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By Danny - 10 Years Ago
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What is the typical gas miles per gallon for a 1956 Fairlane with a 292 V-8 and fordomatic transmission? I have a 4 barrel Holley 4160 carb (not the original) and getting 9-10 miles per gallon. Should I have the carb looked at/rebuilt? Anything else I should get checked?
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By charliemccraney - 10 Years Ago
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Which distributor do you have?
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By Danny - 10 Years Ago
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I looks like a 1957 dist. with a straight lever with points and condenser.
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By Ted - 10 Years Ago
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14-17 mpg should be the norm assuming the engine is in decent mechanical condition and isn’t in need of a tuneup. At this point, double check that the timing is set correctly and that both the mechanical and vacuum advance curves are working. Those can be verified using the timing light. The ball bearing plate advance curve distributors are notorious for that ball bearing plate to either lock up or act erractically and may require a disassembly to free it up. The mechanical advance curve weights under it can also get in a position of not working freely depending upon the how the distributor has been stored or used. The carburetor itself is highly suspect at this point but it may need more than a kit depending upon exactly which carb it is and what the original application for it was. More information at this point would help.
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By Danny - 10 Years Ago
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The carb is a classic Holley Model 4160 465 cfm, part no. 0-1848-1. From the Holley website, It has a hot air choke, vacuum secondaries and calibrated and intended for small V-8 engines. I do have a Cardone 30-2808 distributor and Pertronix III module that I can install in the near future.
Should I have the Holley rebuilt?
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By Ted - 10 Years Ago
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While the carburetor may not be physically flooding, air bleeds being dirty or the power valve leaking fuel past the threads, gasket, or diaphragm can still require the carburetor to be serviced. If rebuilding the carb, then be sure that the metering gasket surfaces on the main body are not warped and that the power valve itself does not bottom out prematurely within the main body PV cavity. That List #1848 Holley 4V is a good choice for most stock Y-Blocks when all is well and that particular carb has been noted for 20+ mpg when all is well.
Before getting too involved with the carburetor I’ll suggest that the basic tuneup be visited. That means putting a timing light to the engine and verifying that both advance curves are working properly. Running a compression test on the engine will also rule out a majority of mechanical issues that could be present. Rebuilding the carb at this point may not come close to solving your problem without first checking some of the basics.
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By 2721955meteor - 10 Years Ago
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I have 4 1957 and later distributors,old typ as well as newer,non have vacume advance with strait arm on vacume advance. sounds like you have a vacume only dist,i have 1 dit off 55 272 it has a strait lever on advance. why i have so maney ,mark and i have bin playing with converting to ford dura spark. mine has worked well for 6 months,have a spare readey.
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By Ted - 10 Years Ago
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2721955meteor (8/2/2015)
I have 4 1957 and later distributors, old type as well as newer, none have vacuum advance with straight arm on vacume advance. Sounds like you have a vacuum only dist, I have 1 dif off 55 272, it has a straight lever on advance. Why I have so many, Mark and I have been playing with converting to ford dura spark. Mine has worked well for 6 months, have a spare ready.
Cliff. The Y and FE distributors with the ball bearing advance plate (1957-1959) will have the vacuum chambers using the straight arm. The Y distributors with the pivot style vacuum plate (1960 & newer) used the crooked arm vacuum chambers.
Here’s a picture of each.
 
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By 314 - 10 Years Ago
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its to bad the old teapot in many cases has seen its day.nothing gives gas milage like them.the little 56 2 bbl would give the same.
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By stlroken - 10 Years Ago
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The Vin on my says a 312 but I'm told that at some point the previous owner put in another engine and I'm not sure if it was a 292 or 312. I have the orginal dist usually burn premiuim. It has the T-pot and out on the highway I pull 18 mpg at 65 mph. I've had time when it been as low as 14 but that was in lots of hills. I'm really happy with the way it runs so I'm NOT changing it. Hope this helps
Jim Dahk
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By paul2748 - 10 Years Ago
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In my 56 Bird (modified teapot, 57 distributor, pertronix) I get around 15.5 to 16.5 at highway speeds (65). Just came back from a 400 mile (one way) trip and that is what I got.
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By Talkwrench - 10 Years Ago
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Im running an 8.5 power valve [economy valve] in my 450, 58 jets , green pump cam, I too have the lighting 3 setup. Sorry cant tell you mileage but it aint special .. don't think a car that heavy taking off in second gear [basically] will get great mileage.. ?? Depends on how you drive ; o )
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By charliemccraney - 8 Years Ago
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Have you spent any time tuning?
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By MoonShadow - 8 Years Ago
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On a recent trip from New Hampshire to Massachusetts I gassed up on the way out of town. When I got back I noticed the odometer turned 100 miles almost exactly by the same station I'd used earlier. I decided it was a good point to check the mileage. To my great surprise it took only 5.8 gallons, that's about 17.2 miles per gallon with my new supercharged Ted Eaton motor. WOW! No massive power runs but I had to play with it a bit. Just couldn't resist a little display of acceleration now and then. 
