96's weren't the best on gas milage. They do wear belts and clutches quick and that will just make things worse, keep a good belt on it and keep the deflection adjusted, check your primary, when the primary starts going that thing will over shift and use lots of gas. Also, since they wear belts alot, the belt dust always seems to end up in the mouth of the carb, if you look at the lower mouth of the carb and it's all black and dirty, clean it, there is an air jet at the bottom which when it gets dirt in it causes the carbs to go rich quick. That sled just needs a little more TLC than most.