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10-28-2024, 10:33 AM
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#1
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Senior Member
Join Date: Aug 2023
Posts: 117
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Crazy fuel saving ideas 454 big block 1994 Damon Intruder
Ok all
First off I am not super concerned about saving fuel but every little thing helps.
I recently heard about the air filter lid flip that people did in the old days, and in some ways it makes sense (more airflow) and in some not (warmer air intake)
I was also looking at my TBI port and saw that it had a little saddle that only let air come in at the back. My first thought was what is that this half moon shape must have some sort of purpose. And my second thought was why not turn it into one of those vortex tornado things that they used to have in the 90's by making some slits and creating angles in them to increase air rotation into the engine.
My thoughts on the second modification is that those tornado things could be snake oil as well but thought I see if anyone had any opinions on these things with proof of testing in their own rigs.
Any insight into this would be appreciated.
Thanks
here is a picture of my setup (note the 2 rod mount. Have not seen many of these when looking for parts)
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10-28-2024, 11:07 AM
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#2
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Senior Member
Monaco Owners Club
Join Date: Oct 2014
Location: Rigby, Idaho
Posts: 4,273
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Flipping the lid allows hot air into the carb. Hot air is less dense than cold air; less dense is the opposite of what you want if you want power from your engine. Dense air is what a turbo or super charger delivers, and cooler air is why they add the intercooler. Desne and cold is way better than thin and hot, in this case.
I tried the tornado thingy in my '95 TBI 454 Suburban on a trip from SLC to Little Rock and back. I actually (and predictably) got slightly worse mpg. Turbulant air is the opposite of why hot rodders port and polished the intake. Smooth air is uniformly more dense and easier to move than turbulent air.
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Cheers,
TonyMac
2006 Monaco Safari Cheetah 40PMT
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10-28-2024, 11:19 AM
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#3
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Senior Member
Join Date: Aug 2023
Posts: 117
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Thanks
Quote:
Originally Posted by TonyMac
Flipping the lid allows hot air into the carb. Hot air is less dense than cold air; less dense is the opposite of what you want if you want power from your engine. Dense air is what a turbo or super charger delivers, and cooler air is why they add the intercooler. Desne and cold is way better than thin and hot, in this case.
I tried the tornado thingy in my '95 TBI 454 Suburban on a trip from SLC to Little Rock and back. I actually (and predictably) got slightly worse mpg. Turbulant air is the opposite of why hot rodders port and polished the intake. Smooth air is uniformly more dense and easier to move than turbulent air.
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Yeah I was thinking that the flip would add a lot of heat. But thought Id ask
Good to hear that the tornado did not work for you.
I also think that those additional devices would add a lot of air resistance.
I was thinking at by simply modifying my current device i would not add any resistance but increase the turbulence.
my understanding of tornado stuff is that it can actually increase the flow of fluids if done right
Similar to getting liquid out of a bottle by making a tornado (but I know this has a lot to do with breaking the vaccuum in the bottle)
(But what do I know about air flow in an engine throttle body)
Thanks again for your insight
If you have any other feedback Id love to hear it
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10-28-2024, 11:40 AM
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#4
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Senior Member
Winnebago Owners Club Workhorse Chassis Owner
Join Date: May 2016
Location: Kamloops, BC, 60 miles from the Center of the Universe according to the Rinpoche, of the SF monks.
Posts: 8,039
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Banks headers and free-flowing exhaust will be your best bet. But then you'll have to put a wood block under the gas pedal to keep you from using all that new-found power!
I found that installing a vacuum gauge on the dash and keeping it from dropping below 4 or 5 inches is the best way to increase fuel milage.
__________________
Happy Glamping, Norman & Elna. 2008 Winnebago Adventurer 38J, W24, dozens of small thirsty ponies. Retired after 40 years wrenching on trucks! 2010 Ford Ranger toad with bicycles or KLR 650 in the back. Easy to spot an RVer, they always walk around with a screwdriver or wrench in one hand!
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10-28-2024, 11:48 AM
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#5
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Senior Member
Join Date: Aug 2023
Posts: 117
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Unplanned Tourist
Banks headers and free-flowing exhaust will be your best bet. But then you'll have to put a wood block under the gas pedal to keep you from using all that new-found power!
I found that installing a vacuum gauge on the dash and keeping it from dropping below 4 or 5 inches is the best way to increase fuel milage. 
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The funny thing is I am currently getting the manifolds replaced but not with slick headers (its hard enough to find the right manifolds let alone modify the exhaust back LOL)
I guess there is not magic bullet for fuel savings but it is good to know that headers actually make that much of a difference
Thanks again for your wisdom
A boost guage may or may not be an easy install but I have never worked on this type of vehicle before.
I simply put it into cruze at 65 and enjoy the trip.
best way I know to keep the fuel costs down
I did hear however that leaky Manifolds (Which were really leaky) Could drop my mileage as well
Currently I am getting about 8 mpg
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10-28-2024, 11:54 AM
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#6
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Senior Member
Fleetwood Owners Club Workhorse Chassis Owner
Join Date: Jun 2016
Location: On the continental divide
Posts: 3,336
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That tin shield inside your air cleaner us usually in front of where the PCV valve enters the air cleaner housing. IF it is in front of where the air tube is, it's to distribute the air all-round the filter evenly.
On our old GMC with the Olds 455, I added another air tube to the housing and ran 4" dryer tubing from each down to the grille with a big funnel at the end.
She "seemed" to breath better.
