v8 s10 on a trip..How far??

[s10-den]

whats the longest trip you been on in your v8 s10 and what did you average mph?..just kidding.What did you get mpg??What season was it?

[tomstoy]

Man what a great question. I havent done more than a 60 mile trip for the 2 years Ive had the truck on the road. I do know it 11 mpg no matter if it is freeway or town. But, on the 4th of July i have been invited to a car show that is 146 miles from my house, my soon to be longest trip. I am excited and also scared as hell that i will have to tow the thing home. But I will log the mpg. At least I know i'm getting a dash plaque for the trip ha-ha, hopefully i get the trophy!!!

[Mystic_Knight]

Detroit to ITB and back. About 330 miles each way.

Early August 2007 (80-90 degrees and humid)
Fresh rebuild on a 1977 SB350
RV cam
600 cfm Edelbrock Performer Carb
Weiand intake
Patroit headers
Built 700R4 trans

Averaged around 60 mph probably.
13-15 mpg hwy.

No radio. Listened to the sweet sound of V8 all the way and loved it.


Recommendations for long trips:
Check fluid levels before, during, and after the trip
BIG toolbox with all the tools you can possibly carry
Extra oil, water, etc.
Make sure your e-fan is on a switch (my temp sensor stopped working and the switch saved me).
I'm using Royal Purple coolant additive now. MUCH better than Water Wetter.

[s10-den]

Tom,hopefully it will "drive"home and hope ya get a trophy!!
Knight,your recommendations for long trips is a "must"!!...lol
Reason I asked this question is this....
I only drove all mine around town and never on a trip either.I noticed there is ALOT of v8 s10's running around and alot for sale,I'm thinking that on long trip(especially wih ac) that the engine becomes heat soaked to much to stay cool and that they overheat and people sell them.
Just trying to get a poll befor I go on a 1000 mile one way trip

[ZZ4Blazer]

Middle of summer. Back and forth to carlisle each year. Around 300-325 miles each way. Most of the time is roughly 5 hours if I go straight. Usually rolling with a few buddies, so we're usually messing around. Averaging 70-75 mph. Probably 13 to the gallon or so.

[SilverWings]

This is not sounding good. 13 mpg? My ol worn out 4.3 was doing bettern that.

The truck is in the shop getting Vette Lt1 and 700R4 installed right now. It should be done by the 27th or there-a-bouts. I'll be using a 308 rear gear. I better get more mpg than that.

[ZZ4Blazer]

Lumpy cam, holley 770 DP, 25" tall tire, 3.90 gears, and some highway fun rolling atleast 70 MPH most of the way. What would you expect? And Im sure she's pushing over twice the power your old worn out 4.3 was.

[supertrucker1978]

Who does a V8 swap and worries about mpg???.....Im getting about 13-16 with mine, worn out 305/200r4 and 4:10 gears, 28 inch tires. Also I dont have a/c. As for a long trip I say just keep an eye on your gauges.

[SilverWings]

Quote: Originally Posted by ZZ4Blazer

Lumpy cam, holley 770 DP, 25" tall tire, 3.90 gears, and some highway fun rolling atleast 70 MPH most of the way. What would you expect? And Im sure she's pushing over twice the power your old worn out 4.3 was.

Got ya. Fell asleep on that one. Do to gas prices I'm going to hold off on building it up anymore than it will be after the swap is done.

[SilverWings]

Quote: Originally Posted by supertrucker1978

Who does a V8 swap and worries about mpg???.....Im getting about 13-16 with mine, worn out 305/200r4 and 4:10 gears, 28 inch tires. Also I dont have a/c. As for a long trip I say just keep an eye on your gauges.

Gas prices hadn't gone so far out of sight when I first contracted to do the swap six months ago. I have to pull a enclosed trailer to my Aircraft work sights. A V8 will make it easyer to tow my gear in the mountains. The 13 mpg quote caught me off guard there untill he informed me about his setup which I hadn't noticed.

[joelkatdaddy]

Just got back from nationals, 17-19 Mpg the entire trip driving 85 with AC on. I wouldnt be afraid to drive my truck accross the states if i had to. The key is quality parts and installing them correctly, and always have a backup plan.
Joel

[2fast4love]

ive been about an 75 miles out and about an hour away. no speedo just rpm on a 60 inch tall tire holding it at 2000 rpm. 350, 600 carb and 700trans 345 rear. no a/c i also towed a subaru wrx on the way back with my 3.5 inch skinnies up front tough truck. rip ive been thinking of taking my new 82 out same motor with 80s vortec heads and 50 inch tall tire.it gets pretty good gas milage with thoose heads and 6/6 drop, air dam. my cab gets hot after a while as well even with double carpeting dont know how far i can take this one keep you posted.

[Critchie]

drove mine around 9 hours each way in an awesome blizzard. averaged around 90-100km/h. about 20mpg
tpi 305, 700r4, 3.42.

