Another MPG story
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Lead Driver
Joined: Jul 2009
Posts: 6,477
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From: Sheffield, AL
Another MPG story
This weekend, I retrieved my son's truck from Ft. Polk, LA and drove it to north AL. It is a 1984 F150 with 4.9L, 4 speed OD and 3.55 rear gears. It is absolutely original [all smog, feedback carburetor and computer intact] and has 180,920 miles.
It is not running at its best as I noticed a less than smooth idle and it is pinging under load with partial throttle. I used higher octane to help reduce pinging until I can check it out.
The first leg was 275.6 miles. The drive was going north through many small towns and the speed was 45- 62 mph. It was cool and I drove with the windows up, using the vents. I filled up at Vicksburg, MS using 13.262 gal., returning 20.8 mpg.
The second fill-up was in Northport, AL, which is 196.8 miles from Vicksburg, MS. Most of this was on the interstate @ 65 mph with the A/C. Using 10.419 gallons, the truck got 18.9 mpg.
I love these old trucks!
It is not running at its best as I noticed a less than smooth idle and it is pinging under load with partial throttle. I used higher octane to help reduce pinging until I can check it out.
The first leg was 275.6 miles. The drive was going north through many small towns and the speed was 45- 62 mph. It was cool and I drove with the windows up, using the vents. I filled up at Vicksburg, MS using 13.262 gal., returning 20.8 mpg.
The second fill-up was in Northport, AL, which is 196.8 miles from Vicksburg, MS. Most of this was on the interstate @ 65 mph with the A/C. Using 10.419 gallons, the truck got 18.9 mpg.
I love these old trucks!
Cargo Master
Joined: Mar 2007
Posts: 2,935
Likes: 34
From: Arcadia, Fla
My 84 F250 4x4 300/Np435 and 3.55 gears gave me the same MPG as yours did. The last MPG reading I did on it before I shut it down was tops 16 MPG using factory EFI system. Now once I get old Blue Mule back together, I have a Offy DP and carb setup to put back on and hope the MPG's will come back. And I don't have OD either.
Cargo Master
Joined: Apr 2010
Posts: 2,936
Likes: 9
From: Acworth, GA
This weekend, I retrieved my son's truck from Ft. Polk, LA and drove it to north AL. It is a 1984 F150 with 4.9L, 4 speed OD and 3.55 rear gears. It is absolutely original [all smog, feedback carburetor and computer intact] and has 180,920 miles.
It is not running at its best as I noticed a less than smooth idle and it is pinging under load with partial throttle. I used higher octane to help reduce pinging until I can check it out.
The first leg was 275.6 miles. The drive was going north through many small towns and the speed was 45- 62 mph. It was cool and I drove with the windows up, using the vents. I filled up at Vicksburg, MS using 13.262 gal., returning 20.8 mpg.
The second fill-up was in Northport, AL, which is 196.8 miles from Vicksburg, MS. Most of this was on the interstate @ 65 mph with the A/C. Using 10.419 gallons, the truck got 18.9 mpg.
I love these old trucks!
It is not running at its best as I noticed a less than smooth idle and it is pinging under load with partial throttle. I used higher octane to help reduce pinging until I can check it out.
The first leg was 275.6 miles. The drive was going north through many small towns and the speed was 45- 62 mph. It was cool and I drove with the windows up, using the vents. I filled up at Vicksburg, MS using 13.262 gal., returning 20.8 mpg.
The second fill-up was in Northport, AL, which is 196.8 miles from Vicksburg, MS. Most of this was on the interstate @ 65 mph with the A/C. Using 10.419 gallons, the truck got 18.9 mpg.
I love these old trucks!
I love these old trucks too. In 2005 my wife and I went looking for a new full size truck. We searched high and low for one that got the same or better gas mileage, with the same or better torque and pulling power as this one. We had no such luck finding anything even remotely close. Either you could get one with the same gas mileage and no torque or pulling power, or you could find one with a larger engine for pulling and no gas mileage. So, we just decided to keep this one and fix it up, and we just bought a new Mazda 6 instead.
Junior User
Joined: Sep 2008
Posts: 78
Likes: 0
From: Salt Lake City, UT
My truck is a '86 F250HD, extra cab, 4x4, 3.55:1 gears, 460, 35" BFG mudders, and a ZF 5 speed from an '89. A month ago, from Rock Springs, Wyoming, to Salt Lake City, Utah, I got 18.2 mpg on I-80, with the cruise set at 65 mph.
My brothers '99 Dodge 1500 4x4, 4.7 V-8, all stock, got 13.9 on the same trip, going the same speed.........with less weight and better aerodynamics.
Both trucks were empty, with a slight crosswind most of the way, each carrying 4 people.
Blows my mind some days the mileage these older trucks can manage (when compared to the newer models that are supposed to be designed with fuel economy in mind) with old school pushrod V-8's, no computer control, and the aerodymanics of a brick.
My brothers '99 Dodge 1500 4x4, 4.7 V-8, all stock, got 13.9 on the same trip, going the same speed.........with less weight and better aerodynamics.
Both trucks were empty, with a slight crosswind most of the way, each carrying 4 people.
Blows my mind some days the mileage these older trucks can manage (when compared to the newer models that are supposed to be designed with fuel economy in mind) with old school pushrod V-8's, no computer control, and the aerodymanics of a brick.
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Lead Driver
Joined: Jul 2009
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From: Sheffield, AL
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Junior User
Joined: Sep 2008
Posts: 78
Likes: 0
From: Salt Lake City, UT
Tell me about it. Had to have the passengers double check my math........then check it again..........then pick my jaw up off the ground. I haven't had that kind of mileage again, but I can regularly get 15-16 on the highways (if I keep it to 65) here in Utah.........which isn't too shabby for the big block, big tires, crap aerodynamics, four wheel drive, and a normal everyday weight of about 6,200 lbs. The around town mileage hovers around 10mpg or so......which sucks, but is better than I thought it would do when I bought the truck.
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Posting Guru
Joined: Jul 2010
Posts: 1,154
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From: Marysville, WA
82 F250 5.7/C6/3.55 getting 6.2mpg. Yeah!
Pulled the VV carb and DSIII in favor of 2100 and Mallory Unilite.
Now still running the same tank after 100 more miles than I was getting with the old setup.
Pulled the VV carb and DSIII in favor of 2100 and Mallory Unilite.
Now still running the same tank after 100 more miles than I was getting with the old setup.
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