MPG Contest, Who wants to play?? Options

[r_towle]

I started this on another site...not alot of joiners.
The idea is to test, tune, and tweek your car, and your driving style, to get the most MPG in a 914.
This is a redo of a contest that the NY region did with 356's back in the day.
These guys got 70mpg with one guy getting 100mpg.
Alot of it is tuning, more if it is driving style.

Here are the ground rules.
We have several classes.
1.7, 1.8, 2.0, 2.0/6, and modified (all the rest of you), and vendors (special class)
This is for 914's

Using the honor system the goal is to win the mpg goal in your class.

I am in 1.7 and aiming for 40mpg this first round out..
The contest will run from Memorial Day till Labor Day...this gives us all time to change things and tune things.

This is meant to be fun with the 914magazine offering t-shirts as the prize...so its not meant to be for cheating.

So, if you want to join, list the following.
year, motor, tire size
Use GPS or highway mileage markers to verify your odometer so we are all being fair.

Rich

[SGB]

I got Dr Evil to rebuild my gear stack and we talked about taller 5th. He discouraged it (we all know- for cooling). I really thought about it and wanted it too. But ultimately I think the engine cooling must really be "at the edge" already, and extended highway time torque loading (like a long hill) would provide less cooling than is really needed- cooking the life out of the oil even faster and contributing to higher wear.

[r_towle]

I got Dr Evil to rebuild my gear stack and we talked about taller 5th. He discouraged it (we all know- for cooling). I really thought about it and wanted it too. But ultimately I think the engine cooling must really be "at the edge" already, and extended highway time torque loading (like a long hill) would provide less cooling than is really needed- cooking the life out of the oil even faster and contributing to higher wear.

I have never seen any data to support this claim.
I am just rigging up a full gauge setup to monitor heat, and then I will play with gears...

If we stick with stock motors, the tranny is the next thing to futz with that delivers better mileage.
A taller gear will still keep the car above 3k (my goal at 75mph ish)
I will test to see what the differences are with several 5th gear sizes to monitor not only MPG, but heat...I think there is alot of room for different and taller gears here...its a light weight car, and with its relatively low co-efficient of drag, it should be ok with a taller gear...its not a bus guys...

If I talk with someone who actually put a taller gear in a 914 (nothing else) and has experienced heat/cooling issues on the highway, I will consider the myth subtantiated, but till then...I will have to run the test myself to see real world data...its really the only way to know for sure at this point..

My gauge setup will have CHT on all four plugs, and oil temp, and oil pressure..along with fuel pressure and amps...
I am looking for a decent mileage/trip computer to use so I can keep long term track of things...right now its pen and paper...

I am totally open to suggestions on this..I will attempt to try and test as many decent ideas as we come up with and share the results.

Does anyone have the stock torque curve for a 1.7 (72) dJet motor? I would like to see the chart to plan the gear selection with the idea to keep it right at the peak torque with the gears...the most efficient area for shifting.

Rich