Hi all, I have just aquired a suburban with a 454. Is there any way to increase gas mileage beyond 8-10 miles per gallon? Thanks
You might try a product called Tornado. It is and atomizer(sp?) and it is supposed to increas mileage and add a little big of power. I though of getting it for our 83 crew cab dually that has a 454. Cowboy 1961 Chevy 1/2 ton shortbed stepside
You are lucky to make 8-10 i know of plenty of bbc's that are sub 8. and no there is no way to get good gas milage out of a 454. playing with jets may optimise your milage but you may need to get a more efficient carb.
what kind of tranny and gears are you running and what size tires? instead of a tornado, i'd consider a K&N air filter if you don't already have one. it's about 50% cheaper and lasts a lot longer than a regular air filter
Filters etc are only going to make a negligable difference. They will assist with an increase as a percentage of your current mileage. Your gas mileage is a factor of your weight, the break-specific fuel consumption (BSFC) of your engine, and the load on the engine (gears, speed, wind resistance) etc. Changing to a more efficient carb or fuel injection will help, as will doing things to lower the weight of the vehicle. Gearing it to have it spending most of it's time around the peak of the torque band is going to help with mileage as well. Dont follow the thought that lower RPM is always better. In many cases, you need to be at a little higher RPM than you would think to get better mileage. Most importantly, make sure that you arent running too rich. Make sure that all of the fuel you are getting in is burning. In general, most modifications you would do to an engine to get more power, will also get more mileage. Just remember that the peddle position and gas mileage are directly proportional, as the peddle goes down, so does the mileage.
Thanks for all the responces. Sorry I am so late with this message. I spend most of my time on the 47-54 board jm
Hey I used to work alot on forien cars. And there is one car that comes to mind when i read your question. Mercedes. The big ones always hade a vacuum gage in the dash. You can put one in. You can set your carb by it, it will let u know if the new parts the other guys r telling u to put on helped. AND MOST of all it will help u to drive it in a manner that gets u the best mileage. Try it. It,s easy to put in. Watch the gage and improve your mileage. Hope this helps
charlie, Somebody has to feed these cubic inches, thats why they call it a truck engine. Everything has a purpose. If you were pulling a horse trailer over the mountains you probably would not complain about the m.p.g. You would get there faster and smoother then someone struggling with a 6 cyl. If you are just riding around town 8-10 m.p.g. with a b.b. isn't all that bad. Same as above, there is a correct engine for every situation. NOTHING COMPARES TO A B. B. WHEN YOU PUT YOUR FOOT IN IT.
