Some questions I have
06-29-2006, 06:45 PM
#11
2nd Gear Member
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: Chicagoland
Posts: 204
RE: Some questions I have
ORIGINAL: randy78045
you should take up teaching... very good... 
ORIGINAL: CMCs05pony
Headers are sets of tubes that feed exhaust from each cylinder into the exhaust pipes. Horsepower gains for our v6 with headers alone are small. but they're still pretty cool!! people change to headers for increaseed exhaust flow, but again... the stock ones on our engine are well designed and adding headers to say, a dual exhaust setup won't add much hp... maybe some volume to the exhaust note!
Heads are basically the "covers" for the cylinders on your engine. the combustion takes place inside the cylinder, below the cylinder heads.
Gears...
The engine feeds its rotational power through the transmission and into the driveshaft. The driveshaft connects to the pinion gear in your rear differential. The pinion gear drives the ring gear sending power to your wheels. Gear sets are numbered with ratios... a 3.73 gear set means that the ratio of turns from the pinion gear to the ring gear is 3.73 to 1. A "shorter" gearset has a higher number. (ex 4.10 is shorter than 3.73) Shorter gears will increase the number of rpms of the driveshaft required to produce a certain rotational speed of the wheels.
example. in 5th gear at 60 mph... 4.10 gears will have your engine running at a higher rpm than 3.73 gears. Both 3.73 and 4.10 (the most common ratios available for the 7.5 inch Ford rear dif) are shorter than stock, which I think is around 3.5. The different gear ratios basically serve the purpose of getting you into your engine's powerband faster.
Headers are sets of tubes that feed exhaust from each cylinder into the exhaust pipes. Horsepower gains for our v6 with headers alone are small. but they're still pretty cool!! people change to headers for increaseed exhaust flow, but again... the stock ones on our engine are well designed and adding headers to say, a dual exhaust setup won't add much hp... maybe some volume to the exhaust note!
Heads are basically the "covers" for the cylinders on your engine. the combustion takes place inside the cylinder, below the cylinder heads.
Gears...
The engine feeds its rotational power through the transmission and into the driveshaft. The driveshaft connects to the pinion gear in your rear differential. The pinion gear drives the ring gear sending power to your wheels. Gear sets are numbered with ratios... a 3.73 gear set means that the ratio of turns from the pinion gear to the ring gear is 3.73 to 1. A "shorter" gearset has a higher number. (ex 4.10 is shorter than 3.73) Shorter gears will increase the number of rpms of the driveshaft required to produce a certain rotational speed of the wheels.
example. in 5th gear at 60 mph... 4.10 gears will have your engine running at a higher rpm than 3.73 gears. Both 3.73 and 4.10 (the most common ratios available for the 7.5 inch Ford rear dif) are shorter than stock, which I think is around 3.5. The different gear ratios basically serve the purpose of getting you into your engine's powerband faster.
06-29-2006, 06:50 PM
#12
2nd Gear Member
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: Chicagoland
Posts: 204
RE: Some questions I have
ORIGINAL: onefastv6
headers are what take the air out of the engine (we have two on each side) our stock headers are called "manifolds"
and the piping is smaller meaning less air can come out or the longer it will take . by upgrading your manifold with headers more air come out in a free flow. resulting in more hp and tq.
gears:
when you hear the car shift its going into a new gear a taller one. or maybe a shorter one when downshifting. In first gear our gearing lets us go about 45 mph in second 65 or something its just like a bigger pulley the bigger the pulley the slower the engine rotates. and if the engine can only rotate so fast thats why you need to shift so you can go faster. bassically the lower the gear ratio 3.73 or 4.10s the faster you will exelerate higher the slower 3.30 like our stock 05-06 autos so by upgrading to 4.10s we will be faster but shift ewarlier and have a lower top speed.
hope that helped you at all. later somebody will give you a link that wll explain it alot better than me.-jim
headers are what take the air out of the engine (we have two on each side) our stock headers are called "manifolds"
and the piping is smaller meaning less air can come out or the longer it will take . by upgrading your manifold with headers more air come out in a free flow. resulting in more hp and tq.
gears:
when you hear the car shift its going into a new gear a taller one. or maybe a shorter one when downshifting. In first gear our gearing lets us go about 45 mph in second 65 or something its just like a bigger pulley the bigger the pulley the slower the engine rotates. and if the engine can only rotate so fast thats why you need to shift so you can go faster. bassically the lower the gear ratio 3.73 or 4.10s the faster you will exelerate higher the slower 3.30 like our stock 05-06 autos so by upgrading to 4.10s we will be faster but shift ewarlier and have a lower top speed.
