So, Can you have a Old-Style carbed V8 and get 25+ MPG?

I'll try.

1) When you make a pump that only has to run at one speed you can design the impeller and motor combination to be more effiecient, at that one speed, therefore it should save some power.

2) Every one of those types of dyno tests (fan, pump whatever) that I've seen or been able to talk to the people doing them, the 'after' test was performed with either the device in question turned off or the alternator unhooked (electrically, or the belt removed) or both.

Not that I've seen or talked to everybody (that'd be impossible).

Bummer there is, you will loose some in the conversion from mechanical energy, to electric energy, back to mechanical energy. So the pump has to be alot more efficient to come out ahead in that deal.

IIRC Smokey said he tested a SBC water pump steup with an electric motor and it took 12- 14 Hp to drive it to the same speeds it ran with the belt drive, so if you could hold the amp load to the 5 Hp that fullhouse296 mentioned that'd be 7-9 Hp gain (at the crank).

If anybody personally knows of a dyno test (before and after) on one of the new elcetric water pumps that the 'after' test included a functioning charging system, I for one would love to hear of it.





On a similar note, if you are running a 'common' engine (SBC, SBF, BBM, etc) companies like Edelbrock make factory style pumps with the curved vane impellers that are supposedly more efficient (less power draw).


From the prices I've seen they are roughly the cost of a quality electric water pump. Does anyone know if there is enough power savings there to warrant the cost of one of those (higher efficiency mechanical pump)?

Asking purely in the context of this thread (better MPG from a 'low tech' engine).

 

my cad, rolling in at a stout 5,100 LBS, stock 4BB 331ci V8, hydramatic 4 speed and stock rear axle thats a 3:15 if im not mistaken, (its a weird number i know), from my house (Novi area) to saginaw and back was a decent as hell 7.5 gallons, thats highway driving and hitting passing gear a lot being that i was in the back of the pack. then for the rumble in flint, i left my work with a topped to the cap tank, drove up there, about 80-ish MPH the whole way, coming back i rolled into a gas station in my town at about 2AM, and was surprized as shit that i only needed 4 gallons. (And if you didnt catch, my gas gauge doesnt work, noir does my odomiter.) Hell, it gets better mileage then my 92' 305 TBI Cadillac Brougham.

 

So, Can you have a Old-Style carbed V8 and get 25+ MPG?

 

I'd like to hear of some more cars and combinations that you may have had that had good power and performance, yet still was able to produce 20+ MPG.

So, have you??????

 

Try the techniques offered by Mr Vizard here: http://www.gofastnews.com/board/eco...-2-eco-tune-carburated-v8s-fast-accurate.html

You can tune for mileage and power

 

Not HAMB friendly at all but I had a 85 4x4 Dodge Ramcharger with a 318 V-8 and a three speed automatic that got 20 mpg. It was stock with the exception of having headers and dual exhaust. I also put this tornado fuel saver device in the air cleaner. According to the claims of the manufacturer it swirled the fuel and air around better. All I know is the throttle response was more crisp and using my highly scientific seat of the pants dynometer I would say it was a little quicker too. I once had a stock 53 Plymouth Cranbrook with a non overdrive three speed and 218 flathead six that got 30 mpg regularly. I know it isn't a V-8 or anything but it does sorta make me think that maybe the manufacturers could squeeze a little more fuel economy than what they do out of new cars.

 

Put a 5 litre (302) and AOD from an 85 T Bird in a 50 Ford 2dr sdn in '92...put a Holley 650 4bbl and alum dual plane manif...accel dist....8" rear 3.50.( ratio as best I remember)..15" Radirs & 26" tall tires....Car was a treat to drive...made a trip from LA back to Oregon at 80-100 mph all day long as the RH lanes of I-5 were torture on a lowered car so just stayed in passing side and kept out of everyones way....Got 21 MPG on that trip....I never raced the car but my buddy had it in Las Vegas at the drags and got some kind of trophy with it;but who cares with bracket racing,anyway??...gears and overdrives are where we need to go....

 

You started this thread back in 2004 if I remember right, so the question is.... Have you been able to get 25 mpg?

 

My 3,600 lb 4-door wagon routinely knocks out 20+ on the freeway. This is with a 540-horse SBC backed with a T56. Gotta love the overdrive! It runs at 1,500 rpm at 65 mph in 6th. The big solid roller cam just smoothes out there, and can maintain the torque needed to keep the car at speed. The rear axle is a 9-inch with 3.89:1 gears.

Around town, or when I out my foot into it, mileage goes to hell. But for a sustained highway drive in 6th gear, it can get more than 20 mpg, which is really cool!

 

Popular Hotroding was doing an article in the mid '70's on a '70-'72 Monty with a 350 that got 30+ mpg... I wonder what happened to it??

 

That was Editor Doug Marion's Project "Econo Performer" Monte Carlo. I remember following the storys on the pages of Popular Hot Rodding Magazine but have not been able to retreave the information today.

 

That's the one!! Thanks! I still have those magazines stashed away in a box. Maybe one of these days, I'll go through those articles again and refresh my memory.

 

My 72 Formula Firebird will get 24-26 on the highway, still amazes me!

 

Can I interest you in a hydrogen generator?? I promise you will get 100 mpg.

 

Had a 300 c.i. Buick w/Carter AFB and a Sag 4spd w/O.D. in a 68 Chev long wheel base van. It had a 3.3something rear end. I got 26-27 mpg hyway with it most of the time. The carb was rejetted but I had no trouble running 75/80 mph and there is a 326 Firebird wondering "WTF"-Jim

 

Bttt

 

Ahh, nope, not even close.