Derf00

I know there have been a few posts about the Tornado Fuel Saver and a few other devices that claim increased MPG and HP for just a few bucks. Popular Science Sept' 05 issue has put some of the more popular and expensive ones to the test and provided their results. The tests were done using a 5.4L F350 Pickup. The summary is below:

Fuel OptiMiser $22: JCWhitney Catalog
Claims: magnetically rearranges fuel molecules making fuel burn more effeciently
Result: No impact on the dyno or MPG

Intake Twister $20: E-bay item
Claims: causes the fuel to 'spread out'. Increasing MPG 5-10mpg and HP by 10%
Result: Actually reduced MPG AND HP by 10%. Could also harm engine if it gets sucked in.

TornadoFuelSaver $70: Tons of posts on here about it
Claims: Creates a tornado effect in intake that is supposed to create a better mix increases MPG by 28% and HP by 4-13.
Result: Actually reduced MPG AND HP by 10%.

Electronic Engine Ionizer Fuel Saver $80:
Claims: Increase gas mileage by 30% electrochemically
Results: Actually reduced HP by about 10% and caught on fire!

Fuel Atomizer 2000 $200:
Claims: Increase of MPG by 300% (not a typo) and increase engine performance and HP
Results: No Impact on either HP or MPG

Aquatune $300:
Claims: Increase of 25% in MPG and 30% in HP
Results: 20% LOWER MPG and a loss of 20 peak HP

justingt

wow good info...may also want to include the turbonater i know people who used it...it does nothing except lower your MPG. It claimed to add 35 hp and increase MPG by 31%

IWinULose

I also think they used 3 test trucks.

Haha, I read this article too last evening.

madd_hatter_1979

if you want better hp and fuel economy the best thing you can do is still either add a K&N or other aftermarket high performance air filter and a quality cold air intake kit most K&N filters can be had for under 50 bucks and the whole cold air kit usually aroun 150... best money youll eve spend i use K&N's on everything swear by em...

4600cc

Best thing for a led foot to do to get better MPG is advance ignition timing map. The higher the timing, the better the thermal efficiency of an engine (more heat is converted to power). As long as detonation does not occur it is all good. Since more heat is converted to power it also means that less heat escapes through exhaust gases, cats need heat to work, you can burn them easily. Advanced timing also makes some nasty gases, which are bad for environment. If you ever been to a race, you probably know the smell, that's what you should be getting on your car for max power.

Results for me were from 230 miles per around 15 gallons to 310+ miles per around 15 gallons. I was led footing 4000 lb vehicle with 4.6 around the town.

The trick is, you can't do this using your ECC-IV or V, not even if you have the latest of programming equipment. There is just no way around emissions in their computer program. You'd need an aftermarket computer for EFI or ignition. I used Megajolt with EDIS-8. People who use this are mostly racers and this technology is mostly used for racing, off road, since it is experimental and non emissions compliant. It give both more power and better fuel efficiency, the concept is simple, advance timing. On your stock 4.6 you also running a risk of blowing a crappy stock piston if your timing is way too high.





AL

Chopper

I installed a Steeda timing adjuster set at +3*.I adjusted it to more advance untill the CEL came on.then Backed off one degree.After testing the new part for about a month of driving the same road at the same speed and filling up at the same pump I came up with a gain of +2 MPG's.If you get one of these the timing marks are just for reference.It would be impossible to install the sensor exactly the same as it was inside the engine.It's not hard to adjust though.

GreyStang

Geez there are soooo many stories & hoaxes about "wonder devices" that X your power & fuel economy.. you know, the devices that the Arabs immediately pay off the inventors & hide from the public to avoid losing their oil monopoly

Yea a K&N filter will help mileage a bit, by letting the engine breath a bit more freely. Not much of a gain though.. Some of the oil additivies, or using synthetic oil, can help mileage & power becuse they really do reduce rotational friction, so it's easy to see why they work work. Again, only small benefits.

On surprising gain I got was back on my '79 Stang I stuck a Kamei airdam on the front below the bumper.. MAN that thing really did help! Even while driving on the highway you could feel it is causing the frontend to suck down onto the road better, because it was reducing the amount of air passing under the car. Steering response changed so much that it felt like I had completely different tires on the car! And fuel economy got better too. Not sure if modern cars would benefit as much from airdams as the older ones.. new cars are much more aerodynamic.

bahbahblacksheep

Nice to finally see some data proving these devices are nothing but BS. i always follow this motto: If it sounds too good to be true...

zanderwitaz

I read the article as well, and didnt know about these devices until i did. i went on ebay to see if the lisitngs had any response to the article, and of course they didnt. however, i did browse the feedback and some people are claiming they work. is this the seller logging in assomeone else leaving feedback? im a little confused. could it be that these devices work on smaller engines?

04BlueGT

Do you use 87 octane or higher now?