I notice several of you have fuel pressure gauges mounted on your fuel rails. Could you please tell me what type of gauge I should be looking for, and what fittings it should come with.

I need to find out why my gas mileage is so bad. I just worked it out for the time period after unplugging my cat, and it's still only 15.5 mpg!  

This is ridiculous as I'm driving the GT like an old lady.

With a fuel pressure gauge installed I can at least check to see if my fuel injectors are suffering from leakdown.

Romeo wrote: If it makes you feel any better, I'm only getting 15MPG, and I've done all the "mileage mods" I can think of, short of an entire exhaust system upgrade.

No, it doesn't make me feel any better.

Some people get over 30 mpg with stock 2.8 - 3.4 engines in their Fieros. I'm not upset because I'm not getting that kind of mileage, but something is wrong when mine (and apparently yours) are getting HALF that!

I was getting better gas mileage than this years ago with my '78 Z28 Camaro with a high performance 350.

I don't understand why the 2.8L in a Fiero is so thirsty.  

Here's a fella from PFF with a 3.4 in his Fiero - 24 mpg city / 37 mpg highway

Originally posted by Dodgerunner from http://www.fiero.nl/forum/Forum2/HTML/072303-3.html#p108 - Here : I'm not sure how I lucked out on the mpg. Yes have the stock 4sp with syncro lube. The biggest thing I can think of is porting the heads, logs and Y pipe. Maybe just letting it breathe easier makes a lot of difference. Someone said it would not do that good but what can I say. I get a consistent 24 mpg driving to work across town. (which in Lincoln Ne is no big deal since it's not like a big city 11 stop signs and lights in the 10 miles between the house and work) Have made 6 trips between Omaha and Lincoln allowing me to check the mileage easily and am getting 37 mpg all the time. (100 miles round trip.) Believe the porting helped the power also. I can break the tires loose in second a bit on the hwy. But ya 1st is very low so you can burn them good there. I'm still tweaking the eprom. Still not satisfied and want idle a little leaner. I'm still running E10 all the time and only pings when the engine is at op temp and lower rpms.

Okay, we've gone off on a tangent here (mostly my fault), but the thread was supposed to be about fuel pressure gauges.

Whatcha got?

Patrick wrote: I notice several of you have fuel pressure gauges mounted on your fuel rails. Could you please tell me what type of gauge I should be looking for, and what fittings it should come with.

I have been too busy to post in this thread, but I have a spare min.

Gauge you want an oil filled 0-60 psi gauge.  The oil filled is so that the engine vibrations don't kill the gauge in less than a week.

Fittings, you are going to need at least 2 parts, a 90 elbow, and a joiner fitting. (not sure on the official name)  It is best if you take a spare fuel rail into Princess Auto/Mopac or Lordco.  The adapter we use, threads right onto the stock fuel pressure valve on the rail.  You must remove the schrader valve from inside it.  Pretty simple same as a valve stem. 

Once you have the schrader valve out.

Thread the gauge into the 90 elbow.  Then thread the elbow on the joiner.  Your joiner must have one end that can spin when loose.  Thread the solid end of the joiner into the elbow.  Now put your entire assembly onto the fuel rail and snug up.

    Someone commented on the Fiero being thirsty.  Well the main reason is the batch fire injection system.  It fires all 6 injectors at the same time, regardless of if a piston is even on the exhaust stroke. It still fires fuel at it.     Which leaves a lot of excess fuel getting spat out the tail pipe.

         I have found with a good aftermarket ignition system, I gained at least 3-4mpg from a tank.  I have recorded over 32mpg on my old V6 85GT 4spd car.  Which had a full MSD ignition (6AL box, Blaster II coil, superconductor wires, cap and rotor were all MSD)  Plus bumping the time from 10 degrees up to 12 degrees helped. 

Then the norm due a tune up every 3rd or 4th oil change.   Replace what looks bad, and clean what looks OK. Re-Gap the plugs and go on your way.   (stock ignition system, gap to .045, MSD coil, gap to .050 MSD Coil, MSD Box and MSD Wires and MSD Cap and Rotor, gap to .060)  The bigger the gap the bigger the spark, the bigger the spark, the better the better the burn in the combustion chamber) 

Dave, thanks very much on the fuel pressure gauge info. Just what I needed to hear!

Capt Fiero wrote: Someone commented on the Fiero being thirsty.  Well the main reason is the batch fire injection system.  It fires all 6 injectors at the same time, regardless of if a piston is even on the exhaust stroke. It still fires fuel at it.     Which leaves a lot of excess fuel getting spat out the tail pipe.

Are you saying the fuel injectors are spraying fuel during the exhaust stroke as well !!!????

I gotta go look that up. I can't believe it. That would be crazy!  Good gawd, if that's true it's no wonder the fuel economy sucks.

   No no no no no... I refuse to believe it!