imyy4u

all -

i got the stock pzero's and i had a question with regards to manual shifting. if i shift at 6250 (stock redline) rpm from 1st to 2nd, i don't hear my tires squeal, or even chirp...does this mean i'm letting the clutch out too slowly or what? i hear stories of everyone breaking the rear loose on the 1-2 shift while stock, and that's not happening for me...just curious. maybe i'm going too easy on the clutch or letting it out too slowly...i mean what rpm should i shift at for maximum torque?

MusiccityGT

You are shifting way after the max torque. On a stock tune it is down around 4200 as I recall. You want to squeal 2nd, grab second hard at around 3500 to 4000.

imyy4u

so if i shift at like 4500rpm, and pop the clutch, i should squeal 2nd gear because of the slight drop in rpms down to like 4000. right??

modular81

The stock rev limiter is set at 6250 rpms so if you are shifting at this rpm on the stock tune this is probably the reason you aren't chirping the tires on gear changes. Hitting the rev limiter will cut fuel and kill the power and i've even heard the spanish oaks computer in the s197 will start to limit power as you aproach the rev limiter which is why most tuners raise the limiter up to 6600-6800 on custom tunes. This way you shift at say 6300 or 6400 rpms but still you are a 300-400rpms buffer from the rev limiter.

F1Fan

Hi imyy4u,

The short answer is if you have a stock S197GT with stock 3.55 gears your best accelleration and shortest time to speed will come shifting at whatever the maximum revs you can hit and not bounce off the revlimiter. Given your lack of experience I suggest that you start to shift when you see the tach approaching 6,000RPM. Don't granny shift, the RPM drop betwen 1st and 2nd is huge and when you shift at 6,000 the engine will drop way down to about 3,500RPM which is well below optimum for the power curve of the 3-valve motor.

The long answer is, LONG so I'll keep it terse. Basically you want to deliver as much power to the ground as possible. The way you do this is to look at your engine's power curves and transmission ratios to calculate what your power output will be for each RPM point on the curve. Ideally you need to shift when the power output of the transmission will be at approximately the same level after the shift has been completed. Due to engine speed limits and transmissions gear ratios this is not always possible but just get as close as possible and you will get the best results.

HTH

imyy4u

Who ever said I have a lack of experience? I am 25 and have been driving a manual for over 4 years, doing lots of racing at that. My best 1/4 mile is 13.498 and that's 100% stock with stock rubber and everything! So I'd hardly say I'm inexperienced.

I don't know if my tires are just gripping better that most people's or what, but I never chirp my tires. Even when I shift really fast and hard, that's why I asked this question. Maybe it's because my tires just spin and don't squeal and I don't notice it, or maybe I just have good grip - who knows. Anyway I will try shifting very quickly from 1st to 2nd at 6000 rpm and see what happens when I pop the clutch.

F1Fan

Hi imyy4u,


Dude, you're "25 and have been driving a manual for over 4 years." Trust me when I tell you that you lack experience if you don't know if your tires are spinning or not. The fact that you can't chirp the 1>2 shift suggests that you are granny shifting or that your clutch is slipping. When you shift from 1st to 2nd don't let the clutch out, stab the clutch pedal down quickly, make your shift and let the clutch pedal up as fast as you stabbed it, don't just sidestep the pedal, let it up as smoothly and as quickly as you can. Smoothness in the clutch and shifter helps drivetrain components to last longer and helps keep the car pointed in the right direction.

If you don't mind the possibility of drivetrain damage keep the gas pedal on the floor during your shifts and you will see a big improvment in ETs. But don't say I didn't warn you about potentially damaging your car's drive train. With a stock motor and stock motor mounts you may be able to powershift the 2># shift O.K. but be careful to NOT miss this shift or you may damage the tranny shift forks. If you want to powershift often get heavy duty motormounts and/or install a torque limiting strap or turnbuckle to prevent the shifter from binding during powershifting.


HTH

moosestang

If you have it to the floor in first gear, that's wide open throttle, you should spin second every time if you shift at 5k or above. That's shifting as quick as possible and letting the clutch out as quick as possible. I don't keep my foot on the gas either. I spin the hell out of second with just an intake and tune.

I can now chirp second shifting at almost any rpm if i'm at WOT before I shift.

06VistaBlue

I'm not being a smartazz but do you have traction control off?

RedGTyl

hmmmm my GT is bone stock and it down right breaks loose from the 1-2 shift and barks them into third at WOT.. and i shift at 6K... its not the fastest way probably (due to the traction loss) but its funny.

make sure the TCS is OFF and if you have wider tires, that could be the reason. the stock 235s on there are pretty insulting to our cars and just get roasted. Ford should have put wider tires on them! hehe [sm=burnout.gif]