Yet another mileage update....

Torque Junkie · January 11, 2002

Since the weather's been colder and the truck has been choking longer, and the snow's been on the ground, my girlfriend's 2wd can't make it up so there's more quick, full-choke trips up and down my 1/4 mile long driveway, my mileage has dropped to about 9.5-10 avg.

So, I did it. I talked about doing it a few months back but finally broke down to do it becuase I was tired of listening to the dam thing all the time. I pulled the fan shroud, fan, and A/C Compressor belt (since my A/C doesn't work and it's not needed in the winter anyway) off and threw them in the bed. The truck is SOOOO much quieter now, and the power gains are VERY noticable. When I get my G-tech back from the friend I let borrow it I will know just how noticable. I've also, over the 4 weeks I"ve had it off, had an increase in mileage by an average of about 10%. I'm getting between 10.5 and 11.X mpg now (depending on my driveway trips).

The fan clutch was definately siezed, so the fan was fully engaged at all times, even going down the highway at 65 mph at 3000 rpms, or on a WOT acceleration to 4500rpms or so.

So I've eliminated that power/gas hog, and plan on putting a 2100cfm Electric fan later this year when the weather gets warmer and I might need the cooling

Also, I should note my temp has not exceeded 200degF, even after 10 mins in the McDonald's drive thru. That new radiator is working really well.

I'm scoping 14+mpg here here when I can afford this 700R4.... I want it so bad I can taste it

-Mike

76BBSub · January 14, 2002

I'm looking for better mileage with my new camshaft...if I can keep my foot out of the secondaries!!

I'd like to switch to electric fans, too. I think $$$/mpg that might be a better deal than the overdrive. Both would be cool...what brand of fan are you looking at?

Jeff

Jack Boelte · January 14, 2002

I think you'll see bigger gains from the overdrive tranny. Before I had the lock up torque converter wired up, I was getting about 13 mpg. With it working, I jumped to 16mpg, I've seen 18mpg doing 55 or so. (That sucked)

Torque Junkie · January 14, 2002

I think $$$/mpg that might be a better deal than the overdrive. Both would be cool...what brand of fan are you looking at?
Jeff

Yeah.. the $$/mpg is better with the fan than w/ the overdrive, but you can't go wrong with having an overdrive in a truck. However, the project may be put on hold

Things have come up with my car, and I'm going to be keeping it and doing some work to it, and that $800 project and new tires take priority this spring over the tranny in the truck. (the project is kinda hush hush now, but when it is closer to reality, I will go public with it - I wil say this, though: it will be alot of work, but the sentimental benefits will be WELL worth the work and money, and the value of the car will INCREASE by about the amount of the project cost) The $$/mpg gain of keeping my car is much MUCH higher than keeping the truck as my daily commuter. My car gets 32 mpg commuting to work, where as my truck's getting 11 now, and would be getting 14 w/ the o/d. 6 more weeks of driving the truck and the snow will be gone so I can drive the car. I calculated, that it'd only cost me $100/month (incluidng insurance) to keep the car AND the truck then to sell it and have the truck as my only vehicle

But at any rate, I'm looking at just a Summit Racing fan from summitracing.com. They have a 16" 2100 cfm for $89 or something like that. For now, though, I'm just going to run with no fan. The weather's cold enough up here to where I don't need one now.

The 700r4 project is still a go, it's just been postponed till fall.

-Mike