Fuel Consumption Question
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Fuel Consumption Question
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My son has my old 84 F-150 with 302. He’s had it several years and has done all kind of stuff, probably mostly wrong. One thing he did was to remove the emission control stuff. About all he has in the way of vacuum lines is the brake booster and vacuum advance. Everything else is plugged off. He did this several years ago and never rally did a whole lot of long distance driving. It never really got good gas mileage.
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He just got through rebuilding it again after a blown head gasket and he also rebuilt the 2150 carburetor. After the initial start and all adjustments it idles good and he tells me runs good on the road. He just started driving it about 35 miles round trip to work and it’s eating him up in gas. I guesstimate about 8-9 miles per gallon mostly highway driving. He did put a new cam in that’s just over stock is all I know.
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He got a Edelbrock 4 barrel (don’t know the model) from the son-in law he’s itching to put on when he gets an intake. I told him I don’t think that’s going to help him out, but that’s his plans.
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Is there anything you guys can suggest be checked or done to help on his gas mileage?
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ffice" /><O>My son has my old 84 F-150 with 302. He’s had it several years and has done all kind of stuff, probably mostly wrong. One thing he did was to remove the emission control stuff. About all he has in the way of vacuum lines is the brake booster and vacuum advance. Everything else is plugged off. He did this several years ago and never rally did a whole lot of long distance driving. It never really got good gas mileage.
<O
> </O>He just got through rebuilding it again after a blown head gasket and he also rebuilt the 2150 carburetor. After the initial start and all adjustments it idles good and he tells me runs good on the road. He just started driving it about 35 miles round trip to work and it’s eating him up in gas. I guesstimate about 8-9 miles per gallon mostly highway driving. He did put a new cam in that’s just over stock is all I know.
<O
> </O>He got a Edelbrock 4 barrel (don’t know the model) from the son-in law he’s itching to put on when he gets an intake. I told him I don’t think that’s going to help him out, but that’s his plans.
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> </O>Is there anything you guys can suggest be checked or done to help on his gas mileage?
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Moderator
Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 56,997
Likes: 2,743
From: Virginia
What size tires? Is it 4x4? What tranny does it have? If he has 4x4, the old c6, and large tires on it, he will not get good fuel mileage no matter what he does. And of course he probably goes to work on the interstate doing 75mph, so that is going to hurt also. Just slowing down to 65mph will get him around 2-3 more mpg.
Postmaster
Joined: Apr 2003
Posts: 2,703
Likes: 4
From: Harrisburg, NE
probably just cause he's young and has his foot in it! we have all been there...
biggest thing is to check the basics, i assume since it was recently rebuilt that compression and what not is fine. but if it still has the stock dizzy it was curved to work with the emission stuff and they don't always agreed with stuff changing. so a recurve would probably help, also make sure to take the time and tune the carb to perfection. I had the float stick on my highboy, and it was pushing gas out of the the vents and into the engine and it still ran down the road just fine (granted it wouldn't idle very long) but it only got about 2mpg til i fixed it.
however if he does keep his foot out of it, i can speak from experience that its tough to beat edelbrock 600 on a mild 302.
also check that everything has proper lube, aired up, and check the front tires (bad alignment will really suck down fuel)
biggest thing is to check the basics, i assume since it was recently rebuilt that compression and what not is fine. but if it still has the stock dizzy it was curved to work with the emission stuff and they don't always agreed with stuff changing. so a recurve would probably help, also make sure to take the time and tune the carb to perfection. I had the float stick on my highboy, and it was pushing gas out of the the vents and into the engine and it still ran down the road just fine (granted it wouldn't idle very long) but it only got about 2mpg til i fixed it.
however if he does keep his foot out of it, i can speak from experience that its tough to beat edelbrock 600 on a mild 302.
also check that everything has proper lube, aired up, and check the front tires (bad alignment will really suck down fuel)
Posting Guru
Joined: Oct 2010
Posts: 1,199
Likes: 1
From: Missouri
1. Fill it up, count the miles and get an accurate MPG reading.
2. You say that he removed all kinds of emmissions stuff, he may have done something that the engine didn't agree with. Components on these engines are calibrated for the factory emmissions equipment. Like the distributor advance curve, it's way too slow for an engine without a functioning EGR valve. Even then, it's probably still pretty slow and provides too much timing for one with an EGR.
