Hello, I'm new to the forums here. I just traded in my 2000 Jeep Cherokee on a 2000 GMC Sierra 1500 Z71. I'm looking for little tweaks to get me better gas mileage. I had a F&N 57 series FIPK, and a Borla cat-back exhaust on my Jeep and I was getting about 20mpg. I was getting about 16mpg before adding the CAI and exhaust on it, so I gained about 4mpg with my Jeep.

I was wondering what would be my best, COST EFFECTIVE, setup to save on gas in my truck. I don't have the money I did when I had the Jeep, so the $300 CAI and $500 exhaust are out of the question this go around.

I was looking at a Dynomax 19306 cat-back exhaust. Not bad for the price, and my fiancee's Dad used to be a huge Mustang guy in his younger days, and he said that he always ran Dynomax systems on his 'Stangs.

As far as the CAI goes, anyone have any suggestions? K&N 57 series, K&N 77 series, Outlaw, Volant, GM Performance Parts? I basically want the most bang for my buck, but don't want to spend a fortune. I'm on a pretty tight budget now with a truck payment.

I read through the free HP and MPG stickies, and from the stuff I've seen, I think I'm probably going to just install a CAI and exhaust, and that's about all for right now. I've heard the TB spacers are a waste of money. Every Jeep guy I ever talked to said that. Now is that the case with a V8 5.3L Vortec, or just with the Jeep 4.0L I6? If it is really worth it in the V8, what TB spacer do you recommend?

Thanks!

 

Most cost effective intake:

K&N and Airaid intake tube.

The most cost effective exhaust:

Get your favorite glasspack or muffler and either splice it into the factory exhaust, or you can do this:

Remove muffler and pipe from muffler back. Put on you favorite glasspack or muffler and get a simple elbow for the muffler outlet and aim it down. Voila! Cheap dumped exhaust!

Then follow the link:

https://www.truckforums.com/m_17037/tm.htm

 

Okay, so with the Airaid tube and K&N filter, I assume I'm reusing the stock airbox, and just replacing the tube from the TB with the Airaid, and dropping in the K&N filter in replacement of the stock filter, correct?

Are these the proper parts for this:

Airaid 200-912 Intake Tube
http://www.jegs.com/i/Airaid/028/200-912/10002/-1

K&N 33-2129 Air Filter
http://www.jegs.com/i/K&N/599/33-2129/10002/-1

I'd probably just call the local muffler shop to have them splice in a Cherry Bomb glass pack in place of the stock muffler. Do you happen to know what the size is on the stock pipes and what offset I would need? I called the muffler shop and they said if its 3" and offset (which it is), they can't find any 3" offset glass packs. If that is the case, what kind of muffler should I have them splice in?

Now, with doing this Airaid/K&N and Cherry Bomb setup, how much difference in gains will there be as opposed to going with a K&N 57 Series FIPK and Dynomax Cat-Back exhaust?

What's all this talk of this MAF sensor? I have no idea what this is, what this does, and where it is located. I'm new to GM, I've always owned/worked on Chrysler products. Thanks!

 

That’s it. Airaid tubes can be found cheaper on Craigslist.org and EbayMotors. Aim for under $100 if you can.

That’s not a bad price on the K&N however. Looks to be the correct one.

Basically what it comes down to is power per dollar.

You probably won't gain much of anything with just a glasspack or muffler put in place of your OEM muffler. But you won't loose torque which your truck needs to move all that weight. Therefore your MPG remains virtually the same.

Get an aftermarket "exhaust system" and you gain HP (I'd say 8 to 10 max) but loose torque. Therefore your city MPG decreases and your highway increases. (Either way it won't be huge increases or decreases, somewhere around 1 MPG). But keep in mind you are also out $200 + now.

You will most likely get better sound and performance from a glasspack if you simply dump it before the rear axle. It will be louder too. But you will loose more torque too over just splicing it in.

CAI versus K&N filter and Airaid tube. CAI you will get 1-2 more HP when your foot in in the floor versus just the filter and tube. But when your driving normally and not flooring it, you will gain more torque and MPG from a K&N and tube alone versus the CAI. (Once again torque is a trucks friend, with it you get MPGs).

MAF Sensor = Mass Airflow Sensor. It’s the round thing with the wires attached to it, on your intake right after the air box. It measures density and speed of air into the engine. Helps the engine adjust fuel and spark for the best performance. The stock one is more than enough for your truck. Descreen it for better throttle response.

As far as always owning Chrysler products and your first new GM......welcome to the sensible side. Lol.

 

Alright, Im going to look around a bit and order the Airaid tube and K&N filter. Ill hold off on the exhaust. I live in south western Pennsylvania, so most of my driving is hilly, curvy roads. I do take the occasional 1 1/2 hour highway trip to visit my fiancees sister, but thats not all too often, maybe once every month or two. Mainly Im looking for any kind of MPG gain I can get for standard daily driving. Any exhaust suggestions that might help improve my MPG given my driving type, aside from headers, true duals, the whole bit? Or should I just leave the factory exhaust as it is? Thanks alot I appreciate it. Ill tell you what I loved my Jeep, and I kind of miss it, but honestly GM trucks handle 10 times better than Dodge trucks do (comparing the 96-2001 body style Dodge to the 99-02 body style Chevy/GM), one of the main reasons I bought my GMC.

 

bump on exhaust question, to get best gas mileage: leave stock, splice muffler in, splice muffler in and dump it, or do cat-back system?

 

Where in Western PA are you from. I am right outside of Pittsburgh, I work out in Canonsburg.

Leave it stock and you'll get better MPG overall with normal driving. Splice in a muffler for some sound.

Compared to stock:
Dump it for more sound and less overall MPGs and a little less torque, you will gain some top end I am sure. Dual exhaust or single exhaust Cat-back systems for better sound, more top end, less torque, little less MPG. True duals will make it sound great, without a tune you will get the least MPG and torque (I assume) and gain even more top end. With a tune you can probably gain some of the lost torque and MPG back.

Rule of thumb: The more air you pass through the engine the more fuel you will need and possibly a timing advance. Timing advances may require higher octane fuel.

From the guys at Hypertech: The factory settings on the PCM will allow for a K&N airfilter and simple cat-back exhaust (single or dual) at the most. Anythjing outside of that will require a tune.

 

I live in Berlin. Actually I went to school at Shanksville about 2 miles from where Flight 93 went down on 9/11. My fiancee's sister lives out your way, she lives in Bridgeville now, but she used to live in Crafton. We go up there to visit her every so often. Actually we were just up there this past weekend.

I'll leave the exhaust alone. I don't want to mess around with tuning. I'll just stick with my Airaid MIT and K&N filter. Thanks for the advice.

 

Wow, you've already added that stuff to your mods list aye? You already actually install that stuff?

 

Hehe, not yet it won't even be here until next Wednesday lol. I like to jump the gun a bit at times though