poor mileage

[Charles]

On Wed, 12 May 1999 17:14:19 -0400, you wrote:

>>I get 6.1-6.2 mpg on the highway currently and MUST correct this
>>I believe I CAN get over 20 mph with a mild 440 in a 3700 lb car!

	Uh, that's "mpg", right?  ^^^   ;)

>First off, if you are still running a 8 3/4 rear end, get a high ratio center 
>section ( 2.76 or so) and swap it

	May be a little tall depending on his cam... how 'bout
3.23?

>Next, find a 650 or smaller _vacuume_ secondary carb
>Third, run a distrubitor with vacuume advance on the street.

	Excellent advice. Too many hotrodders think "bigger is
better" when it comes to induction systems. Same for
mechanical-only distributors "it's a RACE part, so it must
be really fast"!

>Fourth,  keep your foot out of it!

	Come on, Harold. The whole point of a 440 IS to put
your foot in it!

>You may not get 20 mpg, but you should at least double your current 6 mpg.

	I concur. I used to have a Valiant (~3200 lb) with a
383, Holley 750 vac.sec, vacuum advance distrib, Street Hemi
cam, headers, 4-speed manual, 3.23 rear.

	Got 14-15 mpg on the highway at 65 mph. Mix of highway
and Saturday night stoplight action, 12 mpg. Lowest ever was
8.5 mpg (nearly all at WOT going to the 7-11 store a quarter
of a mile away ;)

	Then I got carried away and built a 7:1 440, BDS 6-71
blower, two 750's, no vacuum advance. Only 9 mpg on the
highway with the same drivetrain. Of course it was flooding
badly (dirt in the needle valve seats)...

	One more non-EFI story. My '84 F150 was only getting 12
mpg until I advanced the timing about 20 degrees (damper
mark had moved, apparently, so it was way too retarded). Now
15 mpg with no other changes. Points out the value of a
proper advance (i.e. including vacuum advance), doesn't it!

-Charles