Quote:
Originally Posted by Otto
So, your fuel economy has improved by 33% already, yet not a happy camper?
What do the tuft tests or oil streak tests show for flow around the wheels?
Next stop: Get some oval shaped rubber trash cans at WalMart, cut diagonally to make fairings for the wheels, per Hucho pic of Calibra wind tunnel and your tuft tests, to properly orient the fairings into the relative wind as seen by the wheels.
Got pizza pan aluminum wheel covers yet? I'm told these run ~$3 each.
Got smaller, more streamlined motorcycle mirrors yet, to replace the Dumbo the Elephant ears outside mirrors? ~$30 on eBay.
You've made remarkable improvements already. 20 mpg at steady highway cruise can happen, with the existing belly pan + mods noted above.
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I'm ecstatic with the 33% per cent improvement. But after that kind of gain I expected to discern some kind of improvement from the pans after that much work and aggravation. I'm getting over that, partly thanks to everyone's encouraging comments and the realization that somewhere along the line I violated a law or two of aerodynamics and I just have to figure out what it is.
The only testing I've done so far is the road test as far as the pans are concerned. They seem to be durable as hell, which is a great relief. I thought for sure I'd come back with some seriously melted plastic. Hats off to three-wheeler Jim for telling people about using fiberglass insulation for isolating exhaust heat. The vehicle smelled a little the first two times I shut it off after climbing hills, but after that, nothing. We went from Apache Junction, AZ, elevation 1722 feet, I think, to the top of the rim at 7,000 feet, over a distance of about 120 miles. That wasn't extreme climbing in my experience, but it was substantial. I wasn't towing anything but that exhaust system is completely covered from the down pipe all the way back to the rear axle, with a 12X12 vent just below the cat, and a small NACA shaped opening just below the muffler and it didn't deform a single inch of coroplast. I'm amazed.
I've taken it this far so next I'm going to order a smoke generator, hook up a mobile DVR to my camera system and do some testing. Tally ho.