MPG issue/question

[ThePequod]

I know they are gas suckers - I don't drive much -


Here is my issue - my last tank I got around 200 miles on the fill up (140 hwy rest city ) - when filling next up I put in 20 gallons - so 3 gallons left - 230 miles per tank plus/minus - 10mpg - I am okay with that....

That 20 gallon fill up I have driven 110 miles (all city) and my gauge is at 1/4 - that seems terrible to me?
I replaced the thermostat is all I have done since that fill up which lowered my idle rpms a little.

I ordered a new fuel pressure regulator today ... Any other suggestions or things to replace ? Fuel dampener is probably next replacement ...


Thanks in advance ....

 

[augirthedude]

my freshly tuned 2f will get 17mpg on the hwy with a tail wind. I get 10-14 Mpg realistically going to and from work city / hwy.

 

[Chester]

Plugs, wires, cap, rotor, fuel filter. run an upper cylinder lubricant for a few tanks, de-carbon the combustion chamber, clean the injectors. Now you should be around 13-15, unless something is ducked up. Adjust driving habits. stay out of overdrive for accelerating below ~50 mph, and like above, try to go downhill more, and get some tail wind.

 

[RocketCityCrzrs]

Good luck tracking that down. I have a 62 with a brand new motor (rebuilt myself so i know the parts are new) and I am averaging 11 on a good day, downhill, with a tailwind. The fuel damper seems to be a common problem and there are numerous threads on the forum about it. I did the desmog on mine and didnt really notice much difference, other than some pickup improvement. If you do change the regulator, i would be interested to see if that makes a difference.

 

[torquedorque]

Normal day to day for me is 12-13, if I get real gentle it will give almost 15. desmog made an improvement in acceleration from low rpm, but didn't affect mileage that I could see.

 

[micruz60]

What grade of fuel are you running - ethanol added or not?
I regularly get close to three hundred miles on a tank, (carbureted). Every third fill I splurge for premium / non ethanol. 14-15 mpg, mostly highway and mtn passes at 6200' to 8200'
HTH

 

[torquedorque]

Ethanol, 3FE, slightly loose valves with timing not advanced far enough to ping.

 

[gregnash]

You do realize that these trucks were never meant to get more than 15ish mpg avg on a NEW engine. I can average about 15-17mpg if I do a lot of highway driving. However, the minute that my driving turns more towards city that is when things go in the crapper. You are about normal, maybe a little low.

Have you tried cleaning the pickups and what not for the fuel gauge/pump to ensure that it is all showing properly?

 

[Output Shaft]

Mpg?
Doesn't matter like it used to.

 

[The Machinist]

I average 10.0 mpg. Seriously, my average is a perfectly flat 10. 60/40 stop-n-go/highway.

This is all before accounting for the 33" tires, so I guess its pretty average. I've managed to get over 16mpg (adjusted for tires) ONCE when coming down from the mountains. I was actively trying to max my mileage by coasting and drafting horse trailers and semi-tucks; it was not easy.

The other day I figured out that if I had a truck that got 18mpg, I would be saving over $200/month...


I used to have a LOT more mileage data on my old phone... but it got smashed into a go-kart seat...
Screenshot_2014-12-04-23-10-12 by Darrell Vaughn, on Flickr

 

[Vulin]

Just did a good tune up. 62 desmogged, new fpr, fuel dampner, water temp sensor, injectors and seats, cleaned throttle body, new tps, cap/rotor wires, water pump, thermostat, no air pump. ARB front bumper, rear bumper, roof rack,31 inch tires. I just checked it out yesterday with mixed driving (hilly back roads and highway) Got 12.5 mpg

 

[gregnash]

yeah that is about my average as well. However my mileage is more like 80/20 town/hiway. So I am in a bit better state than you are. I really wish I could afford something like a Vortec swap or diesel swap. The increased savings monthly would be nice, kinda like losing a CC bill.

 

[ggmanning]

2F, 33's, 4.11 gears, big built bumpers, winch, sliders, roof rack, 3" lift, well tuned, desmogged with 10* timing and running great. 88,xxx original miles. I get about 11-12mpg with no highway use. I don't care as long as its running good and starts every time. My goal with this rig is not fuel mileage. Stock I expect it would do 15 pretty easily but built 10-12 looks to be about average.

 

[Ridge Runner]

I was easily able to get 14-16 MPG in my '87 60 before I tore it apart to do a 5.3 swap. I'm getting 9-10 MPG in the '86 I bought last week and it's driving me up the wall.

 

[lovetoski]

The gas gauge is pretty vague. It will tell you when the tank is full, and if you know how to read it, it will tell you when it's near empty. Everything in between is +\- 1/4 tank. Mine drops to 1/2 really quickly, and if I take it to the gas station at that point I'll put in 7 gals. At the top of the E, it takes 18-19 gals.
My point - don't assume your fuel milage went south based on what the fuel gauge says, use the odometer and how many gals you actually put into the tank.

 

[rrv333]

I'm averaging 9.8 mpg in my 2014 1794 Edition Tundra. I'm running 37's with a 6" Pro Comp lift. My 62 averages 11-12 mpg on 35's so compared to my Tundra, she's a gas miser.

 

[Output Shaft]

The gas gauge is pretty vague.

A properly functioning Toyota fuel sender on the 60 can be very accurate. Fuel levels can be estimated within 2 gallons after the gauge is calibrated against known quantities of gas. That is not to say that it is accurate for everyone... just that it can be very accurate when it is working properly.

A good way to calibrate the fuel gauge is to drain the tank, then ad gas 2 gallons at a time and record where the needle sits. It takes a while for the needle to find it's spot. It seems though, that for many, as the sender gets old, rusty and mucked up, It tends to not work as well as it should.

As a side note for all of us to remember (because some of us forget) is that changing tire size changes the odometer reading. Gotta calibrate that before trying to figure an accurate mpg. If 31" tires were installed with the same diff. gears, actual miles are 10% more than the odo reads... = +10% better MPG.

 

[Vulin]

I calculate 7% for my 31's.

 

[elripster]

I have a new fuel sender in my truck and it's not very accurate so I don't know how much I would trust a gauge. It changes a lot with hills and it seems to hover at full for a while, sink like a rock to about half, sit at half for a while, then sink to E. It's definitely non-linear.

Frank

 

[Output Shaft]

I calculate 7% for my 31's.

Yeah, I guess the correct value isn't 10% (though mine is off 10% calibrated against road markers)