13 MPG Ouch!!!

[kiwi]

I have asked this question somewhere on this site before but could never find where I had done so lol. So I never saw any replies. My 84 Bronco ll has never given me better then 13mpg. The heads have been removed and cleaned out and shaved and new head gaskets fitted. New plugs, wires, dist. cap and rotor and air cleaner all done. I need to get this thing running far more efficiently as I am moving to New Zealand and taking this Bronco with me and gas is over $8 a gallon there!! Please help me if you can.

 

[Twister]

If you don't have to pass emissions, you should duraspark it.

 

[enginepaul]

The only things that I can think of are gears or a very badly running engine.
Does it have factory smog - meaning the computer?

You may want to look into the cost of shipping a vehicle to NZ and compare that to the price of a vehicle down there.

 

[Will]

My 4.0 B2 gets 13mpg just driving around. It gets 20mpg on the highway with the cruise set at 65. Under what conditions are you getting 13? My diesel Passat gets 42 in the summer just driving around. Don't they have lots of diesels down there?

 

[dangerranger83]

Mine gets 10mpg before and after all the mods that I have done i.e. the SAS, tires, etc.... I get maybe 15 or so mpg highway driving her.

 

[kiwi]

13 mpg

The only things that I can think of are gears or a very badly running engine.
Does it have factory smog - meaning the computer?

You may want to look into the cost of shipping a vehicle to NZ and compare that to the price of a vehicle down there.

The engine runs very smoothly and yes it does have a computer and has passed the smog test here in CA. I have no way of knowing what the gear ratios are but it does not seem to rev too highly when driving. I have read somewhere that other B2's get in the high twenties with the 2.8 motor so I presumed mine was a rare breed. Other replies to my post seem to indicate that it is not. BTW I drive at the speed limit on the highways, in fact well below them for most of the time I have owned this thing due to bad shocks which caused the vehicle to rock extremely badly with the risk of rolling over. I recently fitted four new shocks and it it drives fine now. I am flat broke so have no money to purchase something else to take back to NZ with me, and I have to get a container to ship my stuff back so the cost of putting a vehicle in that container is zero. Sure, there may be a small difference between a 20ft and a 40 ft container but that difference does not give me hope that I will buy a vehicle of comparable worth to this B2, so I am pretty well stuck with it. I would only get a few hundred dollars if I sold it and it owes me a whole lot more than that. Thanks for the replies guys. I appreciate your willingness to offer advice. IS there a post here that tells me how to duraspark it?

 

[kiwi]

If you don't have to pass emissions, you should duraspark it.

I will never have to pass emissions if I ship it so that is not a problem. I have read lots about durasparking these donks but have no clue what that is or how to do it. If it does not cost a lot maybe that would be a great thing to do. Have you heard what difference that makes to a 2.8 in fuel economy?

 

[enginepaul]

I'm a bit baffled. I get about 19 to 20 on my Ranger with California smog. It isn't gearing if it doesn't over-rev.
Maybe a slipping auto trans? Gas leak? That's all I can think of.

As for shipping it in a container, check to see the law on that. I know you have to prove ownership of any vehicle shipped from the U.S - I don't have any idea about laws on the other end.

I don't think a DuraSpark would help on the mileage, it does make it easier to fix and keep running. Maybe other will have specifics.

Good luck

 

[kiwi]

I'm a bit baffled. I get about 19 to 20 on my Ranger with California smog. It isn't gearing if it doesn't over-rev.
Maybe a slipping auto trans? Gas leak? That's all I can think of.

As for shipping it in a container, check to see the law on that. I know you have to prove ownership of any vehicle shipped from the U.S - I don't have any idea about laws on the other end.

I don't think a DuraSpark would help on the mileage, it does make it easier to fix and keep running. Maybe other will have specifics.

Good luck

Thank you. I have shipped a 1969 Cougar XR7 convertible before and I am aware of all the laws. I wish they would let me ship my Focus but the regulations prevent that so I have to sell that and use the money to pay for shipping and air fares. We are moving back before this nation implodes totally! Only worked for three months since Jan. 09 and no unemployment benefits 'cause I was self employed prior to that. Mine is a 5 spd manual and there are no fuel leaks. Have never smelt gas either which is usually a tell tale if there is a leak. Thanks for your thoughts re duraspark.

 

[kiwi]

My 4.0 B2 gets 13mpg just driving around. It gets 20mpg on the highway with the cruise set at 65. Under what conditions are you getting 13? My diesel Passat gets 42 in the summer just driving around. Don't they have lots of diesels down there?

Yes they do have lots of diesels in NZ. They also have many cars on natural gas. If I could afford it I would buy a 'special interest vehicle' like a Lincoln Mk 8 as in the collector edition and convert that to gas when I got there. After 4 years I could sell that [have to keep those for 4 years] and probably get $40,000 to $50,000 for it. Oh well. I can dream only. Used to be that you could only import something more than 20 years old and leave it left hand drive but the laws have changed and special muscle cars, collector type vehicles that were not imported to NZ can be taken now, of later vintage and kept in left hand drive. My driving the B2 is a mixture of freeway and surface streets, always at the speed limit.

 

[enginepaul]

Sort of off topic, but I just came across this:
"the 8,500-lb. Excursion ... Capable of just 14-16 miles per gallon in city driving,"
Wow! - I hope your math is off with 13mpg.
Anyway, if you find out what the deal is, please let us know, even if from NZ.

 

[miniloaf38]

I get 13-15mpg from my 2.8 and it only has about 30k miles, and it's durasparked. But I have a holley 350, which is a little big, and It's not tuned. But yeah duraspark actually decreased my gas mileage.

 

[kimcrwbr1]

I get around 17 hwy with mine sparked and a 2150 with #46 jets but it will pull a pass at 70 now. I put the 15 inch B-II aluminum wheels and a smaller speedo gear in the tranny.

 

[bobbywalter]

dude.....put a diesel in it before you leave unless your only driving 10 k a year or something. in that case of under 10 k a year get a 4.0....


in my situation my truck weighs nearly 2 k more then stock, stops better, goes better and gets better mpg on 37 in tires then stock 2.9 could dream of on 31's


if you really only get 13-14 then a 5.0 is something to consider as well....at least it will have some power.

 

[kiwi]

dude.....put a diesel in it before you leave unless your only driving 10 k a year or something. in that case of under 10 k a year get a 4.0....


in my situation my truck weighs nearly 2 k more then stock, stops better, goes better and gets better mpg on 37 in tires then stock 2.9 could dream of on 31's


if you really only get 13-14 then a 5.0 is something to consider as well....at least it will have some power.

I actually have a 351M in an old F150 4X4 which has only done 2000 miles since it was fitted as a re-manufactured long block. If I had the money I would have that put in the B2. I know that would give me a better gas mileage and heaps of power.