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A4 vs. MN6

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Old May 22, 2008 | 09:39 AM
  #21  
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A lower gear ratio will give you more pull on the bottom end and less speed in the top end. Simply put:

a high rear end gear ratio puts your engine at 1200 RPM at 55 mph.
a medium rear end gear ratio puts your engine at 1800 RPM at 55 mph.
a low rear end gear ratio puts your engine at 2700 RPM at 55 mph.

with a lower geared car, you will get there faster, but the high geared car will pass you in top end.

This is the reason you don't see 1/8th mile drag cars running in the quarter. They just don't have the gear for it. They are built to run up to the 1/8th, but after that its just passing time till they get to the quarter. and Vise Versa, you don't see 1/4th mile cars running in the 1/8th cause the 1/8th mile cars will kick their *ss.

If you go with a lower gear in the rear end it will pull harder and be quicker, but the RPM's will go up at top speed and so will your gas bill....

As far as the difference between the two, I like my manual, but the factory gears in my buddies auto seem to pull harder.

Another friend of mine ran his 5.80 1/8th mile car in the 1/4th for the speedvision show Pass Time, and when he went through the traps he floated the valves because he was beyond redline... Results of running a 1/8th mile car in the 1/4... At least he still ran a 9.60!
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Old May 22, 2008 | 09:48 AM
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Originally Posted by Chris@East Coast Supercharging
simple answer is what the car is being used for?

Drag Racing- Automatic
Road Racing- manual
heavy traffic-automatic

It comes down to preferance and what the car is being used for. There is no right answer on this one.
X2

Most logical answer to this "debate" that I have read here
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Old May 22, 2008 | 09:52 AM
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Originally Posted by phoenixfoundmac
If you want magazine 0-60 times then this is what you'll get.

MN6 - 4.7 sec
A4(3.15) - 4.9
A4(2.73) - 5.1

As you can see the MN6 is generally tested as the fastest. Partly because of the gearing advantage and partly because in the right hands and manual can snick off a quicker more power efficient shift.
However, in the wrong hands a manual can be considerably slower.
I was just noticing that,according to purely numbers listed here,if you swapped in a 3:42 rear in the a-4 you would theoretically have mn6 performance...Or thereabouts
I DO know that with the a-4 and 3:42's you actually have a better gear ratio than a Zo6 through first gear,then it may fall off a bit

Last edited by flynbya2; May 22, 2008 at 09:55 AM.
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Old May 22, 2008 | 11:36 AM
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Originally Posted by The NNIAL8R
Both my C5s are automatics with 3.15 gears...My C6 Z06 is a 6 speed of course, with 3.42 gears....If I could have gotten an automatic in my Z06 I would have.....I get VERY tired of shifting......Also, the A4 has a final drive ratio of .7 to 1 if I remember right...whereas the 6 speed has a 5th gear ratio of .7 to 1 and a 6th gear (final drive) ratio of .5 to 1......This causes the engine to "lug" in 6th gear, unless youre doing triple digits (JMO)...Even with 505hp on tap it still "lugs" then engine at normal hwy speeds..At 60 mph in 6th gear Im only revving about 1200 rpm....because of such, I seldom shift out of 5th gear in my Z...I dont like to see rpms below 2000 unless Im idling!!!
Lucky lucky you, congratulations !

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Old May 22, 2008 | 11:44 AM
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A good post with alot of good info and grown-up reponses WTF??
As previous advice stated, personal preference and how you plan to use your car is the way to go. I know that the magazine times 0-60 the manual is almost always faster, but if the driver blows a shift those times don't make it to press
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Old May 22, 2008 | 11:46 AM
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Originally Posted by BOTYNV1
A good post with alot of good info and grown-up reponses WTF??
As previous advice stated, personal preference and how you plan to use your car is the way to go. I know that the magazine times 0-60 the manual is almost always faster, but if the driver blows a shift those times don't make it to press
Not to mention if he blows a CLUTCH!!!
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Old May 22, 2008 | 11:51 AM
  #27  
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Originally Posted by 50th@50
Lucky lucky you, congratulations !

Thanks Les....but I dont think luck has as much to do with it as bustin' my *ss for the past 20+ years
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Old May 22, 2008 | 11:53 AM
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Originally Posted by The NNIAL8R
Not to mention if he blows a CLUTCH!!!
Even worse 0-the shop,about an hour and a half
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Old May 22, 2008 | 12:06 PM
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Originally Posted by AlexSmith
Doesn't smaller gears mean lower top speed also?

-Alex
No, it doesn't. In our cars the stock or slightly modified engines cannot pull to their limits with the stock gears. 6 speeds usually can run faster in 5th than in 6th, and an auto with 2:73s cannot pull 6,000 rpms in OD.
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Old May 22, 2008 | 12:44 PM
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Originally Posted by Chris@East Coast Supercharging
simple answer is what the car is being used for?

Drag Racing- Automatic
Road Racing- manual
heavy traffic-automatic

It comes down to preferance and what the car is being used for. There is no right answer on this one.


