Not bad for a "shake-down" cruise! Good luck getting back, hope you don't find any more little things (and definitely no big ones!) wrong! The mileage is typical for a 196. It won't get you anywhere to quickly, but once it's pulling on the road it chugs right along. OD wouldn't have helped mileage on the highway -- maybe one more MPG. I know it seems like it would, but with OD the rear axle ratio is dropped significantly. OD is mainly used so you can run a low geared (big number) rear axle. Take-offs and towing capacity is increased, and OD keeps you from losing any gas mileage. It helps a bit on mileage in town by not straining the engine so much on take-offs due to a high geared rear axle. If you left the same high gears in and just dropped in OD you would get WORSE mileage due to straining the engine at cruising speeds. I tried it with my 4.6L. It would pull a 3.08 axle just fine, but cruising speed was below the power band (around 1600 rpm @70-75 mph). With 3.55 gears it gets BETTER mileage, about 2 mpg better, and runs better too. --------------- Date: Mon, 8 Oct 2007 23:38:09 -0700 (PDT) From: d stohler <das24rules@xxxxxxxxx> tues around noon centeral i head out on my almost 400 mile treck back home. i was able to get a radiator hose to replace the old one. i was also able to just replace the speedo cable core. i need to look for a new case also. i can do that later. for now, it is all working again. i only checked my fuel milage when i started out for the first 100 miles or so. i was getting 24 mpg at 65-70 mph with 196/t96 and NO o/d. wish i did have the o/d. i have seen NO old cars here in this area i am in. lots of looks. i love it. hope to make it home just as uneventful as i made it here. getting about 14-16 mpg in town, and 24 or so out on the highway at 65 mph. how does that compare to other peoples fuel milage with this engine/trans combo. it is in a 62 classic by the way. take care. wish me luck on my trip home and thru texas/ft worth traffic.....(enter select profanity here) -- Frank Swygert Publisher, "American Motors Cars" Magazine (AMC) For all AMC enthusiasts http://farna.home.att.net/AMC.html (free download available!) _______________________________________________ Amc-list mailing list Amc-list@xxxxxxxxxxxx http://www.amc-list.com/mailman/listinfo/amc-list