Official Thread for posting daily FE updates

[MetroMPG]

So: how far can you P&G / CODFISH from a cold start in city driving without a water pump belt before the engine reaches operating temperature?

Answer: about 7.5 miles. (Ask me how I know.)

79.9 mpg (US) r.t. local driving in the pouring rain (otherwise I would have biked). It's the first time I've used the car since last weekend when my bungee water pump belt flew off. I forgot to replace it.

I didn't overheat - engine only reached a max of 190 F, where 192 is my normal. But I was wondering why I wasn't getting any heat out of the defroster after the temp gauge started rising near the end of my errands. Then the proverbial light bulb went on!

I wonder how much fuel I saved by not spinning the water pump uselessly for those 7.5 miles.

My gaslog 90-day figure is going to start sucking when the EV is finished and a larger proportion of my Blackfly driving shifts to highway use.

[Silveredwings]

So if you installed an inline electric water pump, or put an electric motor on the existing water pump, you could eliminate the belt altogether, no?

[theclencher]

Pretty sure I brought it up on another occasion, but the old-time Model T's and such had no water pumps- just a simple "thermosiphon" system that relied on a tall radiator and the principle that hot water rises to the top and as it was cooled by the radiator it circulates throughout the system. Perhaps removal of the thermostat and water pump would remove restrictions to that free flow and work with such a lightly loaded engine?

But yes I would imagine an electric pump would work, they are known and proven, but it does draw power.

[JanGeo]

You better think about the hot spots in the engine head without water moving around. How about a wind turbine on the water pump - if you vent to the front grill you should be able to get enough air flow to make it spin at moderate speeds.

[theclencher]

Or get into old VWs and Corvairs!

[DRW]

I agree that still water would let hot spots develop in the head, which would lead to trouble. I guess this is why modern cars use water pumps.

I wonder if the aero drag of a wind driven waterpump would be more than directly driving the pump off the motor? Is this an area that is already as good as it gets?

[kickflipjr]

396mile / 10.6gallon / 37.3mpg

Looks like I have plateaued in the 36-38 range.

I had some city on this tank and put the front belly pan on and the very end. But nothing that exciting.

[MetroMPG]

On the weekend trip to fetch the Forkenswift motor mount from the dead red car: 80.4 mpg (US), 27 mph avg., 53 mph max., 41.7 miles., drizzling & 5 degrees C ambient, P&G/CODFISH fest.

Trying to drag this lousy tank above 70 mpg. (Currently 67.x)

[zpiloto]

Have a good base now for the car. Last tank 32.2 MPG. Very pleased , this was just easy driving. Now to start using driving techniques and adding mods in earnest.

[MetroMPG]

Looking forward to watching the progress, Z.

--

Back out to fetch another Forkenswift part off the dead red car:

83.9 mpg (US), 27 mph avg., 51 mph max., 41.1 miles., drizzling & 9 degrees C / 48 F ambient, P&G/CODFISH fest. Unbelted alternator (like previous trip on the weekend).

I wonder how much of the 3.5 mpg / + 4.4% increase on this identical route to the last trip (on the weekend) is due to the higher temperature...

Getting closer to 70... This tank, according to the SG: 68.9