figgie said:
actaully it always is
otherwise we would still be running around with 2 speed powerglides as transmissions.
so if ur lugging the motor at 2000rpm and say the injector duration is 20ms and 5 inhg of vaccum, then u downshift and get the motor to 3000rpm much higher in the engines torque curve and are cruising with 15inhg of vaccum but the pulsewith is 5ms ud be running more fuel efficient at the lower rpm?
if u free reved the motor to 3000rpm and recorded the gallons per minuite fuel consumption rate then took the same engine to 2500rpm and put it under 30-40% load and recorded its gpm fuel consumption rate do u really think the 3000rpm free rev would be less fuel efficient?
i agree that lower rpm means theinjectors are open less times per minuite, but if u have to be at half throttle to cruise at 1500rpm and 1/8 to cruise at 3000rpm, ur gona get better gas mileage at 3000rpm
and i think the reason we steped up from powerglides is for the gearing, not for fuel economy. say ur cruising with a powerglide and ur at 2500 in second at 60, now u go to a hill and the motor starts lugging so it downshifts, now ur crusing at 60 at 5000rpm to maintain speed up a hill, with a conventional 4 speed the downshift would only take u to 3000 or so
(all above numbers are hypothetical)