Drop in mileage . . .

Hmm . . . this has me puzzled.

Up until two weeks ago I was averaging 18.8 mpg in my mixed
highway/surface street driving. Engine is 1600 DP, 34 carb, SVDA
distributor, Compufire points replacement. No problem, no muss, no fuss.

Then I installed a Tiger CDI, gapped plugs to .040. Engine starts
easier, feels smoother. Noticed that it was running 5 - 10 degrees (F)
cooler (oil sump temp, subjective estimation only).

Checked mileage today, and I'm getting 16.8 mpg.

--

Mike "Rocket J Squirrel" Elliott
71 Type 2: the Wonderbus
83.5 Westfalia: Mellow Yellow ("The Electrical Banana")
KG6RCR

"Mike Rocket J. Squirrel Elliott"
m> wrote in message
...


> Hmm . . . this has me puzzled.
>

its simple....

On 5/18/2005 8:11 PM Joey Tribiani wrote:

> "Mike Rocket J. Squirrel Elliott"
> m> wrote in message
> ...
>
>
>
>>Hmm . . . this has me puzzled.
>>
>
>
> its simple....
>

Thanks . . . I feel better now :-)

--

Mike "Rocket J Squirrel" Elliott
71 Type 2: the Wonderbus
83.5 Westfalia: Mellow Yellow ("The Electrical Banana")
KG6RCR

"Mike Rocket J. Squirrel Elliott"
m> wrote:

> Then I installed a Tiger CDI, gapped plugs to .040. Engine starts easier,
> feels smoother. Noticed that it was running 5 - 10 degrees (F) cooler (oil
> sump temp, subjective estimation only).
>
> Checked mileage today, and I'm getting 16.8 mpg.

Put the gap back where it belongs.,

Mike Rocket J. Squirrel Elliott wrote:
> Hmm . . . this has me puzzled.
>
> Up until two weeks ago I was averaging 18.8 mpg in my mixed
> highway/surface street driving. Engine is 1600 DP, 34 carb, SVDA
> distributor, Compufire points replacement. No problem, no muss, no fuss.
>
> Then I installed a Tiger CDI, gapped plugs to .040. Engine starts
> easier, feels smoother. Noticed that it was running 5 - 10 degrees (F)
> cooler (oil sump temp, subjective estimation only).
>
> Checked mileage today, and I'm getting 16.8 mpg.
>

Check timing again... Tiger can alter it slightly.. Using stock
coil(which you should with the Tiger)?

J..

A clue would be the cooler temp/lower MPG corelation.A hot motor is more
efficient(within reason of course).Anyone know if that small a change would
make a measurable difference?Maybe a bit more advance is in order?Or an oil
cooler thermastat(does Rocky have a remote cooler).
"JJS" > wrote in message
...
> "Mike Rocket J. Squirrel Elliott"
> m> wrote:
>
>> Then I installed a Tiger CDI, gapped plugs to .040. Engine starts easier,
>> feels smoother. Noticed that it was running 5 - 10 degrees (F) cooler
>> (oil sump temp, subjective estimation only).
>>
>> Checked mileage today, and I'm getting 16.8 mpg.
>
> Put the gap back where it belongs.,
>
>

"Mike Rocket J. Squirrel Elliott" > >>Hmm . . . this has me puzzled.
> >>
> >
> >
> > its simple....
> >
>
> Thanks . . . I feel better now :-)
>
> --


okay, okay, you convinced me.....now i will spill the beans....you have
noticed that the engine runs better/smoother..... the problem with this is
it is like "found power" and you will use it...typically of course...not
saying you are "hotrodding" around in your bus, but typically when something
"improves" the way your engine runs, you will drive it a little hotter...it
will affect the mileage of course, but you will go back to "normal" when the
"newness" is gone...heh...

