Dumb question: How the heck do you manually shift the 6 speed auto in a drag race?

[JimInNY]

I have 70 miles on mine, basically driving home from the dealer, and didn't get a chance to romp it, but I was wondering, with shift positions 1, 2, 3, D, does it do a fairly good job of timing it's own shift to 5th, and does it ever get to 6th in a 1/4 mile?

I'm a dinosaur, so please go easy on me. :)

[Wharf Rat]

Put it in D and forget about it. These electronic trannys (especially when tuned) shift faster than you can.

I don't know what gear the autos go through the traps in but I'm sure they don't get to 6. Manuals generally go through the traps around the end of fourth.

[JimInNY]

No kidding? It's that easy? I'm going to enjoy this I think. Before it's first trip, I'm going to at least buy one of those cai kits with the tuner, so I can give a strip tune.

Lebanon Valley is in with that Summit ET series, they have a test and tune April 15th and the first Summit race on the 22nd.

Thanks friend.

[Wharf Rat]

Here you go. This is an interactive gear calculator for our cars. Looks like with the auto and your stock 3.15 gears you will only be in third through the traps.

http://www.modularfords.com/f259/tire-gear-spreadsheet-183536/

I've been trapping around 115 give or take (2,500ish DAs typically) so I'm going to 4.10s in my car (stick, 27 inch tire, and 7800 redline).

[JimInNY]

Mine comes with 3.15s, so I was planning on going to 3.73 or 4.10s also. I just have to ponder the effects on gas mileage before deciding. If I come to the conclusion that MGP isn't going to be an issue, then 4.10s it is.

Those redlines scare me. 7800? That is spinning!

In the old days, I never ran my cars over 6000 and they lasted forever. I can see 7800 killing a motor pretty quick no? Or are these built to do that day in and day out?

I understand that for every 500 rpm increase you double the stress on the reciprocating parts. That's why the guy that did my engines cammed them to make their power by 6k rather than higher rpms.

[Wharf Rat]

Gears have less of an effect on fuel mileage on these newer cars with multiple overdrive gears and fuel injection than the old carbed 1:1 top gear shit you dealt with 30+ years ago. I've put 4:10s in 3 of my last 4 Mustangs and haven't noticed an appreciable change in fuel mileage in any of them. If fuel mileage is important to you then get off the loud pedal.

The new 5.0 will spin to 7800 all day long. The motor issues you hear about are from shitty tuning.

[JimInNY]

The only way fuel mileage would be an issue is if I decided I would like to take it out to my land in Missouri, 1200 miles each way, and the price of gas goes up to $6 a gallon. And even then, it's just a matter of getting over my hating to give the oil companies so much money. :)

I would normally take my truck which will give me 20 mpg on the highway, but it sounds as if the car would best that even with 4.10s from what you tell me.

[Wharf Rat]

I don't know about the 4.10s in the AUTO. I have no idea about the autos but 4.10s sounds like a bit much as low geared as that tranny is (for being an auto).

Seems like a lot of the auto guys are putting higher stall torque converters in them???

[JimInNY]

That's what I am trying to learn here. This is like going into a coma in 1982 and waking up 30 years later for me, and seeing a cell phone for the first time. WTF is that? lmao!

Lot's happened since then, including having a kid, and I had to stay a million miles away from drag strips, lest I get bit by the bug again, and I couldn't afford that. But now the kid is grown, the child support is over, I avoided the temptation of taking on another leach, I mean wife, and business is good...

Some say 3.73 is good. I may go that route, but I'm always looking for input from thems which know better than me.

And seeing your screen name has put a Wharf Rat jones on me tonight, so without further ado, your namesake song:


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=20dic8S3cWI

[Wharf Rat]

Ha-ha!!! Great vid!!!!! Doesn't say the year but I'd guess early 80's???

Hey, here's a recent thread with some info about converters and gears...

http://www.modularfords.com/f259/stall-time-184358/

Go to modularfords.com and search the 2011+ forum for gears and auto and you'll find some better info.

[JimInNY]

Good guess, 1981.

Wow, I don't think I want to go as fast as those guys. lmao

Maybe I better just shut up for a while, see what it does as it is and then take it from there. Wild Bill suggested that too.

All I want out of it is a steady 12.90... I'm too old for 10s. :Crysmile:

Edited: Sure, I say that now, but after one 12.90, I'm gonna want to go 12.50, then 12.00, then 11.90... I know how this story ends, roll cage, parachute... oh fug! :)

[JimInNY]

Holy shiites! I just found this at your link Wharf:


Bone stock minus the tune and tires/wheels. I am running all stock suspension, the stock 3.15 gear and using the stock CAI. Car has 915 miles on the OD.

Best ET of the evening was:
11.88

Best MPH was:
120.74

Best 60' was:
1.88


This car in my garage has the potential to run 11:88 as it sits?

WTF? LMFAO!

[Wharf Rat]

This car in my garage has the potential to run 11:88 as it sits?

Note the tune and the tires. Of all the shit we spend money on these cars a good tune goes a long way.

No idea where that run was made either but I suspect some mineshaft air was involved in that 121 trap speed.

[JimInNY]

That came from here: http://www.modularfords.com/f259/new-car-track-times-183511/

[BurnTire]

There are calculators on this site. Tab is at the top.