3. You mention vacuum advance, I just want to make sure. Because if he doesn't have vacuum advance and he probably has some distributor that needs the computer to function properly.
4. Make sure the choke is opening in a timely manner. If it's only a 35 mile round trip, you don't want the choke a long time going down the road.
5. It could just be some plain old carb trouble, if all else fails try out the edelbrock. You shouldn't be getting an ounce less than 10 mpg even with other problems.
2. You say that he removed all kinds of emmissions stuff, he may have done something that the engine didn't agree with. Components on these engines are calibrated for the factory emmissions equipment. Like the distributor advance curve, it's way too slow for an engine without a functioning EGR valve. Even then, it's probably still pretty slow and provides too much timing for one with an EGR.
3. You mention vacuum advance, I just want to make sure. Because if he doesn't have vacuum advance and he probably has some distributor that needs the computer to function properly.
4. Make sure the choke is opening in a timely manner. If it's only a 35 mile round trip, you don't want the choke a long time going down the road.
5. It could just be some plain old carb trouble, if all else fails try out the edelbrock. You shouldn't be getting an ounce less than 10 mpg even with other problems.
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Thanks guys.
On the tires and transmission it just has standard tires and the automatic w/OD that came in it. Is that a c6?
We assume the compression is okay. It all went to the machine shop to be checked out and all new parts.
It does have the stock distributor without a working EGR valve.
On the choke, he put a manual choke on it
We’ll go back and recheck the carb adjustment.
I’m sure the foot plays into the scenario on the highway, but he never has been a speed demon. He’ll romp down on it every now and then just to hear his exhaust. He doesn’t have headers or anything. He does have dual exhaust with straight pipes. He just had to do that. I’ve been warning him he better get the mufflers back on it before he gets in trouble.
He’s pointing the finger at the just plain bad carb. He does plan to put the Edelbrock on in the near future, but for now we need to see if we can get some improvement.
I guess we need to do the recurve. I’m totally ignorant on that. Can you explain that to me. I assume the timing needs to be advanced. We now have it set on the factory setting.
Any tips you can give us on the carb tune would help too.
Thanks again.
On the tires and transmission it just has standard tires and the automatic w/OD that came in it. Is that a c6?
We assume the compression is okay. It all went to the machine shop to be checked out and all new parts.
It does have the stock distributor without a working EGR valve.
On the choke, he put a manual choke on it
We’ll go back and recheck the carb adjustment.
I’m sure the foot plays into the scenario on the highway, but he never has been a speed demon. He’ll romp down on it every now and then just to hear his exhaust. He doesn’t have headers or anything. He does have dual exhaust with straight pipes. He just had to do that. I’ve been warning him he better get the mufflers back on it before he gets in trouble.
He’s pointing the finger at the just plain bad carb. He does plan to put the Edelbrock on in the near future, but for now we need to see if we can get some improvement.
I guess we need to do the recurve. I’m totally ignorant on that. Can you explain that to me. I assume the timing needs to be advanced. We now have it set on the factory setting.
Any tips you can give us on the carb tune would help too.
Thanks again.
Laughing Gas
Joined: Feb 2010
Posts: 781
Likes: 8
From: Sanford, NC
If that 84 has a auto trans with OD, then it is an AOD transmission. Be VERY CAREFUL
about changing carburetors on a truck with an AOD. If the TV rod or cable is not
hooked and adjusted for function properly you will destroy the transmission in short order.
about changing carburetors on a truck with an AOD. If the TV rod or cable is not
hooked and adjusted for function properly you will destroy the transmission in short order.
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Posting Guru
Joined: Oct 2010
Posts: 1,199
Likes: 1
From: Missouri
Heres a good guide on the recurve; but you should still be getting better mpg without doing a recurve.
Ford Mainline » Blog Archive » Ford Duraspark Recurve
It could very easily be carb problems, you can check if it is getting an obvious amount of too much fuel by pulling a spark plug and seeing if it is black. If it has been like this a long time; the plug may appear to be black and oily looking.
Ford Mainline » Blog Archive » Ford Duraspark Recurve
It could very easily be carb problems, you can check if it is getting an obvious amount of too much fuel by pulling a spark plug and seeing if it is black. If it has been like this a long time; the plug may appear to be black and oily looking.
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