On Thu, 19 May 2005 22:25:29 -0400, "Joey Tribiani" >
wrote:

>
>"Mike Rocket J. Squirrel Elliott" > >>Hmm . . . this has me puzzled.
>> >>
>> >
>> >
>> > its simple....
>> >
>>
>> Thanks . . . I feel better now :-)
>>
>> --
>
>
>okay, okay, you convinced me.....now i will spill the beans....you have
>noticed that the engine runs better/smoother..... the problem with this is
>it is like "found power" and you will use it...typically of course...not
>saying you are "hotrodding" around in your bus, but typically when something
>"improves" the way your engine runs, you will drive it a little hotter...it
>will affect the mileage of course, but you will go back to "normal" when the
>"newness" is gone...heh...
>

Maybe that's part of the reason I'm getting better and better gas
mileage in my Civic. I always reset the trip odometer at each gas
fill-up. I believe it's an 11 gallon tank. When I first got the car,
I would have to stop at about the 310 mile mark. I've got about 22K
miles on it now, and right now the trip odometer is reading almost
370. I'll need to fill up very soon, but... I think it's a
combination of bumping up the air pressure in the tires, starting to
take the "back roads" in to work to avoid the frantic pace on the
highway, and the newness thing wearing off. (No, I'm not saying my
car is a hot-rod and that I'm finally getting used to the
stump-pulling torque. :-)

On 5/19/2005 7:25 PM Joey Tribiani wrote:

> "Mike Rocket J. Squirrel Elliott" > >>Hmm . . . this has me puzzled.
>
>>>
>>>its simple....
>>>
>>
>>Thanks . . . I feel better now :-)
>>
>>--
>
>
>
> okay, okay, you convinced me.....now i will spill the beans....you have
> noticed that the engine runs better/smoother..... the problem with this is
> it is like "found power" and you will use it...typically of course...not
> saying you are "hotrodding" around in your bus, but typically when something
> "improves" the way your engine runs, you will drive it a little hotter...it
> will affect the mileage of course, but you will go back to "normal" when the
> "newness" is gone...heh...
>
>

The engine is running smoother, but I have no sense of additional power
at all. I didn't expect to get more power from a CDI and have not been
disappointed. The smoothness seems to be a function of more stable
ignition, is all. I don't leadfoot this old bus.

--

Mike "Rocket J Squirrel" Elliott
71 Type 2: the Wonderbus
83.5 Westfalia: Mellow Yellow ("The Electrical Banana")
KG6RCR

On 5/19/2005 7:10 PM ilambert wrote:

> A clue would be the cooler temp/lower MPG corelation.A hot motor is more
> efficient(within reason of course).Anyone know if that small a change would
> make a measurable difference?Maybe a bit more advance is in order?Or an oil
> cooler thermastat(does Rocky have a remote cooler).

No remote cooler. The oil sump temp is now running up into the 220 - 230
F range as it heats up around here. I don't think I want to advance the
timing as she is plenty warm enough as is! In fact, I plan to retard the
timing a bit to see how she pulls away from a stop and see if the temp
drops a smidge lower.

I just had the brakes done and the wheel bearings repacked and adjusted.
Now as soon as I remember to do so, I will feel those parts to see if
they are heating up. Might be something dragging.

I have received several suggestions about reducing the plug gap from the
..040'' that Tiger suggests. Will do.

And of course I have a timing light and I'm not afraid to use it, so I
will double-check the timing as P.J. suggested. The instructions that
John C provided with the SVDA has the timing advanced to 42 - 45 degrees
@ 3500 w/ vacuum connected. I don't know if this is ideal for this stock
Mexi 1600DP pushing a bus.

Thanks all for the suggestions and ideas!

--

Mike "Rocket J Squirrel" Elliott
71 Type 2: the Wonderbus
83.5 Westfalia: Mellow Yellow ("The Electrical Banana")
KG6RCR



> "JJS" > wrote in message
> ...
>
>>"Mike Rocket J. Squirrel Elliott"
m> wrote:
>>
>>
>>>Then I installed a Tiger CDI, gapped plugs to .040. Engine starts easier,
>>>feels smoother. Noticed that it was running 5 - 10 degrees (F) cooler
>>>(oil sump temp, subjective estimation only).
>>>
>>>Checked mileage today, and I'm getting 16.8 mpg.
>>
>>Put the gap back where it belongs.,
>>
>>
>
>
>


--

Mike "Rocket J Squirrel" Elliott
71 Type 2: the Wonderbus
83.5 Westfalia: Mellow Yellow ("The Electrical Banana")
KG6RCR