Thread: Looking for motor

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Hey Guys,

I have a '66 El Camino. I'm finally ready to start on this project.

I am going to use it mainly for towing the trailer (cool 1968).

I'm looking for a high torque motor that gets, (please don't laugh)
good gas milage. 20mpg would be good enough.

What do you all think? Possible?

Jim
WWJD

20 MPG towing a trailer with a gas engine??? Good luck. I'm not a chebbie guy, maybe someone will be along with an answer of what might work. Most diesel pickups will only knock down about 16 or 17 MPG towing any kind of load at all. Good luck on your project.

It is possible, my 68 El Camino (72 402 BB 4 spd) get 19-20 MPG pulling a trailer

Of course it has 235/75-15s and a 3.08 rear end.

Oh yeah.... the trailer is my motorcycle trailer and thats without the bike on it.

It's going to be tough depending on the weight and wind resistance of the trailer.

The lighter and least wind resistant of the trailer the smaller (more fuel efficient) the motor you can get by with.

Look to build something with a LOT of torque in the RPM range you'll be towing with a load, a tight convertor (if your running an auto and probably fuel injection.

Like Dave says it's going to be tough

86 and newer 305 fuel injected is pretty gas freindly or one of those h.o. astro van v-6s? and u will probably need some sort of overdrive!!I think the astro v-6? was about 220 -240 hp!!

to hell with gass .i have a nice454 0.30 out .hyper pistons hyd roller cam 781 heads .dual plane .gass ? work a small engine hard a see what happines .put 454 with 308 gear 4speed trans lock up covnter 27 tall tires

i'd recomend a straight six( from a truck) with a 200 or 700 trans. built to towing specs.id then put on an aftermarket intake with a throttle body fuel injection set up..like a holley pro-jection. an hei dist. and headers.

i have a 283 torn down $50.00 or a 305tbi $200.00. my camaro has a 5 speed and with the 305 and 3.08's it gat 35mpg religously. i am currently working on a 78 malibu 200cid solid roller cam 4.3l crank, heads, and injection 2004r and 2.29 gears.
i want to take it across the country on trips the car has 48k original and i seriosly think 40mpg isnt out of reach.

Gas mileage is in the compression....trick is to stay conservative on the cam and advance the piss out of it....

My last 350 easily knocked down 22mpg loaded or not with a 4bbl...I used flat tops and a .005 deck height 882 heads with the stock valves and very light port work a 327hp cam advanced 8deg.... total time of 40 with 92 octane 4.56 rears with standard size 1-ton tire (275-60r-16's)

My 4x4 had a 400cu and got the best of 24mpg with same deck and 10cc dish pistons diff cam same advance and 4.10 gears on 38x15-50's MT's

do your home work....it can be done.... shoot for a "true" 9.5-9.8 compression or go to reverse cooling and you can lean on 10.2

20 mpg out of a chevy high horse power motor is possible... I have a 72 C20 custom camper pick up, with the stock 402 4bbl carburetor and 3.54 gears in the back and I got 17 mpg towing a tandem axel trailer with a 71 Chevelle on it. It is possible, but yes the later small blocks with tpi or tbi injection systems should work well with your needs.

I might be thinkin' 472 Cad / Turbo 400 / 2.80 gear.

I would consider starting a new thread about mileage with a high horse power engine. This thing is three years old.

HAHAHAHA I didnt even notice that.