Joe - don't expect gas mileage to improve much, 10-12 is common for the 235 with a Rotchester, especially with higher cruise speeds .... and it sounds like your speedo head needs cleaning
"When we tug a single thing in nature, we find it attached to the rest of the world" ~ John Muir "When we tug a single thing on an old truck, we find it falls off" ~ me Some TF series details & TF heater pics