[Yotraj]

Hi, this is my first post. I've probably been around a little longer than most so I hope I can be of some interest. I've been looking over your site and I keep seeing "take off the alternator belt" as a "mod" trick. Back in the old days (I can say that cause I was there!) Drag Racing was King and one of the tricks back then was to leave the alternator belt on, but put a switch on the dash so you could turn it off from inside, thus reducing the "drag". Running an alternator that was turned off, as I recall, gave the same result as throwing it away (HP Gain back then)(except for the poundage), was a lot easier to accomplish (what else is on that same drive belt? the water pump?) and it was still there when you needed it! Just thought I'd throw that in. And I think they make elec. water pumps now too don't they? The water pump is a major drag on the engine. Ya kinda need one though. Also, I've been running my tires higher (around 40 to 45 lbs) for years. 1 reason is that I've always seemed plagued with slow air leaks and this sometimes cures them and when it doesn't it keeps me from having to refill the tire as often... BUT it also wears out the centers of the tires quicker. Best to be aware of it before it starts just happening. Another quicky (and cheap!) is opening up the air cleaner housing to allow more air into the engine with less restriction. This is more important when accelerating than when just going down the road, for that it's hard to beat Ram Air. Tuned Headers are my next favorite mod. Tuned ones are actually made to extract the exhaust fumes and $ for $ they're the cheapest way of increasing HP (which used wisely means more mpg). I was once Head mechanic at a Radiator shop. The advertised specs in those days for a radiator fan said the fan has no cooling effect on the radiator at all after 30 mph. Just a thought. I have swapped engines. It may be interesting to some that in 1974, the Chevy Van came out with the 2 barrel carburetor 350 cu in engine and the 4 barrel carburetor 350 engine. The 4 barrel version got better mileage. Sometimes a smaller engine uses MORE fuel. It all depends on the vehicle it's going into. Gotta keep these things in mind when you're planning a major undertaking like an engine swap. Smaller is not always better. I see no mention yet of using taller tires. They can add significant mileage savings on mostly highway driven vehicles. As can changing gear ratios... Don't know how to do this in a front wheel but it sure does work in Rear wheel drive vehicles. I've done the transmission swap thing to! Auto to stick. Major undertaking, congratulations to anyone else who's successfully done it. It was my first real mod on a car (well, I was part of putting a 427 SOHC engine in the back of an old Econoline Pickup Truck before that, but I was only 15 then!) I was 17. Knew a guy once that swore that by putting these big magnets on his upper and lower radiator hose it gave him a big mileage boost... I don't think so! For any head porters out there I think a reversion dam or 2 could possible add to the air/fuel atomization process on anything but a direct injection engine. Timing is done by computer these days, so a proper chip would do wonders too. I wonder if anybody still drills holes in the top of their pistons so that the compression stroke actually puts pressure behind the sealing rings to increase combustion pressure retention anymore? It was only good for Drag cars though cause it gets clogged with carbon pretty fast. Has anyone tried triple angle valve jobs yet? Or is that a thing of the past or regularly done nowadays, I've been off doing other things in my life. And how about "other gas injection"? I've ridden in a couple of nitros cars.... amazing, but couldn't some other "gas" be used to help with say "low end torque"? You know, you could use a taller gear (and taller tires) for the highway if you could replace the torque power lost with some other kind of "gas" that was injected at the proper time and the proper rate (computers are great for that stuff aren't they?). Anyway, just some ramblings from an Old Timer, hope it peaks you interest. I've had thousands of hours of fun working on Cars/trucks/boats/airplanes/motorcycles/bicycles and probably more ...oh yea... lawnmowers (not so much fun there!) and except for the occasional Owie and the Tool Addiction" I've enjoyed the Hell out of it. Have fun! That IS what it's all about. John