Perfect Answer!
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Old May 22, 2008 | 01:49 PM
  #31  
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Originally Posted by The NNIAL8R
Both my C5s are automatics with 3.15 gears...My C6 Z06 is a 6 speed of course, with 3.42 gears....If I could have gotten an automatic in my Z06 I would have.....I get VERY tired of shifting......Also, the A4 has a final drive ratio of .7 to 1 if I remember right...whereas the 6 speed has a 5th gear ratio of .7 to 1 and a 6th gear (final drive) ratio of .5 to 1......This causes the engine to "lug" in 6th gear, unless youre doing triple digits (JMO)...Even with 505hp on tap it still "lugs" then engine at normal hwy speeds..At 60 mph in 6th gear Im only revving about 1200 rpm....because of such, I seldom shift out of 5th gear in my Z...I dont like to see rpms below 2000 unless Im idling!!!
I believe the "final drive" ratio is the same thing as a "rear end" ratio. Usually the term final drive is used for front-wheel-drive cars.

Take engine RPM, divide by transmission gear ratio, then divide by the final drive ratio, and you have the wheel RPM.
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Old May 22, 2008 | 01:52 PM
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Don't get too much wrapped up in bench racing. Get the trans best suited to how you drive, or want to drive. If you love to shift and won't be doing high HP drag racing, then MN6 is for you. If you get bored with shifting, then A4 is the way to go. After that, you can modify either to fine tune it to you.

But, if you just want to bench race, its a never ending debate because there are so many variables. LOL...
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Old May 22, 2008 | 02:06 PM
  #33  
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My 04 C5 is an auto with 3.15 gears for everyday use. Eventually I'll probably get a 96 LT-4 with a 6 speed as an addiiton, best of both worlds.
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Old May 22, 2008 | 04:55 PM
  #34  
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Originally Posted by ScottJ97
I believe the "final drive" ratio is the same thing as a "rear end" ratio. Usually the term final drive is used for front-wheel-drive cars.

Take engine RPM, divide by transmission gear ratio, then divide by the final drive ratio, and you have the wheel RPM.
Not when referring to the transm,ission final drive ratio...Corvette 6 speeds have two overdrive gears...5th and 6th....
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Old May 22, 2008 | 05:43 PM
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You have to remember the difference between final gear ratio vs. the differential ratio and the gear ratios of the transmission.

You have to multiply the read end ratio by the transmission ratio to get the true gear ratio.

Here are the transmission ratios:

4 Speed Auto (3.15:1 or 2.73:1 axle ratios)
1st, 3.06
2nd, 1.63
3rd, 1
4th, 0.70

6 Speed Manual (3.42:1, axle ratio)
1st, 2.66
2nd, 1.78
3rd, 1.30
4th, 1
5th, 0.74
6th, 0.50

1st gear in a manual would be 2.66 X 3.42= 9.0972:1
1st gear in an automatic would be 8.3538:1 (2.73:1) or 9.639:1 (3.15:1).

So....

4 Speed Auto (2.73:1)
1st, 8.35
2nd, 4.45
3rd, 2.73
4th, 1.91

4 Speed Auto (3.15:1)
1st, 9.64
2nd, 5.13
3rd, 3.15
4th, 2.21

6 Speed Manual (3.42:1, axle ratio)
1st, 9.10
2nd, 6.09
3rd, 4.45
4th, 3.42
5th, 2.53
6th, 1.71

An A4 with 3.42:1 would be:

1st, 10.47
2nd, 5.57
3rd, 3.42
4th, 2.39

http://www.idavette.net/facts/c5specs/index.htm
http://www.chevyhiperformance.com/te...ing/index.html

Last edited by 71vetteinva; May 22, 2008 at 05:48 PM.
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Old May 22, 2008 | 06:21 PM
  #36  
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Ib4tl.
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Old May 23, 2008 | 12:22 AM
  #37  
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Originally Posted by jdreg
Mn6 LS1 also has a bit more torque.
I read that also, but I don't understand how the transmission affects what power the engine makes. I know obviously it will affect how much power makes it to the pavement though.

Originally Posted by CharlieB1979
Ib4tl.
Why would this thread get locked?

Anywho, I chose the right transmission for me guys, I was just curious about the acceleration times and if they were that much different. Lot's of people ask me about it, so I figured I actually got a car that was much slower due to a different transmission. Thanks for all the technical FACTs. Love those types of responses better than the normal stuff that finds its way into threads sometimes. You guys kick ****!

-Alex
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Old May 23, 2008 | 03:12 AM
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Originally Posted by Willfulone
Manual cars typically out perform their automatic brothers because you can more easily throttle steer and engine brake...

As far as stop and go, a stock A4 comes with 2.73 or 3.15 gears, vs a MN6 3,42, so yes there is a noticeable difference there as well.


Peace
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While technically correct, the A4 has lower gearing in the transmission, so overall 1st gear ratio is approx the same.

2.66x3.42=9.097 (manual)
3.06x2.73=8.354 (2.73 A4)
3.06x3.15=9.639 (3.15 A4)

When you get to 1:1 tranny ratio, the car with the lower gear will still pull harder, but I think as a general rule, you should always consider the overall final drive ratio.

**Edit..........71vetteinva's post was spot on. I should have read the whole thread before posting mine.

Last edited by nj02vette; May 23, 2008 at 03:17 AM.
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Old May 23, 2008 | 03:16 AM
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Originally Posted by AlexSmith
I read that also, but I don't understand how the transmission affects what power the engine makes. I know obviously it will affect how much power makes it to the pavement though.
-Alex
Yes they are the same engine and make the same power, just the A4 cars have a lower value of Torque management set in the PCM from the factory. It cuts power if it exceeds this preset value.
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Old May 23, 2008 | 03:29 AM
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Originally Posted by nj02vette
Yes they are the same engine and make the same power, just the A4 cars have a lower value of Torque management set in the PCM from the factory. It cuts power if it exceeds this preset value.
What is the purpose of that?
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