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Old 01-02-2011, 10:10 PM   #241 (permalink)
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Pooparu - '01 Subaru Outback Limited
90 day: 28.12 mpg (US)

Cop Car - '94 Chevy Caprice Interceptor 9C1
Last 3: 18.48 mpg (US)

Mini - '11 Mini Cooper
90 day: 37.63 mpg (US)

Gramps - '95 Subaru Legacy Postal
90 day: 23.18 mpg (US)
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I think the LWP could do alot for the Subaru. There is alot of parasite loss with the AWD. The stock pulley is upper 5 pounds (almost 6). The after market pulley is 1 lb. 5lbs of lost rotational mass will help the car accelerate faster and use less to maintain speed. At speed there will be minimal gains. BUT getting to speed the gains could be huge because the AWD and slushbox and PA hills rob MPG's quickly. If I could get the engine to bounce from 10-12mpg at load to 12-14mpg at load its going to make a big impact because I can pull over 30MPG at speed. My MPG drops down to mid 20's ALL do to acceleration loss.

We'll have to see. The expendable fund it drained from the other purchase. But this will facilitate other projects.

The tape seems to be holding up. The 3M holding some of the edges down seems to be letting go. But in the storm on monday I won over a recycling bin as I drove down the road. I think that made the 3M let loose post impact. Fiberglass and paint were okay, but the asshole tailgating on a snow cover road still insisted on driving around me while I exited my vehicle to remove the recycle bin off the front of the Subaru. I could have just jammed the brakes, get rear ended and saved the recycle bin. But I kinda don't want to kill the Subaru at this point.

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Old 01-02-2011, 10:14 PM   #242 (permalink)
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Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: PA
Posts: 314

Pooparu - '01 Subaru Outback Limited
90 day: 28.12 mpg (US)

Cop Car - '94 Chevy Caprice Interceptor 9C1
Last 3: 18.48 mpg (US)

Mini - '11 Mini Cooper
90 day: 37.63 mpg (US)

Gramps - '95 Subaru Legacy Postal
90 day: 23.18 mpg (US)
Thanks: 10
Thanked 17 Times in 10 Posts
Oh just to share this as well. If you're using 3M tape in the winter or colder climates. Use a heat gun or hair dryer to warm the surfaces, and then repeat the heat cycle to keep it warm to aid in the adhesion. Just always be careful not to overheat the paint!
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Old 01-05-2011, 08:25 AM   #243 (permalink)
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Posts: 314

Pooparu - '01 Subaru Outback Limited
90 day: 28.12 mpg (US)

Cop Car - '94 Chevy Caprice Interceptor 9C1
Last 3: 18.48 mpg (US)

Mini - '11 Mini Cooper
90 day: 37.63 mpg (US)

Gramps - '95 Subaru Legacy Postal
90 day: 23.18 mpg (US)
Thanks: 10
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Back ordered purchases make me sad :-(
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Old 01-09-2011, 07:43 PM   #244 (permalink)
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Pooparu - '01 Subaru Outback Limited
90 day: 28.12 mpg (US)

Cop Car - '94 Chevy Caprice Interceptor 9C1
Last 3: 18.48 mpg (US)

Mini - '11 Mini Cooper
90 day: 37.63 mpg (US)

Gramps - '95 Subaru Legacy Postal
90 day: 23.18 mpg (US)
Thanks: 10
Thanked 17 Times in 10 Posts
Well Just filled my tank and I'm pulled a 25.6 MPG this tank. The cold is just kill my MPG, not to mention the portly weight of the subaru to begin with. I'm thinking I need to do some weight reduction. I consistantly lossing my overall tank MPG to driving up hills where I live. If I run to the grocery store or walmart and have to descend/ascend I am lossing 0.2mpg for the overall tank per my scan gauge. I might now sound like much, but if I make 2-3 trips per week, i'm lossing 0.4-0.6mpg due to the hill climbs coming home. Which for the Subaru is 2% loss. I also have to drive the hills every day coming back from work, and there is mostly a net loss (ex. coasting down will give +0.1mpg per tank, driving up yields -0.2).

I'm not what to do at this point. I have stripped the trunk flood and spare out of the car (~40lbs). But I don't think there is much more I can do without removing seats, flooring, roof, or door panels. I might consider swapping out the seats for a "race" seat, but the Subaru has side airbags integrated into the seat. So removing the chairs disables the entire system.

Carbon fiber hoods are available, but the return would never be there.

I thought about a wheel change, but I require 16" plus wheels, and I can't really find smaller 16" wheels that could run a smaller 185-195 tire. I could get something that fits a 205, but dropping down from a the 225 to the 205 just doesn't seem like the rotational weight savings would be large, especially if you consider tires + wheels = $$$

On the side of rotational savings, there is a light weight pulley, and it drops 5lbs off the crank. Its 5lbs of rotational weight lost and would be less costly than drop weight off the four wheels.

