Fuel Saver Option

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Fuel Saver Option

Gary Lewis
Administrator
I was perusing the 1982 Dealer Facts Book looking for info about lighting, stylesides, DRW's, etc.  And, while doing so I came across this on Page 9 of the Options And Accessories tab and thought y'all might like to see it:

FUEL SAVER (F-100 FS)— (F-Series)
This new option package includes a special power team for
the driver who wishes to achieve optimum fuel efficiency from
his F-100 pickup. It is available only in 49 states on the F-100
Styleside pickup with 117-inch wheelbase and Base Payload
Package No. 1. Components include:
•4.9L 1VI-6 engine
•Three-speed manual transmission (four-speed manual overdrive optional)
•2.47 rear axle ratio
•Front spoiler
•Secondary door seals
Not available with air conditioning, manual brakes, P235/75
R15XL tires, power steering, tilt steering wheel, speed con-
trol, Heavy-Duty Trailer Towing Package, XLS trim, optional
mirrors, optional rear bumper, super engine cooling or extra
engine cooling.
Gary, AKA "Gary fellow": Profile

Dad's: '81 F150 Ranger XLT 4x4: Down for restomod: Full-roller "stroked 351M" w/Trick Flow heads & intake, EEC-V SEFI/E4OD/3.50 gears w/Kevlar clutches
Blue: 2015 F150 Platinum 4x4 SuperCrew wearing Blue Jeans & sporting a 3.5L EB & Max Tow
Big Blue: 1985 F250HD 4x4: 460/ZF5/3.55's, D60 w/Ox locker & 10.25 Sterling/Trutrac, Blue Top & Borgeson, & EEC-V MAF/SEFI

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Re: Fuel Saver Option

kramttocs
Administrator
The 'not available with' list cracks me up.

Wonder what secondary door seals look like.
Scott
'Camano' 1986 F250 Supercab XLT Lariat 460/C6
'Chanute' 1980 F350 C&C 400/NP 435 - Gin Pole

But there ain't nothin' wrong with the radio
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Re: Fuel Saver Option

Gary Lewis
Administrator
Yes, they made sure it was bare bones.  No extra weight - including a longer bed.  Kinda like there was a competition of some kind and they needed to ensure that all of their Fuel Saver trucks got a certain MPG.

Here's the secondary seal:

Gary, AKA "Gary fellow": Profile

Dad's: '81 F150 Ranger XLT 4x4: Down for restomod: Full-roller "stroked 351M" w/Trick Flow heads & intake, EEC-V SEFI/E4OD/3.50 gears w/Kevlar clutches
Blue: 2015 F150 Platinum 4x4 SuperCrew wearing Blue Jeans & sporting a 3.5L EB & Max Tow
Big Blue: 1985 F250HD 4x4: 460/ZF5/3.55's, D60 w/Ox locker & 10.25 Sterling/Trutrac, Blue Top & Borgeson, & EEC-V MAF/SEFI

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Re: Fuel Saver Option

FuzzFace2
But if I read it right they kept the power brakes?
Would that not add the weight of the booster?
Then again the brakes are different front & rear for power / non-power and it is a wash?

I also would have guessed they all would of had the OD stick trany but not the heavy T8.
The 3 speed would be a light weight tray but the OD I don't think would be much more?

Other than the flare side my 81 F100 custom only had power steering, T18, manual brakes and the large mirrors based on bolt holes in the doors.

Wonder if that is the pony option?
When looking over the cooling side it used a 15" fan, less drag, all others an 18" fan.

Anyone have a picture and / or part number of this spoiler?
Dave ----
Dave G.
81 F100 flare side 300 six / AA OD / NP435 / 2.75 gear
http://cars.grantskingdom1.com/index.php/1980-Ford-F100?page=1
81 F100 style side 300 six/SROD parts truck -RIP
http://cars.grantskingdom1.com/index.php/1981-Ford-F100
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Re: Fuel Saver Option

Steve83
Banned User
FuzzFace2 wrote
Would that not add the weight of the booster?
Yes, but the brakes themselves could be smaller/lighter.
FuzzFace2 wrote
...a 15" fan, less drag...
Fans don't create any drag, regardless of size.  Super cooling is excluded because of all the other things required before super cooling can be added (A/C, a big engine, a big trans, a heavy GVWR...).
FuzzFace2 wrote
Anyone have a picture and / or part number of this spoiler?
The crossmember at the front of this pic is sometimes called a "front spoiler":

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Re: Fuel Saver Option

Gary Lewis
Administrator
Spoiler, aka Deflector (Front Air).  It measures 50" wide and is a whopping 1" tall, so probably makes a huge difference in MPG.  








Gary, AKA "Gary fellow": Profile

Dad's: '81 F150 Ranger XLT 4x4: Down for restomod: Full-roller "stroked 351M" w/Trick Flow heads & intake, EEC-V SEFI/E4OD/3.50 gears w/Kevlar clutches
Blue: 2015 F150 Platinum 4x4 SuperCrew wearing Blue Jeans & sporting a 3.5L EB & Max Tow
Big Blue: 1985 F250HD 4x4: 460/ZF5/3.55's, D60 w/Ox locker & 10.25 Sterling/Trutrac, Blue Top & Borgeson, & EEC-V MAF/SEFI

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Re: Fuel Saver Option

ScubaSteve
I was wondering if the spoiler was the little rubber thing on the front bumper. My 86xlt had one. I am planning to make a new one but a little longer someplace between 2” and 3”.
1986 F150, XLT Lariat, 5.8, AOD, 8.8 limited slip, 4.10 gears
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Re: Fuel Saver Option

Steve83
Banned User
In reply to this post by Gary Lewis
Gary Lewis wrote
It measures 50" wide and is a whopping 1" tall, so probably makes a huge difference in MPG.
That's not exactly its purpose...

It's there to "spoil" the air flowing under the bumper & hitting the engine crossmember, which creates pressure BEHIND the fan, reducing airflow THROUGH the radiator.  With the spoiler, more air comes through the rad, making the tiny fan more-effective without as much weight as a larger fan would require.  On later trucks, especially those with A/C, the spoiler is larger & more-critical.  And another barrier was added there, as the 2nd TSB in this caption describes:

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Re: Fuel Saver Option

Gary Lewis
Administrator
Steve - That's an interesting theory.  And, it may have answered a long-standing question about the "Pony".

I turned to the page on fans (Cooling Systems/COOLING FAN #'S & ILLUSTRATIONS) and found that there's no really small fan to fit your theory - except for the "Pony", which got a little bitty 15" fan as opposed to the 18"+ fan for other 300 six's.

As explained on the 1982-84 Pony tab on the Bullnose FAQ's page, the Pony is mentioned several times in the catalog.  But it is not mentioned in the dealer facts books nor listed in the price lists.  So, my wonder had been if it was planned but not produced.

However, what if the parts catalog just has the wrong name?  Maybe "Pony" is a term that Ford employees called the truck with the Fuel Saver option.  And, note that the parts catalog also called it the Fuel Economy Package, so there was already some confusion regarding its name.
Gary, AKA "Gary fellow": Profile

Dad's: '81 F150 Ranger XLT 4x4: Down for restomod: Full-roller "stroked 351M" w/Trick Flow heads & intake, EEC-V SEFI/E4OD/3.50 gears w/Kevlar clutches
Blue: 2015 F150 Platinum 4x4 SuperCrew wearing Blue Jeans & sporting a 3.5L EB & Max Tow
Big Blue: 1985 F250HD 4x4: 460/ZF5/3.55's, D60 w/Ox locker & 10.25 Sterling/Trutrac, Blue Top & Borgeson, & EEC-V MAF/SEFI

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Re: Fuel Saver Option

85lebaront2
Administrator
In reply to this post by Steve83
Steve, as far as the TSB on air conditioning, I added the lower air deflector to Darth and since then added a pair of side "baffles" from a 1995 F450 that was being scrapped. I haven't really been in stop and go traffic in hot weather since the side baffles were added, but the lower air deflector behind the bumper did help last summer when I had to go through downtown Portsmouth VA to get to the I 264 tunnel.
Bill AKA "LOBO" Profile

"Getting old is inevitable, growing up is optional" Darth Vader 1986 F350 460 converted to MAF/SEFI, E4OD 12X3 1/2 rear brakes, traction loc 3:55 gear, 160 amp 3G alternator Wife's 2011 Flex Limited Daily Driver 2009 Flex Limited with factory tow package Project car 1986 Chrysler LeBaron convertible 2.2L Turbo II, modified A413

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Re: Fuel Saver Option

85lebaront2
Administrator
In reply to this post by Gary Lewis
Gary, you may be correct, the 1975 Pinto Pony MPG model was essentially set up for the maximum engine efficiency. My daughter had one and drove it from Newport News to Radford and back numerous times at 30+ mpg on the interstates. The salesmen may have tagged the truck "Pony" for that reason.
Bill AKA "LOBO" Profile

"Getting old is inevitable, growing up is optional" Darth Vader 1986 F350 460 converted to MAF/SEFI, E4OD 12X3 1/2 rear brakes, traction loc 3:55 gear, 160 amp 3G alternator Wife's 2011 Flex Limited Daily Driver 2009 Flex Limited with factory tow package Project car 1986 Chrysler LeBaron convertible 2.2L Turbo II, modified A413

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Re: Fuel Saver Option

Steve83
Banned User
In reply to this post by Gary Lewis
Gary Lewis wrote
...there's no really small fan to fit your theory...
I consider the standard 5-blade fan to be "tiny" compared to the optional 7-blade, even though their ODs are the same.
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Re: Fuel Saver Option

FuzzFace2
In reply to this post by Gary Lewis
Gary Lewis wrote
Spoiler, aka Deflector (Front Air).  It measures 50" wide and is a whopping 1" tall, so probably makes a huge difference in MPG.  







That spoiler / deflector looks like the same thing as the hood / cowl seal ... garage door seal!

That spoiler / deflector is different than the radiator lower air shield from what I gather.

The spoiler / deflector can force more air thru the radiator / condenser when at speed but it is keeping air from going under the truck and causing turbulence & drag and why the more MPG.

This radiator lower air shield I would think goes between the bumper & radiator support or the support & first cross member to keep hot air from going between this and back thru the radiators.

Also based on what I see posted the part numbers between the 2 are also different.
I would like to see this radiator lower air shield and how it is attached to the truck, I may need to make one for my truck with AC as it did not have one.
Dave ----
Dave G.
81 F100 flare side 300 six / AA OD / NP435 / 2.75 gear
http://cars.grantskingdom1.com/index.php/1980-Ford-F100?page=1
81 F100 style side 300 six/SROD parts truck -RIP
http://cars.grantskingdom1.com/index.php/1981-Ford-F100
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Re: Fuel Saver Option

Rembrant
In reply to this post by Gary Lewis
Thanks for the pics of the spoiler Gary...I've been curious forever what it consisted of and looked like.
1994 F150 4x2 Flareside. 5.0 w/MAF, 4R70W, stock.
1984 F150 4X2 Flareside. Mild 302 w/ 5spd. Sold.
1980 F150 4X4 Flareside. 300i6 w/ 5spd. Sold in 2021.
1980 F100 4X2 Flareside. 351w/2bbl w/NP435. Sold in 1995