| From | Message |
Sephiroth
Dodge Dakota
JOIN HERE
3/24/2004
13:17:29
|
 Subject: Fuel saving device, good?
IP: Logged
Message:
OK, normally I just remove BS from my inbox, but this kind of caught my eye since gas is so dang expensive right now. It makes sense to a degree, but I wanted opinions. This thing clamps onto your fuel-line and breaks apart clusters of non-h o m o genous molecules that don't burn, so that more air can reach the actual fuel molecules. There is a money-back garauntee, so it seems like they're backing their device, but before I blow $90 on something like this, I thought I'd let others post opinions.
Fuel-Saver Pro
I had to space out that word because it filtered it as one long word thinking I was using the term for same-sex. Can an admin fix that so when used in REAL words it's OK and when posted by itself it gets stopped?
|
CThomp
*GenIII*
3/24/2004
13:44:08
|  RE: Fuel saving device, good?
IP: Logged
Message:
I'm no engineer so I couldn't give a technical opinion. My only qualm with it is that they tell you to give it 1500 miles before seeing significant change. So you have to put 1500 miles on your vehicle in under 30 days to decide whether or not you wish to return it.
But if you have the $90 to burn I say what the heck give it a try. It might be BS it might not be. It's kind of interesting that they tested it on a 4.7L Cherokee. I wouldn't mind gettin 18/25 mpg. Thats about how their figures work out.
|
CThomp
*GenIII*
3/24/2004
13:48:03
| RE: Fuel saving device, good?
IP: Logged
Message:
Fuel-Saving Gadgets Put To The Test
Gizmos Tested On Fleet Of AAA Trucks
POSTED: 5:27 p.m. PDT May 21, 2003
Wayne Havrelly
KIRO 7 Eyewitness News Consumer Investigator
It's here at last: Secret fuel saving technology!
Sound familiar?
Every time gas prices rise, so do claims about gadgets that are supposed to dramatically improve your car's fuel economy.
Some of these claims are amazing, like a product that claims it will increase your mileage by 27 percent!
We installed several different gas-saving gizmos on a fleet of trucks so we could put these amazing claims to the test -- from air-spinning devices in your car's air intake to powerful magnets designed to make the fuel in your car burn more efficiently.
We tested several of these claims that promise to save you big money at the pump by improving your car's fuel economy.
With the help of American Automobile Association's fleet of service trucks, we put all these devices through a month of extensive testing.
"We actually monitor the fuel mileage of these vehicles constantly, so we already had a very established base line to what they are getting," said Don Beyer of AAA.
The "Fuel Saver Pro" is a $65 dollar magnetic gadget that snaps over the fuel line. It's supposed to increase mileage up to 27% by magnetizing fuel and making it more efficient.
A $74 whirling air device called "The Tornado" spins inside the air intake hose. According to a television infomercial, it improves the air fuel mixture which increases mileage.
We paid $90 for the "Super Fuel Max," which turned out to be identical to the first magnetic device we bought -- except it costs about 25 dollars more.
MORE ON THIS STORY
More info from the FTC
Testing of gas saving devices by the EPA
For fun, we slapped some duct tape on a fourth truck.
"We contend that this fuel saving device probably works as well as the others," said Don Beyer.
As the trucks went through tank after tank of fuel, the mileage was closely monitored every time.
So in the end, which gas saver saved the most?
The mileage actually got worse three percent on the truck with the Fuel Saver Pro magnet.
The Super Fuel Max magnet performed even worse, decreasing mileage by nearly five percent.
After 15,00 miles of driving, the Tornado air swirling device increased mileage 5.3 percent.
So how did our duct tape perform?
"The KIRO fuel-saving device actually finished in first place … with a six percent increase in fuel economy!" said Beyer.
But let's put this in perspective: Six percent may sound impressive, but it's only an improvement of one mile per gallon.
Now that duct tape isn't really doing anything. But it did prove that all those devices didn't work in our test.
All the companies that make these products declined to comment on our findings.
Over the years the federal government has tested more than a hundred of these devices, and not one has shown a significant increase in gas mileage.
Your best bet is to keep your car tuned up and keep the right air pressure in your tires.
Don't worry. If there really is an amazing gas saving secret out there, we'll let you know when we find it.
So i'm gonna say they are probably crap.
|
Sephiroth
Dodge Dakota
JOIN HERE
3/24/2004
14:33:18
|  RE: Fuel saving device, good?
IP: Logged
Message:
Well I have a Tornado, and I knew by design it wouldn't improve my mileage. However, it DID improve torque. That's why I like seeing things first-hand, but this device just seems like a constantly supply of fuel-additive. I run Redline once a month to keep my fuel-system clean, and this thing is supposed to do it every time fuel flows, from my understanding.
