302
Posting Guru
Joined: Jun 1999
Posts: 1,100
Likes: 0
From: Durham
302
I would say anything that you could do to give your engine a little more hp without diminishing torque will probably help your gas mileage. An easy 1 1/2 to 2 mpg is to get some NGK plugs and side gap them before you install them. Add a K&N filter for another 1-4 mpg, you can gain 3-4 mpg by removing the stock fan and replacing the setup with electric fans...yeah, I would say a 4 bbl will probably give you better mileage if you drive conservatively...the primaries on the 4 bbl are smaller than the 2 bbl...You can put higher gearing in your truck to gain some mileage...an upgrade in gas at the pump should gain you some mileage (but is it worth it???), especially if you can advance the timing along with the upgrade...of course, you could put on headers, get a hot ignition setup (MSD)...get a tonneau cover, etc., etc. Just keep in mind the mileage potential increases don't always add up when replacing individual components.. a change in one may negate or neutralize the gain by replacing or upgrading antother component.
Moderator
Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 56,977
Likes: 2,733
From: Virginia
302
I bet the biggest gain you would get would be to pump up your tires to the max cold psi pressure listed on the sidewall. If you have huge non-stock tires, putting stock ones back on would definitely help too.
