Need to improve mileage!

[my67c20]

What you really need to do is ask yourself the question? Do i really need a truck and why? Can i get by with a fairly fuel efficiant car and a trailer? Do you have a topper on your truck? How many times am i running to the home improvement store for things i forgot? Can i use a minivan with a rack on top for the large stuff? Can i have the wood delivered? Do i really need a 4x8 sheet of plywood to patch a 1 foot hole? Can the home improvement store precut the material to the size i really need?

My brother in law is a contractor he drives an older dodge intrepid most of the time. He plans his jobs ahead of time so he runs to the store once a day, if he needs to haul something big he uses his full size van for that day. It all comes down to planning.

[Wideopenracing15]

That screen idea sounds like it could work! Is anyone going to try it?

[gferris5]

Yeah! Someone's got to try the screen idea! As long as it's secured tightly to prevent it from getting sucked into the motor, seems like it can't hurt. Right?

[va72longhorn]

I'm telling ya'll it worked! I ran it about a year like that. I had to replace it twice in that year just to insure that it didnt burn a hole in it. He said that you had to use stainless steel screen because the normal type would just burn through in no time. If any of you ever play with 22r's of the 80's and 90's in Toyota's, they have a similar heat plate between the manifold and carb.

[psychobilly451]

I am going to try this out for sure. I assume I could use two carb gaskets with the screen in between?

[Boog]

I'm pretty sure I have seen these wire mesh deals premade and on the market back in the 80's or so. It was sandwiched in gasket material and the screen was bowl shaped to clear the butterflys as they open. I don't know of anyone who tried it to say whether it did anything or not. I dismissed it as just another gimmick much like the Tornado and others.
Please forgive our skepticism but 29 mpg with a Blazer?

Back to the OP's questions. You can spend a lot of money tyring to improve the mpg of these older trucks and still not be happy with the results. If you are already getting 17 mpg with that combo you're already there. The only thing left you can do is go with TBI for great cold starts and longer engine life. There is a timely article in the newest Custom Classic Trucks mag on just this. John Gilbert put a Howe TB setup on his 75 C10. Not that big a job and no mention of the cost of that kit but you can grab a complete OE setup from the salvage yard and save some money. Fuel injection is a very worthwhile mod in a number of ways.

[djw32]

Originally Posted by va72longhorn

I'm telling ya'll it worked! I ran it about a year like that. I had to replace it twice in that year just to insure that it didnt burn a hole in it. He said that you had to use stainless steel screen because the normal type would just burn through in no time. If any of you ever play with 22r's of the 80's and 90's in Toyota's, they have a similar heat plate between the manifold and carb.

Do you have any pics? Why did you stop running this setup?

[badassciviv]

Would you get better milage out of a standard or is an automatic better, i have the stump puller 3 speed std 4x4, no idea on the gears in the axels, is there a way to id them? And i have 33 12.50 on my truck. Tire inflation and tread design play a huge roll in milage. A simple thing like bumping up the psi in your tires can make a world of differece

[Rob H.]

I've got a 96 'burb and the best I ever get is 16 mpg. I'd be tickled if my 67 gets 12-15 when I get it going. I've had several F%^ds and none of them ever did any better than 17-18. I used to get that on Dad's old 79 F-150. The point I'm trying to make here is that I dont' see where fuel injection has really helped mileage on modern trucks over the older ones. It's a truck, the mileage is gonna suck compared to a car or a rice burner. Just accept it and enjoy the ride!

I will try the screen wire thing though, LOL I'm not above trying to improve mileage, just don't let it bother me if I can't!

[Jim_PA]

Originally Posted by Wideopenracing15

That screen idea sounds like it could work! Is anyone going to try it?

I've seen intake manifold gaskets with screens built into them with the purpose of atomizing the fuel before going into the cylinder. The theory is good, but I just don't think you can do enough atomizing with either method.

[Jim_PA]

Originally Posted by badassciviv

Would you get better milage out of a standard or is an automatic better, i have the stump puller 3 speed std 4x4, no idea on the gears in the axels, is there a way to id them? And i have 33 12.50 on my truck. Tire inflation and tread design play a huge roll in milage. A simple thing like bumping up the psi in your tires can make a world of differece

You should do better with a manual, as there is less drivetrain loss with the direct line from the crank to the diff.

[70duramax]

your not going to get better milage by going with a lower gear unless all you do is stop light driving. your driving style can lower or raise your mpgs more than anything. also depending on your engine make it more effiecient by better breathing, ie: up the compression, shave and port and polish the heads, better breathing use the biggest round open element and open top element from k&n, quality set of long tube headers and 2.5 dual exhaust but 15mpgs ain't bad at all for the old girl!
just my .02 cents

[camaney]

well has anybody try yet?

