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  • SN95 4.6L Mustang Tech

PI cam/intake shift points

  • Thread starter Thread starter darkstar2002
  • Start date Start date Aug 11, 2008
D

darkstar2002

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#1
  • Aug 11, 2008
  • #1
I just did a PI cam/intake swap and was wondering what might be the best shift points. I have a 97 auto with 3.27's
 

Mustang5L5

That is…until I whipped out my Bissell
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#2
  • Aug 11, 2008
  • #2
5500ish
 

98COBRA281

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#3
  • Aug 11, 2008
  • #3
my max power (225) is at 5000rpms..... and you always want to shift a little above your power......
 

COramprat

...I can take it. I think.
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#4
  • Aug 11, 2008
  • #4
A little trial and error would figure it out. My Comp 262's peak is about 4800. I shift at about 5300.
 

CobraRed_96_GT

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#5
  • Aug 11, 2008
  • #5
4800 is really low, even with NPI heads. Stock PI cams on PI heads peak at 5250, i'd think stage 1 cams would at least push it there.
 

bhuff30

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#6
  • Aug 12, 2008
  • #6
The ideal shift is actually different between every gear change. For example, the jump from 1st to 2nd is pretty big compared to the jump from 3rd to 4th, so you'd want to run 1st out further. This can be calculated by getting your car dynoed and then graphing rear wheel torque vs wheel speed for every gear and looking at the point at which the lines cross. The ideal shifts for a stock NPI would look something like this:
1-2 5500
2-3 5250
3-4 5000
4-5 5300 (because of the much deeper OD gear)
I generally shift at 5k because my syncros aren't happy above that. It occasionally tends to grind on higher rpm power shifts.
Nope, this post doesn't answer your question about where to shift at all. But you could probably shift these rpms up by 200 and have a good idea. You really just have to get to the track or dyno to figure it out for your specific car.
 

LI98GTStang

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#7
  • Aug 12, 2008
  • #7
With PI cams and intake on NPI heads, I did my best times at the track by shifting at ~5500rpm from 1st to 2nd, then ~5300rpm 2-3, 3-4 on a 5speed.
 
T

TGJ

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#8
  • Aug 13, 2008
  • #8
When I did this swap a long time ago in my 96 TBird, Modular Depot had the 1-2 shift @ 6500 RPM, the 2-3 @ 6200 RPM. Worked really good for me, 14.1 @ 95 MPH in a car that is a good 600 - 800 pounds heavier than a Mustang GT. My mods at the time were:

Removed Air Silencer, SVO 70mm TB, P&P stock upper intake, PI Intake, PI cams, Steeda UD Pullies, Mustang GT TC, Custom cat back exhaust, 3.73 TL Differential on hoosier 26" Drag radials.

Wasn't a hell of a lot done to it.

I don't recommend WOT shifts into OD or downshifts from OD to 2nd. <-Not a typo...
 

COramprat

...I can take it. I think.
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Mar 2, 2003
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#9
  • Aug 13, 2008
  • #9
CobraRed_96_GT said:
4800 is really low, even with NPI heads. Stock PI cams on PI heads peak at 5250, i'd think stage 1 cams would at least push it there.
Click to expand...
I based my shift points on my dyno graph. Peak HP was at 4850. Still it was 500RPMs higher than the NPI cams
 

98COBRA281

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#10
  • Aug 13, 2008
  • #10
COramprat said:
I based my shift points on my dyno graph. Peak HP was at 4850. Still it was 500RPMs higher than the NPI cams
Click to expand...

my peak hp was 5k, with pi cams......
 

COramprat

...I can take it. I think.
20+ Year Stangneter
Mar 2, 2003
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Aug 13, 2008
#11
  • Aug 13, 2008
  • #11
98COBRA281 said:
my peak hp was 5k, with pi cams......
Click to expand...


My peak HP is higher than yours.
 

98COBRA281

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#12
  • Aug 13, 2008
  • #12
COramprat said:


My peak HP is higher than yours.
Click to expand...

not for long
 
D

darkstar2002

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Jul 24, 2003
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Aug 14, 2008
#13
  • Aug 14, 2008
  • #13
Well thanks for all your input. I will hopefully be able to try some more stuff out fri night at the track if the weather holds out. There forecasting rain.
 
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justinschmidt1

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Jun 15, 2005
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#14
  • Aug 15, 2008
  • #14
Ive always shifted my auto at like 5800-6000 cause it drops down so much from gear to gear.


Seems to me that you need to wind the auto out more than a 5 speed to keep in the powerband.
 
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