20% + increase in fuel mileage!

Disclaimer: Links on this page pointing to Amazon, eBay and other sites may include affiliate code. If you click them and make a purchase, we may earn a small commission.

Frankenchevy

Proverbs 16:18
Joined
Jan 3, 2018
Posts
6,084
Reaction score
7,759
Location
USA
First Name
Jeremy
Truck Year
Square
Truck Model
CUCV
Engine Size
Small
Well, the 8.1 is a notorious gas hog too.. it's hard to find the same aftermarket parts and they are way pricier than the older BBC stuff. Hopefully being able to tune everything myself and having improved parts helps out. There's a bunch of people that have done the 0411 conversion on factory GMT-400 454/4L80e combo's and had good results into the 14mpg range.
That’s pretty dang good
 

jake wells

Can i be me?
Joined
Jul 31, 2010
Posts
2,133
Reaction score
2,486
Location
Brownsville Kentucky
First Name
jake
Truck Year
1975
Truck Model
custom deluxe 10
Engine Size
350
I usually get 5 days out of my square driving it to work and back it has a 16 gallon tank it is a bone 350 2bbl with a th350.
round trip to and from work is around 40 miles.
 

rt66paul

Full Access Member
Joined
Apr 16, 2016
Posts
230
Reaction score
109
Location
California
First Name
paul
Truck Year
1991 suburban
Truck Model
2500
Engine Size
7.4
Another factor is the traffic factor. Was there more traffic before the Covid crisis? Being able to cruise at speed without the stop and go(or slowing down and up to speed), does make a difference in fuel mileage.
 

davisw73

Junior Member
Joined
Jul 1, 2014
Posts
5
Reaction score
3
Location
Central Florida
First Name
Davis
Truck Year
1985
Truck Model
C20
Engine Size
6.5 banks turbo diesel, NV4500
I think the combo of both helped you out equally and it doesn't sound far fetched. I had much the same results.
Mine had a TH400 w/4.56 rear end and stepped it down to 3.42. That increased me from 13mpg screaming at 55mph to 15mpg screaming at 70mph, lol. When I could keep the mph down to 55 I could get 17 (stock 31in tires).
A few months ago I converted to a NV4500 and now I'm cruising at 70mph getting 20 (it's a 6.2l diesel with a banks turbo).
The key is to maximize your mpg gains by staying in the right RPM range. For my diesel that is 1700-1900rpm. My combo of tires, gears, OD, and desired mph put me right in the sweet spot. Not sure what it is for your combo, but if you find out you could use an online rpm calculator to figure out what the best gear ratio would be for you...unless you want/need the 4.56 for towing/off-roading. Of course I only had one axle to change so it was cheaper.
 

DoubleDingo

Full Access Member
Joined
Jul 3, 2012
Posts
11,250
Reaction score
17,177
Location
Right where I am
First Name
Bagoomba
Truck Year
1981
Truck Model
81-C20 Silverado Camper Special-TH400-4.10s
Engine Size
Carb'ed Vortec 350
I think the combo of both helped you out equally and it doesn't sound far fetched. I had much the same results.
Mine had a TH400 w/4.56 rear end and stepped it down to 3.42. That increased me from 13mpg screaming at 55mph to 15mpg screaming at 70mph, lol. When I could keep the mph down to 55 I could get 17 (stock 31in tires).
A few months ago I converted to a NV4500 and now I'm cruising at 70mph getting 20 (it's a 6.2l diesel with a banks turbo).
The key is to maximize your mpg gains by staying in the right RPM range. For my diesel that is 1700-1900rpm. My combo of tires, gears, OD, and desired mph put me right in the sweet spot. Not sure what it is for your combo, but if you find out you could use an online rpm calculator to figure out what the best gear ratio would be for you...unless you want/need the 4.56 for towing/off-roading. Of course I only had one axle to change so it was cheaper.

Yep, maximum vacuum at cruise will require minimum pedal to keep rolling, because the engine is working effortlessly.
 

SquareRoot

Full Access Member
Joined
Mar 18, 2017
Posts
4,192
Reaction score
8,030
Location
Arizona
First Name
Mike
Truck Year
85
Truck Model
K20
Engine Size
350
So I take it you like the Pro Flo 4? Thats the setup I have - going on when the new motor goes in this Spring.

Pro-Flo was the single best thing I've done to the truck. Maybe the Vintage Air Surefit....wait maybe the Dakota Digital VHX dash...wait maybe the NV4500....it's so confusing!
 

Swearbody

Full Access Member
Joined
Nov 4, 2018
Posts
701
Reaction score
716
Location
Birmingham AL
First Name
Jeff
Truck Year
84
Truck Model
C1500
Engine Size
355 sbc
Pro-Flo was the single best thing I've done to the truck. Maybe the Vintage Air Surefit....wait maybe the Dakota Digital VHX dash...wait maybe the NV4500....it's so confusing!

