RPM

What rpms do you rev for each gear?

Just curious really.

 

I generally shift up at about 2k. I shift down at about 1.5k. The only time my truck sees over about 3k is when I use engine braking going downhill.

 

I usually go up to 3000 in first gear then shift around 2500-2800 or so after that.

 

In first gear I shift at around 3000 rpms, and then I like how it runs with 2500-2800 in 2nd through 5th. That being said, I don't like shifting to 5th unless it's 60+ on the highway.

Do your trucks let you shift down to 1st? My last gear shifting down is 2nd then neutral to a complete stop.

 

I think that's a good method. Down shifting to first is probably a bad idea unless you're going like 5 mph or less. Trying to force the trans into first gear when traveling, say, 10 mph puts a lot of strain on the syncros.

 

I generally shift at 2500rpm. If I'm getting on the freeway I run it up to 3000rpm in 4th or it falls on it's face. Especially if the on ramp is an uphill where I'll rev it over 3000rpm if there is traffic coming and I have to merge. The only time mine sees well past 3000 rpm is if I'm climbing a trail with it and it's too bumpy or rocky to use a higher gear.

 

Off the line normal driving I try to keep everything at about 2500. I rarely downshift. Learned the hard way when I was 16 with my old yota SCPU. I'll take brakes wearing over tranny problems any day. No true need for downshifting IMO unless you're carrying a heavy load and the brakes aren't hackin it.

 

I used to downshift a lot more with my old truck, too. It was a 91 pickup, the ole 22re. I remember a few times downshifting to 2nd from like 30 mph and popping the clutch, screeching the tires.

I now realize how retarded that was! Luckily, I never had tranny problems. One time my father asked a friend of his who drove a big Mack roll off truck if downshifting was bad for the vehicle, and he said, "It depends on how you let the clutch out." I then saw what he meant.

You can downshift to 2nd from 25 mph or so but before you let the clutch out, stab the gas a bit. This is referred to as rev matching. If done correctly there should be little or no wear on the clutch. The compression of the engine works to slow you down, not the friction of the clutch/flywheel. I got pretty good at it with my old 91 but the older I get, the less I do it. I rarely bother with my new truck.

I'll usually lightly brake til the engine comes down in rpm to about idle speed then slip the shifter into neutral without using the clutch. You can feel it for a split second when the shifter kinda "goes limp" after the engine is no longer offering compression braking and before the engine bogs down and goes below the normal idle speed. If I'm in third, for example, I'll sometimes just keep very light downward pressure on the shifter handle, as the engine slows and approaches idle speed, around 750 rpm or so, the shifter will easily slip into neutral and I come to a stop.

I think as long as you are not forcing things or doing drastic maneuvers the trans is pretty tough and will last many, many years.

 

Depends what I'm doing.Cruisin around town 2500 is the norm. On a fsr with gear and tires aired down well now we're seeing 3-3500 rpm. Trails are higher rpm cause I'm pretty much always in 4lo. Hill climb is 5k all day

 

In nearly 60 years of driving stick shifts and down shifting to use engine braking I have never experienced transmission problems. I know of several instances where folks have warped brake discs by relying on the brakes to slow them down on hills. To each his own.

 

Engine braking works pretty well in our trucks. I think it's a combo of relatively high compression, large displacement (for a 4 cyl) and over all light vehicle weight (compared to a full size). I believe displacement has a lot to do with it. My sister's Honda Fit is a very light car but it does not engine brake as well as my truck, I'm guessing because the engine is only 1.5L.

 

4.10's help I have to keep my foot on the gas at times down some hills lol or I slow down well below the flow of traffic

 

For me it depends on the terrain.

Starting from a stop in 1st gear, I have learned that this engine likes to be winded out more. So when the engine hits 3000, I shift to 2nd.

If I am on a level grade, I can usually chug along at 50 kph in 4th gear doing 1500 rpm. Any other time, and I am in 3rd gear doing at least 2000 rpm.

2000 rpm seems to be where the sweet spot starts for this engine.

 

New truck- 3000 in most gears, but I get up to 4000 pulling a 2000 lb gross boat/trailer up a mountain on the way home from the river. I get 21-22 MPG on the first few tanks even with a couple of those boat trips and have plenty of power.

 

Usually 3k 1st 2.5k 2-5th. Best milage I ever got was shifting at 2k but felt sluggish.