[AceHaag]

400 miles pulling two polaris sportsman 4-wheelers 80 mph on the freeway averaging about 13 mpg

[SpeedyS10]

I've driven mine to Tulsa from Springfield,Mo several times,doing the round trip is roughly 400 miles in a day.Mine is a basicly stock 305,5 speed,3.73 gears,29 inch tall rear tire and I knocked down 19 on those jaunts,but they were all in the fall/winter,wasn't running A/C.I have it functioning,but on my truck it really kills MPG.

[s10-den]

I have done about "several" v8 s10's, but never drove on a long hall.I was just wondering if you guys took them on the highway and just around town.I guess the motors never became he soaked on the long-hall and wanted to run warm?
And Supertrucker,when I do a v8 conversion, I do worry about mpg on a dd..
I got something else when I need to go fast that only gets about 5mpg of racegas..

[95dime]

farthest ive driven mine is about 70 miles non stop. no issues stayed about 180-190 temp whole way and went about 65 or so except for towns that were around 40mph. motor is round 400hp with a 3:42 rear gear and i get 4 mpg. no idea how you guys are gettin such good milage.

[thingsthatfly2]

lol yea.. im worying about driving mine to greenville... i guess the suicide doors scare me most tho.... lol


gota finish it first... just worryin mainly about transmission holding up!

[s10-den]

whatcha got for a tranny Fly guy?

[truefire04]

i havent been on a trip but i get 250 miles to a tank, found out the hard way.

[joelkatdaddy]

My truck ran 185 entire trip with AC on. I dont think heat soak is an issue. My trans was also running around 155-160 entire way too. It was approximately 85-90 degrees outside.

[s10-den]

Thats great news.
So there is only 10 or so guys who drive theirs anywhere?geeeez

[truefire04]

and i pull a 5x10 trailer loaded with lawn mowers, and an engine and trans and dollie, yeah i cut lawns the engine was the 4.3 the i pulled out of her

[s10-den]

I pull a trailer everyday to.I hall floor covering from job to job.I had to switch to a clutch fan and shroud on mine, but this is besides the point...lol
Im going to "attempt" to drive mine to Missouri in august.I just dont want it to have a melt down

[SilverWings]

I need to make a 2,700 mile trip to Montana in August so I'll be making sure I have my new V8 S10 installation working and running right. I should have enough time before then to work all the bugs and short commings out before the trip.

I hope to make at least 19 even 20 mpg on the trip there.

[s10-den]

whoa,thats a longhall for sure!!

[2fast4love]

my old truck ran alot cooler then my current still trying to find out why. also are you guys all running wheel wells? i didnt on my previous one and got better gas milage but it sucked when it rained. on my current i cannot run wheel wells becuase of the 6 drop and also had to trim my fenders to tuck my skinnies in. i was originally going to ride irocs. GLAD TO HEAR YOU GUYS DRIVE THEESE TRUCKS!!!!!!!!!

[tomstoy]

im running wheel wells but have two electric fans and a engine driven fan and 3 core aluminum howe radiator never over 205 in traffic in 95 degree weather..used to run ungodly hot last season till i used this combo!

[The Blown Blazer]

My longest trip ever was when I picked my truck up. It drove it from Towanda IL to Bay City, MI. I made a ton of gas stops on the way, and a ton of detours and wrong turns. In all, it was about 450 miles. This was on a carbed sbc with a huge cam and heads, along with a 700r4 (non-lockup, but I didnt know), 3.73s and 25.5" tall tires.

For 3 months, I did drive it back and forth from OH to MI every weekend, to the tune of about 420 miles round trip.

Never bothered to calculate gas mileage. I know it was bad, that is all.

[SpeedyS10]

I'm running an aluminum radiator,I can't remember the dimensions,engine driven clutch fan,basically a stock cooling system other than the fan shroud that I built for it,and I've never had cooling problems on the highway,only time shes ever gotten warm is if I get stuck in traffic.In the summer if I'm stuck barely moving (10mph or less),with the A/C running,it will get up around 220,but once I get rolling again,it cools back down to 180,runs there 90% of the time.I do run the inners,as this is the truck I drive the majority of the time,rain or shine.Mine isn't a hotrod by any means,but it will run in the 14s and get fair mileage,I'd like to go fuel injected,just don't want to spend much to do it.
I've actually toyed with the idea of dropping a 4.3 LT1 V8 and 4L60E in it,to gain efi,but I have never drove a car with that engine.I wonder if its HP is any less than the 305s,and if the mpg would increase.

[s10-den]

I know they used those 4.3 lt1s in some of the older popo cars..lol
I guess that doesnt mean the were drag motors though.

[2BV8JMY]

2006 Hot Rod Power Tour, long hauled from Kissimee Florida to Englishtown N.J. and back home to Ft Walton Beach, Fl. I have my total mileage, avg mpg, etc. somewhere around here. I do remember I got almost 18mpg on one leg. That was the best. That's with an 11:1 383SBC, 750 Demon, 700R4 and 3.73 gears. I had less than 500 miles on the swap when I left home for Kissimmee.

[2fast4love]

i was thinking of putting a tpi in mine only because its the cheapest fuel injection i can get. so if i come across one dirt cheap i will probably put it in. i havent ran my truck yet either but i did keep up with my freinds cammed tpi that runs low 14s. not bad but i also have a 86 camaro thats alot faster thats my beast