I'm not protecting them here, but those were diesel-powered trucks, not gasoline. Another thing to consider about the Tornado, is that on a truck (I have a class A CDL and have driven them), the intake is different from a regular gasoline engine. Also, those rigs have turbos, unless they're running an old, ancient one without a turbo. A Tornado isn't going to help a turbo-charged engine! In fact it spins air like a turbo, but since it is stationary, it doesn't do nearly as good a job as a turbo will. I'd actually think a Tornado would decrease a turbo's efficiency, but that's just me.
I'd like to see some results on a REAL user engine. You know, like another Dak, or maybe a full-size pickup. Heck, even an imported POS withr esults would sway me into buying or not buying. Trying devices on an entirly different engine doesn't work for me.
|
Cheap Magnets
Dodge Dakota
JOIN HERE
3/24/2004
14:54:07
| RE: Fuel saving device, good?
IP: Logged
Message:
JC Whitney has similar products for about $30
|
CThomp
*GenIII*
3/24/2004
14:57:46
| RE: Fuel saving device, good?
IP: Logged
Message:
Give it a try then if you've got the cash to burn.
I've got another one for you as well. Its called Ecotek. The website is ecotekplc.com. Its an English device that I guess has been around for years. Its gotten rave reviews in some English car magazines and an English jeep 4x4 magaizne as well.
Check it out. Not sure where you might find one of these in the U.S.
|
Timberwolf
GenIII
3/24/2004
15:00:44
| RE: Fuel saving device, good?
IP: Logged
Message:
You can get the duct tape at WalMart for under $5. Does it matter what color it is?
|
.boB
Dodge Dakota
JOIN HERE
3/24/2004
15:20:20
| RE: Fuel saving device, good?
IP: Logged
Message:
Buy a pair of high strength ceramic magnets at the hardware store. Strap it on with some duct tape. Black or green tape is definatly high speed/low drag.
|
Lurkin 2
Dodge Dakota
JOIN HERE
3/24/2004
16:51:56
|  RE: Fuel saving device, good?
IP: Logged
Message:
Hey Sep,
How do you KNOW that YOUR Tornado device improves your torque?
Butt Dyno again? Lighter Wallet, feels faster!
|
Kowalski
Dodge Dakota
JOIN HERE
3/24/2004
17:55:29
|  RE: Fuel saving device, good?
IP: Logged
Message:
I only have silver duct tape - do you guys think that would work ?
|
rich
Dodge Dakota
JOIN HERE
3/24/2004
18:47:58
|  RE: Fuel saving device, good?
IP: Logged
Message:
Fuel Master - 11.6% claim...$15.99
http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/Displayitem.taf?itemnumber=36098
|
01 RT/BC
Dodge Dakota
JOIN HERE
3/24/2004
19:04:34
| RE: Fuel saving device, good?
IP: Logged
Message:
Seph I think you need to think again before you claim that a turbo swirls air in the same manor that a tornado claims to. As I'm sure you know swirling air does very little if anything at all for the engine or how it burns the oxygen, however compressed air has more oxygen per unit volume. This is what makes turbochargers useful not the swirling air.
You claim you aren't defending them, however I'm pretty sure you are. There hasn't been one test that I've seen to show that it works, however many tests seem to show consistently that it does nothing. As has been noted before the only reason why you would see any rise in mileage is because the tornado actually blocks flow through the air intake, very similar to restrictor plates used in racing to even the competition through robbing the engine of a certain about of air.
|
Sephiroth
Dodge Dakota
JOIN HERE
3/24/2004
20:47:33
| RE: Fuel saving device, good?
IP: Logged
Message:
RTBC, read the post. I never said a Tornado compressed air and I am QUITE aware of how a turbo works. I just didn't mention the compression of air and forcing it into the cylinders because a Tornado won't do that.
Lurkin, I know it simply because I did several tests (before I had my open-element housing) with it in and out. With it in, I take off faster and can break traction. With it out, I take off slower and I can only bark the tires unless I am in a turn.
Now however, I have an open-element housing for the filter, and can smoke the tires with or without it. So that thing DOES help under the circumstances that you have a stock filter-housing and that you can mount the device directly over your two/four-barrel. This thing is (as I have said a thousand times before) utterly useless on a Gen3 Dakota.
|
DSW
Dodge Dakota
JOIN HERE
3/25/2004
01:34:20
| RE: Fuel saving device, good?
