Gas guzzling alternatives

[LostMy65]

Using that gov calculator, just 5 mpg can be quite a savings.

[LostMy65]

So if you borrowed $5000 at 10% interest, and that $5000 saves you $5000 in gas in 5 years, you'll break even in 6 years and only have 60,000 on the motor and tranny.

[LostMy65]

Anyone see anything wrong with my calculations?

[goatless]

Originally Posted by LostMy65

Anyone see anything wrong with my calculations?

I don't know. It cost $6,373.80 over 5 years to save that $5000 in gas?

[LostMy65]

Yes, but in 6 years you're real close to breaking even.
Or, another way to figure it is:
It costs you about $100 a month on the loan to save $100 a month in gas.

[siggyfreud]

Originally Posted by joedoh

ahhh

when you said megasquirt sequential I immediately thought of sequential injection, as in injector only fires when the valve is open and needs bigger injectors and faster processors and is generally useless because most sequential systems switch to batch over a certain rpm anyway. batch (squirt per revolution with valve open or closed) uses smaller injectors and doesnt rely on the valve timing which at higher rpm the window to inject fuel might be shorter than the time to inject the required fuel. have you ever seen an F1 motor? they use a constant system of injectors over the butterflies, looks like a pressure washer at 10k rpm.

wasted spark ignition systems (fire on the power and on the exhaust, "wasting" one spark") arent all bad, especially when hooking up plug wires (cant get it wrong on a 4 cylinder for example, any plug wire any cylinder) but yeah if you have the processor and software for DIS go for it!


hook that thing up!

I might have to pick your brain when I go to do the initial setup, as I haven't tuned in the megasquirt before. I thought about running wasted spark at the start if the setup/initial tuning was easier, but figured if it was the same amount of effort (or similar) and I just had to get the degrees/timing right for the crank & cam pickup, I'd just start running sequential from the start. Not sure how much more efficient it is, but I have to assume it's somewhat better otherwise they would have stayed batch fire.

The biggest motivation for me was the coil packs, as I believe again that there are moderate power and efficiency gains to be had having 8 coils firing once in a rotation, vs 1 coil firing 8 times. Also eliminates some wear/tear issues with a cap+rotor, potential arcing. Will also let me do my timing from a computer instead of with a wrench, timing light, etc.

It's been too many years for me to do a mileage comparison of before and after (before being a TPI), but I thinking I can push this to 17-18mpg highway with the setup I'm building.

[LostMy65]

Here's an interesting old poll:
http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...d.php?t=172346
.
Here's a LS Swap Cost FAQ.
http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...d.php?t=473560

[joedoh]

LOST: please make sure you subtract the cost of a rebuild on the stock engine from your breakeven. to be a fair comparison, you have to figure the opportunity cost of NOT doing the swap, in other words what you would spend on rebuilding the stock engine and replacing the carb in a few years time. This is why I like spreadsheets, you can figure not only the costs but the timing of the costs. early money beats late money every time.

Originally Posted by siggyfreud

I might have to pick your brain when I go to do the initial setup, as I haven't tuned in the megasquirt before. I thought about running wasted spark at the start if the setup/initial tuning was easier, but figured if it was the same amount of effort (or similar) and I just had to get the degrees/timing right for the crank & cam pickup, I'd just start running sequential from the start. Not sure how much more efficient it is, but I have to assume it's somewhat better otherwise they would have stayed batch fire.

The biggest motivation for me was the coil packs, as I believe again that there are moderate power and efficiency gains to be had having 8 coils firing once in a rotation, vs 1 coil firing 8 times. Also eliminates some wear/tear issues with a cap+rotor, potential arcing. Will also let me do my timing from a computer instead of with a wrench, timing light, etc.

It's been too many years for me to do a mileage comparison of before and after (before being a TPI), but I thinking I can push this to 17-18mpg highway with the setup I'm building.

I wouldnt worry about the coils in wasted spark, if you have 4 for an 8 cylinder engine every event will be a power spark and a waste spark.

and feel free to pick my brain, I helped a friend megasquirt his truck after mine so I have 2 systems experience. but I am telling you, its so easy. you will grin ear to ear and want to drive around with the laptop on the seat.

Originally Posted by Figuarus

Joedoh,

That's a BEAUTIFUL setup you have there. I've always loved the look of those generation trucks...

thanks, its a beautiful truck for someone else now though. just like electrical engineering I like the transient state more than the steady state because thats where all the action is.

[siggyfreud]

Originally Posted by joedoh

I wouldnt worry about the coils in wasted spark, if you have 4 for an 8 cylinder engine every event will be a power spark and a waste spark.

and feel free to pick my brain, I helped a friend megasquirt his truck after mine so I have 2 systems experience. but I am telling you, its so easy. you will grin ear to ear and want to drive around with the laptop on the seat.

Thanks, looking forward to doing the wiring and tuning. Hopefully will be bringing it back to my garage next week so I can start up the project again.

[awbrown]

I did find that the monojet carb was way better than the older Rochester at getting good milage .. My one ton 65 would get better than 15mpg with a 250 .. The dual venturi really helps...

[LostMy65]

From another thread :

Originally Posted by joedoh

Just as a counterpoint, I've fooled with my last carburetor. if a carb is a bugle, efi is a trumpet. a carb is tuned for one perfect condition, and less than perfect everywhere else, like a parametric. EFI looks at everything, the air coming in, the gases going out, the rpm, the load, the and adjusts hundreds of times a second.

Carbs are nirvana for some guys, tinkering and tracking changes in weather. every carb I ever had wasnt worth spit in the winter till it warmed up, and you get 0mpg just sitting there. The weather really swings here and the thing I appreciate most about EFI is driving away after only a couple minutes even in the teens. I'd put EFI on my toilet if I could find a way.

I live in an area where I do pretty much no highway driving. 90% + Hills and Curves, and Stop & Go.
That's one main reason I'm swapping in a th350. - I don't by any means need an OD.
Even backing up my semi steep driveway with a trailer was a total work out.
So, my top of list upgrades I'm doing right now is power steering and the th350. But after doing much research the last couple weeks on EFI, I'm thinking I'm a good candidate to see a huge improvement in my driving experience, because of my areas driving conditions.
Our weather varies much also.
.
So, the 283 is a fairly new rebuild, in fact the previous owner said he had his mechanic build it as a 327.
Would one these be a quick and easy solution for EFI?
http://www.hotrod.com/how-to/engine/...iant-efi-test/

[LostMy65]

Ordered me the 600hp unit along with the Fuel Command Center from Summit.

[siggyfreud]

Awesome I'd love to check it out sometime!

[AcampoDave]

Originally Posted by LostMy65

Ordered me the 600hp unit along with the Fuel Command Center from Summit.

The FITech? Let us know how it works out!

[joedoh]

woooooooooooooooOOOOOO!!!

Futurama: Fry's Woo - YouTube

[LostMy65]

Originally Posted by AcampoDave

The FITech? Let us know how it works out!

Yep. I'm pretty anxious.

[LostMy65]

http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...d.php?t=694965

[siggyfreud]

Originally Posted by LostMy65

http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...d.php?t=694965

Good read for anyone considering one of these units.