So yeah, last few tanks of mixed driving, I've been averaging 20-22mpg. I haven't actually measured and calculated that I've gotten 22, but yeah. Last tank was 21.5 mpg, and the thing is, that includes idling around in traffic in first gear pretty much for an hour or so, hard acceleration around town and in the country side a little bit as well, and high speed highway travel, we're talking, maintaining a good 65-85mph on the highway, with many bursts to pass here and there. With an m40! So, that's maintaining 3600rpm up to 4700rpm, and a short burst or two to 90mph(~5krpm)... Imagine if I had an electric engine fan, an overdrive, my car was lowered and had a spoiler underneath the bumper, and me taking it easy on the car and just holding a 75 mph cruise... Thoughts of really decent mileage pop into my head. But that's not the case here, I'm just thinking that 21.5mph in those kind of conditions are pretty damn decent! Makes me happy. Now there are a few things I need to play with the carbs a bit more, but overall, it's running great, even though the engine gives me the impression like it's on it's last legs. I guess when I take the direct cooling fan off, and get a different exhaust manifold on there, it'll sound like it's not getting thrashed so much. Right now there's an exhaust leak around the current exhaust manifold that I'm going to try and swap back to my other exhaust manifold and see if that cures it. But i'm going to have to cut some washers to even out the mounting surfaces... Which isn't fun, nor the way I want to go so much, but whatever...

Pictures! Note the free labor... Hehehe


Clean wheel:

Dirty wheel:


It's stained on, and I need to get an extension on my exhaust because it ends a few inches too early and get's this dirty too:

Damage from late last year when some girl hit me in my parking lot, yet I'm considered at fault, and dumb story... And gas stains because the gas guys suck here:

And then Brake Booster revisted! So, how am I supposed to get the two bolt master cylinder bolted into the four bolts for the brake booster-firewall? It's definitely not just an unbolt and bolt up situation. Maybe drill some new holes for the master cylinder on the firewall and reinforce the area or something? Or maybe just leave the booster in place because it seems to not want to be without it by looking at it. And actually, I hooked up my brake booster the other night, not with a very tight seal, but then again, the thing leaks around that nipple anyway, see all that silicone or whatever? Not a great seal... Anywho, it barely made a difference, it would only come into effect after having your foot on the brakes for about 10 seconds or more and then the pedal would drop a little bit when the assist would start helping. Whatever, it's more direct and easier to feel without the assist. It would be better with a good one, but I don't care that much.



Then here's a picture I took after a couple hundred miles. The shiny wheels and trim rings REALLY makes the car look good.(well, as good as it can anyway)


And then here's an underhood shot, new radiator cap, and the current vacuum hose layout. Note the lack of any sort of PCV valve, or flame trap... So far no problems. I actually thought about switching the two hoses, so the one on the cap goes to the air filter housing, and the breather box goes to the intake manifold, don't know yet though. Ideas? The breather box lets out a GOOD amount of fumage, and I was thinking that going into the intake manifold would be better because then all that oily fumage would not have to go through the carbs. The only thing holding me back, if there is anything, is the fact that putting more of a vacuum on there would cause it to suck out more oil and my car will consume oil quite a bit. There is what I guess you would call a bit of blowby, what's making me think that this engine is on it's way out. I need to check the compression again, see where it's at after the seafoam and water torture treatment that cleand out the carbon, and maybe gave the rings a hard time as well........


Thoughts? Comments? Advice? Experiences? Stories? Always enjoyed! =D
--
Kyle E.
VP of Membership and Website Administrator
Oregon Volvo Tuners
Portland/Corvallis, OR - 1968 142 - 71b20b SUs, m40, ask me for more info...