99 camry: 5s-fe modding

so on my last ~2000 miles, i have averages 27.2 mpg out of my 99.

i want to increase that.

i also have some repairs that are MUCH needed to the exhaust system (muffer and tailpipe are pretty rotten, flex pipe shot, etc).

what im thinking is this, and i would LOVE the TN feedback from the guys that have actually done these kinds of mods, and then tracked the milage changes over longer term usage. also mods that im not thinking of would be great as well. not looking to spend a ton of money here, as the car has 237k on it now.

car is also an auto, been lowered a little bit. 215/55/16 tires.

ideas that im willing to try:

OBX header. i have a cali spec car, but live in NC. therefore it has 2 cats. im pretty sure the upstream cat at the manifold is pretty plugged up. im thinking that the header and a high flow single cat will pick my up probably 1-2 mpg alone. nut im worried about check engine lights, etc as we have the OBD testing here and a CEL will not allow me to pass. will run a cat in the stockish location inder the car. ideas?

high flow cat-back. i see the obx on e-bay every now and then. i know its ricerish. but for 200 bucks, its cheaper than most my other options. also thinking the pipe size and flow restriction will help pick me up some mpg.

higher flow intake system. i found some aluminum tubing style intakes on ebay that locate the air filter in the stock location and accept all the correct vacuum and vent hookups. im thinking k&N conical filter inside a heat shielded box, ducted to the inner fender wehere i can pick up outside air. if i can figure out the routing, maybe enven a ram air setup to the front bumper.

underbody aero cleanup. building a bellypan in on my idea list, front and rear.

underdrive pullies: are they even availible?

any im missing? not looking for max power, but better efficiency through tuning of what i already have. figure if the engine breathes better and has less parasitic losses, and less friction moving through the air, that i can get better milage on my 400 mile a week commute.

thanks

michael

In reply to Dusterbd13:

What about removing the balance shafts?

???? care to educate me on that one?

what about a carefully ported head? I ported my 4AFE head, and the mileage in my All-Trac Corolla went up by almost 9%, while power was boosted as well.

http://hachiroku.net/forums/showthread.php?t=24099 - Grunt's Lump

Dump low comp pistons in it, run super high pressure donuts, worst case scenario, run boost. Auto manufacturers are finally figuring it out.

What are "super high pressure donuts"?

Unless you didn't mean super high blood pressure donuts...

mndsm wrote: Dump low comp pistons in it, run super high pressure donuts, worst case scenario, run boost. Auto manufacturers are finally figuring it out.

Low compression? Higher compression engines (all else equal) are more efficient...

Low compression+boost. Power when you need it, minimal burn when you don't.

High pressure donuts=super skinny low rolling resistance tires, pumped to the limit of their abilities. Ecomodders are a silly bunch.

Meh, it's already fairly low compression.

I'd just do simple breathing mods with the knowledge that you're already fighting a losing battle because it's an auto. If it were a manual with i/h/e, it should have no problems getting mid 30s mpg.

You can boost the motor that's in it... 7psi on a basic CT26 setup using 3sgte manifolds and such seems to be easy, safe, and efficient.

92CelicaHalfTrac wrote: Meh, it's already fairly low compression. I'd just do simple breathing mods with the knowledge that you're already fighting a losing battle because it's an auto. If it were a manual with i/h/e, it should have no problems getting mid 30s mpg. You can boost the motor that's in it... 7psi on a basic CT26 setup using 3sgte manifolds and such seems to be easy, safe, and efficient.

Yep, autos suck. I curse every time when try to get over 26mpg on my Subaru. I know I can hit 30mpg if I had a manual. Also agree on the turbo bit. The 5sfe is similar enough to the 3sgte that you can do it easily.