is it safe to run my 4 speed in 3? it seems to make the engine happier and it surely shifts less.
Sure it's safe. But why would you do it? Of course it's gonna shift less.... since it won't shift to 4th gear. But you're pissing away your gas for no reason. 4th gear is your gas-saving overdrive.
i like the way it drives better.....better acceleration no bogging.......im willing to bet when i go to the track next im gonna make a run in 3 and see if my 1/4 time changes
for driving around town it is better to drive in 3 for highway I would drive in D. It is hard on the tranny shifting as much as it does in D around the city. Over dirve is a pretty weak gear and it is hard on it shifting in and out of over dirve. you won't really get that much better gas milage driving around town in D as you do on the highway. I recomend driving in town in 3 it will help your tranny last longer.
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Yeah I drove around in 3rd and some times downshift to 2nd until one day it made a nice bang noise out of my tranny. $980.77 later, I don't play with tranny unless I'm at the track. don't want to rebuild another tranny. but I'll be getting my B&M Shiftplus tues. so I'm gonna see what my tranny can really do.
would you put it in third you are not changing any gear ratio's.
I give you a cookie if your times change at all.
-md-
PRND321 Till I DIE
Old Motor: 160whp & 152ft/lbs, 1/4 Mile 15.4 @88.2
M45 + LD9 + 4T40-E, GO GO GO
My car seems to blog between 3rd and 4th...plus driving in D its had to keep it above 2500 rpms crusing when in 3 i get nice steady accleration and no bogging it also keeps the car at like 3200 rpms..............I may be crazy but it just feels stronger
Also BTW i have a lightened crank pulley.....maybe thats causing the low rps when using 4 gears?
higher rpm's is gonna give you more power but your also wasting gas to get that extra power.
LOL it all makes since but 3rd into 2nd into 1st is extremely bad on these trannys. Ive rebuilt 1 so far and the 2nd is in the shop now. all free of charge thank god........I really dont think 3rd will make a difference at the track cavaliers dont have OD just Drive
D is OD
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When you are at the track with an automatic i would assume you keep your foot pressed to the floor. When you are flooring it the trans will not go into 4th.
4th geat is .681:1 that is a overdrive ratio.
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I dunno why, at the track at least, having the car in 3rd or D. Cuz I top out at 109 before my rev limiter, and I'm pretty sure I dont top out in a 1/4
So either 3rd or D would work just fine for me.
wow... where do i start with this one
Matt C.(scruffdog) wrote:Matt C. (Scruffdog)
Saturday, April 23, 2005 9:04 PM
is it safe to run my 4 speed in 3? it seems to make the engine happier and it surely shifts less.
the engine only feels happier because at sudden throttle changes, the trans won't have to downshift. and DUH it shifts less... bein in 3 means no 4th.
Matt C.(scruffdog) wrote:i like the way it drives better.....better acceleration no bogging.......im willing to bet when i go to the track next im gonna make a run in 3 and see if my 1/4 time changes
as previously stated, being in 4th means it won't shift in... which means it won't have to downshift 2 gears when you punch it...
as far as safety is concerned, it shouldn't be too much of a hassle. if you were driving around in 2nd, then I'd slap you. But since you're at least in the gear thats 1:1 you should be ok.
Kevin Hamilton wrote:I really dont think 3rd will make a difference at the track cavaliers dont have OD just Drive
I agree, that it won't make much difference at the track... however, cavaliers DO in fact have overdrive. any gear ratio thats less than 1 is an overdrive, and 4th gear in the 4t40e is 0.68
General rule of thumb - If you're going less the 45mph, "3" is OK. Any faster than that, and you're gonna want to put it into "D" AKA overdrive
