Rebuilt 350 - Abysmal Fuel Econ

[Nalanthi]

Here's the current deal - gapped my plugs to .045, one of which already was. I must have slacked and not paid attention on that one.

I found a line to run a return to the tank and did so - immediately noticed that the filter went from being full of fuel to about 1/4 full sustained.

Here are the pics:

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and the truck itself:

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[MadOgre]

Ah cool! I see you still have the stock intake. k you need to re route that fuel line away from those headers. The less heat the better. And definitely don't wanna spring a fuel leak on to your headers!

 

[MadOgre]

Have you checked your oil lately ? does it smell like fuel ?

 

[MadOgre]

Also you should route that positive battery cable down to the frame by the fuel pump area and then back to the starter.

Its also a good idea to run a ground from the battery to the frame and from the frame to the body.

 

[MadOgre]

It looks like maybe your distributor is off by a tooth or 2 on the oil pump. Usually sits a little more counter clockwise.

 

[MadOgre]

If you can get a stock chevy sb steel fuel line and then tie into it with the rubber line just before it would take a 90 degree bend to feed into the Rochester. That would keep it tucked away from your exhaust. That edelbrock fuel line kit should come with a compression fitting to go on the stock sb steel line.

 

[MadOgre]

And im curious where do your heater hoses go to ? That may be some of your problem.

 

[Nalanthi]

Suggestions noted.

The heater hoses aren't currently hooked up - I'll worry about that when the weather starts to cool off.
The usual hookups came blocked off on the engine, so I left them that way.

As for the distributor - I kind of had to modify a few things, hence why it's sitting odd - yet has no problem with the oil pump. I'm pulling 60-ish PSI at idle.

The oil itself doesn't have fuel in it.

 

[rich weyand]

Been out of town all weekend.

Agree with MadOgre on all particulars.

Edelbrock carbs will flow fuel on overpressure. I think 6 PSI is the absolute limit. Looks like you got that sussed already.

.045 gaps is right, too.

And you need to clear everything off/away from those headers. Hard to tell from the pics exactly how things lie, but a lot of things look awful close!

 

[MadOgre]

Suggestions noted.

The heater hoses aren't currently hooked up - I'll worry about that when the weather starts to cool off.
The usual hookups came blocked off on the engine, so I left them that way.

As for the distributor - I kind of had to modify a few things, hence why it's sitting odd - yet has no problem with the oil pump. I'm pulling 60-ish PSI at idle.

The oil itself doesn't have fuel in it.

Good if there is no gas in the oil then you havnt been hot soaking.

The heater hoses actually play an important role with engine temperature. Your engine will run hotter then the thermostats rating if there is no movement of coolant under the thermostat on the block side. So you need to hook up those hoses. One to the block and the other to the water pump. I believe the smaller one goes to the block but im not sure it matters where either go.

The pump is the inlet and returns to the manifold.

The distributor doesn't really matter as you can still time it properly being off by a tooth.

But Rich is right you want to clear everything away from those headers. It would be a good idea to spend $20 and get a wire loom kit to keep your ignition wires out of harms way too.

I just use the cheap little Morroso ones on mine but they work good. Doesn't have to be fancy just needs to get the job done LOL

 

[MadOgre]

[]

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even with the cast iron manifolds I like to keep it tidy.

Your hose will go where that brass plug is on my water pump. The newer trucks run the inlet from the manifold and the return to the radiator. The pump forces it through the block to the inlet off the manifold and returns to the radiator.

But on the older ones there is no return to the rad so it goes in the pump and returns to the block.

 

[Stewzer55]

But Rich is right you want to clear everything away from those headers. It would be a good idea to spend $20 and get a wire loom kit to keep your ignition wires out of harms way too.

I just use the cheap little Morroso ones on mine but they work good. Doesn't have to be fancy just needs to get the job done LOL

Freiberger Zip tie wire looms are even cheaper.

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[MadOgre]

Brain Fart ! LOL K so the pump draws in coolant from your heater core pushes it through the block which forces it into the line from your manifold.

So the manifold is actually the inlet and the pump is operating in a pulling fashion drawing coolant through your heater core system and returning it through the block.

 

[MadOgre]

Freiberger Zip tie wire looms are even cheaper.

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I havnt seen that before! good idea. Did you come up with that ?

 

[Stewzer55]

Nope, But I'm going to make a set for my R30, first saw them on Roadkill.