Gas Mileage
 

Just curious what kind of mileage I should be getting. I have a 50 F3 with the 226 in it. Everything is stock, rear end, tranny, ect. Checked last week, and I was getting 7mpg. I thought that was a little low. Any thoughts?

Dave

You must be drag racing away from stoplights, and driving like Johnny Speed Racer! :-kneeslap
Seriously, that's poor mileage. Check your timing and carb settings. You should be able to get 12 or so.

FWIW, when I was stripping the cab of my '49 F4 six cyl, I found where someone had obviously figured mileage on the dash with pencil. It came out at six MPG and I want to say four another time, about right for a truck that size worked off road or any kind of stop and go while loaded. I have no idea how the truck was being used when the mileage was figured. You should experience somewhat better while on the road and driven with skill. Stop light to stop light, maybe not. Be mindful that if you are running with today's traffic, that little six is turning some revs.

Drag racing with this truck? Nah, nice slow take offs, wouldn't want anyone to miss me grinning from ear to ear while I'm driving. Timing is the weekends project, I suspect I'll improve a little after that.

Dave

Any idea what a Y Block should be getting?

Remember, that truck had probably 1,500 lbs of hydraulics! I think an F-4 is significantly heavier to begin with.

I am afraid to check Missy Green }> She does like to drink. Someday when I run out of things to do I will replace the power valve with one that comes in a bit later.

My 48 226
I think a got about 10-12mpg
now this year I put electronic points in
and replaced the vaccum advance
it feels like more power?
have not done a mileage check

Joe

Several years ago on the way back from the Carlisle Truck Show (a 3 hour drive) I got about 14 miles per gallon. I have a 239 Y-block. Now that was with real 100% gas, pre-ethonal. I don't think my odometer was 100% accurate either.

Bobj49f2 just took a long trip with his '49 F2 226 flat six. original truck.
You should PM him and ask his mileage. I wanted to say 6-8 but not sure.

During the swan song of "Albatross'" 239 Y block, it got ten mpg in (moving) city traffic. Albatross is a '55 F500 and, at the time, it was running on seven cylinders. Turns out that the #6 cylinder head had a bad exhaust valve due to the cracks in the head casting. :(
I think that we're looking to either rebuild or part it out and move on. Some days you're just too close to the downwind side of the fan.

I have the 239 Y-block, and I don't think I'm getting over 7 mpg in town.

I was trying to figure out what I got for mileage on this trip. My speedometer doesn't work, I used my GPS to check my speed. I figured I put on about 440 miles. We filled up three times at about 10-12 gals per fill up. I left my home with about a half tank, filled up by Chris's house in Cary, IL. Pulled into Rob's on fumes and filled up in Normal and again in DeKalb. I figured I got about 10-12 mpg. My carb was acting up, again, and was pouring gas out of the top so that had to affect my mileage and I didn't get a chance to tune it up before leaving but it was running pretty good. I would think if I rebuild the carb, again, and gave it a tune up the mileage should be better.

We also have crappy reformualted gas in this area so that tends to affect our mileage plus eat away things like carburetor gaskets.

Thanks Bobj49f2, your carb and mine soung like they could be twins.

For what it's worth in my 55 Town sedan with 272 2V. When driving from Washington state to Prince Rupert on my way to Alaska. I got 15mpg. And it was loaded up in the back seat and trunk till it was full. As a daily driver once here I averaged about 8 to 10. And I always ran Premium Fuel. And would put octane booster in it about every other tank. (I wonder if the Canadian gas was that much better)? I drove her year round and the engine had never had a head off. Had well over 100,000 on it when I sold it and still running strong. The 223's I have had did about the same. (8 to 10 mpg. Never 15 ever). I don't know why this 272 did so well. I guess they are like girls. They may be all the same but some are just better than others.:D