Home » Public Forums » GMCnet » Trip Report (EFI Answer to Question in EFI Session)
| Trip Report [message #288270] |
Tue, 06 October 2015 12:36  |
George Beckman
Messages: 1085
Registered: October 2008
Location: Colfax, CA
Karma:
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Senior Member |
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Randy Van Winkle and I did an EFI question and answer session at Rapid City. One of the questions asked of me was, "What fuel mileage do you get?" I said between 8 and 10 depending on how I drive," which is the official Gene Fisher answer.
So, in all honesty I will now declare my MPG for the 4263 mile fall trip. The trip started in CA on Highway 80 and proceeded through Nevada (not real exciting), Utah (gotta love the salt flats), Wyoming (not a lot of places to camp other than KOA and private places), Nebraska (hmm.) to Lincoln. Now I am not beating up on these states. I am sure there are many wonderful things about these states. But I have BEEN on I-80. Lots. GMCMI loves to have its Western Rally 2000 miles from the West coast. By the way, driving 80 you cross the Continental Divide five times, so yes there are a couple of hills.
From Lincoln we went around Kansas City and to Battlefield, MO, where we mooched off the Van Winkles for 10 days. (We have decided that mooching off the Van Winkles is a good way to save money... if you didn't have to use hundreds of dollars worth of gas to get there)
KenHen and KerryP joined us in Battlefield and we all drove west on 400, through Dodge city and on to Pueblo. The wind blew from the South about 800 miles an hour and hardly bothered to gust. It just blew. From Dodge city we went to Pueblo to the Western States Rally. Wow they feed well. We have decided that two catered meals a day is a good way to save money if you didn't have to pay for the rally or drive for hundreds of miles in a buffeting side wind.)
From Pueblo we drove north toward Rapid City. I got to see Rushmore. The South wind had turned into a North wind, which is interesting. I suppose the change was due to some barometric pressure change... or it could be that I was driving North.
After seeing the sights we drove to Rapid City. (We have decided that staying with GMC friends in Rapid City could save money as well if you didn't have to pay for the Rally.)
After Rapid City we made the quickest route home. I cannot say the wind was against us all the time but I can say it certainly wasn't behind us for more that a couple of hours. BTW, across Wyoming there were at least 15 smashed bunny rabbits per mile. I doubt that caused any change in mpg but you could not throw a dead cat without it landing on a dead rabbit. Of course we crossed the Continental Divide five more times. So, yes, there were some hills.
Because my new Speed Hut speedometer went crazy for a while and racked up a 1000 extra miles in about two hours, (curious as the speedometer remained the same while 10ths were whizzing by) I Googled the trip and added a couple of 10 mile jaunts to camp. The trip to Reno (83 miles from home, the last place we got gas, was 4263. I added the gas put in at the pump: 502 gallons. This rounds to 8.5 mpg. 455ci, 3.21FD, no tow vehicle, driving about 63 mph... 65 in the Kansas wind.
Like I said, I get between 8 and 10 mpg depending on how I drive.
(EFI does well, but to keep moving above 4000 feet it is in Power Enrichment on most any grade = 5 mpg. Grueling climbs = 3 or 4 mpg. But if a carb was on it it would be into the Power Valve a great deal at that altitude, also. Or you could tune it not to do that and burn up your pistons and valves.)
So, there you have it. Gasoline engines, pushing 12,000 lbs through the air use gas.
'74 Eleganza, SE, Howell + EBL
Best Wishes,
George
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