Best mileage so far.
 

I decided to start logging my EXP's mileage here since of the other forum I previously used for logging doesn't really have that much activity anymore.

I changed my shift points and used 93 octane. The mileage that I got from this tank is 42.65 mpg. That is better by 1.6/mpg than the previous best tank. (Previously without the the underbelly tray, last summer during the hot weather).

I recently changed from 10w-40 to 5w-30 oil. We will see if it makes a difference on the current tank. Hopefully warmer temps will also help things.

Congrats, EXPIOWA. Not bad at all for a car with that rating.

FYI, one of the first times I ever drove stick was in an EXP. I may or may not have had my driver's licence at the time. (And may or may not have understood the concept of slipping a clutch to get moving.)

EXPIOWA -

Woo hoo! It's good to see the EXP kick butt. I remember the 1st gen when it hit the showrooms with the "in your face" headlight design.

CarloSW2

Hi,

I don't think that high octane will help you, and it might even hurt your FE (because it resists burning!) -- try using what it is rated for? In high compression engines, you need the higher octane to prevent predetonation, but this is not what we need for higher FE.

I first drove a stick in the '67 Mercedes 230SL that my dad and I restored. However, that was just for 5 minutes or so, under his guidance.

I _really_ learned to drive stick DURING a test drive of an '07 Honda Civic EX. I didn't understand slipping the clutch, and I think the salesman about peed himself when I jerked the car out of the parking lot.

One of the things that higher octane allows me to do is shift earlier. There was an immediate difference in engine smoothness at low rpm after switching grades from 87.

When my headgasket blew a few years back I had the head rebuilt and it was planed in the process. It has a slightly higher compression than stock due to the milling and it likes 93 a lot better. If I am only filling up 10 times a year in this car I might as well go with the best stuff for the engine.

It runs cooler on high octane as well. Ford chose a tiny radiator for this horrible design. (Aluminum head on a steel block). Heat is my engine's worst enemy. In the case of this car, premium gas is warranted. I use 87 in all of my other cars.

My belly pan actually helped the heat situation. I believe that it blocked incoming air from rising up from under the car and filling the space behind the radiator and now allows for better flow. I may be getting a venturi effect as well behind the belly pan as a result of smoother under-car airflow.

I have a suggestion for you on your EXP. Wedge the flapper closed on the heat riser going from the exhaust manifold to the breather, where it only gets hot air from the exhaust manifold. Since I've done this with my '88 Escort, along with driving 50-55 MPG I've usually been getting 44-47 MPG. Even during the winter I was pulling 41-44 most of the time after rigging up the WAI.

I also have a personal best to post. Monday I was going on a venture that was going to be very little stop and go traffic so I decided I'd check my highway mileage. No error, because I filled the tank to the cap both times. The car got it's best mileage ever of 52.446 MPG. the distance was 132.9 miles (according to the odometer) with a fill of 2.534 gallons of gas. I also had my GPS on and it said that I travelled 137.7 miles on 2.534 gallons of gas which is probably correct, which would figure out to 54.340 MPG. I posted it in my gas log at the lower mileage since I've been using the odometer for calculating mileage ever since I started my gas log. I think it would have been better had it all been interstate driving, but about 50 miles was two lane roads with a couple small towns with traffic lights, but I was able to time out most of the lights getting stopped by only about 4-5 lights. I was driving about 50-55 MPH in the rural areas of the two lane roads and 55-60 on the interstate. My previous best was 50 MPG several years ago driving 55 MPH all interstate driving on about a 700 mile trip.