manual or auto

[Maxtor]

how in the hell are you guys getting good fuel milage? I get 13/13.5 consistently

Mike;


Drw, uses more fuel. Automatic uses more fuel. Most drw trucks have 4.11 gears, which uses more fuel. On one trip at 55-65 mph, I got 21 mpg.
Driving a study 55 mph on flat ground empty, we would probably get around 22-23 mpg, like Flopster843 gets, but so far we have not done that. At 70 mph at 2000 rpm empty we average 18.5 mpg.
Manual trans helps, srw helps, 3.73 gears help. Being old and slow helps.

 

[Maxtor]

Thanks everyone for your input. Now to start the research on swopping the auto for the manual.

If I were you, I would buy a truck with a manual in it. It is going to be very costly to change over from an automatic to a manual.

 

[Mike K]

Mike;


Drw, uses more fuel. Automatic uses more fuel. Most drw trucks have 4.11 gears, which uses more fuel. On one trip at 55-65 mph, I got 21 mpg.
Driving a study 55 mph on flat ground empty, we would probably get around 22-23 mpg, like Flopster843 gets, but so far we have not done that. At 70 mph at 2000 rpm empty we average 18.5 mpg.
Manual trans helps, srw helps, 3.73 gears help. Being old and slow helps.

Maxtor, you mean something like this:
Cars For Sale: Car Details - AutoTrader.com

 

[Maxtor]

Maxtor, you mean something like this:
Cars For Sale: Car Details - AutoTrader.com

Hi Mike;

That is a nice looking truck, but being an automatic, it will use more fuel.

 

[Mike K]

Hi Mike;

That is a nice looking truck, but being an automatic, it will use more fuel.

This is why i am in the auto to manual thread

You will probably say that it will be cheaper to buy one with a manual but finding a Sonic Blue (only available in 2003) with everything i want and a manaul is next to impossible.

 

[Maxtor]

This is why i am in the auto to manual thread

You will probably say that it will be cheaper to buy one with a manual but finding a Sonic Blue (only available in 2003) with everything i want and a manaul is next to impossible.

That is why we ordered ours from the factory.
Which would be cheaper, paint a manual truck to your favorite color, or change the transmission, drive line and all the hardware?
I do not know the answer to that.

 

[Flopster843]

That is why we ordered ours from the factory.
Which would be cheaper, paint a manual truck to your favorite color, or change the transmission, drive line and all the hardware?
I do not know the answer to that.

If you've got to have that color, it would be your best bet to have it painted. And Maxtor hit the nail on the head with the MPG issue. Adding a custom tune brought it up a few MPG as well.

 

[acende]

After you do some research you will realize that changing your truck from auto to a manual is going to cost way to much money. Sell your old truck and buy what you want, in the end you'll be dollars and smiles ahead. Any time you do a major switch like that the parts you'll need just add up. If you go ahead try to buy every thing from a 1 truck from a junk yard, at least that way it will match up for sure. Don't forget you need to change out part of the steering collar where the gear selector resided.This idea to change over sounds good until you realize all the issues involved. I think it would be cheaper to paint than switch over to a manual.

 

[bushpilot]

Maxtor, you mean something like this:
Cars For Sale: Car Details - AutoTrader.com

doesnt say if its a 7.3 or a 6.0 and that could make a big difference

 

[Mike K]

doesnt say if its a 7.3 or a 6.0 and that could make a big difference

CARFAX said it was a 6.0 but To be honest i think i dont think it really matters. I have been looking at doing a Cummins swap I just just doing research right now. I am not giong to buy untill i am ready to come back to the states anyway.