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Joined: Aug 2007
Posts: 241
Backyard Mechanic
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OP
Backyard Mechanic
Joined: Aug 2007
Posts: 241 |
1949 Chevy 4400 (ton and a half grain bed):
Shifting seems to be: 1st gear 0 to walking speed
2nd gear - walking speed to 10 mph
3rd gear - 10 mph to 20 or 25 mph
4th gear - 20 or 25 mph to 35 or 40
don't go much over 40.
Does this seem reasonable to those who regularly drive their ton and a half Chevy's of this era?
My gas mileage is right at 5 miles per gallon. Is this usual? I will probably be moving to the Kansas City area this summer. There are parts of Iowa (down I-29 from Brookings, SD) where the gas stations are few and far between....
Many thanks,
Lee Prairie
"It ain't what a man don't know that bothers me, it's what he knows that just aint so", Will Rogers
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Joined: Nov 2001
Posts: 29,863
Tech Advisor ChatMaster - 25,000
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Tech Advisor ChatMaster - 25,000
Joined: Nov 2001
Posts: 29,863 |
The Mangy Old Mutt
"If It's Not Junk.....It's Not Treasure!"
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Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 837
ChatMaster - 750
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ChatMaster - 750
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 837 |
Same story here Lee, my stock 3/4ton with stock size tires when it had the 4.57 gear got about 12mpg and the engine felt about right at around 45mph. With the 4.10 gear I'm getting between 13 and 14mpg and I can cruse comfortabley at around 50 and when I need to I kick it up to 55 or 60 for short periods.
5mpg sounds like somethin is out of kilter somewere. The Salesmans Truck Data Book shows an overall average of 10.6mpg for a 1 1/2 ton back in '49 and that was stop and go delivery with a load.
And once again, that compression really doesn't sound right, if it were mine I'd be double checking that with a couple other gauges or at least one more gauge borrowed from a buddy.
Denny Graham
Sandwich, IL
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Joined: Aug 2007
Posts: 241
Backyard Mechanic
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OP
Backyard Mechanic
Joined: Aug 2007
Posts: 241 |
Measured the gas mileage again on a short trip... only 26 miles and some of that was starting / stopping. I get 7 mpg from that experiment. I'll make a longer trip tonight and do it again. I had a stiff headwind going and the tailwind coming back, which made a big difference. But it doesn't cancel. The wind resistance is not linear with respect to speed of travel and you get back less in the tailwind than the headwind costs.
The engine is peppy in 1st (if 'peppy' applies to granny gear), second and 3rd, but not 4th.... it's pretty much a slug in 4th gear.
Lee
Last edited by Lee Prairie; 04/24/09 04:27 PM.
"It ain't what a man don't know that bothers me, it's what he knows that just aint so", Will Rogers
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