Fuel mileage

[Doug&Deb]

With gas prices getting stupid I need to figure out what vehicle to drive to work. I have a full size truck and my 52 coronet. I’m not getting great mileage from the truck so I’ll be checking the Coronet this weekend. I know it’s not much better but anything helps.

[Booger]

I have never put corn gas in Booger

I may have to rethink that come driving season. I suppose as long as your moving that fuel through the system every week or so things should be fine. Im sure Europe would be thrilled to pay $4 gal

I would imagine they are paying around 1.50€ a litre if not more

 

 

[FarmerJon]

A lot can be done to improve mileage, that applies to both your truck and your Coronet. 

First big improvement is to adjust the nut behind the steering wheel. 

Leave your ego in the trunk, and don't stress about being the front of the pack 

Read up on hypermiling driving techniques, like pulse and glide.

I found it helpful to run a vacuum gauge under the dash, so I could adjust my driving, and to check tuning improvement on the road.

 

Make your your maintenance is all up to date.

Make sure you have a thermostat, at least the factory 180*, if you get really serious about max milage you could try a higher temp.

If you are running modern radials, make sure they are at proper inflation, not what is called for in the bias plys ( like a tire shop will do) Maximum PSI is on the sidewalk, I usually run 2 psi less than that, with good results.

Play with ignition timing- max initial is 2* iirc, you could quite likely see gains by upping to 4-5* 

Play with spark plug gap or side gapping plugs.

If you are running one of the 4" chrome air cleaners, consider switching back to the oil bath, a larger filter, or installing one of the high flow cotton air filters, as the small paper elements are very restrictive.

 

On a 360 powered Ford truck, I brought my mileage up from 8 to 14-15.

On my wife's late model SUV I went from 16 to 19.5. 

I am starting to implement these same things to my '48, but haven't started recording mileage. I am not driving it much in it's original poor state of repair, so I won't have a "as found" baseline. I will start logging fuel vs miles today when I fill up.

 

 

[Sniper]

You know, drafting has always been touted as a way to save gas.  My work truck, 2019 Chevy 2500 4, crew cab, long bed, gets about 21 at 75 mph drafting.  Drops down to 17 otherwise.  Flat road, no noticeable wind effects.  As always, YMMV.

 

Lot's of maintenance aspects that can help or hurt mileage.  dragging brakes, tight wheel bearings, thick oil, mechanical fan, etc.

 

One of the things I am right in the middle of doing is replacing the stock mechanical fan with an electric one.  Not really doing it for mileage, but to recover some lost power, but I get mileage if I keep my foot out of it, lol.  Quicky pic of my son checking the fan mounting template.  I'll do a write up when I get it done, maybe this weekend.

 

 

[Adam H P15 D30]

I have commuted in my 49 for weeks at a time, not necessarily by choice but because my daily was being used by someone else.  My commute was 70 miles of interstate round trip and I averaged 18-20 on California crap gas running 65 MPH, these we not flat freeways either.  No overdrive, stock 230, electronic ign, dual Webers, electric fan, taller rear axle gears and a good heater / defroster.  At 70, mileage dropped to about 15-17 equal to my daily...

[SteveR]

2 hours ago, Booger said:

I would imagine they are paying around 1.50€ a litre if not more

In England we are paying £1.559 per litre Highway robbery.

[FarmerJon]

[61spit]

I think that works out to about $7.78 per gallon at the current exchange rate. Highway robbery is right.

[Sniper]

16 minutes ago, 61spit said:

$7.78 per gallon

US or Imperial gallons?  ?

[Doug&Deb]

Ethanol isn’t a problem for me. I rebuilt the carb with ethanol resistant parts and replaced the fuel pump with ethanol resistant parts also. Finding non ethanol gas near me is impossible. I realize many people have it rougher than me regarding gas prices. I’m just trying to figure out a strategy for now. Plus I’ll use any excuse to drive my car.

[SteveR]

1 hour ago, Sniper said:

US or Imperial gallons? 

1 imperial gallon = 4.54609L

1 US gallon = 3.78541L

[Sniper]

7 minutes ago, SteveR said:

1 imperial gallon = 4.54609L

1 US gallon = 3.78541L

US Gallon 4 quarts

Imperial gallon 5 quarts.

 

I don't care to speak metric.

[SteveR]

56 minutes ago, Sniper said:

I don't care to speak metric.

I remember in 1970 I have a Honda motorcycle, I was 17. I went to buy a metric socket set. My Dad said, " A fool and his money are soon parted." I said but the honda is metric. He then said once you sell the Honda your socket set is useless. I have been using it ever sense, on motorcycles, printing presses and cars including american. 

Edited March 4, 2022 by SteveR

[Sniper]

Yes, I use metric tools daily, part of my job.  I can mentally translate metric, I prefer not to which is why I don't own any cars that need metric tools. 

[SteveR]

I remember back in the 70s America was thinking of changing to metric. Then some bright spark plug in Washington (a rare moment)  said, How much is this going to cost?  Hmm there still imperial, need I say more.

[Adam H P15 D30]

Somehow 10 second .4km doesn't sound nearly as good as a 10 second quarter mile...

[OUTFXD]

The top and sides of your car are smooth,  The underside has a frame,  Suspension, Drivetrain, and exhaust all hanging out in the wind.  This causes the air to tumble creating drag.   Worse,  This happens with a hard surface three or four inches away (The road). This all makes the engine work harder resulting in higher gas use.

