I have a 85 Ford swb pick up that I really like...302, auto, factory air, 3.08 locker in back, factory efi... Cannot get over 14mpg out of it... Now for years i have messed with Fords and Buicks...and ,,,,i also have a 401 Buick engine and th 400 trans laying around my shop... I know for a fact that I can get 18-19 mpg out of it...I have a 64 riv with a 425 in it that gets 18 with a 600 cfm holley carb... see where I am going with this.... I can swap in the Buick engine/trans,,,, more than doubling the power and gaining gas mileage too...that 445 ft. lbs. of torque at 2800 rpm looks mighty good...and 18 mpg i can live with... i would have to call it a Buford though....
not too mention the fact that the 302 has to work so damn hard to move the brick shaped truck. Another thing doc...this sight really isn't about 85 ford trucks...who cares what engine is in them. The main vehicle just does not belong here, you'll see.
I suggest... www.Fordtruckfanatics.com www.ford-trucks.com I'm a member on both I could talk your ear off about getting better mileage out of a fullsize ford truck. I've personally gone from 10-12 to 14-15 with my 460 in my 1979 ford f250 SCCS. It's hard and expensive. I wouldn't mess with a smallblock truck either.
I had a 75 with a 302 and a 3 speed on the column. It got 18 on the highway. Swapped to a 500 cfm Holley and it dropped to 17. Drove it for over 100k miles and it didn't vary.
Just for giggles what was the rearend ratio of the Buick when it got that milage? Now, what is the rearend ratio of the truck? Just those two things could go a long way explaining the milage difference. I belive most BBB run a rearend in 2's and when you try to rev them the milage goes out the window. Frank
The Jalopy Journal
