[RH77]

I can't believe it didn't do this sooner!

On a route that ranges from 31-34 MPG, today I pulled-off a 38.3 MPG run over 80.1 miles. Count me converted! (Today's weather was closer to a "34" kind of day, so the FE boost is likely closer to 12% vs. 23%. Either way, I'll take it for sure).

Advantages: holding hills at a lower TPS, less strain to restart, and the butt-dyno reports more low-end power. It was just easier to get better FE with less foot. You're also more in-tune with the road surface, which is good. That pump must really eat up a lot of power.

Disadvantages: Of course, more grunt to park -- but it's just like my old Civic -- no biggie. Making 90-degree turns from a stop sometimes required more than a 1/2-turn of the wheel. Beyond the half mark, the wheel tends to want to keep going when under accel -- which is likely the requirement to pull the opposite direction for return-to-center (which is reduced without power).

Idea: For those that need the pump, would it be possible to hook up a separate DC motor and belt (separate from the engine), to turn the pulley as needed? I'm not sure what kind of power draw it would put on the car, but the infrequent use and added weight wouldn't come close to the overall FE savings. I'm guessing that it helps smaller engines more that larger ones.

Thanks to all for the support to go ahead with the project!

RH77