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By Lou - 8 Years Ago
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My bone stock 56 Crown Vic 64B , 292, standard no overdrive, 4;10 gears (original owner towed a boat with it) gave me 10 mpg city, and about 12.5 highway.
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By 56_Fairlane - 8 Years Ago
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Would an Autolite 4100 with 1.08 venturies get better mileage than a stock T-pot on a 292 with Fordomatic?
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By slumlord444 - 8 Years Ago
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I have been runnng an E dual quad setup since 1966. Worse I go was 9 around town. Best was a little over 17 on a T Bird Club economy run. Your milage may varry.
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By DryLakesRacer - 8 Years Ago
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My 56 292 automatic best with the stock Holley and Load-matic was 12, same with a Carter WCFB from a 53 Cadillac (small base 331") and newer distributor. Dual quads, WCFB's, get 10+, all in town driving. I'll not go back.
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By PF Arcand - 8 Years Ago
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Assuming that the distributor is a 1957, John Mummert pointed out recently in Y-Block magazine, that the 57-58 distributors have an aggresive centrifical advance curve, because those 2 yrs specified intial at 3 degrees. Apparently setting the initial at 8 degrees or more can cause problems with detonation. Would it also have any effect on Mileage?
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By charliemccraney - 8 Years Ago
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Too much or too little timing will reduce mileage since the engine will not be performing optimally.
Everything else equal, another carb generally will not increase or decrease mileage. The reason being that the engine needs a certain a/f ratio for best performance or economy. If the engine gets that ratio, then there will be no difference, regardless of the carb because it's getting the exact same amount of fuel and air.
There is a range that is generally acceptable for the a/f ratio of any engine. If one carb is tuned closer to the performance ratio and the other is tuned closer to the economy ratio, then you will see a difference, but that is the tune, not the carb.
Long story short, you need to tune. There is no such thing as bolt on and go if it is maximum performance or economy that you are after. The best way to tune a carb is to use an oxygen sensor. It saves loads of time vs plug reading and allows you to see exactly what is happening in real time under various conditions, making it real easy to determine what needs to be done. Get the book "How to Super Tune Holley Carburetors." Obviously tuning will be modern Holley specific, but the theory applies to any carb.
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By Dave5564 - 8 Years Ago
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I have a 1955 Ford Customline 2 dr. with the 272. Using the later distributor and 57 manifold. Running a jetted down 600 Edelbrock. With stick and overdrive and 4:89 gears. Got back from Montana and got between 21 and 22 mpg.
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By Gene Purser - 8 Years Ago
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Dave5564 (11/3/2017)
I have a 1955 Ford Customline 2 dr. with the 272. Using the later distributor and 57 manifold. Running a jetted down 600 Edelbrock. With stick and overdrive and 4:89 gears. Got back from Montana and got between 21 and 22 mpg.
could you share the number of the combination of jet/metering rod you are using?
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By Lord Gaga - 8 Years Ago
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My 57 Ranchero has a +.040 312 with an Isky RPM 300 cam, late style magnetic pick up distributor triggering a 4 pin HEI module, 3 speed overdrive, 4.30 rear gear and a 735 cfm Holley with stock jetting on a modified B manifold. My odometer has been verified with a GPS. I'm getting 16.5 mpg on 89 octane combined city and highway.....includes 'getting on it' on a regular basis.
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By Ted - 8 Years Ago
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Dave5564 (11/3/2017)
I have a 1955 Ford Customline 2 dr. with the 272. Using the later distributor and 57 manifold. Running a jetted down 600 Edelbrock. With stick and overdrive and 4:89 gears. Got back from Montana and got between 21 and 22 mpg.
Did you mean 3.89:1 rear gears?
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By Dave5564 - 8 Years Ago
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My mistake, 3:89 gears. Sorry.
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By Dave5564 - 8 Years Ago
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Have the carb off now building new motor. Will check jets and rods and let you know. Have run this set up about 10 yrs seems to work great.
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By Dave5564 - 8 Years Ago
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The jets are .086 primarys and .090 secondarys. Used 6755 metering rods and looks like orange springs. Hope this helps.
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By Gene Purser - 8 Years Ago
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Dave5564 (11/4/2017)
Have the carb off now building new motor. Will check jets and rods and let you know. Have run this set up about 10 yrs seems to work great.
Yes, Thank you! If I might ask you one more question, What is the model number of your carb stamped on the base?
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By Dave5564 - 8 Years Ago
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The carb is a 1406.
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By Gene Purser - 8 Years Ago
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Thank you. I asked because that combination is in the tune up chart for a 500 CFM carb. You never know what might work until you try it. Thanks for the information.
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By Dave5564 - 8 Years Ago
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It is a little different than the 500. Had to go down a little in the secondary's from .095 to .090 to keep from bogging down, also went from .065 x.052. to .067 x.055, seem to make a difference. Built a new motor using .060 312 pistons in a 292 block, so will have to do some more experimenting to get it right "Maybe".
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By John Didde - 8 Years Ago
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I have a 56 Merc rebuilt 312 If i didn't have loud pipes I would a get a lot better mileage, of course I put my foot in the carburetor and I don't have any idea of the mileage and I don't care. Love the old girl it runs and drives great, makes happy when I drive it.
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