IP: Logged
Message:
If you realy need to see how magnets will improve mileage while being connected to the fuel line go buy a screwdriver magnetizer/demagnetizer. They work on the same principal, 2 magnetetic fields cutting through an object run between the magnetic fields. You will be running fuel througn the magnetic field instead of a screwdriver, but a $5 screwdriver magnetizer is better than $90 Fuel-Saver Shmo.
|
Rob C
Dodge Dakota
JOIN HERE
3/25/2004
02:12:56
| RE: Fuel saving device, good?
IP: Logged
Message:
Sephiroth, I wouldn't blow the $90 if I were you. I've seen the pitch before and have been considering just making the device. You don't need to spend big bucks but, you do need magnets that are strong enough to do what they're claiming. They use Neodymium Iron Boron magnets. These are incredibly strong permanent magnets. Here are some links that to websites that sell NIB magnets for cheap:
http://www.engconcepts.net/Magnets/Pages/med_rect_Magnet.htm
http://www.duramag.com/rawmat/neosizes.htm
http://www.amazingmagnets.com/
|
Joe Gas
Dodge Dakota
JOIN HERE
3/25/2004
12:43:25
| RE: Fuel saving device, good?
IP: Logged
Message:
Actually the tornado would, by design, compress the air. The whirlpool is the most effective motion of fluids (including air). The problem is on most vehicles its installed in an incorrect position. Unless you have a tornado before every hole (every time big hole connects to smaller more restrictive hole) and its place in the exact position to achieve maximum efficiency it’s not going to do you much good.
If I remember correctly a whirlpool is most efficient when it creates a 54-degree V shape (or that might be water, I don’t remember). So the tornado should be placed about 1/15th of an inch away from the hole per inch diameter of the hole given that the tornado creates a vortex twice the size of the hole… Or you just put it on and hope it works.
The amount of compression created is dependant on the amount of air flowing, and the compression produced by the airflow… So it COULD help a turbo if it were properly placed.
FACT: It will help in every vehicle under any condition
FACT: How much help it will do is dependant on many more things then the manufacturer of the tornado can control, and might only do as little as .01%, but has the potential of doing as much as 30%.
FACT: YOU will NEVER see 30% increase of air flow UNLESS you use a DIRECT ram air with NO air filter and a front end of your car that looks like a big fog horn. And if you did get 30% more air, you still would only see about a 10-15% better gas mileage.
Just my .02 from the wind tunnel tests of the United States Air Force. (And yes, jet engines to use this effect to produce higher air flow through turbine engines).
Joe Gas
|
Sephiroth
Dodge Dakota
JOIN HERE
3/25/2004
13:10:47
| RE: Fuel saving device, good?
IP: Logged
Message:
Rob, I've done a lot of reading since I saw the magnetic device, and I'm not wasting money on it. Thing is if they wanted to, the major gas companies could do this on the molecular level before it hits the tankers or trucks, which would be MUCH more efficient.
Joe Gas, that's why the Tornado is useless on the Gen3 Daks. It installs in a tube behind the air-filter box and then has that long tube to the top of the two-barrel, where it hits a 90deg angle just to get into the carb, much less the rest of the journey to the cylinders.
|
alashaman
Dodge Dakota
JOIN HERE
3/25/2004
16:06:02
| RE: Fuel saving device, good?
IP: Logged
Message:
After reading this I covered my entire truck in duct tape. I learned a long time ago that if a little is good a lot is better. I made sure to run the seams in the tape with the direction of air flow to improve aero-dynamics (Higher Top speed). In addition this Kit will totally protect your paint from scraps and chips.
If you want I will send you the Kit for doing this for three easy payments of 29.99. If not completly satisifed please return the kit before UPS completes delivery.
Come to think of it I have some swamp land and a bridge I can throw in as well... Let me know if your interested
|
Sephiroth
Dodge Dakota
JOIN HERE
3/25/2004
17:13:42
|  RE: Fuel saving device, good?
IP: Logged
Message:
Swampland sounds good. Does it come with the raving heretics, or do I have to supply those and their weapons? I have a few swords but no staffs, so those would be appreciated.
|
CThomp
*GenIII*
3/26/2004
07:40:48
| RE: Fuel saving device, good?
IP: Logged
Message:
Sephiroth: Did you see that Ecotekplc.com? It actually looks a little interesting. Ecotek is huge in England right now and has been in some sports car magazine over there that say it works. There is a company in Canada that sells them. Check it out. If you're willing to try out this kind of stuff.
|
Sephiroth
Dodge Dakota
JOIN HERE
3/26/2004
19:26:05
| RE: Fuel saving device, good?
IP: Logged
Message:
Wouldn't try it. Only tested on foreign engines.
|
| | P 1 Next Page>> |
