A few questions about my new truck

[crazybronco]

I have been on this forum for a while now, but I sold my old B2 and now have 2 Rangers. My 92 is a 4x4 with a 4.0l and I just got a new 1999 with the 2.5L 4.
This truck is in great shape and I will be using it as a daily driver for my commute to work. It is a basic standard cab 2wd 5 speed. My overall goal for this truck is gas mileage.
So, I want to change the spark plugs, what works good in these?
I have read about putting 19lb/hr injectors in these, would this help? Would 17lb/hr be better for MPG? Or stay stock.
Other than the normal, tire pressure, driving style, loose the extra weight, etc.., what are other ways to get better MPG? ( I know it is not a Geo Metro and will never see 50 MPG, I am realistic)
Oh, and I just replaced the timing belt.
Thanks,
Scott

 

[YZ250Rider23]

Personally, I believe that OE plugs should always be used. In this case I believe Motorcraft double platinums are what's called for (these should be good for 100k mi). The only other ones I would be tempted to try would be NGK Iridium or Laser platinums, or Autolite platinums. Don't use Bosch platinums... I wouldn't put one in my lawnmower even. They've caused a lot of issues for a lot of people I know.

Personally I tried the Motorcraft wires and had a bad experience. They had issues with arcing right out of the box. I went to BWD wires and they were good for a while (I'm having a radio interference issue right now... almost certainly plugs or wires. I will get to the bottom of it when it warms up a little).

Beyond that, just keep up on your maintenance (don't forget the fuel filter, trans and diff oils), keep your speed under 70 mph and don't keep too much crap in the back and you'll easily average 22 mpg or better mixed. My truck is near identical to yours, except it's a 97 with nearly 200k on the clock. Even in the winter (crap gas here in MI and 3-400 lbs of sand in the back) I still average 20-22 mpg mixed driving.

As an experiment I noted fuel economy before and after switching to amsoil engine oil, and later switching the trans and rear diff to amsoil. I saw a very slight increase in economy when switching the engine oil, but no dicernable difference after the trans and diff change. But I still get the benefit of better wear protection and longer drain intervals, so I still chalk it up as a win. One of the most noticable things when using amsoil in the engine was decreased oil consumption. Went from about a qt ever 2k to less than a qt every 6k.

I definitely wouldn't mess with the injectors. Going to a smaller injector would just mean they would have to stay open longer to achieve the same amount of fuel sprayed. Not to mention, how much gas can you buy for the price of 4 injectors?

Good work replacing that belt early... I put mine off and it left me on the side of the road, with a surprise personal day out of the office, and a 70 dollar hook bill. And it was the dead of winter 2 years ago.... burrrrr.

 

[crazybronco]

Well, the timing belt is how I got the truck. It was a friends truck and he had the timing belt go on him a few weeks ago. I offered to help him, but he wanted to do it himself. A week later he calls me and offers me the truck in exchange for doing some work on his Jeep. So, I got this great little truck for the price of labor on his Jeep(head gasket). He had installed the belt wrong, which seems to be a common issue on these. I redid it and it runs great now.
As for injectors, I was asking about swapping the 14lb/hrs that is in it to a 17 or 19 lb/hr. Going down would cause a lean condition under any load and do real bad things. Going up increases power and I have read increases economy, but wanted to get it verified.