4.3L Improve gas mileage?

IMHO, the V6 will not get as good mileage as the V-8 fot the fact that it has to work harder to get the truck to move.

I own a 1996 1500 with a 4.3 V-6, and get about 17-19 highway (22 when I run a long distance with the cap on it), and about 15 city. I have a friend with the 350, and he gets about 2 MPG more than I in each case.

Big Truck + Small Motor = Bad Mileage.

Nothing you can do man.

Doc

Yup, I'd have to agree... Big Truck + Small Motor = Bad Idea Bob

Bye the way Doc, I'm glad to hear you got that Windstar fixed.

Well I HAD it fixed. Here's the hx on the vehicle so far, all work I've done, excluding little shit like tune ups, brake jobs and fluid changes...............

1) Replaced AT--a few years back, had been replaced once already @ 60K 2) Replaced head gaskets--last summer, had been replaced TWICE already, once at 20K and again at 60K 3) Replaced PCM--a few months ago 4) New steel brake lines all around--last weekend

Now the sumbitch is spewing 02 lean codes on both banks......................AND the frikkin' sliding door is actually ripping (yes, the sheet metal is ripping) where the slider attaches to it. Add to that the fact the AT puked a quart and a half of fluid out the vent tube a few days back for no apparrent reason and it's time to lose the f**kin' thing! Less than 10 years old and less than 100K on the clock.

I've been telling him to get rid of this van for years but he's too goddamned stubborn to listen...........................maybe if I stop fixing it for him he'll reconsider?

Doc

Sounds like the only thing keeping that lemon out of the crusher is the fact that you must be working too cheap! Quit thinking of it as a PITA and think of it more as a cash cow..... lol. I think the Windstar is the worst POS that Ford ever built, good luck with that one. Bob

Sad thing is I do all the work for beer and pizza. I work with him and we're pretty good friends so I've never even thought of asking him for money. He's offered, but I've refused. Maybe if I start chargin' him he'll lunch it?

Doc

What do you want for a re-badged Nissan Quest?

Whitelightning

I think you have it backwards Bob

You'll never put your kids through college working for beer and pizza, but I know where you're coming from. One of the hardest decisions I have to make is what to charge family and friends. I try to do right by them but pizza and beer don't cut it. Bob

You saying the Windstar and the Quest have things in common other than the fact they are minivans!?

Doc

I think he is saying the Nissan Quest is a re-badged Ford.

I got them confused, it was the mercury villager that was a rebadged Nissan Quest. Whitelightning

I thought the Mercury villager was a rebadged windstar.

Although the 3.0-liter Nissan engine is adequate, it can't quite match the muscle provided by the larger V6s in the front-drive minivans from Ford, GM, and Chrysler. Crankshaft: The crankshaft breaks behind the front pulley if the belts are overtightened. (1993-96)

Whitelightning

Same diff, and both crap

V.B.

Amen brother!

Doc

I charge half the labor of what they would get charged downtown. Seems like this is fair to them, and great for me as I have no overhead to worry about......

Simple. I had a 2000 Silverado, 4.3 liter automatic. Here is what I did.

I unbolted the license plate, pulled in a 2001 Silverado 4.8 liter with a

5-speed, and bolted the license plate on it.

Gas mileage went up a great deal.

:-)

Bryan