I thought and have posted about the LED rear light conversion, and would be in the ball park of ~0.3hp at the alternator, but at the cost of $65-70 dollars.

I have wheel skirts on the rear, and my front wheels taped, my front grill blocked to 80% (can't go any higher or I will require the fan to keep the engine cool).

I'm considering removing the powersteering, but I'm not sure the advise effects on the Subaru, and removing the PS pump would effectively remove the tensioner from the crank to the alternator.

Along the lines of the alternator, I drive too far to go alternator-less and buy a deep cycle battery. I recently brain farted the idea of a turbo run alternator, but that entire project would be way off to a reliable road unit.

Does anyone have any ideas or suggestions? It feels like I'm at the point of trying to find a whole new vehicle
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Old 01-09-2011, 11:54 PM   #245 (permalink)
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Helga - '00 Volkswagen Jetta TDI
TEAM VW AUDI Group
Diesel
90 day: 54.39 mpg (US)

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90 day: 16.87 mpg (US)
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Sometimes, the best alternative is to an inexpensive high FE vehicle just for commuting... I did that, and went from ~20mpg (my Subaru Wagon) to ~50mpg (my VX) with a mere $1400 (most of which I expect to get back when I sell the VX).
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Old 01-10-2011, 12:12 AM   #246 (permalink)
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Pequod - '17 Subaru Outback
90 day: 22.79 mpg (US)
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Mine does just as bad (or worse) in city and cold, look at my recent fuel logs compared to this summers. If you're going for weight reduction, but don't have a lot of money, you could always remove the sound proofing tar. Probably 100 lbs of the stuff in mine. It wouldn't compromise anything except road noise.

A block heater would also help in the cold, I installed one and it looked promising, but the unit throws the GCFI outlet now and I haven't felt like crawling around to fix it.

As far as requiring 16" wheels, I'm not so sure about that. Several 00-04 guys have installed 15" wheels. Occasionally they have to grind the caliper ever so slightly, but most report no issues. I'm running 15" wheels currently and honestly I could go to 14" without issue.

And yeah, I've thought about a different car too for commuting but the mileage honestly isn't bad enough to whine about at current prices, and my insurance would triple with another car on it; negating any fuel savings.
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Old 01-10-2011, 06:42 AM   #247 (permalink)
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Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: PA
Posts: 314

Pooparu - '01 Subaru Outback Limited
90 day: 28.12 mpg (US)

Cop Car - '94 Chevy Caprice Interceptor 9C1
Last 3: 18.48 mpg (US)

Mini - '11 Mini Cooper
90 day: 37.63 mpg (US)

Gramps - '95 Subaru Legacy Postal
90 day: 23.18 mpg (US)
Thanks: 10
Thanked 17 Times in 10 Posts
Yeah I guess I could start removing stuff like the sound insulation, I'm kinda curious about removing the Power steering, but with the big wheels on it, its most likely not possible. I was trying to find the weight of the OB wheel, but I couldn't find it only. I would assume its somewhere between 20-23 pounds. The Envigors are 26lbs new. So my wheel weight is 45-50lbs per corner. Tire rack has 17lb wheels and a Kumho ecowing tire @ 24 lbs. So for the tune of $840 I could loose almost 20 lbs of rotational mass, or just buy gas for 6 months...lol I think I need to find a 15" Impreza alloy and weigh it up and mock up to see if it fits.

Or opt to the cheaper side and buy the pulley and LEDs and hope for the best.
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Old 01-10-2011, 10:52 AM   #248 (permalink)
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Pequod - '17 Subaru Outback
90 day: 22.79 mpg (US)
Thanks: 73
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I've driven it without power steering. As long as you're moving, it's not noticeable. But parallel parking and things like that are not as bad as you'd think.
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Old 01-10-2011, 11:50 AM   #249 (permalink)
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Over 5MPH power steering is not needed. under that speed it is very handy. Its up to you then to decide how much turning you do at low speeds.
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Old 01-10-2011, 12:02 PM   #250 (permalink)
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The Adventure Wagon - '94 Subaru Loyale Wagon 4x4
Subaru
90 day: 33.43 mpg (US)

Electro-Monkey - '11 Surly Karate Monkey BMC V2S Front Hub Motor
90 day: 694.1 mpg (US)
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My car responded very well to power steering pump deletion. I did it at the same time as my lower grill block and unplugging my (bad) IAC valve, and my tank averages went up from 31 to 34.

I can still parallel park. It's training for climbing

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