The 200R4 and 700R4 need some control added for the TC lockup solenoid, too. You can buy a kit for it from one of the vendors, though. Or make it. You can buy a pretty decent purpose-built 700R4 for under $1000, I would imagine the same outfits do 200R4s too but I never shopped around for one. I've beaten the **** out of a stock 700R4 and it still goes. Just picked up a truck with a TH400 and they managed to cook high and reverse out of it somehow. What does it mean? Probably nothing at all -
"When I crank up a hot rod gas mileage is the last thing on my mind" At 84 miles round trip to work, DAILY, it has to be the 1st thing on my mind
Maybe O/T here but does anybody know someone with the new TCI 'full pressure' (may not be the right name) valve body conversion? I don't know if they (or anybody else) offer it for the 200 or not. It supposedly eliminates the 'trans burn up' from too loose of a TV cable. If you really want to run a 200 you might be better off with a single 4 (yeah, not as cool, but) as I expect most will be easier to setup a TV cable for. If you really want the twin carbs, and the 200, Bow Tie Overdrives supposedly has a TV cable setup, here that can be made to work. X2 on the vacuum advance. I haven't had the best luck with the 'RV' cams for mileage, I have had better luck with the 327/325HP cam. Run your tire pressures as high as you can stand (within the recommended inflation limits of the manufacturer). Radials generally do better for mileage too. I know, they don't look as cool, but any time I have switched, either way, the difference in rolling resistance was very noticeable. Under 2K RPM at cruise is pretty slow, the engine is not likely to be too happy there. Especially if you plan on taking a trailer with, even a teardrop. FWIW I try and set up my gearing so I'm turning between 2K and 2400 on the freeway and cam appropriately. That way I know I have enough water flow for even cooling and no steam pockets, as well as enough oil on the cylinder walls, wrist pins, cam, lifters, etc. I'm sure lots of people have had good luck turning them slower, but that's my plan.
Mr. Ne**usian, good points all of them! I guess I recall that if you choose a cruising speed target (say 65mph) then you want to be into the sweet spot of the ****ysis diagram. No, not just barely, instead you should have some capacity below (55mph) and above (75mph). So that the air resistance issue isn't too outrageous a drain on HP, and that cooling is optimal, so that engine temp is "spot-on" and ideal. The engine RPM is critical here, to achieve best efficiency. If the cam is high lift and big overlap* then the power band may be coming on, and the fuel/air into the manifold starts to look like Niagra Falls! So we are talking perhaps, about a mid-range motor w/good torque response, and a broader power band? The final drive gearing is the factor that lets this fall into place too.
Good timing on this thread... I'm running a puched out 230 six with a decent size cam, heads have been reworked and i'm running an offy intake with a holley four barrel. I'm having trouble getting off the line and it just doesn't run good until the rpms get up a little. So i've been looking at putting a small stall in her. It runs great going down the road but around town off the line its slow. Gas mileage means something to me but not as important as getting some umph of the line. Yes i know with a 3500 lb 54 chevy with a six banger is never gonna be anything special but i do want the most i can get.
You're going to drive the vehicle what, 5,000 miles a year? Max? 50-300 mile weekend trips when the weather is nice, and a few longer trips. Don't worry about the gas mileage dropping 1,000rpm is going to give you. Seriously. I did some figuring for a trip to Bonneville. I'm ***umed $3 per gallon, just to keep things even. For me, the mileage was 4,000 miles round trip. 13 miles per gallon, 4,000 miles to B’ville, 307 gallons, $921 in gas, round trip (@ $3 per gallon). At 14mpg: 285 gallons, $857 in gas At 15mph: 266 gallons, $798 in gas At 16mpg: 250 gallons, $750 in gas At 17mpg: 235 gallons, $705 in gas. At 18mpg: 222 gallons, $665 in gas. I did these calculations based on the fact that I drive my '62 Suburban daily, and planned on taking it to Bonneville last year (didn't make a deadline...will this year). For a one-time, 4,000 mile trip, an increase of 4mpg was worth less than $200 in fuel savings. I put almost 20,000 miles on the truck last year, without the 4,000 mile trip to Bonneville. A change in 4mph on my truck is worth almost $1,000 in fuel cost savings for the year. At that point, it starts to make a lot more sense. This is all rough math, just for my own comparison purposes. Figure how many miles you drive a year, and the start doing the cost comparisons of real-world fuel cost savings versus cost of the upgrade. If you do that, you find out it could take several years for the upgrade to pay for itself. Obviously, there are other factors involved when lowering RPM, especially service life on the engine, accessories, etc. -Brad
Pitman, yeah, I shoot for 55 @ 2000 ish w/ 70 or 75 somewhere around 2400. I don't mind buzzing a little higher (say 2600 ish) at 75 for a 'road' car, but I woudln't want to go much higher than that. It gets too loud inside (yeah, I know, but a droning engine isn't much fun to listen to after the first 20 miles or so). Big Tony, what trans are you running?
I've got a 200R4 in my car. Its behind a mild 292 L6. Rear gears are 3.54. Tires are 27". The trans was built for me with a shift kit and ECU elimination kit installed. It took some time and thought to make the TV work since the stock cable was too short for the sideways mounted carb. I've put 20k miles on the trans so far with no problems. Neck snapping acceleration from a standstill. Around 1800 rpm at 60 mph. 16-18 mpg around town, 20+ highway. I say gor for it.
you have a 9" ford its a cheap quick change. get a 9" punkin with higher gears and if you want to race use the lower gears should be able to change it and out in less than 2 hours on a hot rod with air tools
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