hope that helped you at all. later somebody will give you a link that wll explain it alot better than me.-jim
06-29-2006, 07:15 PM
#13
3rd Gear Member
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: Langley, BC Canada
Posts: 537
RE: Some questions I have
ORIGINAL: CMCs05pony
Ken,
shorter gears like 4.10 will improve your gas mileage when driving around town, but would hurt it slightly if you do a lot of highway driving because the engine is in top gear and running at a higher rpm than it would be with taller gears like the stock ones. from the description you gave about your driving conditions, I would def. go for 4.10's... you'll get that extra acceleration you're after.
ORIGINAL: Ken Rogers
Very interesting about the gears, thank you. I was wondering if gears are something I would get any benefit from. I don't race, but I like having acceleration available when needed.
Basically, I seldom get my car into 5th. Pretty sad, but I rarely go above 75mph because of traffic. Would 3.73's give me better acceleration? I'm thinking if I had shorter gears, I'd use 5th gear more often which might even give me better mileage (???).
Ken
Very interesting about the gears, thank you. I was wondering if gears are something I would get any benefit from. I don't race, but I like having acceleration available when needed.
Basically, I seldom get my car into 5th. Pretty sad, but I rarely go above 75mph because of traffic. Would 3.73's give me better acceleration? I'm thinking if I had shorter gears, I'd use 5th gear more often which might even give me better mileage (???).
Ken
shorter gears like 4.10 will improve your gas mileage when driving around town, but would hurt it slightly if you do a lot of highway driving because the engine is in top gear and running at a higher rpm than it would be with taller gears like the stock ones. from the description you gave about your driving conditions, I would def. go for 4.10's... you'll get that extra acceleration you're after.
06-29-2006, 07:26 PM
#14
2nd Gear Member
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: Chicagoland
Posts: 204
RE: Some questions I have
not a do it yourself-er. any speed shop should be able to do it. I think Ford dealers should also be able to. If you buy Ford Racing brand gears and have Ford do the install, the warranty might hold up??
my advice would be to get a magazine like "modified mustangs" (one of our fellow v6'ers is featured this month) Those mags are chalk-full of ads for everything from gears to body kits. you'll find at least a dozen places to buy gears there. many of this forum's sponsors also sell them. expect to pay between 150 and 200 bucks for the set
also, our v6 stangs only send power to the rear, passenger side tire. buying a limited slip differential (Ford Racing brand T-LOK) will send power to both rear tires and it would be very convenient to have the gears replaced and the LSD installed at the same time. most people who have gone forward with lots of modifications have a limited slip installed. The part again costs around $150-$200.
My guess would be about $400 to have the gears changed and the LSD installed.
I speak from no actual experience buying these parts or paying to have them installed... not yet. Others can give you a more realistic cost estimate for the whole project.
EDIT: my car is a daily driver. my commute is 40 miles each way, speeds ranging from 10 mph to 70 mph. I'm getting 4.10's. The fuel economy won't suffer that much. Your link is exactly the parts we're talking about
my advice would be to get a magazine like "modified mustangs" (one of our fellow v6'ers is featured this month) Those mags are chalk-full of ads for everything from gears to body kits. you'll find at least a dozen places to buy gears there. many of this forum's sponsors also sell them. expect to pay between 150 and 200 bucks for the set
also, our v6 stangs only send power to the rear, passenger side tire. buying a limited slip differential (Ford Racing brand T-LOK) will send power to both rear tires and it would be very convenient to have the gears replaced and the LSD installed at the same time. most people who have gone forward with lots of modifications have a limited slip installed. The part again costs around $150-$200.
My guess would be about $400 to have the gears changed and the LSD installed.
I speak from no actual experience buying these parts or paying to have them installed... not yet. Others can give you a more realistic cost estimate for the whole project.
EDIT: my car is a daily driver. my commute is 40 miles each way, speeds ranging from 10 mph to 70 mph. I'm getting 4.10's. The fuel economy won't suffer that much. Your link is exactly the parts we're talking about
06-29-2006, 07:26 PM
#15
3rd Gear Member
Join Date: Jul 2005
Location: san diego
Posts: 801
RE: Some questions I have
ORIGINAL: CMCs05pony
that's a pretty good description of how the transmission works... the pulley analogy was good. but it's a common misconception that a shorter gearset will lower top speed. this is not true. the engine will just have to run at a higher rpm to reach the same top speed.
