Well there is some bright and shiny daylight.
I own a Jeep Grand Wagoneer. In that world, the best way to get good mileage is to buy a beater Honda commuter........
MPG Increace
- Thread starter 1973dusterkid
- Start date
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Well there is some bright and shiny daylight.
I own a Jeep Grand Wagoneer. In that world, the best way to get good mileage is to buy a beater Honda commuter........
1973dusterkid
Watch This
I am going to grab a AF guage and see what I can make happen
There was a good thread on here about A/F gauges awhile back. I bought one off of a few recommendations.
Oops, here it is.....
http://www.forabodiesonly.com/mopar/showthread.php?t=226725&highlight=a/f+meter
http://www.forabodiesonly.com/mopar/showthread.php?t=226725&highlight=a/f+meter
This..... A combo that's close to yours netted 21 MPG at 62 MPH. The vacuum gauge is huge.An 02 sensor,makes sure it's dead on.
GEO
Sarcasm Inc.
Not only is it costing you a lot of gas but the wear and tear on an old car is not like a new Toyota that will go 300,000 miles with out anything major happening.
Plunk down a few thousand and get a Toyota or Honda to drive daily and save your old car
Plunk down a few thousand and get a Toyota or Honda to drive daily and save your old car
66plyValiant
Well-Known Member
pretty much yes, if your trying to get fuel mileage out of a jeep, any 4x4 or a truck then you need a car;
people who use trucks for trucks are not worried about fuel mileage, it is what it is, can't get 50 MPG from a truck
Yeah, you should see the full size Jeep forums. We get pretty giddy about 12 MPG. The Diesel conversion guys get all snooty about their mid 20 figures...
It's all relative. Funny, but relative.
Yes.
IMO there is no reason this car shouldn't be in the high teens on the highway running 60-65mph.
360, xe268H, headers, 2.94 gears, 2500 converter with a 750DP got 20 MPG.
He's got the same basic final drive.
IF you are low in the rpm range, jetting may not change your mileage. It may require IFR and IAB changes to get it to come around if still on the transition circuit at cruise.
One of the guys on moparts did a great multi-page write up on his tuning with a wide band. Subtle changes like float level made a difference.
I got my '79 Magnum from the original owner who stop recording miles after 10 years of ownership @ 324,000
He then gave it to his daughter for 4 years of collage. He said she was home on the weekends a lot from collage. 4 hours away with clear traffic.
His son got the car next for 4 years at the same collage. Lord GOD knows what or where boys go and do with a car!
He the. Used the car as a daily driver for 10 years at a 40 mile 1 way ride. That is 80 miles a day X's 5 days. Yep, a min. Of 400 miles a week.
You do the math!
He recorded EVERYTHING! on and about the car down to a blown light bulb repair on the radio. (Yes! Really!) 1 major repair. Tranny rebuilt. Must have been due to towing. He had a hitch welded on.
American quality? Good habits on taking care of a car is more my guess!
Foreign quality? Not in my book! I know a few of my high school friends that work at Toyota & Nissan. They tell me with a dead seriousness NOT to buy a car from the company they work for! No if and or buts!
If my old Dodges 318 can do this kind of mileage/longevity, there is no reason why other MoPars can't do it.
There was a fella on Moparts some time back that did a rebuilt 318 w/KB zero deck Hyperutecic's (sp?) with a OD-833. He last reported 36 MPG's.
While I'm sure it wasn't a tire frier, this mileage experiment was a good one. He also left a few mods on the table. He had more in it.
And YES! Like said right above, carb float has an impact.
Amazing!
While I'm sure it wasn't a tire frier, this mileage experiment was a good one. He also left a few mods on the table. He had more in it.
And YES! Like said right above, carb float has an impact.
Amazing!
goldfish65
Well-Known Member
You might be surprised it's fun to have another little car and like some others say save the wear and tear on your Duster. I'm driving a '95 Tercel 5 sp that gets a consistent 39.5 mpg and it has taken away a lot of stress because it goes almost 400 miles on $32, that's a lot of driving. Also it's actually pretty fun to drive and the a/c is ice cold.
He'll yea! X's 2!!!
Hersbird
Well-Known Member
I would like to test that 36 claim myself. I bet maybe flat highway, 60 mph, probably tucked in behind a semi. I don't know why people can't just do a project like that and then run some honest "commute" situation mileage. I bet he's not even in the 30's, still good but no miracle.
I bet the Factory Five 818 can get some serious MPG if set up right. Needs a roof though. For those who don't know it's a 1800 pound kit car with WRX running gear minus AWD.
moparlover
Well-Known Member
free stuff you can do:
1. keep a big distance between you and the car in front. you can just let off the gas to slow down, instead of braking all the time. if you tailgate you will be on the brakes constantly wasting all your gas that you used to get to that speed. every time you coast you are getting "free mpg", every time you brake you are paying extra $$$.
in other words stay several car lengths back. if you practice this, and get good you can save 5mpg easily.
2. coast down hills. dont accelerate, dont use gas going down and then hit the brakes at the bottom. same as number 1.
3. coast ahead of time when approaching curves rather waiting until you are real close and using the brakes.
4. dont use AC if you can avoid it.
