ok picked up an 1982 ford econoline e100 "short version" van,forest green with 107,500 original miles with the 3 speed auto trans and inline 6 with the single bblcarb.....just wondering what are some ways to improve MPG? its used just to haul 2 dirbikes, plus gear and camping supply's, maybe 1100lbs max of cargo.

whats the best size exhaust, i think 1 7/8 is what it is now,.

i took off the cat and the muffler and replaced it with a glass pack"as a temporarry fix"... its not that loud

just wondering what mods you all have to to increase MPG.
its getting about 12 in the city and 15 on the highway

thanks

 

From my experience you are in the ball park of expectation.

Only tips I could suggest, you probably already know better than I and that is to drive sensibly, keep a good tuning, and keep tires aired up to upper limits. Reduce cargo weight if possible.

Going further, rear end gears and such might not be at a compromise on performance and unless you drive a sufficient number of miles over time, that might not justify doing anything too rigorous. For example if you you only drive 50 miles a week in the vehicle, looking at the numbers might indicate not getting too ambitious with the mileage issue.

You and many of us are faced with this issue, especially at fuel cost today.

I had an 85 and it was decent when I drove that way, kept it tuned, and insured tire pressure was at the upper limit. Now, my 2001 indicates the newer technology yields a bit better milage. I am pleased