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Shifting from 1st to 2nd

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Old Jun 29, 2005 | 02:55 AM
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Default Shifting from 1st to 2nd

What is the optimal point to my shift Z51 C6 from 1st to 2nd to get maximum speed. Seems I am doing it wrong as I have initially been jumped by an 05 Mustang and an automatic C5 until I get to 2nd?
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Old Jun 29, 2005 | 04:33 AM
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Originally Posted by TOPGON
What is the optimal point to my shift Z51 C6 from 1st to 2nd to get maximum speed. Seems I am doing it wrong as I have initially been jumped by an 05 Mustang and an automatic C5 until I get to 2nd?
What are you currently shifting at during hard acceloration?
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Old Jun 29, 2005 | 09:06 AM
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You'll always be faster taking each gear to redline (6500). No matter when you shift to second, your acceleration will always be greater in 1st gear and will drop when you put it in 2nd.

Mike
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Old Jun 29, 2005 | 09:39 AM
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Mike is right, take it to redline....though that may not always be the case.

For Corvette:

Max torque=400 ft-lbs
1st = 2.97
second = 2.07

To roughly determine the best shift point:
The most torque you could get going to rear axle in second would be 2.07*400 = 828 ft-lbs. If you divide this by 1st ratio it will give you the equal engine torque for 1st gear, 828/2.97=279 ft-lb.

Therefore, you should shift to second at redline or when the engine torque drops to 279 ft-lb. Since the engine torque is still over 300 at redline, you should shift at redline. A table for all the gears is below:

Gear | Ratio | Max Torque | Shift Torque | Optimal Shift
1 | 2.97 | 1188 | N/A | N/A
2 | 2.07 | 828 | 279 | Redline
3 | 1.43 | 572 | 276 | Redline
4 | 1.00 | 400 | 280 | Redline
5 | 0.84 | 336 | 336 | 6150
6 | 0.57 | 228 | 271 | N/A

Also, since peak torque is at 4400 RPM, that would be ideal starting RPM for each gear if possible.

Last edited by OttoNP; Jun 29, 2005 at 09:43 AM.
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Old Jun 29, 2005 | 09:49 AM
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Originally Posted by OttoNP
Mike is right, take it to redline....though that may not always be the case.

For Corvette:

Max torque=400 ft-lbs
1st = 2.97
second = 2.07

To roughly determine the best shift point:
The most torque you could get going to rear axle in second would be 2.07*400 = 828 ft-lbs. If you divide this by 1st ratio it will give you the equal engine torque for 1st gear, 828/2.97=279 ft-lb.

Therefore, you should shift to second at redline or when the engine torque drops to 279 ft-lb. Since the engine torque is still over 300 at redline, you should shift at redline. A table for all the gears is below:

Gear | Ratio | Max Torque | Shift Torque | Optimal Shift
1 | 2.97 | 1188 | N/A | N/A
2 | 2.07 | 828 | 279 | Redline
3 | 1.43 | 572 | 276 | Redline
4 | 1.00 | 400 | 280 | Redline
5 | 0.84 | 336 | 336 | 6150
6 | 0.57 | 228 | 271 | N/A

Also, since peak torque is at 4400 RPM, that would be ideal starting RPM for each gear if possible.
That looks good to me.

TRR
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Old Jun 29, 2005 | 10:16 AM
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All the math and the calculations don't do much in the real world. Try different shift points yourself.

My car feels much stronger on a first to second power shift if I short shift @ 5800-6000 RPM. If you try for 6500 RPM you'll run into the rev limiter and lose lots of acceleration.

My Dyno shows peak torque @ around 4500RPM and peak HP @ about 6000 RPM with both TQ and HP decreasing after 6000 RPM. Obviously modifications will change the peaks but for a mostly stock car I don't see any gains running to redline. My G-Tech shows the same results.
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Old Jun 29, 2005 | 10:32 AM
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[QUOTE=haljensen]If you try for 6500 RPM you'll run into the rev limiter and lose lots of acceleration.QUOTE]

You've got to be good....
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Old Jun 29, 2005 | 12:42 PM
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Really good stuff MANY THX
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Old Jun 29, 2005 | 12:56 PM
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Another thing to note, you may not be able to get to 6150 in 5th speed, I'd have to calc out your speed at that RPM, but you are probably near or above max possible speed.
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Old Jun 29, 2005 | 02:12 PM
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Originally Posted by haljensen
My car feels much stronger on a first to second power shift if I short shift @ 5800-6000 RPM. If you try for 6500 RPM you'll run into the rev limiter and lose lots of acceleration.
That depends on whether you want feels faster or is faster. If you shift at 5800-6000 RPM (cars being equal), you'll lose every time to a driver shifting at redline. You'll never bounce off the rev limiter if you know how to drive, but even if you do, you'll still be faster than short shifting. Math/physics never lie. The butt often does!



