Basic MPG info

[Charlie Cheap]

We sometimes get too involved with "magic" answers to better MPG, but the basics can be improved. I am a retired ASE mechanic who ran a city fleet for over a decade, I built cars ground-up for over 50 years, and studies the internal combustion engine for half a century. The minimum fuel necessary to achieve the speed desired, the best spark available to fire the mixture, and matching the transmission, rear gears, and tire size with minimum weight plus keeping aerodynamics in mind, will give excellent MPG. Driving habits...using proper grade gasoline, building the engine for Torque rather than Horsepower, and driving for best economy by not pushing your right foot to the floor, and MPG will improve. No MAGIC just common sense.

[California98Civic]

You are one of us: a hypermiler by nature... and one who has built the training and experience. What are you driving these days? What sort of fuel economy are you getting from it? Any mods?

[cRiPpLe_rOoStEr]

You know, most people are not so willing to compromise anything for the sake of fuel savings, then many become quite influenced toward a higher-complexity setup which could overcome their lack of interest to improve their driving skills.

Originally Posted by Charlie Cheap

building the engine for Torque rather than Horsepower

That's why I became more interested about Diesel engines since my teenage years.

[Charlie Cheap]

I am building a 1967 Sunbeam Alpine with a Ford 1985 2.3 carb engine. With an A4LD 4-speed overdrive with lockup torque converter, 2-barrel 2150 Autolite carb (Annular atomization...best MPG carb made), cool-air intake, torque cam, hot ignition, exhaust header, and free flowing exhaust, the engine is tuned for MPG. Taller driving tires should put the engine in the "sweet spot" torque wise at 75 MPH highway speed. My goal is 35 MPG at that speed with 2 people, luggage, using the Air Conditioner, and 89 octane gasoline. The auto engineer formulas say I am in that ballpark but driving will tell. Taking cooler air from in front of the radiator makes better combustion for cleaner burning and better torque. The car will weigh about 2450 lbs. plus 2 people and luggage plus our personal stuff. Maybe 2950 lbs. total. The 85 Mustang got 23 MPG without OD and my MPG mods, and it weighed 400 lbs. more.

[freebeard]

That post on 06-03-2021 didn't seem to go anywhere.

What do you want to do to/for the aerodynamics?

[Piotrsko]

Sounds like you're building a modern Pinto or Ranger. No offence intended. Shove that into a fairly aero body.........the alpine should be rather nice.

[Charlie Cheap]

The Sunbeam is a small car and the 2.3 I built for torque makes HP/TQ at much lower RPM than the original engine. Taller tires also slow down the engine, and along with a .75 Overdrive with a lockup converter, that also slows down the engine. I plan to replace the "Eyebrow" headlight rims with smooth ones, fab an air dam for the lower valance, keep all under carriage stuff out of the air stream, keep tires inside the body, use small aero outside mirrors (it is a driver), and run the removable hardtop 90% of the time. I am practical and understand SUPER MPG is not my goal but very good MPG in a car that can be driven any time anywhere. My eye doc says I may have to turn in my drivers license in 2 to 4 years (Macular Degeneration/Glaucoma) so finishing it next summer is my goal. At 77 I do not work as fast as in my younger days but I think I can do it. That will give me a year or two to test my build and see some of the US I have not yet seen.

[Charlie Cheap]

Piotrsko, I have a 2011 Ranger with a 2.3 and we owned a 75 Pinto with the V6. Both were/are excellent cars, and the Pinto did not have more fires from rear end crashes than other cars of similar size. It was only after-the-fact and law suits that DOT had to admit this. Public perception is fact to many. Hot Rodders drive some of the most efficient cars because they understand the internal combustion engine. Baylor University engineering department tested our Street Rods (Hot Rods adapted for comfort and street driving),for emissions and clean running. They were shocked to find ZERO failed out of over 100 cars. As Charter President of the Dallas Area Street Rods club I explained...If a guy spends thousands of $$$ and a year or two of his time to build a car, he will NOT be embarrassed at a gathering with a rough running car. They were 1948 or older cars with late model motors, trans., brakes, suspensions, steering, etc. and they handled like many sportscars. My 32 Coupe had a 289 built for the highway getting 20 MPG though it was aerodynamic as a brick. It passed emissions for 3 years later, even though we were returning from a 800 mile vacation to the Gulf Coast.

[freebeard]

Hot Rodders drive some of the most efficient cars because they understand the internal combustion engine. Baylor University engineering department tested our Street Rods (Hot Rods adapted for comfort and street driving),for emissions and clean running. They were shocked to find ZERO failed out of over 100 cars.

True that. Emission controls never made the engine any cleaner* than when it was running in tune, just made them cleaner out of tune. 0/100 is statistically conclusive.

*capturing gas tank vapors in charcoal excepted?

[cRiPpLe_rOoStEr]

Originally Posted by freebeard

Emission controls never made the engine any cleaner* than when it was running in tune, just made them cleaner out of tune.

There is always some compromise between different parameters, such as PM and NOx which are inversely proportionate when it comes to either Diesels or newer gassers featuring direct injection, yet we can't deny some emission controls render it harder to find out how out of tune an engine might be at some moment.