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Have factory stock 1972 454 auto. After professional rebuild of carb my gas mileage has increased and is now 7 mph. (was 5). Will changing rear end gearing significantly help? Any suggestions? Thanks.
If the rear gears are stock, you most likely have 3.08 but an optional 3.36 was available. Both are considered economy/standard gearing, so changing out to something else isn't going to do much for you.
7 mpg is horrible if you don't have your foot in it like a 16 year old. When I used to check mpg, my '72 454, auto, got in the 13-15 range around town. I agree with Motorvation that a complete tune up is the first thing to look at. With the carb rebuild (what carb is it?) put in fresh plugs and run it for 50-100 miles, then pull and "read" them to see how the engine is performing as to air/fuel mix and combustion characteristics.