Better MPG outta my truck suggestions?

[Aarons81step]

I have a 1981 chevy stepside 2wheel drive it has a 350 bone stock except for and edelbrock 650 carb i jetted the carb way down but i still only get about 16mpg any suggestions?

[MEMRACING62]

16 mpg out of that truck!! I would say your hard to please :lol: had 80 4x4 8- 10 is all that truck would ever get.

[itsabird]

wow!! i would settle for that out of my old heap, you are bragging right. :)

[altailites]

I have a 1981 chevy stepside 2wheel drive it has a 350 bone stock except for and edelbrock 650 carb i jetted the carb way down but i still only get about 16mpg any suggestions? drive it off a cliff for better mpg :P and I call BS on 16mpg my dammmm 06 duramax only gets 15mpg

[kwkracing]

Well i guess you missed cash for clunkers....jk!
Maybe you could put a carb like this on it. LOL

http://img12.imageshack.us/img12/4027/carbcarteryf.jpg

[dak697]

I had a 2whl drive blazer, 350 + 373 gears. I built a motor for it stock heads, quadajet carb and a 260 comp cam. Milage was not as good as 16 but I think it was pretty close. It would tow my buddies ski boat great.

My buddie with the boat had an older blazer that we put together the same motor trany package except it had an aluminum intake,Edelbrock carb that was recommended for the motor/intake, the same 260 comp grind and 3.08 gears

He drove to Palm springs with the boat behind him and got close to 16.. but he was going 70... Tried to keep the motor around 2000RPM max

To get milage on the highway. Drive the speed limit and use the cruise. My 2007 F150 gets decent milage if I do that.

[Scooterz]

???????????? 16 MPG on a SBC in a step-side????? Heres mine: I have a 1975 Chevy 4X4 w/ a 350 bone stock except for headers, edlebrock int/carb. It has 97,000 miles & has a 4SPEED..... this truck is a lifted step-side....

On a good day, it gets 10 miles to the gallon. On a bad day, it gets 10 miles a gallon. When I stuff my foot onto it all the time, it gets 10 miles to the gallon. When I go up hill & down the hill, it gets 10 miles to the gallon. I am pretty sure if any one of you drove it, it would get about 10 miles to the gallon.

[cepx111]

16MPG is not bad for a full size chevy truck, they are nortious for getting crappy gas milage anyway.

A high flow cotton air filter like a K/N, 2 barrel carb & highway gears would be my first thought.

Keep your tires aired up to the MAX setting, always.

Do you have a overdrive trans? If not put one in.

Snythetic oil in the engine, trans and rearend is worth a few.


I'd also stick a giant vacuum gauge on the dash and drive to maintain the higest vacuum at all times.


Goodluck, Cp

[TheYellaBrick]

Install a Briggs and Stratton V2........and leave way early !! :D :D :D

[itsabird]

Install a Briggs and Stratton V2........and leave way early !! :D :D :D yep :D :D

[Scooterz]

THEY GET 10 MILES TO GALLON.... ON A GOOD DAY, 10 MILES TO THE GALLON. Unless you are so fickle about it like cepx sights (those are great suggestions Charles)... OTHERWISE YOU GET 10 MILES TO THE GALLON.

[ARUSSELL]

Keep your foot out of it.

[TheYellaBrick]

Back in my VW days in the '70's, I built a 36 horse that got 50 MPG. Removed and plugged the accelerater pump and jet, installed a TINY main jet and drove VERY slowly........ :oops: :oops: :oops:

[Scooterz]

Or you could get about an 80 or 81 Rabbit diesel... they will get 50.