low rpm driving

[XPTB]

this is probably a stupid question, but i'll ask it anyway...

I used to own a 93 5.0 HO and I was always told don't shift early trying to save on gas. They said the High Output was meant to rev higher. Something about goofing up the internals. Correct me if I'm wrong.

My main concern is I just bought a new 04 GT with the 4.6 in it. Are these motors built the same way? Or can I skip gears to save gas without worry of straining the motor.

thanks

 

[CobraRed_96_GT]

traditionally the 5.0's have a lower powerband and the 4.6's have a higher rev for peak power but shifting early in any car can save gas its not how much power your putting out, it's the fact ur engine is running at a lower revolution per minute and therefore uses less gas. If you want power weight a lil longer between shifts but if u wants economy then shift at low rpms.

 

[ADRENLN]

you dont want to lug yje engine either shifting too low

 

[Crzyhrse]

The 5.0 engine was'nt meant to be a high rev engine unless you added a high revving Intake, heads, and so forth. I had aftermarket heads and Intake and alot of other stuff on my '93 GT but their were'nt the high revving stuff. It only topped out at 4,900 peak power on the dyno.

 

[XPTB]

aahh. Would you consider taking off in 2nd and putting it in 5th by 40 a bit too low rpm for the motor?

 

[SigmaPride]

Taking off in second with stock gears would be harder on the clutch and just not necessary. Take off in first and drive it. I drive around town in 4th at 50 and my gas mileage is fine. 5th on the interstate only.

5th by 40 is too low. I'm in 3rd then. That is just my opinion of 7 years driving it.

 

[Mike97gt]

lugging the engine will not save gas.. when your at very low rpm's the engine works harder to move the car.. this higher load requires more fule to be injected. So you don't save anything and you hurt the engine doing this.

 

[Mustang5L5]

When i drive, i just try to keep the engine in the 2000-3000 RPM range.

If i'm accelerating casually in a gear and hit 3000RPM, i shift to the next gear and that puts it around 2000RPM, which is where i like to be for normal crusing.

I only use 5th for the highway. It's too low for the street with stock gears.

When i'm in a rowdy mood, i leave it in a lower gear so the engine is around 3000RPM, that way i can roll on it and feel the acceleration since the 4.6 is pretty gutless under 2500.

It's different from driving a 5.0. In a 5.0 you can be dong 1800 RPM and lay into the gas and snap your neck back. WIth the 4.6L, punch the throttle at 1800RPM and you'll get smoked by the civic next to you. FOr performance, you want the revs high

 

[StangYellow]

aahh. Would you consider taking off in 2nd and putting it in 5th by 40 a bit too low rpm for the motor?

i dont have stock gears anymore, but 40mph in 5th gear with my 4.10's bog. If you have your stock gears, i dont even see how the car would even pick up speed in 5th/40mph. Just drive it in the correct gear, your MPG will only drop if you drive it hard.

 

[BurningRubber]

WIth the 4.6L, punch the throttle at 1800RPM and you'll get smoked by the civic next to you. FOr performance, you want the revs high

So thats how my friends fox GT kept up with me the other day...

 

[stangg01]

I strongly advise against skipping gears. You have a TR3650 manual transmission. You will ruin your synchros. The synchros are a week spot for these transmissions.

 

[stangg01]

If you shift too early, you should feel the engine lug. Lugging the engine is a good way to ruin your main bearings.

From my experience, the engine should be at least 1300RPM after I shift. I shift into fifth gear at speeds over 55 MPH. This is a really weak gear at low RPM.

 

[w.neurauter]

Is skipping gears really that bad, I don't see how it can ruin the synchros. I'll occasionally skip a gear when I am on it but hit the speed limit and no longer need the power. I figured that skipping the gears saves the throwout bearing some work as well as the clutch.

 

[Mustang5L5]

So thats how my friends fox GT kept up with me the other day...

My Fox LX is faster than my 2003 GT

 

[Twista]

2 low shifting= wasting more gas than normal shifting. You dont want to lug the engine by missing gears. Also, starting out in 2nd instead of 1st on a non snowy/icy road is not smart. Your putting alot more stress on the clutch starting with 2nd than needed. Just start with 1st.

 

[stangg01]

Search for TR3650 threads and you will find that there are a lot of problems with the synchros. Mostly 3rd gear

 

[CanadaStang]

My Fox LX is faster than my 2003 GT

Have you ever raced them?

 

[jivepepper]

Drive it like a sports car.

 

[XPTB]

thanks for all the help.

going from my old fox to this is quite a bit different. I'll keep in mind what you guys have said. And yes, I can definitely tell this car isn't a low RPM hog like the 5.0... I was starting to think it was slow until i got it climbing the RPM ladder.

 

[parkgoons]

If you guys check out your manual it says by the time you hit 40 you should be in 5th for optimal fuel consumption, I know absolutly no one, not even grandma shifts that quickly. I did the other day for grins and only was tackin 1000 rpm at 40 mph in 5th. So I doubt that could be bad for your engine if its stated in the manual but it brings up the question y did you buy a sports car if your in 4th by 30 mph.. on a personal note i usually keep mine in the 1500-2500 rpm range when just crusining I find its the range that the engine seems to breathe the best.