Mike
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Old Jun 29, 2005 | 02:29 PM
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Originally Posted by mikeyc6
That depends on whether you want feels faster or is faster. If you shift at 5800-6000 RPM (cars being equal), you'll lose every time to a driver shifting at redline. You'll never bounce off the rev limiter if you know how to drive, but even if you do, you'll still be faster than short shifting. Math/physics never lie. The butt often does!



Mike
As an automotive powertrain engineer, I agree the math doesn't lie... although this thread does remine me of a class I took in college...
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Old Jun 29, 2005 | 03:02 PM
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I checked it out, you should be able to redline in 5th, car should max out in 6th around 186 MPH around 4500 RPM. That is for 6 speed with 3.42 axle.

At this speed:

You are traveling almost a football field a second....

The force pushing back on your car is around 806 lbs...

You are burning over a gallon of gas in 2 minutes....
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Old Jun 29, 2005 | 03:57 PM
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Originally Posted by OttoNP
I checked it out, you should be able to redline in 5th, car should max out in 6th around 186 MPH around 4500 RPM. That is for 6 speed with 3.42 axle.

At this speed:

You are traveling almost a football field a second....

The force pushing back on your car is around 806 lbs...

You are burning over a gallon of gas in 2 minutes....
Interesting. I don't think you'll be able to maintain 186 MPH in 6th though. Top speed always comes in 5th gear from every test I've ever seen on any 6 speed car. I think if you still have enough power to accelerate at the top of 5th, redline in 5th is probably as fast as you are gonna go: you'll start to lose speed when you put it in 6th. You should be able to get close to the top speed in 5th... even if it's "only" 180 MPH, when you switch to 6th, the gearing is too tall to overcome wind resistance and you start to slow down.

Mike
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Old Jun 29, 2005 | 04:53 PM
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When you upshift, you want the RPM drop to take you to the "peak" horsepower RPM. The stock LS2 h.p. peaks at 6000 rpm. So, as mentioned above, a 6500 rpm shift is about right.
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Old Jun 29, 2005 | 05:43 PM
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Originally Posted by calemasters
When you upshift, you want the RPM drop to take you to the "peak" horsepower RPM. The stock LS2 h.p. peaks at 6000 rpm. So, as mentioned above, a 6500 rpm shift is about right.
That only insures that you shift to where your engine has the most output. If you want max acceleration, since axle ratio remains the same, you want to shift at the point where T1 * G1 < T2 * G2 where:

T1 = torque in gear 1 at current RPM
G1 = gear 1 ratio
T2 = torque in gear 2 at RPM after the shift
G2 = gear 2 ratio

Depending on the gear ratios and the shape of the torque curve, you don't necessarily want to shift so that the RPM in the next gear is at the HP peak. On the LS2, the torque curve doesn't drop off enough to warrant a shift before max RPM. Simply put, no matter when you shift from 1-2, 2-3, 3-4, or 4-5 your acceleration will be reduced as soon as you switch to the next gear.

Mike
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Old Jun 29, 2005 | 07:19 PM
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Last time at the track (last week), I tried different shifting RPM's to see if 6500 was in fact the proper smack point. It was. I tried a few times at 6200 instead and was slower every time. 6500 in the real world was the peak. Never bounced off the rev limiter either.
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Old Jun 29, 2005 | 09:55 PM
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Originally Posted by cerino2000
Last time at the track (last week), I tried different shifting RPM's to see if 6500 was in fact the proper smack point. It was. I tried a few times at 6200 instead and was slower every time. 6500 in the real world was the peak. Never bounced off the rev limiter either.


So many M6 Vettes but not as many REALLY skilled drivers. I alas am not one of them....

So I bought an A4 3.15 and just mash the gas.

OK OK don't retaliate... just kidding guys honest... er

Gary
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