ORIGINAL: onefastv6
headers are what take the air out of the engine (we have two on each side) our stock headers are called "manifolds"
and the piping is smaller meaning less air can come out or the longer it will take . by upgrading your manifold with headers more air come out in a free flow. resulting in more hp and tq.
gears:
when you hear the car shift its going into a new gear a taller one. or maybe a shorter one when downshifting. In first gear our gearing lets us go about 45 mph in second 65 or something its just like a bigger pulley the bigger the pulley the slower the engine rotates. and if the engine can only rotate so fast thats why you need to shift so you can go faster. bassically the lower the gear ratio 3.73 or 4.10s the faster you will exelerate higher the slower 3.30 like our stock 05-06 autos so by upgrading to 4.10s we will be faster but shift ewarlier and have a lower top speed.
hope that helped you at all. later somebody will give you a link that wll explain it alot better than me.-jim
headers are what take the air out of the engine (we have two on each side) our stock headers are called "manifolds"
and the piping is smaller meaning less air can come out or the longer it will take . by upgrading your manifold with headers more air come out in a free flow. resulting in more hp and tq.
gears:
when you hear the car shift its going into a new gear a taller one. or maybe a shorter one when downshifting. In first gear our gearing lets us go about 45 mph in second 65 or something its just like a bigger pulley the bigger the pulley the slower the engine rotates. and if the engine can only rotate so fast thats why you need to shift so you can go faster. bassically the lower the gear ratio 3.73 or 4.10s the faster you will exelerate higher the slower 3.30 like our stock 05-06 autos so by upgrading to 4.10s we will be faster but shift ewarlier and have a lower top speed.
hope that helped you at all. later somebody will give you a link that wll explain it alot better than me.-jim
use 5th gear more often which might even give me better mileage (???).
06-29-2006, 07:27 PM
#16
3rd Gear Member
Join Date: Jul 2005
Location: san diego
Posts: 801
06-29-2006, 08:43 PM
#18
1st Gear Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location:
Posts: 128
RE: Some questions I have
Wow thanks guys. I understand the heads. ANd I understand the headers. The only thing I am confused about on the headers though is why get them? Is it just for sound?
The gears are still a little confusing but I think I am getting it slowly.
Some more questions...
what is the purpose of a shaker hood? Does it just shake around while the engine shakes? So it is for appearance only?
Also. Looking at my new book of mustangs I see the tires on the late 60s early 70s models were huge. But now everyone prefers the lower to the ground ones. Is there a reason for that?
And finally a stupid question. Is our engine considered a big block or a small block? Why? And do you guys think in your opinions that Ford Motor Company knows that many owners plan on tuning their tuned down engines?
The gears are still a little confusing but I think I am getting it slowly.
Some more questions...
what is the purpose of a shaker hood? Does it just shake around while the engine shakes? So it is for appearance only?
Also. Looking at my new book of mustangs I see the tires on the late 60s early 70s models were huge. But now everyone prefers the lower to the ground ones. Is there a reason for that?
And finally a stupid question. Is our engine considered a big block or a small block? Why? And do you guys think in your opinions that Ford Motor Company knows that many owners plan on tuning their tuned down engines?
06-29-2006, 08:58 PM
#19
3rd Gear Member
Join Date: Jul 2005
Location: san diego
Posts: 801
RE: Some questions I have
ORIGINAL: v6stanggoddess
Wow thanks guys. I understand the heads. ANd I understand the headers. The only thing I am confused about on the headers though is why get them? Is it just for sound?
Wow thanks guys. I understand the heads. ANd I understand the headers. The only thing I am confused about on the headers though is why get them? Is it just for sound?
06-29-2006, 09:02 PM
#20
3rd Gear Member
Join Date: Jul 2005
Location: san diego
Posts: 801
RE: Some questions I have
ORIGINAL: v6stanggoddess
Some more questions...
what is the purpose of a shaker hood? Does it just shake around while the engine shakes? So it is for appearance only?
Some more questions...
what is the purpose of a shaker hood? Does it just shake around while the engine shakes? So it is for appearance only?
its also to get air that goes over your hood to fly into your engine compartment and cool down the air. meaning more horespower.