Quote:
Originally Posted by mwilliamshs
That means it was nearly at full load just from aero drag.
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No, it was FAR from fully loaded from drag alone - it was just not tuned for economy. The old 4BBL carb was like a calibrated fuel leak (back about 1975?) and emissions control was in it's infancy.
Another Chevy V8 gas guzzler was a friend's G3500 van that he towed a 35 foot trailer with from Toronto area to Texas and back for several years. One weekend we drove with him to Elicotville New York. It was a $200 trip for gas alone, and the foot was buried all the way (with very little chance of getting a speeding ticket). After opening up the TBI unit it used about half as much gas towing the trailer, at less than half throttle, and was capable of a lot better cruising speed. An RV cam and bigger exhaust the next year made even more difference - but the next year he blew it up - it had a LOT of real hard miles on it.
Some of those engines were not tuned for economy, and poorly tuned for power as well. The 385 Ford (370, 429 or 460 cu inch)engine family was one of those. They were built for medium truck service where, at the time, fuel mileage was not a major consideration. They were built for TORQUE.
Any dreams of getting decent fuel mileage from a 460 in a 4X4 F350 are just that - dreams - without pouring in a LOT of money and effort.