Okay, since you got offended, I'll give you the basics as I understand them. I will leave out the barn door, since even though it's the biggest thing it won't be changed.
Smaller wheel bearings with thin grease, preferably synthetic. Not an easy fix.
Brakes that are light and don't drag when released. If you still have drums, get the shoes arced to fit the drum. Very hard to find this service. This allows the least amount of pedal travel before full application.
Correct alignment. This allows the tires to track straight and not take energy to push down the road.
Light, skinny wheels and tires to decease mass and friction.
Operate the engine at or slightly below torque peak.
Reduce internal and external friction. Inside, make tolerances tighter, run a thin oil, low tension rings, and size the components closer to maximum needed, not 50% more. No high volume or pressure oil pumps, for instance. Ensure the latest tech in ports, cylinder shape, cam specs and cooling are all considered. You want an engine that will develop good power at low RPM, with little timing advance and use as little fuel as possible. A 225 is a non-cross flow head that requires a lot of work to get good quench. It also does not shed heat as well. The designer back in the early 60s suggested a very long tri-Y header design. Then consider that almost all modern engines run at over 200 degrees F normal operating temps. This is to tighten tolerances even more, use the heat energy in the engine to help promote leaner fuel curves, and more completely burn the fuel. It also keeps the oil cleaner by promoting evaporation of blowby. Is your cooling system set up to handle these temps in different climates? Are you using an electric fan or at least a clutch fan? That big fan is an example of external drag.
Try adding a good EVAP system too. Every little bit, right? That fuel smell near your tank and carbs (?!) is fuel not being used to go down the road.
Modern transmissions have more gears, lockup converters, synthetic fluids and are sized closer to usage than the 727 in your van. Even a 904 would gain a few percent.
synthetic grease in the u-joints.
Rear axle set up with synthetic lube, making sure friction is low. Also make sure it's aligned properly and doesn't have camber or toe bent into it. Apply the brake and wheel/tire parts back here too.
How you drive makes a big difference too. slower starts and stops along with lower speeds are always cited.
All of this can be seen in even 20 year-old cars (1996 by now) and has been whispered, shared, shouted and even government mandated for even longer. I doubt any of this is really new to anyone who has tested for a driver's license, owned a car or spent any time reading about car related stuff.
Stop reading/listening to alarmists and conspiracy stuff for a couple days and search for basic principles like more mass means more energy to move it, that even modern internal combustion engines only use 15-30% of the energy in the fuel and that the loose nut behind the wheel (the driver) can make a huge difference in MPG. That last one is the reason I was short the first time. If someone is REALLY interested in getting better MPG, the info is out there and
they are the quickest, cheapest way to increase MPG. If they just ask for easy answers, they likely are not really interested in the topic. Otherwise, they would be studying every bit of info they could get. I've been on enough sites that I've seen MPG threads turn into arguments almost every time, along with bringing up the 100 MPG carbs and other wacky stuff. Basic physics and obvious answers get ignored.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Engine_efficiencyhttp://www.consumerenergycenter.org/transportation/consumer_tips/vehicle_energy_losses.htmlhttp://www.explainthatstuff.com/engines.htmlhttp://www.moneytalksnews.com/mythbusters-use-hypermiling-improve-gas-mileage-70-percent/
by zinger68dodge Mon Nov 30, 2015 6:08 am
pumped up to be on this site. looks very cool.
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