Fuel Economy

Engineers who have tried in the past to build a carburetor using Pogue’s theories have found the results less than satisfactory.

Charles Friend, of Canada’s National Research Council, told Marketplace, a consumer affairs programme: "You can get fantastic mileage if you’re prepared to de-rate the vehicle to a point where, for example, it might take you ten minutes to accelerate from 0 to 30 miles an hour."


.... and the 1936 myth continues today ... :)
 
The difference is: the gasoline of today is not the gasoline of 1930. They promptly put in additives to defeat the dry-vapor system. :(

I'll be quiet now. All the flat-earth, OJ was framed, global-warming-is-real folks: have @ it; the rest of ther thread is ya'lls! :D
 
Dennis,
I think somebody mentioned the magnets for the fuel lines, how about the water alcohol injection into the carbs, Split Fire spark plugs, mothballs in the gas tank, various magic fuel additives, the hot spark booster that fit in the top of your coil, and the other gimmics. I think that it is funny that these myths are blamed on the government, car makers, and oil companies putting a stop on them.
The ethanol is being used in areas with a smog problem. It emits a little cleaner air. It is definitely not cheaper than the regular unleaded fuel in our area.
Butch
 
Butch,

Water injection is useful, or at least it was. Back when I went to high school in the sixties, my science master had a MG Magnette that he'd put a factory new motor in about 10 years earlier & fitted it with water injection. As a project, one weekend we dropped the head off to do a decoke (are you old enough to remember doing that?) & wiped what carbon there was off the head with an old rag. The valves looked like new as far as buildup on them went & the top of the pistons were clean.

Nobody then ever claimed that it did the mileage much good, but it sure kept one motor in as new shape.

John
 
Don't overlook the basic's

I've been getting 10 / 12 mpg., on 87 octane fuel w 10% ethanol in my F250 I love my truck but that milage was horriable. My last truck was a 87 carburated Dodge this one is a 2004 Ford worlds apart technology wise.

I had to re-educate myself and simply cleaned up the fuel injectors and combustion chambers, changed to Mobil 1 "full synthetic" motor oil, increased air pressure in tires(miss my cloud 9 ride) and went to 89 octane fuel w 10% ethanol, last 4 tanks of fuel yeilded a 5 mpg., increase across the board.

Total cost aro. $60.00 , did I say I love my truck more than ever now !. :cool:
 
Ultramag44,

I think the system you remember was called the "Mark IV" or something similar. As I remember, it used a Briggs & Stratton carb to meter the fuel into a heat exchanger that was heated by exhaust to vaporize the fuel. I had seen a set of plans for it that a neighbor had obtained when they were looking at doing a conversion on one of their vehicles.

Don't know if they ever did it or not.

I know that on the older carb engines, too lean a mixture would lead to excess cylinder heat. Not sure what this ("Mark IV" conversion)would do, considering it would be super lean.
 
Driving habits

Butch: I think you're right. I've try numerous additives and gadgets over the years, and I saw the most change ,improvement, in MPG, is when I was keeping close records of my driving and gasoline useage. When I stopped doing that, my useage went right back up to what it was in the beginning.
 
Speedpro, methinks that your driving habits changed when you tried this experiment and that helped you most.
Butch

Good point but not much changes except "underwear and socks", I'm a creature of habit, my bad one's will definatly kill me :eek:

I moniter my milage closely, I'm weird and anal about many things ain't got nothin better to do.

When I drive in the heart of the city and stopsigns are at every corner and my passanger is p...in me off :mad: I have a tendancy to drive sloppy, rare but it happens. I noticed the initial 5mpg., increase drops to 2.5.

The bloodpressure increase is probably off the chart's :D
 
I just bought a Mustang GT Premium and ran my first tank of gas through it around town driving like a teenager giving test rides chirping rubber as I went through the gears.

Surprise, with all the heavy foot driving it still came up 20 MPG. I curious what it will do when I start driving like an adult!

Picture1.png
 
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D, a car like that wasn't meant to drive like an adult.

That's what keeps ya young!:D
Me thinks you are right! I was helping restore a 56 Corvette the other night, but my buddy is building concours looking stock '61 & '62 Vets with brand new crate Corvette engines and trannies on a modern frame that makes them handle close to a Formula 1 car. Imagine a car that looks like this and handles like a brand new Corvette!

61Fuelly.jpg
 
Ethanol

detracts from milage, it has less BTUs than regular gasoline,(ask someone with an E-85 vehicle ) what their MPG is VS gas it might cost less at the pump but your at the pump more often:p:D
 
Can you believe it? The Stealership called me and told me I wasn't eligible for the dealer incentives they gave me on my Mustang (post #52) because I own a Ford Lincoln instead of a Ford Ford. Well, guess what? It's staying in my garage and my checkbook is closed! :mad:
 
I just bought a Mustang GT Premium and ran my first tank of gas through it around town driving like a teenager giving test rides chirping rubber as I went through the gears.

Surprise, with all the heavy foot driving it still came up 20 MPG. I curious what it will do when I start driving like an adult!

Picture1.png

My sister has a Mustang GT and when "driving like an adult" gets about 25-26 mpg. My mother drives a 2002 Trans Am WS6 and gets about 28 mpg "driving like an adult".
 
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