AlexD-fq5zm]

Trailer gap is also determined my steer axle weight.. too far forward and over weight steer axle

[@sspp3065]

Hell yea Ride the Lighting

[@garygeorge460]

Putting all that weight on front axle will wear out a lot of front ent parts so bad advice if u are o/o...

[@markrupprnkamp5832]

Synthetic oil and gear lube helps give better fuel economy especially in the winter.

[@mike-sk2li]

I changed my diff and went to synthetic oil and jumped 1mpg

[@WoodheadM]

What do you mean by gearing on the differentials?

[@yitznewton]

There's a final drive which gears down the rotational speed after the transmission. Depending on that gear ratio (which you specify when building a truck), you can tailor the vehicle's performance for power (hilly terrain) vs. low-revs (i.e. better economy)

[@michaeldunagan8268]

@10:31 You don't want be expenses.... ....what do you call payments on a $145-200k vehicle....?

[@braddalton9260]

Lol not made of ceramic ceramic coated to help keep the hot air in hot air flows better

[@garygeorge460]

Problem w moving trlr too close to cab is u can severely damage the fairings - too much wear on front end parts springs,hangers,kingpins ect. I just had to replace front hanger assembly $3500. So I will not do that never.

[@victorbernier4765]

Air tabs will reduce drag between truck and trl which will increase mpgs. Do not overload steers keep your weight on the drives.

[@richardroot4767]

My VW alltrack gets 34mpg(gas-highway only). APR produces a software/ map flashed onto the ecu. Their website says you can get an extra 4-6mpg on the 92 octane map. With Uber my last week's gross was 1493 US$ for 37hrs of actual drive time. Who Makes the APR maps for a diesel?

[@markbroad119]

? I put a tuner in my 95 7.3 powerstroke and it gets 3-4 mpg better on the +100 hp tune.

[@richardroot4767]

@@markbroad119 Awesome! Also, thanks for the testimonial, I didn't know if I should believe the claim, except I use cruise control inside the city overnight. Who makes the maps for the powerstroke?

[@markbroad119]

@@richardroot4767 is a TS 6 position. Edge makes one

[@thomtrucker1925]

Use a hydrogen kit. Save on fuel up to 10%, higher torx, stop building carbon inside engine and kill emissions down. As was mentioned gap between truck and trailer, good pressure in tyres. If you drive in bendy roads have a trailer with steering axle.

[@hotlkone]

can you elaborate what do you mean by hydrogen kit?

[@jasonreynolds2295]

Why do ya'll always show the pickup truck cummins when you say cummins? Just wondering??

[@jasb78]

You can get at least another 2MPG if you platoon with other trucks. You can have 10 W900's getting 10MPG and only the lead truck has to eat the wind at 6MPG. Your truck would need to have platooning hardware and software installed and the areas you join a platoon has to be legal.

[@jmh4ggg]

Lol in your magical fantasy land, do the W900's hover too?

[@jasb78]

@@jmh4ggg Yes but they have to hit 88MPH first and have access to 3M Volts of electricity via lightning bolts.

[@kentr2424]

Clean filters, how about fresh oil?

[@NorthAmerican-Trucking-News]

definitly, should have mentioned that one.

[@TacticalTrucker]

_MotorKote it’s pretty expensive but trust me it is worth it $1100 fill in your oil tank up with that oil and you won’t have to change your oil for five years, it is the only 100% anti-friction engine oil on the planet, if you ask NASA what’s the best oil to use for mechanical gears they will tell you MotorKote_

[@MacMilly707]

👍

[@william1998cc]

what type of cigar have u got there Brian?

[@yitznewton]

Definitely pre-emissions

[@william1998cc]

@@yitznewton thanks for the laugh hahahah

[@InterstatePirate]

Can someone help me I’m thinking about buying a pre-emissions Pete or Ken with a Overhauled motor can someone help me on what I should look for with the overhaul and what main components should have been done with it Thank you and stay safe

[@kbranchjr]

yea Detroit 60 baby ( help please)

[@467inc]

Valve lash? Do you mean overhead valve adjustment?

[@DistantRelatives47]

Yes, the valve lash is the gap - it needs to be perfect and maintained recently.

[@467inc]

@@DistantRelatives47 I have a 2015 Volvo truck. I replaced the upper and lower valve cover gaskets. Not too bad. Now I want to learn how to do an over head valve adjustment. I'm gonna learn 👍🏾😎

[@DistantRelatives47]

@al-mubdizahir7098 that's good, the more you can do yourself the more money you can save - just be sure to get a shop manual and do it exactly like the manufacturer says. You will likely need to do valve cover gaskets again because the cover needs to be removed and most gaskets will leak if you try to use them a second time.

[@467inc]

@@DistantRelatives47 shop manual? Not familiar with that term yet

[@RedRedred-ld4pb]

I am getting 9 mpg on a new truck.

[@DistantRelatives47]

What truck, engine, transmission, and rear end gears??

[@viarnay]

You are basically asking for a pete 372 :- B

[@robertfutchjr.9931]

Increase horsepower and torque on older engine

[@TheDriller100]

5.1 mpg all day🥴

[@stevemorrison3061]

diesel freaks components.

[@dpokorzynski]

Ha... Probably not!

[@412hwc]

are yall really standing 6' feet apart?? 😂😂🤦🏼‍♂️🤦🏼‍♂️

[@huntermentch]

Omg i just noticed that

[@412hwc]

@@huntermentch takin a little to far arent they "ay" in my canadian voice lol

[@huntermentch]

@@412hwc ya lol

[@charlieboy501]

Paccar is good

[@stevemorrison3061]

hydrogen generaters

[@bradclark2922]

Wow! This guy doesn't know jack shit about trucks. DO NOT MOVE YOUR FIFTH WHEEL CLOSE TO THE CAB, without weighing the truck while loaded. The point of a sliding fifth wheel is for proper weight distribution, which effects braking and handling characteristics of the truck. Also, legal axle weight and bridge laws come into play. He never mentioned proper tire inflation, which is a big one. I do agree that proper gearing and slower speeds is very important, but most truckers today don't have a clue about gearing. As far as clean filters and overheads are concerned, they should be serviced at the correct intervals anyway. This is a maintenance issue, not a mileage issue. 1. Tire Pressure (Maximum cold PSI for your tire) 2. Closed shoulder drive tires 3. Correct Gearing for what you are hauling 4. Light acceleration and slower speed 5. Cut idle time when possible 6. Don't run the engine fan excessively 7. Shifting at the proper rpm for your engine (research the power band for your engine) 8. Pre-emission engines will get 10% to 40% more fuel mileage than emissions engines and do not require DEF fluid. 9. Performance exhaust manifold (Full Tilt) 10. Performance turbo (Borg Warner) 11. Filters, overheads and proper fuel pressure. 12. Learning to do more of your own maintenance will save thousands of dollars per year. Most shops charge $150 to $250 dollars per hour, just for labor. You don't have to be a mechanic to change simple things like belts, alternators, air compressors, batteries, filters, fluids, fuel lines, radiator hoses, heater hoses, light bulbs, mud flaps, etc. Most of these things are common sense. You can just look at it and figure it out. If you are still not sure, watch some KZbin videos. Don't be afraid to get your hands dirty and take some risk, it will pay off big time in the long run and you will be surprised how much you learn and grow in this business. Success belongs to those who want it the most.