5. dont carry extra stuff in the car. extra weight = more gas to get up to set speed.
lighter weight = better mpg.
non-free stuff.
i bet the car is an automatic... the older torque converters wasted about 30% of your car's power output o.O
swapping to a 4speed is big bucks, but if you had a loaner parts car to steal all the stuff from it wouldn't be too bad. you need the bell housing, flywheel, clutch parts, pedals, etc. flywheel has to be matched to the engine (360 is different than 318, etc. depending on engine balance)
1. keep a big distance between you and the car in front. you can just let off the gas to slow down, instead of braking all the time. if you tailgate you will be on the brakes constantly wasting all your gas that you used to get to that speed. every time you coast you are getting "free mpg", every time you brake you are paying extra $$$.
in other words stay several car lengths back. if you practice this, and get good you can save 5mpg easily.
2. coast down hills. dont accelerate, dont use gas going down and then hit the brakes at the bottom. same as number 1.
3. coast ahead of time when approaching curves rather waiting until you are real close and using the brakes.
4. dont use AC if you can avoid it.
5. dont carry extra stuff in the car. extra weight = more gas to get up to set speed.
lighter weight = better mpg.
non-free stuff.
i bet the car is an automatic... the older torque converters wasted about 30% of your car's power output o.O
swapping to a 4speed is big bucks, but if you had a loaner parts car to steal all the stuff from it wouldn't be too bad. you need the bell housing, flywheel, clutch parts, pedals, etc. flywheel has to be matched to the engine (360 is different than 318, etc. depending on engine balance)
bad440
everything,all the time..
2 Darts
A-body Addicted
Looks like the way to go. Too much of a tire frier to get over 15 mpg.
Put a hood on it a'la 69½ 440-6 cars. Front belly pan. Mask off area behind grille not needed for cooling and duct un-masked towards radiator.
There are at least five advantages of having a small car.
- You have something to chase parts with when you're in the middle of a job on the other car.
- Uses less gas. In this case a lot.
- Gets you out of driving the guys for a night on the town. Who wants to cram into the back seat of your average rice burner?
- Teaches & rewards good "momentum saving" driving techniques.
- Makes you more cautious about merging onto freeways or pulling out into traffic.
x2 on a bike, I rode a street-trail Suzuki DRZ-400 for five years, it got 74 mpg tank after tank, it was nice filling up with 2.5 gallons of gas a week, instead of 15 gallons in my truck.
Plus a street and trail you can have fun off-road exploring, playing around.
Plus a street and trail you can have fun off-road exploring, playing around.
Here's the thread from moparts.
http://board.moparts.org/ubbthreads/showflat.php?Cat=0&Number=6495361&page=0&fpart=1&vc=1
http://board.moparts.org/ubbthreads/showflat.php?Cat=0&Number=6495361&page=0&fpart=1&vc=1
I am another one who got 30mph with a 78 aspen rt with the 318, 883od /2.96 gear, on the highway with the usual hot rodding stuff , ld4b elderbrock intake . a 360 2barrel cam, duel point dist , duel exhaust. this car went from 15mpg new to 30mph after changes on the highway. and would put a hurting on many ford/chevy and one very upset roadrunner with a 383 (he didn't believe me it was a 318 ) that's why his milage numbers don't seem to add up to me. so did you change speedo gears in the trans may be its not reading right?
1973dusterkid
Watch This
I have been able to get to 10 mpg drive right
Just get a Neon or any small car with a manual tranny...... Just drive the other car once in a while. You can't drive the damn thing for 8 or more hours a day when you're working anyway. One thing about a hot rod, they take lots of money to keep going, gas and maintenance. Bite the bullet and get a car with better mileage. Simple really. You asked for advice for better mileage? Others have said the same thing.
Just my 2 cents, My kid has a 83 Mustang 4 banger and it was getting 17 mpg. I put a HHO in Just because I wanted to try it on a beater. The mileage went up to 32-37. You loose some power in acceleration but if you highway to work you might want to try it. Just flick a switch and it is on. If you do this get a unit that will produce enough gas for your engine and definitely get a pulse width modulator to scale down the amps. I plan on taking it out of his and put it on the 74 dart 225 to see what happens before I do the 440 swap. Just a thought.
Make sure you use a check valve in the supply tube hydrogen does go BOOM. Don't ask.
Make sure you use a check valve in the supply tube hydrogen does go BOOM. Don't ask.
I don't get why some are being hard on the OP or insisting on another car. He stated in the beginning he wants to drive his car as a daily driver and not interested in another car for that. I think he's smart enough to realize that an econo box will be more economic for him. He seems like he's looking to get a few more mpg without reinventing his car. And I don't know people keep on insisting to compare the mileage for our ABodys with civics and such, a more apples to apples comparison would be new Chargers, Challengers and such.
Things to improve
Aerodynamics
Lowering
1.5% rake
Front air dam
Weight
Lowering cars weight
Lower rotational weight
Driving habits
Vacuum gauge
Tune up
A/F gauge
Oil and gear fulid like royal purple
Check the plugs makes sure your burning all your fuel
Electric fans
Under drive pulleys
Measure exhaust back pressure your shoot for 0
If you do a lot of highway drive an overdrive can give you the most rewards, or you could have a weekday gear set and a weekend set if your running an 8 3/4.
Things to improve
Aerodynamics
Lowering
1.5% rake
Front air dam
Weight
Lowering cars weight
Lower rotational weight
Driving habits
Vacuum gauge
Tune up
A/F gauge
Oil and gear fulid like royal purple
Check the plugs makes sure your burning all your fuel
Electric fans
Under drive pulleys
Measure exhaust back pressure your shoot for 0
If you do a lot of highway drive an overdrive can give you the most rewards, or you could have a weekday gear set and a weekend set if your running an 8 3/4.
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