Mike in Colorado
__________________
2004 Fleetwood Pace Arrow 37c, 8.1 gasser, (Jezebel) Ultra RV ECM / TCM, plugs wires, and rear track bar, PPE deep Tx pan w/ temp gage, Bilstein's, Sailun's & Sumo's all round, pushed by a 2002 Grand Caravan, on a Master Tow Dolly OR a WR-250 on a rail.
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10-28-2024, 11:56 AM
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#7
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Senior Member
Join Date: Dec 2021
Location: Louisville
Posts: 682
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Another idea is getting rid of any parasitic drag that is unnecessary. Any antennae, changing rearview mirrors etc.
Tire inflation is another thing to look at. Dont over inflate but be sure you have the proper inflation.
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10-28-2024, 11:59 AM
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#8
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Senior Member
Join Date: Aug 2023
Posts: 117
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Flyer15015
That tin shield inside your air cleaner us usually in front of where the PCV valve enters the air cleaner housing. IF it is in front of where the air tube is, it's to distribute the air all-round the filter evenly.
On our old GMC with the Olds 455, I added another air tube to the housing and ran 4" dryer tubing from each down to the grille with a big funnel at the end.
She "seemed" to breath better.
Mike in Colorado
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Interesting
would have not only loved to see this mod but the vehicle as well
Thanks for sharing
dont know that there is really a great place for me to do what you are describing but maybe I am just not seeing it correctly in my mind
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10-28-2024, 12:08 PM
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#9
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Senior Member
Workhorse Chassis Owner
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: Northwestern Montana
Posts: 3,533
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Try dropping your cruising speed to 62 mph and not using the cruise control. Best improvement in mpg is your right foot. As suggested,installing and paying close attention to an engine vacuum gauge helps also.
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Dieselclacker
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10-28-2024, 12:11 PM
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#10
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Senior Member
Join Date: Aug 2023
Posts: 117
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TE=dieselclacker;6891430]Try dropping your cruising speed to 62 mph and not using the cruise control. Best improvement in mpg is your right foot. As suggested,installing and paying close attention to an engine vacuum gauge helps also.[/QUOTE]
You are the second one to mention a vacuum gauge
is there one you would recommend and any inof on how to install it on a 1994 454?
I have found that at least on expressways my cruze is pretty good at keeping the engine from over working>
But on hilly back roads I do have to trust my old school instincts
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10-28-2024, 12:23 PM
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#11
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Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2018
Location: The Great NorthWest
Posts: 1,314
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I had the same experience using the JCWhitney Turbolator on my '64 Pontiac Ventura .
No performance improvement.
What did help was the fuel coolant can . It was a metal can that had the metal fuel line coiled inside where we filled with ice .
By making the fuel denser through cooling , we were able to extract more energy out of the fuel .
Since we were racing , we didn't concern ourselves with fuel economy , only performance .
I did work with a guy who built a fuel preheater that used hot engine coolant to heat the fuel . He incorporated a valve to meter the fuel to the carburetor .
He actually achieved 30 mpg on the freeway with a 327 Chevy in the early '70s .
I was never a fan of the idea , seemed to me to be a time bomb waiting to happen .
So , to sum things up . Whatever you do to your MH , you will only see insignificant improvements in fuel economy .
You'll actually experience the greatest fuel economy when going down hill with a 30 mph tailwind .
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10-28-2024, 01:29 PM
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#12
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Senior Member
Join Date: May 2024
Posts: 267
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Flipping lid just makes air roar..no increas in mpg. All those gimmick devices are cons..none work.I. agree about no using Cruise,especially in hilly areas..You will do better by increasing speed before hill rather than WOT by CC going up it. But 8 mpg is average. It's not bad.Mpg is the price you pay for not needing a hotel when you get there.
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10-28-2024, 01:43 PM
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#13
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Senior Member
Alpine Owners Club
Join Date: Oct 2019
Location: Hoodsport Wa
Posts: 3,365
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Yep, avoid the gimmicks. Just slow down a little.
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2000 Alpine 36 FDS #74058
"Go fast enough to get there, but slow enough to see”
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10-28-2024, 02:10 PM
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#14
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Senior Member
Join Date: Apr 2004
Posts: 3,998
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Here's what I do but have never documented the effect on MPG (wife says it just gives me something to do as I drive  ).
I try to only use the cruise to maintain steady speed. Leaving it on during a climb sufficient to result in a downshift just means it goes to full throttle attempting to resume the set speed and many times partial manual throttle is sufficient for a reasonable speed. My Torque Pro app is programmed to show throttle position (on a tablet) so for slight inclines, I watch the throttle opening and "Jog" the cruise control to pause; lowering the speed but also keeping out of full throttle/downshift which occurs around 90-95% throttle. If it's obvious a grade will create full throttle, I either jog/pause longer or shut the cruise off. Of course, downshift and heavy throttle is occasionally necessary.
Quote:
Originally Posted by dieselclacker
Try dropping your cruising speed to 62 mph and not using the cruise control. Best improvement in mpg is your right foot. As suggested,installing and paying close attention to an engine vacuum gauge helps also.
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__________________
George Schweikle Lexington, KY
2005 Safari (Monaco)Trek 28RB2, Workhorse W20, 8.1, Allison 1000 5 spd, UltraPower engine & tranny, Track bars & sway bars, KONI FSD, FMCA 190830, Safari Int'l. chapter. 1999 Safari Trek 2830, 1995 Safari Trek 2430, 1983 Winnebago Chieftain, 1976 Midas Mini
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