Summer time testing... need your ideas
 

Discussion has been slow here lately, and I'm sure that it's partly due to the fact that we all have lives. Now that the sun is out it's much easier to actually "live" our lives.

I was thinking that we need a few experiments that we can all participate in during the summer. Those with instant MPG readings will be more than able to give fast updates and status.

Soooo...

What are some ideas that you can think of to test this summer? I'm planning on testing LRR tires to get some more data. I'll hopefully be able to do the rear wheel skirts this summer as well as the belly pan.

Does anyone have interest in doing a "group" project? How about multiple projects?

Maybe it's time we test some of the gimmick products. Hell, I'll even buy a number of MPG pills and send them out if enough people will test them.

So, tell me what you want to do and we'll get it organized.

Matt

I was just thinking that it is because SVOboy is on vacation.:p

Well I'm up for that. But as always there are variables that are difficult to control which can lead to less than conclusive results. A good example is a test I just ran this morning. It was the exact same test that I ran yesterday afternoon which yielded 66.4 MPG on the highway at 55 with no CODfishing. This morning I thought I would see the difference if I CODfished down the hills. Well much to my dismay, the results were worse!:eek: Only 64MPG. Buuuut CODfishing wasn't the only variable! It was also 20F cooler! I noticed that while climbing the hills at the edge of Lean Burn (around 6.0ms injector pulsewidth) I peaked the hills at a significantly lower speed (3-4 mph less). So that means less power or more drag. Other variables were new plugs and plug wires. My guess is denser air at the lower temps caused more drag.

I finished off my morning test with a speed drive thru the park, about 5 miles at 20mph average speed and some CODfishing. I ended up with 87.5 MPG. :D The best with the Del Sol was 83MPG.

OK Matt, lets dream up some tests! But before I start I need to finish up this tank to calibrate the SuperMID. I'm thinking my FE is actually better than indicated. I hope to confirm that on the next fill.

Ive been testing my A/C. Its nice and cold.

I would love if someone did a test utilizing a CAI (Ram Air) during the summer time (with vehicle warmed up). I know I seem to be bucking the WAI trend, but I swear I get better fuel economy in the summer with this. Maybe it's the theory of more HP = more Fuel Economy, or maybe I am just seeing what I want to.

I gave up on my WAI until winter.

Anyone with a Scan Gauge or Super MID (with some extra ducting to temporarily attach to your air intake) up for this?

If this has been done recently and documented, I appoligize for not checking all the old threads.

I did the CAI (hose to a hole in the airdam. Is that what you mean by CAI?) test before the WAI. The CAI show no change in FE with 4 runs each at 35 and 55 mph. The WAI also is no good for my car showing a decrease in FE with the WAI. I'm looking for the results of the CAI runs but can find the data:mad:. But I'm know it had no effect.

Summer is about the only time to do reliable mpg testing. You only have about 4 months. So test. :D

I've gone as far as I can with my abilities with aero,fuel,and lubrication. I personally would like to start on the ignition system. Plugs. Preferably Halo's there the only one's I found that have field data showing a 10% increase in FE with the Little Rock Police. Low resistance plug wires and mybe MSD. Then onto LLR and light weight wheels.

Would anyone be willing to try the tornado, just so we can add more fuel to the fire?

I mean, it WOULD be nice to have a place to point to on the internet where people have tested it, taken results, and published them...

don't you think?

Maybe we can get some for cheap from the distributor.

Heres some stuff to try:

https://search.ebay.com/save-gas-impr...refinesearchZ1

I did a-b-a tornado testing about 3 years ago. I had my truck for 6 years, I've been driving for 28 years. Like I said 1 mpg mixed driveing. Don't ask for details. I drove 50 miles round trip to job in middle of summer. 75% hiway. Im very slow at typeing, & on aol so I lose post sometimes:mad:

YOu may have gained 1mpg, but it's possible that it was due to something else. Was the 1mpg statistically significant?

BTW, the best way to ensure you don't lose posts is to copy them to your clipboard (select all of the text, and then hit CNTRL-C). In the event you lose the post you can just hit CNTRL-V (paste) and it will be back.

It gives me about 8% more road hp. I just hit print, so i do not loose anything:confused: I could start a new thread on my scientist friend vortex fuel system!

They said water inj. gave 20 less hp. Did i read that wrong. If it works on engine vaccum. How did they loose hp,when very little if any is pulled in at full thottle!! I do not believe in corporate testing!!

Now this is something that I think it is very important to test. Unfortunately I don't have it, yet, on my Wagovan. I did however finally begin getting some cold air out of the A/C I have been attempting to put into my daughters 87 Civic. My 4/60 A/C is really the pitt's.;)

Besides my willingness to test my A/C when I can finally get it in, I would be willing to test the turbonator. However, at the moment I don't have any scan tool, so all of my testing is largely by the tank, which is also not very fine in any one tank's absoluteness. Gas pill's, I still have memories of experiencess with the "brown crud" in my fuel tank and system, so I am not really inclined to be testing that stuff.

a-b-a tornado retest
 

28.8 miles hyway
test without tornado 1.325 gal first click.
hyway with tornado 1.255 gal first click. 78F without, 72F with tornado. Winds N 12 mph, North trip 59mph, south trip 65mph windows down cruisecontrol
No traffic. I know short trip. Don't beat me up too bad:) 22.94 with 21.73 without

Well, that's rly only a-b though, innit?

No, started at same gasstation went 14.4miles out then back to the same station.

The biggest issue is too many variables were changed to make it a valid test...

Different speeds, different temps, different wind conditions. Needs to be round-trip, back to back.

At least it was all highway driving! :)

Why the different speeds on the test?

It seems to me like that was a-b and not a-b-a. I remembered compq once did a test like this with short freeway + pump measuring and got some 140 mpg number.

Slower speed on north trip, speed limit lower.

If it was a-b I would not end up at the same place.(gasstation)Where i filled up in the first place.

I don't think you understand it was round trip back to back. Down the hyway 14.4 miles(65mph) then turn around come back 14.4 miles(59mph) to the same gasstation. Two runs with and with out. Total test took little more than 1 hour. It was little cooler the #2 run with the tornado. Wind was equal on all runs.

Ah, I see now.

By A-B, SVOboy is referring to the items being tested. As in "A" = get a baseline, "B" = test the thing to see if there's any change, "A" remove the thing to see whether you return to baseline or not.

Still, too much variability - particularly the speed difference (my car gets several MPG difference between 59-65, which I've tested). Sorry! :(

Yes, I was wondering why you called it a-b-a since 'twasn't, but whatevs.

I agree with darin, huge difference in speed!

But the to dif. speeds are done"with"............then to dif. speed without. It like the wind against then with the wind. Nullification. The speeds just average 63 mph per run.

I should have went the same speed both directions so nobody here would get comfused.:mad: