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Old 01-09-2018, 07:06 PM   #160 (permalink)
Phoenix'97
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Join Date: Nov 2014
Location: NY
Posts: 98

White Steed - '97 Pontiac Firebird Trans Am WS6
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Quote:
Originally Posted by funkhoss View Post
My car has the same engine as yours, except for the cylinder heads and camshaft. The heads are iron instead of aluminum (although it's been well established in the performance community that the iron LT1 heads flow better than the aluminum ones) and the stock B/D-body camshaft favors low RPM torque over higher RPM horsepower.

My car is also significantly larger and heavier than yours. Considering that yours weighs about 1000 lbs. less, and has much less frontal area, in theory, you should be able to achieve significantly better numbers than I have.

I can consistently achieve 46 MPG with my wagon on long trips in warm weather. And the modifications that I have made are very simple and very inexpensive--no radical engine building, no hybrid conversion. I can even get well into the 40's MPG when I have my super-heavy, 14-bolt 4.10 ratio rear end installed!

In my opinion, the best thing you can do, given your goals above, is install a kill switch and learn how to pulse and glide with engine off coasting. You could "warm over" your car with a bunch of bolt on mods, increase its "performance", and still achieve 40+ MPG under normal "non-performance" driving conditions.

Just my two cents. This is probably all that I'm going to contribute to this thread, but...there it is.

-Funkhoss
So are you still using the stock B-Body camshaft? I have been posting in other forums trying to figure out the best set-up for my F-body LT1 which gives me the additional low end torque I seek while also giving me more seat-of-the-pants feel that I have been desiring, which is why I have been so adamant about the TPI intake. I don't drive beyond 5000 RPM when I have my fun so I figured the TPI intake was a perfect fit.

How the heck are you achieving 46 mpg on a 4.11 gear ratio?! Even when my car was in the best of shape I never could achieve that kind of mileage, and I have tried everything from detuning and experimenting with sucking in hot engine bay air to try to improve my mileage. How?!
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