i'm new to world of scouts and am trying to find out all i can about my '76 scout11. First -- i know scouts aren't known for their mileage, but what can i do to improve mine(345ci w/holley 2 barrel)?? i'm not sure of the differential but everything is stock. any help appreciated

unfortunatly, without a gearing change, the best milage you will get may very well be 11mpg.... Im not positive on this though, its just what seems to be the case....

You might be able to find a after market overdrive unit if you search the internet enough, that way you could keep relatively low gears and still get some gas mileage.

Which transmission? 3spd 727 auto, 3spd stick, wide-box 4spd, close box 4spd? What size tires? Soft-top? Lift?

What kind of mileage are you getting right now that makes you want to get more? If you're doing better than 15mpg, just leave it be. If it's down around 10, you might be able to improve it.

A good tune-up is a good place to start. Use the Autolite 85 plugs.

Make sure the 2bbl is in proper working condition. Have the carb rebuilt, and have it tuned - make sure the accelerator pump and choke are both working just right (just enough acc pump, but not too much). Be sure it's jetted correctly.

Or.. better yet, instead of dealing with the 2bbl any longer, step up to a Holley 2D Digital ProJection fuel injection system with closed-loop. That would be the best solution for keeping the carb "in-tune"

A light right foot will go a long ways towards improving mileage. Keeping road-speed under 70mph helps my mileage a bunch.

I can do 16mpg at 65mph.. but 10mpg at 75mph. Granted, it's 10mpg empty or towing another Scout behind me, but it's still 10mpg. This is with a lift, soft-top, 33s, and 4.10 gears.

In town it's not that nice.. but I like stabbing the loud-pedal too much.

Where are you now so we have a baseline for improvement. And just how much money are you willing to pump into "improving fuel mileage"

The ProJection system is a bit under $1,000. How many gallons of gas do you need to burn at the improved fuel-mileage figure to SAVE $1,000 in fuel costs and make the investment worth while?

Remember, a new Exploder only does 17mpg or so.. and there's a $30k+ "investment" cost to get that extra 2mpg.

-Tom

TOM you said that you are running 33 inch tires. What kind of lift did you add and do you ever have any trouble with the rear tires rubbing. I have a 75 Scout II and I put a 4 inch suspension lift with 33-12.50 tires and by the looks of it the rear tires may rub the fenders. Please help!

>TOM you said that you are running 33 inch tires. What kind
> of lift did you add and do you ever have any trouble with
> the rear tires rubbing. I have a 75 Scout II and I put a 4
> inch suspension lift with 33-12.50 tires and by the looks of
> it the rear tires may rub the fenders. Please help!

I'm running a 4" Skyjacker Softride front spring. I originally had the 4" rear springs with 2" extended shackles. My 33s rubbed BADLY at the rear of the rear wheel well - not the fender lip itself, but the wheel-well itself (it's only 30.5" across).

I broke a spring perch off and bent the other one, so I tossed the Skyjacker rear springs (they didn't give me enough lift anyhow) and the extended shackles aside and went with a spring-over-axle on the rear end using stock rear leaf springs.

I moved the axle back 7/8" to position the tire a little better. It rubs LESS (particularly after all of the trimming I've done to the rear wheel wells), but still rubs. Bump stops or a 1" or 2" body lift would take care of the problem.

But.. my Scout needs some body work done anyhow. The front body mounts are getting worse, and I backed into a tree this Spring and got the passenger quarter panel and tailgate area pretty bad.

While I'm repairing the damage, I'm going to cut the rear wheel wells from side-to-side about half-way front-to-back. I'll then cut the floor and "slide" the rear half of the wheel wells rearward several inches. I'll then "section in" some metal to cover the new gap.

That'll stop the rubbing, and once I have my new suspension ready to go, it'll accomodate at least a set of 36s. :-) Heh heh.

You can find details on my rub and the trimming I did on my website under the FAQ/TechTips area.

While you're there, check out the "Racing" report from 10/7.. I nearly end-o'd my race truck..

-Tom
http://www.tmcom.com/~tsm1/scout/