The Stovebolt Site Forums The Parking Lot Big Bolts OVER a Dollar a mile

I checked my fuel mileage recently on the 46 2 ton after a 45 mile round trip to a car show. I came up with 4.5 to 5.0 MPG. That's over a Dollar a mile! Unreal! I've been taking shorter trips lately .

I just got my 54 4100 up to 10mpg from 8mpg. That is on an 80 mile run averaging 40 to 45mph. Last big jump was getting the heat riser valve working properly. My carb is in good shape and I will run my timing at between 8 and 10 degrees before TDC. A new muffler helped a little, I think my old one might have been clogged a little??

The way I look at it, you spend money where it makes you happy. So I run the truck as much as possible - my wife is terminally ill and I need to escape every now and then.

Not sure what carb you have, but if it is a Rochester B make sure the power valve is working correctly, and proper gaskets have been used to pass the vacuum signal. Advance your timing as much as you can - I'll advance till I hear a ping then back it down a couple degrees at a time. 10BTDC seems to work well for my 235. I'll pull it back to 8 if I am carrying a load.

One big issue I have with the fuel mileage is 7.50-20 tires. I should have put 8.25s on the rear, too late now. 40 MPH is about all she'll do on a long stretch.

Chris's 46 In these hard times have been watching my economy on my propane trucks.My 04 GMC that's injected hiways close to 14,the AD's that are LP equipment like a forklift I don't think even 10 MPG. Need to do some mileage checking and wean them a little. All run fine though on 1.89 $ LP before taxes.

I to have 7.50-20's that I am thinking of switching out to 8.25's when the time is right. That will work out better for mpg if running on flat ground. My area is hilly, so it may actually hurt my mpg - more likely vacuum will drop and enrichen mixture while retarding timing.

Some folks think i run her too hard, but this is how I look at it. I have many decades of experience running stovebolts in a marine application. Redline was 4200RPM under load, and cruise was 2/3 of redline. That makes the cruise RPM 2800 (for thousands of hours). With 37" tires and a 6.17 rear that cruise RPM equates to 50mph. This is the max I will push her and I will stay under that as much as possible. And of course, popping up to 3100rpm/55mph is doable for short time for unique highway situations.

Do you have a 216 or a 235?

Chris's46 /515 On rubber have on 8.25x20's truck is happiest at about 48 mph will do 55 but kinda beaten it up a little. Have a way to overdrive it but think it will be too much,could try it in low axle I guess. Now you understand it is a pickup 51 6400 98 inch wheelbase truck done at home by me. 10,000 miles since 2018 best pickup ever out of about 30 in 50 years.

stouchton That rpm breakdown is interesting,I guess loaded rpm is the same whether water or highway. On this sight they worry themselves sick about disc breaks on big bolts,correct me if I'm wrong but if you can slide the tires...the only improvement would be ABS.

fixite7 That is the way I always looked at it - drum, disc, hydraulic, mechanical, power, manual - if you can lock the wheel, that is all you can do. Don't matter if it is disk or drum, power or manual. I've had some folks upset that I am relying on a single cylinder master cylinder. I had a 1981 F100 master cylinder fail on me and lost both the front and rear system at the same time. So I have handled that situation. On my 4100 I inspect the braking system regularly.

I have 7 vehicles in my stable, from 1931 to 2015. My 15 year old son has driven them all and says the 4100 has the best brakes.

Back to the price of gas..... wondering why all the gas stations I pass in PA and MD have the exact same price - $4.999. MD should be about 30 cents cheaper due to lower taxes, but it is not. All the same as if someone mandated the price.

Gas prices here are also suspicious, before the big jump to $5 I could shop around and find a 30 cent difference, now they all seem fixed at $5.29

I have a 235 out of a 62 that I had bored .030" over and totally rebuilt before I installed it. Also being a COE with a 2 speed diff. with a ratio of 6.03 in high range and a up draft carb.

I hauled a 12k+ load in my truck at 68 mph most of the way 265 miles spinning around 3700 rpms in my 69 C60 with a 427ci. I averaged less than 4 mpg... 70 gallons of gas, gone.

I must be doing pretty good in my 58 then. Pulling my vintage travel trailer, total weight about 18K and 60' long, I get ~7mpg (a little worse up the mountain passes). I do have a Ranger Torque splitter (overdrive) and a 327 in it.I cruise about 3,200RPM @65-70mph (no, not up the hills!)

So Chris, how many smiles per mile does that fine looking wrecker get?

stouchton Last night 87 was 5.17 $ at hucks,you can see the GIANT Marathon refinery from the pumps,just a rip !!