The last energy crunch had the cost of gasoline doubling in short order. I decided that something needed to be done. The vehicle was a C20 model Chevrolet pickup with the standard 350 CI engine. The transmission was a granny 1st gear 4 speed.
Crane Cams in Florida claimed they developed an "Economy Camshaft" for the 350.
So I purchased the cam and new hydraulic valve lifters. I did an "in frame" overhaul with 70K miles. The heads were completely gone through.
Bottom line was a reduction in power with zero gain in economy.
Now before you get your dander up, read on...
Disgusted, I purchased a brand new OEM cam and lifter set from Chevrolet parts.
The power returned and the gas mileage never changed.
End of reinventing the wheel engine wise.
I changed the differential gearset to an automatic transmission ratio. From 4:10 to 3:70
That bought mileage from a flat 13 to 15.5 mpg. And yes, the speedometer gear was changed.
My grand experiment with the engine utterly failed.
A later radical upgrade with an LPG only engine worked however.
