Shifting at correct RPM?

[cobra2798]

What is the correct RPM I should be shifting at. I know it sounds stupid but im so use to shifting my Cobra over 6k and I think im shifting to high on my fox and losing power. I have my shift light set at 56k, im guessing thats to high, what should I be shifting at when running the car. Also should my shift point change when I spray the car or would it remain the same. I ask this because I took the car to the track the other night and ran a 13.7@103 with a 2.01 60ft. Now im no expert at the track and its the first time I had the car at the track and my first time in a car with spray at the track so dont flame, ill get better. I was told by people I could drop my times if I wasnt shifting so high, so what should I shift at

 

[poneypower89]

Stock RPM limiter should be at 6280.

If you look at Dyno graphs for stock 5.0's.... They are usually maxing out at around 5,100 RPMS or so... and you should generally shft a littler higher than ur max out point so the next gears is in the power range....

 

[bill302]

i have my shift light set at 5200 rpm's. and your 60' can be better, i improved mine by launching at 1800-2000 rpm's with street tires on juice this prevents excess tire spin when my window switch activates the nitrous at 3000 rpms at wide open throttle. on drag radials i should be able to increase my launch rpm's to about 3500 and better my 60' and 1/4 mile time.

 

[86bluecobra]

yes i wouldn't go 2 much higher then 5500rpm on a stock 302. maybe 5800rpm. then you should be very close to the power range for the next gear.

 

[blackened88lx]

My stock tach is off above 5k, so I just shift when I feel it stop pulling. My stock tach shows between 5800 and 6k when I shift. I've had the stock tach over 7k with no sign of the rev limiter, so it's nowhere near right. Try not looking at the tach, and shifting when it feels like you should, then look at where you're shifting.

 

[cobra2798]

ya know people say im shifting to high but I dont feel the car fall on its face at that high of a RPM. I know the B cam I have is good for top end power, could that be the reason that the car dont feel like its dying off up there?

 

[89streetbeast]

mine dies off around 6200ish. back when it was stock, anything after 5100 it would bog down.

 

[DMAN302]

ya know people say im shifting to high but I dont feel the car fall on its face at that high of a RPM. I know the B cam I have is good for top end power, could that be the reason that the car dont feel like its dying off up there?

It can be misleading...you can certainly follow the 'if it feels good' mentallity simply because it's not hurting anything pulling the extra RPM. I was under the impression mine was pulling continuously harder up to 6000 and was quite surprised to discover according to my dynograph power and torque were falling off quite rappidly after 5700 (Eddy rpm heads and comp XE cam). Stock heads definately don't need to see anything over 5500 or slightly less.