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Old 01-29-2014, 12:57 PM   #23 (permalink)
GeorgeWiseman
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Join Date: Jan 2014
Location: Oroville, WA
Posts: 42

Blue Aveo - '08 Chevrolet Aveo 5
90 day: 25.13 mpg (US)
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Quote:
Originally Posted by GeorgeWiseman
In the 70's I totally rebuilt a 1963 Ford pickup, using a 361 ci engine (this is the industrial version of the 360), with a Motorcraft 2150 carb, 4 speed manual transmission and 2:1 differential (obviously from some car because it had ball bearings, not roller bearings like a truck rear end and the rear wheels tracked inside the front wheels) This was my first vehicle, assembled from components at hand (I lived on a ranch).

This configuration accidentally (I didn't know what I was doing then) achieved 32 mpg at 45 mph (27 mpg at 70 mph). This was using stock components, no fuel saving technology.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Frank Lee View Post
Was that the transmission that came with the truck? Do you have any recollection of what that axle came from?
No, The original transmission was a 3 on the tree, and the mileage I'm quoting actually used that transmission. I didn't change out the 3 speed until a couple of years later. The 4 on the floor came out of a 1973 F150.

The original engine was a 352 which was thrashed so bad (teenagers had owned the truck before me) that my mechanics instructor wanted to have it as a demo model of what all could go wrong with an engine (amazing list and it still ran). He traded me for a 361 that had been donated to the school nearly new because it needed a new cylinder sleeve (they'd left out a wrist pin clip when it was originally assembled).

I'm sorry to say that I do not know where the rear end came from. I only know the ratio because I jacked up one wheel, turned the driveshaft and watched the wheel turn.

Note that ball bearings are NOT good to have in a pickup truck. I think I changed them out at least once a year. Got pretty good at snapping the axels out with a chain.
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