 

Preventing as much air as possible from going under the car can show significant mileage gains.  a partial grill block (Think a piece of Chloroplast ziptied behind your grill) a chin spoiler, side skirts, or a smooth pannel attached to the underbelly are great ways to improve mileage. Get creative and you can find ways to Hide these modifications so your car doesnt look stupid.

 

All in all getting economy out of your car is 50% driving style and 50% vehicle efficency. You can make all the changes in the world but they wont matter if you are simply matting the gas pedal.

 

Check Ecomodder.com for driving techniques

[Sniper]

2 hours ago, SteveR said:

I remember back in the 70s America was thinking of changing to metric. Then some bright spark plug in Washington (a rare moment)  said, How much is this going to cost?  Hmm there still imperial, need I say more.

 My impression, being a kid when this all went down, is that the people said "NO!".

 

 

[TodFitch]

4 hours ago, Sniper said:

US Gallon 4 quarts

Imperial gallon 5 quarts.

 

I don't care to speak metric.

 

An Imperial gallon also has 4 quarts, etc. The US quart is smaller than the Imperial quart.

 

5 hours ago, Sniper said:

US or Imperial gallons?  ?

 

Exchange rates are always changing, but when I just did the conversion for £1.559 per litre I got $7.818/US gallon.

 

3 hours ago, SteveR said:

I remember back in the 70s America was thinking of changing to metric. Then some bright spark plug in Washington (a rare moment)  said, How much is this going to cost?  Hmm there still imperial, need I say more.

That is not how I remember it.

 

Any manufacturer that has any pretensions about exporting a manufactured product pretty much has to make things in metric which would be a far sight easier if we used metric for everything.

 

Side story: I know a contractor who got metric tape measures, etc. for his entire crew. He found that there were fewer mistakes when people were measuring and cutting so his costs were lower.

[Sniper]

I don't use Imperial quarts, much like I don't use metric.  So I convert to US customary in my head.  One Imperial gallon is close enough to 5 US quarts for me.

 

A lot of my Canadian friends, when discussing mileage, give miles per gallon numbers that seem high, till you realize that Imp Gal, which they are using, is larger than the US gallon.  So you have to ask to clarify.

[DonaldSmith]

I remember when the big push was for the metric system across the U.S.  Metric makes sense for products with an international market.  And I'm quite used to it for wrenching contemporary vehicles and foreign-sourced stuff.  But otherwise, why bother?  Feet, miles acres, what we're used to.  Don't make us change our lives. Tongue in cheek, I expounded that I wouldn't touch the metric system with a three meter pole. 

 

My Canadian cousins, of advanced age like me, live grudgingly with the metric system.  Hard to think in Celsius instead of Fahrenheit, KMH instead of MPH.  They are like immigrants, who get by in the new language but still think in the old.  For their benefit, I repeated a jingle for temperatures that I had heard:  

30 is hot, and 20 is nice.  10 is cool, and 0 is ice. 

They looked at me like I was from another planet. 

 

So, tonight it's 32 degrees around Detroit, but southeast of here, in Windsor, it's zero.

[joecoozie]

Just trying to keep this thread on-topic.

Your truck and 52 Coronet will likely average around the same MPG - or at least be close enough to not make that much of a difference.

Coronet might be a little better - maybe.....

[OUTFXD]

I get metric. I like Metric.  I was raised and taught imperial. All my life I measured in inches, feet, Miles,  cups.  This is how I learned to measure the world.

 

Either in a vacume is fine.  When I try to cross over, generally from metric to Imperial (I.e. if I drive 637 Kilometers,  How much is that in Miles?) My head starts to spin and the lights dim.  Its not just changing from one metric to another. its "How does it relate to how *I* measure the world"

 

I suspect its not so much we dont want Metric.  Its that it  is so foreign to how we where raised a lot of people have trouble with the conversion.

 

included for those still following the gas mileage discussion. The Eco-bubble.  My non-award winning 93 Geo Metro.  Average economy 56 MPG.  One time best of 62mpg.

Edited March 5, 2022 by OUTFXD

[keithb7]

Canuck here, educated my entire school years in the decimal system. Metric. Yet I cannot think of elevation in meters. Gotta be feet.  Fuel, well liters/per 100Km sounds cheaper sounding than mile per gallon. 5.0L per 100 km is about 47 mpg. My wife's turbo Honda 1.5L car got just under 5.0L per hundred km in the California desert. Between Barstow and Needles if I recall. Never saw it since, but it was epic.

 

We've been metric in Canada for almost 50 years. Yet when we go to the grocery store produce is still to this day, priced per pound. Its bizzarre. It sounds cheaper at 1.25/lb for apples versus 2.75 per kg. So if they must price in metric they'll  so 27.5 cents per 100 grams. Which is pretty useless for apples. 100g gets you a slice of an apple by weight.

 

Or something like that. I'm now totally confused. All I know is it doesn't matter if gas prices go up. Or if it's metric or not. I just put in $20 every time I need gas. I don't see gas price increases affecting my old flathead at all. ?

 

 

[harmony]

11 hours ago, SteveR said:

In England we are paying £1.559 per litre Highway robbery.

Is that for regular gas?  Here in Canada we have basically 3 grades.  Regular, mid range, premium, and then there is 94 octane.  There are only a few places near me that carry 94 octane which is what I use, and what most guys with vintage cars/hot rods use.  Our regular is just under $2.00/ litre.  Our 94 octane is about $2.20 / litre.  So for you Americans scratching your heads, if my tank is bone dry, it will cost me $140 to fill the old girl up now.  It's not even spring yet, so there will be another huge increase in gas prices at the beginning of summer and another huge one before the fall.

Edited March 5, 2022 by harmony