I thought I wanted a Sniper unit until I realized the Pro Flow comes with the ability to control timing and is boost referenced right out the box. Just add the 60 or 80lb injectors and you can make 800hp+. The Sniper requires a separate timing controller and special distributor BOTH SOLD SEPERATLY for around another 5-600. In the end both are really close on price but I think the fuel rail/throttle body combo is more accurate per cylinder and especially when adding boost or N2O. Just my 2cents.
 

DoubleDingo

Full Access Member
Joined
Jul 3, 2012
Posts
11,250
Reaction score
17,177
Location
Right where I am
First Name
Bagoomba
Truck Year
1981
Truck Model
81-C20 Silverado Camper Special-TH400-4.10s
Engine Size
Carb'ed Vortec 350
Pro-Flo was the single best thing I've done to the truck. Maybe the Vintage Air Surefit....wait maybe the Dakota Digital VHX dash...wait maybe the NV4500....it's so confusing!

All of the above?
 

SquareRoot

Full Access Member
Joined
Mar 18, 2017
Posts
4,192
Reaction score
8,030
Location
Arizona
First Name
Mike
Truck Year
85
Truck Model
K20
Engine Size
350
I thought I wanted a Sniper unit until I realized the Pro Flow comes with the ability to control timing and is boost referenced right out the box. Just add the 60 or 80lb injectors and you can make 800hp+. The Sniper requires a separate timing controller and special distributor BOTH SOLD SEPERATLY for around another 5-600. In the end both are really close on price but I think the fuel rail/throttle body combo is more accurate per cylinder and especially when adding boost or N2O. Just my 2cents.

Sniper is a wet manifold whereas PF4 is a dry manifold. There's a BIG difference in drivability and efficiency. I'm not convinced that mounting the ECU on top of a hot, vibrating engine makes sense for durability. I immediately regretted the TBI (Sniper) system all because I wanted to save a few bucks. It took less than 2 months before I sold it for half what I paid for it. Live and learn.
 

RecklessWOT

Full Access Member
Joined
Feb 20, 2015
Posts
2,556
Reaction score
4,764
Location
New Hampshire
First Name
Kevin
Truck Year
1987
Truck Model
V10 Suburban Silverado
Engine Size
350 TBI
Another factor is the traffic factor. Was there more traffic before the Covid crisis? Being able to cruise at speed without the stop and go(or slowing down and up to speed), does make a difference in fuel mileage.
lol covid had the exact opposite effect on my mileage. Being forced to cruise at 60-70 on a good day got me reasonable mileage. But with next to no traffic on the road I can comfortably go 80-90 everywhere (with bursts of full on pedal to the floor driving on particularly empty stretches of highway), even when I borrow the wife's little fuel sipper I'm barely north of 20mpg, I don't want to know what I'm getting out of the 2500. I do know I have to fill it at least twice a week...

Though I will say it's almost worth spending the extra money in gas for a much shorter and less stressful commute
 

Swearbody

Full Access Member
Joined
Nov 4, 2018
Posts
701
Reaction score
716
Location
Birmingham AL
First Name
Jeff
Truck Year
84
Truck Model
C1500
Engine Size
355 sbc
Sniper is a wet manifold whereas PF4 is a dry manifold. There's a BIG difference in drivability and efficiency. I'm not convinced that mounting the ECU on top of a hot, vibrating engine makes sense for durability. I immediately regretted the TBI (Sniper) system all because I wanted to save a few bucks. It took less than 2 months before I sold it for half what I paid for it. Live and learn.


Thats what ive gathered as well. I thought I saw you selling a sniper not too long ago...thats why I wanted your opinion. Im not as concerned with mpg as I am with having a proper stoichiometric mixture. I know from having ran carbs with N2O that wet intake setups do not atomize the fuel nearly as well as having injectors firing more directly into the cylinder. Since I do plan to add forced induction or N2O eventually, I want something that renders itself to that mo betta. Looks like proflow is the way to go.
 

Green79Scottsdale

Full Access Member
Joined
Aug 8, 2010
Posts
2,834
Reaction score
7,487
Location
G.R. - MI
First Name
Bob
Truck Year
1979
Truck Model
K20
Engine Size
400
Back in the day... the year 1999... a co-worker bought a brand new 1500HD with a 350 and 3.42 gears. He managed 12mpg. After about 6 months of ownership he was quite disappointed because another co-worker had a 1998 2500 with a 454 and 4.10 combo, and he was getting 14mpg.
 

Forum statistics

Threads
44,167
Posts
950,751
Members
36,283
Latest member
Cantrell299
Top