Setting up a coach for jamie, not a bus but kinda a bus with training wheels lol

[cody]

I'm pulling out of storage a 1978 Revcon for Jamie to use, it's in very good shape and am consulting with several people on how to improve the gas mileage, what does this have to do with a bus? not much other than she is working her way up to one, one step at a time lol.  The revcon has a toronado front wheel drive style system that has been over built and a 403 gasser coupled to an automatic tranny.  The body is all aluminum and the title lists the weight at around 6500 pounds so for about a 30 ft motorhome with a big block, it handles like a sports car and has massive power reserves but no fuel economy at about 5 MPG.

[Busted Knuckle]

Cody 1st off I'll bet $ that weight is light!

2nd if you don't use the secondaries on it the 4 barrel carb should get reasonable mileage.

3rd Cool!
  BK 

[Don Fairchild]

Cody;

Thanks for the kind words. First change the timing gears and chain. In the early 70's the manufactures used retarded mimic gears and depending on the manufacture they were either 4 deg or 6 deg retarded. Go get a double chain and gear mimic set from cloyes or equivalent and install them TDC then make the exhaust changes with an X pipe in the system. You might see if you could find or have made a set of try Y headers they will work a bunch better. Hope this helps

Don

p.s tell that slave driver next to you we all need get together again may be next year some time.

[Len Silva]

About a year ago, I rented the largest U-Haul truck, a 24 foot GMC Gasser.  Not having driven a late model gas truck, I was amazed at the power and fuel economy of this rig, and I was quite heavy.  I don't know what engine it had but it was a very pleasant horse to drive.

I don't know if there is anything in this that might help you.  I can only say that having only driven diesels for quite a few years, I was impressed.

[Busted Knuckle]

Hey Don,
If he's replacing timing chain and gears, he could change to a set of Pete Jackson gear drives and it'd sound like a blower! (just thought at least it's sound cool!)
  BK 

[cody]

Don, wouldn't advancing the distributor do pretty much the same thing? this is a 1978 engine, I've also got a line on a set of headers and exhaust made for this engine in revcons, just haven't gotten the price yet for them. To get at the front of the engine isn't an easy task, it involves complete disassembly of the front of the coach, removal of the grill, radiator, all the goodies.

[Len Silva]

I'm confused, are there two different Cody's here? I thought you were supposed to be on the couch for while.  I think most parts involved in disassembling the front of the coach are way more than five pounds.  Take care of yourself!

[bevans6]

Cam timing and ignition timing are two different things.  Retarding the cam timing delays the valve timing events and reduces torque and power down low.  Putting it back to TDC on valve overlap puts the cam back where it should be.  Then you set the ignition timing where it wants to be for best power, and away you go.

Brian

[Busted Knuckle]

Cody,
Don, & Brian are correct in-order to advance/restore the cam/crank timing the cam needs re-timed.
Be sure to be sitting down when you get those prices on the headers & exhaust system.
  BK 

[robertglines1]

had a 78 Buick with a 455..18mpg at 70 mph.4800 lbs..have found the Holley replacement for the quadrajet does help fuel milage a bunch.have a ton truck 6800 lb with a 454 gets 12 mpg with a quadrajet...the old 500 inch heavy Cadillac got 18 to 20mpg at over 4200 lbs..just observations....Bob

[cody]

Len the wireless reaches the couch so I'm still legal lol.  I'd rather not get involved in tearing apart the engine unless I have too, the engine runs great, my only complaint is the gas mileage, I do have to replace the exhaust manifold gaskets, I bought copper replacements from cinnabar engineering in sandusky michigan, they bought a lot of the engineering rights to a bunch of the revcon and gmc parts, the copper gaskets are supposed to be a huge improvement over the old fiber ones, I've already replaced the drivers side one and am soaking the nuts on the studs for the passenger side when I noticed the mufflers are looking bad, the present system is a set of duels with a equalizer tube so marty said he can supply all that stuff and that includes the new headers, he said the present system is a 2 inch pipe and said I have to go bigger to a 2 1/2 inch pipe, thats a good starting point, next I'm going to replace the brake pads and rotors on the front and back hubs, yes, it has disk brakes all around, I like it to go fast but I like it to stop too and I looked at the front calipers and the pads could have more meat. It also came with the bigger square headlights, not bad for 1978 lol.

[cody]

Talked to marty again, he said that he prefers to fit and install the headers on his lift in san diego so it looks like I'm going to look locally for the components, it appears that breathing is the critical part and the revcons were built with the 2 inch piping thats too small for the job, main thing is 'bigger is better'. So now I'm going to slide under the beast and see how much working room I have and if any obtructions are in the way, then find a good set of headers and go from there.  I also found out yesterday that it appears my gas/electric refrig is toast, only lasted 33 years, I guess it's hard to find good stuff, the fridge is built into a cabinet but the hole is 25 inches wide, has a dedicated outlet at the back, and is plenty deep with a available height range up to 70 inches tall  so I'm thinking I can find a household style that'll fit. Lots of small things to do before I bring the beast into town to play with but did get the hysterical plate for it so it's good for 10 years now, 10 years for 30 bucks is a good deal lol. Lots of stuff to do, marty has the weatherstripping channel in the proper size for the sliding windows so I'm going to order a bunch of that, it'll stop the air noise from the windows and Jamie said she wants to replace the carpeting with something that came out within the last decade or so so I'll order a roll of MLV to put under it for some additional soundproofing.  All fun stuff.  One thing I need thoughts on tho is the metal handle that was glued to the drivers window keeps comming off, I've replaced it many times over the years using every kind of glue I could find from the kind you glue up rear view mirrors to the windshield to epoxy and have never found one that will hold and being tempered glass I'm told it can't be drilled, so ideas are welcome.

[cody]

Finally a bit of good luck, as a matter of fact I'm very concerned when something is too perfect, I found a refigerator on the Lowes site that has what appears to be the exact deminsions of the one that is in the revcon, the one at lowes is only electric but looks like an exact fit, now thats scary.

[Jerry32]

That is a fun machine so good luck on getting her restored to running condition. I owned on several years back with a 455 init and seems to me I got around 12 MPG. I still have some stuff for working on the wheel bearings laying around somewhere. Jeerry

[cody]

Jerry, it runs out perfectly, my only problem is getting the gas mileage up where it should be, but it starts and runs great down the road, I need to do some interior updates but not that much.  It's very usable as it sits but I'd like to buff out the paint and freshen it, new weather strip channel in the sliding windows to make them work smoothly, update the carpeting, stuff like that but other than the refrige not working it's is perfectly usable as it is.