Woo-Hoo! final broke 45!

[laser3kw]

45MPG!
I don't post here much, but do lurk quite often. Most of my mods are inspired by things I find here.
I got my 2000 SC1 w manual trans about 12 years ago? It's been my daily driver, to work and back, 44 miles round trip, half highway and half through town, 31 stop lights ( I average full stop at only 10 or so).
I found a engine in a junk yard with only 1000 miles on it and swapped it in before I had it for 3 months. It now has 100000.
As a hobby, I record every fill up and calculate MPG. I have done some modifications, HAI, alternate spark plugs, wires, AFR gauge (real time), header, smooth hub caps, 15" rims and taller tires.
I drive it very conservatively, and historically, around this time of year, I normally see 40~42mpg. This year, with the above mods, non-ethanol gas (new -this year), and careful driving, I have recorded 3 thanks at 45, 45.46 and 45.51 mpg.
I think I will see a bit more if our temps hover in the 90's for a week or two.
I am testing the non-ethanol gas this year. It is a solid 10% better after 4 fillups (around 9 gallons each)

[Ecky]

Nice job! 45 is definitely respectable.

Ethanol free gas was instrumental in my hitting my goals recently too. However, I did not see 10%, but rather my fuel trims changed by around 3% and I had to correct my fuel tables by 3% - which is almost exactly the difference in energy content between E10 and E0.

[California98Civic]

Cool! You swapped the engine just because the one in the yard had so few miles, or because yours had died? Either way, great results.

[Daox]

Very nice job!

[laser3kw]

Originally Posted by California98Civic

Cool! You swapped the engine just because the one in the yard had so few miles, or because yours had died? Either way, great results.

I got the car after hunting for several months for a Saturn SC1 with a manual trans and some nice accessories. Like a lot of Saturns, it was rode hard and the motor used some oil. I happened across the engine in a junk yard listed on Car-Parts.com. The car had been hit in the rear and only had 1000 miles on it. I paid $350 for the motor complete and between winter (to cold) and lack of time, it took me a year to get it in.
Since then I have kept it well maintained with PAO synthetic (Schaffer's 9000) and good filters (extra capacity filter). I just changed the oil (6000 mile interval) and has not burn more than a pint or so.
I will be turning 200,000 miles by the end of July.

[Ecky]

And here I was thinking it was just that all of those engines used oil.

[laser3kw]

Originally Posted by Ecky

And here I was thinking it was just that all of those engines used oil.

I get that a lot!
I have been built and maintained engines long enough to know what kills them - improper / lack of maintenance and driving them hard. I do neither.
The SOHC 1.9 motor makes a whooping factory rated 90 hp - maybe! Most drivers are impatient and drive WOT between stop lights thinking they are getting somewhere. That will burn up these little motors quick.