"TerribleTom" <SilverEightynine@aol.com> wrote in message
news:428532A5.5030809@aol.com...
:
: Quintin wrote:
: > I am still on a quest for better mileage for my 92 Dak V6 CC. The
underdrive
: > pulley and flexi fan improved MPG about 2 points. After reading the
article
: > here: http://www.vetteweb.com/tech/0204vet_rockers/ I am wondering if I
: > should swap the stock 1.6's out for 1.5's. The article implies that I
could
: > actually gain torque, with a sacrifice to upper rpm power. I can live
with
: > that, I don't race the thing, I just drive it. And before someone
suggests
: > that I buy a Neon, I am looking to modify my 'paid for' truck, not pay
for
: > something else. Any thoughts?
:
: Buy a neon
:
: ... er... sorry... I'll turn off smartass mode ;D
You know how it is asking a serious question in some news groups ;-)
: I don't know much about changing rocker ratios, but you could try weight
: reduction if you haven't already. A fiberglass hood is one good way to
: shave at least 10 lbs off a truck. The stock Gen I and Gen II steel
These mods get into the 'better off with a new truck' territory. I would
rather tinker with a minor engine mod and see what I get. It would be nice
to get a little experienced feedback before I do though.
: hoods are massive. A light weight hood will help. And perhaps an
: aftermarket bumper. The stock Gen I and II rear bumpers have edges that
: curl around the corners of the bed - seriously increasing aerodynamic
: tail drag. A roll pan is a light weight alternative. The Gen III trucks
: moved to bumpers that are the same width as the bed, eliminating the
: aerodynamic drag.
: A bed cover will also help MPG. An open bed also increases drag. And on
I do have a bed cover, I find it difficult to believe that swapping hoods is
going to net me even 1 mpg, and where would I get one? Drag is a factor, but
I wonder how much of one? Or how much I could improve it without really
serious modifications? I'm not racing the little beast, I mostly drive it
around town, hauling light loads, and infrequent highway trips. Take a look
at that article, their comments on rocker ratios really are interesting.
Since our Magnum engines come with the 1.6's and 1.5's would likely increase
my low end torque, sacrificing the high end power I don't use isn't a down
side. I was just wondering if some of the more experienced tuners here had
any sort of comment on this idea. You know how it is when something arouses
your curiosity?
: a more expensive level, I've always toyed with the idea of replacing my
: side mirrors with flush fitting cameras with video displays in the cab.
: But thats a mod that would not be as easy - or as cheap up front.
: Also the fuel economy savings would take a while to offset the cost of
: side cameras.
That sounds like a Lexus Dak Hybrid ;-)
This archive was generated by hypermail 2b29 : Wed Jun 01 2005 - 05:44:45 EDT