Improving mileage
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Tuned
Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 317
Likes: 4
Improving mileage
I know it's been talked about a thousand times but I have some specific questions. I love my old 460 powered truck and it's handy to have when I need to haul something, help out friends etc. Normally I can get a days work out of it for 10 or 20 dollars gas money and thats fine for the amount I use it around town. But I think in the future I might like to go camping with it or something and even going to the next town on the highway would be pricey. So here are my questions:
-I enjoy the simplicity of a carburetor but is there an easy junkyard swap to get fuel injection? I'd rather not have to install alot of sensors.
-Would some sort of ram air setup give me an appreciable gain in mileage?
-Is there a cheap solution to get an overdrive in this truck (I think that would give the most gain). Spending a few grand on an aftermarket overdrive is out of the question. I'm aware I could swap the C6 for a later model trans but I'd need an aftermarket controller to run it, on top of the possible rebuild needed, and that's if I could fit the truck in the garage to do the swap which I can't
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If anyone has other ideas I'd like to hear those too. Thanks.
-I enjoy the simplicity of a carburetor but is there an easy junkyard swap to get fuel injection? I'd rather not have to install alot of sensors.
-Would some sort of ram air setup give me an appreciable gain in mileage?
-Is there a cheap solution to get an overdrive in this truck (I think that would give the most gain). Spending a few grand on an aftermarket overdrive is out of the question. I'm aware I could swap the C6 for a later model trans but I'd need an aftermarket controller to run it, on top of the possible rebuild needed, and that's if I could fit the truck in the garage to do the swap which I can't
.If anyone has other ideas I'd like to hear those too. Thanks.
Laughing Gas
Joined: Apr 2001
Posts: 868
Likes: 3
From: New Glasgow, Nova Scotia
I have a F150 with a 460 in it also that never gave anything over 10mpg Canadian from the time it was new till I bought it. Mine had the Holley 4 barrell factory carb on it that I rebuilt trying to get it to run better and up the milage, I gave up, nothing I did made her any better. I swapped the square bore holley and intake for the spreadbore intake and Autolite carb that also came on the 460 right from Ford, this shot my milage up to 14mpg but it cost me a little bit of power. My next plan is to order the controller for the 4speed auto so it will work on my truck, I hoping to get anothe 3 to 4 mpg's on the highway once that is done. A good man tuning the carb can do wonders also, I can get them good, but my father is a wizard at them.
Thread Starter
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Tuned
Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 317
Likes: 4
Interesting. I wonder how a Quadrajet would do..
Senior User
Joined: Feb 2009
Posts: 328
Likes: 0
From: northwest,WA
i think you should just buy a newer truck.
with a 400 I get 10mpg uphill down hill freeway city camper on the back or boat in haul.
rebuilding the engine and expect to see.... 10mpg
as posted if you leave a 4bb but if you are going to convert to injection you might as well just sell it to someone who wants it for what it is and craig list a 1980's ford (ha) for the ECU and injection.
with a 400 I get 10mpg uphill down hill freeway city camper on the back or boat in haul.
rebuilding the engine and expect to see.... 10mpg
as posted if you leave a 4bb but if you are going to convert to injection you might as well just sell it to someone who wants it for what it is and craig list a 1980's ford (ha) for the ECU and injection.
Posting Guru
Joined: Mar 2009
Posts: 1,427
Likes: 1
From: Huntington WV
you can get fuel injection for these trucks for a non computer engine also maybe add cruise control you can change the steering wheel out for the 78/79's that have it or add aftermarket cruise control to it. also change rear end gear out would work an you can add tornado & velocity tuner fuel savers to it.
Logistics Pro
Joined: Mar 2001
Posts: 4,157
Likes: 3
10mpg is what I get in my 78' F250 with a 6.6L. Like spud said, camper, nothing in it, 1,000 pounds of crap in the bed, 10mpg. At least its consistent.
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Thread Starter
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Tuned
Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 317
Likes: 4
i think you should just buy a newer truck.
with a 400 I get 10mpg uphill down hill freeway city camper on the back or boat in haul.
rebuilding the engine and expect to see.... 10mpg
as posted if you leave a 4bb but if you are going to convert to injection you might as well just sell it to someone who wants it for what it is and craig list a 1980's ford (ha) for the ECU and injection.
with a 400 I get 10mpg uphill down hill freeway city camper on the back or boat in haul.
rebuilding the engine and expect to see.... 10mpg
as posted if you leave a 4bb but if you are going to convert to injection you might as well just sell it to someone who wants it for what it is and craig list a 1980's ford (ha) for the ECU and injection.
Adding cruise control is a good thought, I might do that.
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