Back to Brickley's claims, a fuel economy improvement of 15-20% by reducing engine friction is impossible, because engine friction only accounts for 10% of fuel consumption.

http://www1.eere.energy.gov/vehiclesandfuels/pdfs/deer_2007/session9/deer07_fenske.pdf

See slide 2 at the link. You can find more interesting work by googling:
friction site:energy.gov

They must have been the guys that ran Pinball Pete's in East Lansing, Michigan. I played there in the late 70s. It's still there, I think.