I have been tossing the idea around (when money allows) to convert my 74 rancheros 460 from the carter 650 to fuel injection. I was looking into the MSD 2900 system. The complete set up is around $2200 ranchero Buck$. Checked out the video and it look pretty easy to set up. I would also like to convert to an overdrive transmission. The idea is to make the car a bit more practical and relible to drive. Now the the kid's are getting older I want to take my wife and do some big time road trips. We have used the car to go many places already and it's not like like the car has any trouble. It is just very expensive to "feed the beast". If I could make the mileage better with EFI and over drive (looking for 18-22 MPG over the present 10-11 MPG it gets now) I think it would be worth spending the money. What do you guys/gals think???

 

http://www.retrotekspeed.com/index.php" rel="nofollow - http://www.retrotekspeed.com/index.php

 

video

http://www.streetfire.net/video/boss-fuel-injection_637413.htm" rel="nofollow - http://www.streetfire.net/video/boss-fuel-injection_637413.htm

 

what is your rpm now @ 60 mph?

 

is a different camshaft out of the question?

i thought maybe you had more of a gas pig cam in there, 268 is as big as i'd recommend for a fuel efficient build and is also a very good choice for your combo regardless. as mentioned somewhere it's difficult to justify $pending because even to get back to 'even money' parts vs fuel is difficult, $2k will go a long way being just the difference between your current MPG and the improvement

 

have you thought about a Performer carb? they're a lot easier to tune than the classic style Holley's, you can swap metering rods and change jets if need be w/o carb dis-assembly or even spilling a drop of fuel. the #1411 750 is 2% leaner than the #1407, and the #1405 600 is 2% leaner than the #1406. only thing i can't stand about the Performers is they don't offer a Ford kickdown on the linkage, you have to add a bracket or rig it yourself. a Lokar cable is an option 

 

the Thermoquad is back in a new reincarnation, and they have the Ford kickdown on the linkage!

http://www.demoncarbs.com/Types/Street%20Demon.asp" rel="nofollow - http://www.demoncarbs.com/Types/Street%20Demon.asp

i wonder if the Edelbrock tuning kits will work with the BG's? and it looks like air cleaner fitment may be a little tricky. BG offers their own open element cleaner that works...

 

i think you can find the same mpg's as you will with EFI with a 'tighter' carb than a Holley,  bolt on a Gear Vendors unit and shut the front door

 

(unless you already have one in there) first thing i'd do is put a wideband O2 gauge on it to see what it's doing at various cruise rpms, maybe it's running fat @ cruise and you can trim it down some with a metering rod change?

 

so you're figuring on doubling your mpg to 20?

 

using $2200(inc tax) as the EFI investment factor;

 

@ $4 / 10 mpg you now cost $1600 gasbucks a year to make 4000 miles

 

@ $4 / 15 mpg you'll cost $1067 / 4000 miles, saving $533 ga$/yr or 4.12 yrs to break even

 

@ $4 / 20 mpg you'll cost $800 / 4000 miles, saving $800 ga$/yr or about 2.75 yrs break even

 

add the $2800 Gear Vendors 3DF60A to the recipe for a $5000 investment factor...

 

do you think it can make 28 mpg? 

 

@ $4 / 28 mpg you'll cost $571.43 to make 4000 miles, saving $1028.57 ga$/yr & 4.86 years break even, which really ain't bad at all IMO, actually pretty darn good & feasible. usually 'Green Tech' doesn't ever break even much less pay back

 

unless you can swing by Ft Lauderdale and pick up a unit for a Swingin Deal?

http://miami.craigslist.org/brw/pts/3240572119.html" rel="nofollow - http://miami.craigslist.org/brw/pts/3240572119.html

 

not including travel you'll break even in 3.4 yrs

 

and don't forget, the more you drive the more you save!

 

 

 

My 77 Cougar, with a very mild but stout 460, a lame-o crane 260 tow truck cam. wide ratio C6, 2.47 gears and a fairly well tuned holley (plugs look perfect on removal after 20K miles). averaged 13.4-13.5 MPG.. and that was all backroads with few stop lights or stop signs, averaging 40-55 MPG. Usually it was 12-13 MPG. 

Same engine now installed in my F100 nets 11 MPG.

This "E10" gas kills mileage, not sure if you have it.. my daily  went from a high of 26 MPG to 23-24, when it was introduced. 

 

the GV website states 28.6% reduction, 4.10 gears will run like a 3.20 gear in OD. i reverse engineered the math and the 28.6 factor works, then i applied it to Dan's 3.00 gear that he has in it now... in OD he'll be cruising a 2.33 rear gear. then you have to figure & calculate the average of the time spent in/out of OD

 

mostly my post was to show that you can't count the total after operating expenses as returns, you still have to feed the beast anyway. the savings are only the Difference of the before/after gains divided out over time 

 

i was surprised that the investment came back as quickly as it did even @ 15 mpg. if the EFI and the GVOD only make 15 mpg break even is 7.38 years which is still not bad, include the reliability, fangle, did it myself wrench time factor and i say done deal 

 

you could even drive it to Bonneville, put down a decent run and drive it back home  

http://www.network54.com/Forum/119419/thread/1329495485/Yet+another+Cleve+build" rel="nofollow - http://www.network54.com/Forum/119419/thread/1329495485/Yet+another+Cleve+build

 

what i've been wondering is, if you can choose a target AFR or does the CPU just do its own thing?