New Member, lots of questions!
 

Hey folks, I've been browsing on here for a few months, but decided to join to see if I can help with some info. I'm a mechanic for Toyota, and I am one of the most frugal people you'll ever meet. I recycle my beer/soda cans, as well as scrap metal that I come across at work. People might say I'm an environmentalist, but I'm really just trying to get some extra money in my wallet. This is the only reason why I want to get more MPG's out of my car.

Anyways, I have a 94 Civic DX coupe. I bought it for $300 and put another $500 in it to get it road worthy, solely for the purpose of beating out my 04 Chevy Silverado in MPG. I have a few questions though:

Will adding a ricey aftermarket intake improve MPG? What about an aftermarket exhaust manifold?

I recently purchased a carbon fiber hood for my Civic for $100, but it needs some repair with some fiberglass. I figured the weight savings could net some MPG increase. Also thinking about carbon fiber fenders, and a carbon fiber trunk lid. I also bought some 14" wheels from a Civic HX which weigh about 11 lbs. each. Took out everything from the trunk (spare tire, fiberboard cover, jack, etc.) Removed the rear speakers, and I run synthetic oil to reduce friction.

So is there any obvious stuff I'm missing? My transmission is bad, it pops out of gear all the time, and leaks oil onto the clutch which causes it to slip, so I'm in search of a VX 5 speed to throw in. Local junkyards have them for $225, but I'd like to find a trans/engine combo from some 18 year old racer kid for $300. By now, they might all be scrapped.

Hi, Welcome

Sorry I don't have an answer to your question, but I was wondering about your Silverado. I had one that had the 6 liter engine in it, it was the worst MPG for any vehicle I have ever had. I think the motor was designed by Exxon. I have an A-class motorhome that gets better MPG. If that is what you have I would suggest selling it while you can because if the economy tanks a bit more and gas prices rise a bit more it might be real hard to sell. Even two tears ago when I was selling mine some people were scared off by the poor MPG.

the Intake probably wont help any with milage but it probably won't hurt it much either. Try using the stock airbox and add a hot air inlet (pick up your air near the exhaust manifold) this leans out the mixture the air temp sensor actually does that. it will help a little. the Clutch slipping is going to hurt milage so find the leak and fix that. loosing weight is a great way to gain milage. Next learn to EOC and you will see even higher returns.

My Silverado has the 5.3 V8 in it, and yes, it sucks on gas. I get about 15 mpg on average. If I drove it with less foot, I'd probably get about 17. Still not too great. But, I do love the utility of having a truck. I have an 81 Corvette and an 80 Camaro that I tow around sometimes, and I'm young, in college, and I move a lot. Still trying to get comfortable and find my niche. I would love to sell the truck and just drive the Civic daily, but the truck is almost paid off, and it's only $130 a month, so I'll probably just keep it for future years to come.

What is EOC?

Engine Off Coasting