I know the title of the post is vague.
I pull a fifth wheel RV part time and want to get the best mpg and performance for my truck.

If my sig doesn't show: 1998, 12V, Auto, Quadcab, shortbed, 90K, no mods yet.....

I am thinking about 4" exhaust, including a muffler and checking the KDP status (first of course). I also will be upgrading the headlights to Sports and installing fog lights.

I don't see any advantage of removing the silencer ring for my purposes.

What else should I look into to make my truck a good performer without sacrificing MPG and noise levels?

Thanks in advance!

 

Do you have a 5sp. or an auto?

That determines what needs to come when.

Sorry if its in you're post somewhere... but I read it a couple of times and didn't see it.

 

Besides the exhaust you may want to consider one of the air intake kits. I have the AFE and like it but there are a number of others which I know are fine also. You also should get gauges ,ie., boost , EGT , and since you tow , definitely a Trans temp gauge.
Also a 3k-GSK would help while towing. After that depends on what you want , a mild plate would also help your towing considerably.
Improving your stock tranny , assuming you have an Auto would be a good idea also , Valve body and if you can a good Torque Convertor , do a search on this and you'll find lots of info to improve your Trans.

 

For mileage, bump the timing.

For power a new plate.

For drivability a GSK...

Here is my writeup on how to BOMB a 12v...

To get more power out of your truck the first and foremost investment is a good set of gauges. These are a must anytime that you are adding more fuel to your mix. At the very least a Pyro, a boost gauge is really nice to have, and if you have an auto, a tranny temperature gauge as well.

A governor spring kit, referred to as a GSK is a wonderful investment that widens your normally narrow power band from the 12 valve engine and allows you to fuel hard to at least 3200 RPMS or so, before it starts to defuel, this is all dependant on your governor arm adjustment and your plate positioning.

A Torque, or fuel plate should come next. NO one really follows the plate guide anymore and the most popular plates nowadays are 100, 10 and a zero plate.

More commonly referred to as fuel plates, they come in different numbers to explain how "aggressive" (for lack of a better term at the moment) that they are 11, 10, 8, 6, 5, 0, and 100, zero being a flat plate that bombards the pump with fuel, and a 100 being a ten plate curve with no top end defueling, much like the zero.. The plate goes in the P7100 injector pump, It goes under what is called the AFC housing, which has a little starwheel on it, the starwheel can be accessed with the removal of the hex dealy using the the right hex head size plug, and you loosen it for more smoke, and better lower end, and tighten it for the inverse. Use a good screwdriver.... furthermore... You will see four screws there where the starwheel is, two that are flat, one that is possibly a breakoff screw that can be a real pain to remove, take a hammer and good screwdriver and bang the tar outta it, it will come off, if that fails, left hand drill bit... Looking down the driver side, the top left hand is the breakaway, and the top right is a regular screw as well, the bottom two are 8mm bolts and you need to get around to one that is in the back of the AFC housing that holds that fuel shutdown solenoid in place...

The other tricky bolt is the one (if you look down from the drivers side) behind the Fuel shutdown solenoid (electronic hooked up deal that bolts in front of the injector pump, easily removed with in my case an 8mm (and most should be too) socket and pull out the two bolts. when you undo those you will notice that there is one in the back that is holding the housing, you can just loosen the one in the rear using a deep 8 mm socket and just move the shutdown solenoid out of the way, (downward) and then you can get to the plate..

When you are in there its simple, you just remove the stock plate and put the other plate in place of that one. NOTICE you have some play here. Sliding it forward of the stock position will net you more power, sliding it back will reduce the power.

Now put it back together and you are done. Installation is simply the reverse of removing it. Having a magnetic tip screwdriver REALLY HELPS. As you are putting the AFC housing back on you will notice that you can also slide it forward and backwards a bit as well, sliding it forward increases the low end fueling as well.

To increase the boost you will usually have to plug the wastegate line, it is the one that goes to the wastegate from the back of the AFC housing, you can get a boost elbow from many different vendors to increase the boost, or some just disconnect the line and plug it by clamping a screw in the end of the hose to keep anything from going in the hose.

Install time, for a newbie, well it will take you about a couple of hours at most. Your only real problem might be that break off screw, especially if your truck is stock, However, nothing a good strong screwdriver and some persuasion cannot take care of.

Which plate is right for you? A 10 is generally considered the best all around plate, many guys run a 100 for a little more to end, and guys that drag race and such tend to like the really heavy low end fueling of the zero plate.

There is no one setup that works for everyone, you may have to make some adjustments to the plate, AFC position, or starwheel to get it set to your liking and needs as far as power, responsiveness, and smoke.

Either ways, you are going to need a clutch or tranny work if its an auto. And your EGTs will tell you when you need an intake and exhaust to help keep the temps down. Neither of them will gain you power alone, but they can help you get more from the fuel that you already have.

The next step is usually advancing the timing, which requires more advanced skills, and special tools.

 

Updated my sig and post to show I am running an automatic. Thanks for the replies so far. Mechanically, there is very litle I can't do myself. I just don't want to do things that will go backwards in my wants....