Extra gears: Not always better for FE

[IndyFetch]

Originally Posted by dkjones96

1995 is a different generation. It's the 5th generation and has the 93HP OBD2 equipped 5E-FE.

In 1992(4th gen) they had the 82HP 3E-E and the 100HP 5E-FE. The 3E was discontinued in 94 and the 5E continued to like 98.

Yup. I just remembered an article on the Tercel from Car and Driver magazine from 1995. They drove the 4-speed. If I remember correctly, the Paseo had the same motor as the 1995 Tercel.

[theholycow]

Ok, I had to look up the ratios and engine.
http://www.tercelreference.com/terce...cel_specs.html (ratios and engine)
http://www.tirerack.com (tire size - 155/80R13)
http://www.f-body.org/gears (gear calculator)

The Tercel site says there's only one engine available in the 1992 Tercel.

4 speed C141 transmission:
3.545, 1.904, 1.233, .885; final 3.526
MPH @ 2000 RPM - 11, 20, 31, 43
MPH @ 4000 RPM - 22, 40, 62, 87
RPM @ 25 MPH - 4700, 2500, 1600, 1150
RPM @ 50 MPH - explosion, 5000, 3200, 2300
RPM @ 70 MPH - explosion, explosion, 4500, 3233

5 speed C150 transmission:
3.545, 1.904, 1.310, .969, .815; final 3.722
MPH @ 2000 RPM - 10, 19, 28, 38, 45
MPH @ 4000 RPM - 21, 38, 56, 75, 89
RPM @ 25 MPH - 4850, 2600, 1800, 1350, 1100
RPM @ 50 MPH - explosion, 5200, 3600, 2650, 2250
RPM @ 70 MPH - explosion, explosion, 5050, 3750, 3150

So, the total range is about the same. The 5 speed has a marginally shorter 1st and a marginally taller 5th when you count the final gear. 1st and 2nd are almost the same; 3rd is a little shorter in the 5 speed; high gear is a little taller; and the 5 speed's 4th splits the difference.

I'm just not seeing a transmission-related reason for the city fuel economy rating to suffer. What else was included with the option package that had the 5 speed?




........crap, I just realized I left this message unposted, all ready to go an an abandoned tab in my browser. I referenced it in a post I've made since, too, thinking that I had already posted it.

[theclencher]

Maybe the test protocol left the 5 sp in a lower gear than the 4 sp?

I'd actually like to pull a few gears out of my 5 sp. I skip shift all the time and a trans with 1-3-5 would be fine (I'm a flatlander though). I wonder how much trans efficiency gain there would be by having 4 less gears constantly meshing.

[VetteOwner]

lol i wish my chevette had another gear... at 60 mph its at 3Krpm in 4th... it sounds like its about wound out, can deffinately tell when i stomp on the gas and it takes off fast when im goin at that speed...

there was an optional 5 speed, the more powerful diesel engines got that standard and was an option for the gas cars...

[kamesama980]

My truck has a 4 speed (87 S10 2.5l 4 cyl. zero options) and after my tweaking, got as high as 29.5 hwy mpg turning 1000 rpm for every 20 mph (before I changed axles and lost 6 mpg off the top (with the same gearing too. wtf)) next fall I plan on swapping it for an 5 speed off a truck at school. the 4th (and last) gear in it now is the same ratio as most 5-speeds 4th gear (1:1) we'll see how that goes. any reduction in highway rpms should help and tho it's only rated at 90 hp, power isn't a problem: it can top 80 mph carrying 1400lbs (almost half it's own weight).