[justagoodolboy]

Originally Posted by camaney

well has anybody try yet?

Just what I was thinking.I can't cuz I got the interior tore out of my truck right now.Sure am curious though.

[Irishpilot]

For what it's worth, I get 14 mpg with a lot of horsepower to back it up. A newer FI engine is going to get 3-4 mpg better at best. I would put money into a block heater, or convert to an electric choke if you have a manual one (electric seems to be a little less finicky in colder wx). You could also change out the jets in your carb for better mileage. Realize that you will sacrifice some power, but you will see maybe 5% better mileage. Also, keep your engine tuned up properly, as that can really affect your mileage. I hope this helps!

[djw32]

ttt

Has anybody tried this yet?

[67chevemall]

I bought a 1982 Yota Helix...they are so good they outlawed them to the modern junk.
Chevy I make it drink more and more!

$0.02

[72gmcworker]

Originally Posted by djw32

ttt

Has anybody tried this yet?

Well here is all the info on the "screen" device including the patent
http://www.rexresearch.com/webheisv/1whvalve.htm

copy ... build and test

[Mike Quillici]

If someone built one, I'd be mighty curious to find out how it worked.

[mrein3]

I tend to be from Missouri on things like the tornado, screens under your carb, magnets on the gas line, etc.
Show me. Until then:


Let me put it to you this way. With tight government fleet fuel mileage standards, and half the country believing in this global warming BS, why doesn't the big three offer this as standard equipment?
Well maybe because they all use port injection.
Why then doesn't a large aftermarket company offer these off the shelf for us hot rodders?
Because it is snake oil.

Port injectors mist the fuel better than any two screens under a carb ever will. Port injection doesn't give the mileage improvements like are spoken about in the above link. You do get better cold starts and better mileage across all temperature ranges with the injectors but that is because the computer is dynamically changing the fuel mixture based on what the O2 sensor is reading in the exhaust. Not entirely on the better mist of fuel.

C'mon people. If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. That is how these snake oil salesmen make their money.

You're looking at this the wrong way. What you need to do is develop a screen deal in the carb gasket that doesn't get sucked into the intake, break apart, and destroy the top of your engine. Then develop a website using a link to the link above "proving" that your screen gives you better mileage and helps Al Gore's made up global warming problem go away. Then charge sheep $50 for the $5 gasket stating that the purchaser will make their $45 back in two fill ups. Then use the money you make on your snake oil to enjoy your truck without the possibly of chunks of screen getting hammered into your valve train.

[djw32]

I forgot about this thread...bump for anyone who has tried this.

[wheel]

How bout drop in a mid 80's 6.2 diesel? These engines with a 700R4 were getting close to 30 imperial MPG if you babied them at 100km/hr (62MPH) with cruise control on. Of you could keep up with traffic and get in the neighborhood of 22-24... Yes maintenance costs a little more and a little less power but diesel is cheaper at the pumps too.

Just my .02

[C20-67_N_MO]

Originally Posted by wheel

How bout drop in a mid 80's 6.2 diesel?.... but diesel is cheaper at the pumps too.

Just my .02

Not around these parts! Diesel is about $.10 higher than Regular unleaded gasoline! Now granted it did not use to be this way.....in fact it used to be cheaper than Reg. Unleaded Gasoline but for whatever reason it has flipped and now Diesel is more expensive.

[TomJohnston]

Originally Posted by C-10 simplex

The other thing that i wanted to touch upon, (but i don't have time to investigate whole-hog right now, but in the meantime consider these)was, let's see what we can do first to save on gas without even considering the truck. Without opening the hood, making modifications etc.

For example, i think Discover has a credit card that refunds 2% on all gas purchases.

i'm pretty sure shell and BP also have similar.

i think american express has one that refunds 4% on gasoline purchases. It has an annual fee though, so we need to take that into consideration. Probably still worth it.

Again, i don't have time to get into it whole-hog, but my strategy would be to try to first do anything/everything you can to save on gas, then maybe make modifications to the truck.

i think it has to do( i know it does for me) more about money than actual mpg; If gas were .35 cents a gallon, would anyone give a crap about mpg?

I'll add this: We have a Costco membership - cost us $50. We buy all of our gas there for an average of $.05-.10 cheaper. Their Costco credit card also rebates 3% (I think- I don't have one yet). I spend less on plates and tax for the vehicle (in MN there isn't a mileage limit on classics as long as you have another car) and I don't have to pay someone to repair it if I don't want. I don't drive it like a mad man...

To me the bottom line is we have these trucks because we love them and want to drive them, not because they get good mpg. Tinkering for the sake of tinkering is the fun part. If you want to put HEI or 3.07 gears great! have fun - these trucks are for us to enjoy not for the economy. Like my signature says - "My carbon footprint is bigger than yours!" Drive with Pride!