??? CAM or GEARS ????
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jul 2007
Posts: 3,097
Likes: 5
From: Brentwood World's first A6 in the 9's (including N/A, blower, turbo and nitrous cars) 9.950@139.267 CA
OK, so my vote is: 3.42 gears. Dont make the 3.15 gear mistake. Talk to the A6 owners that drove both not the 3.15 guys that say its enough and they base the statement only on what they have never having experienced the 3.42's. When I was in a 3.42 geared A6, I thought it was perfect.
While the step up from 2.56 to 3.15 or 3.42 gears is very noticeable, the difference between 3.15 and 3.42 is marginal at best. Both at the track and while driving around town my 3.15’s felt pretty much the same as the 3.42’s and it was only only on the freeway that I ever noticed any difference.
With the 3.42’s it almost feels like the car forgot to shift into 6th gear and as such, your RPMs will be noticeably higher. The upside to this however is that 6th gear is now useable in that I can accelerate and pass people with ease without the need to downshift into 5th or 4th gear.
If you’re looking for some extra “grunt” down low but want to maintain decent freeway characteristics then go with the 3.15’s. If you like having the low end improvement along with the extra bit of responsiveness at higher speeds and don’t mind the increase in RPMs then go with the 3.15’s.
6th Gear
Joined: Mar 2009
Posts: 6
Likes: 0
Im very surprised that more people aren't recommending a torque converter w/gears option. I can't imagine and easier way to lop a half second or more off your 1/4 time. Yea, you may lose a bit of drivability because the converter doesn't lock up as quickly, but i've been amazed at how much you gain with that combo on auto cars.
No one here has a combo like that?? Not that i care...i'm one of those that doesn't mind rowing his own. Bunch of old farts in here.
No one here has a combo like that?? Not that i care...i'm one of those that doesn't mind rowing his own. Bunch of old farts in here.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jul 2007
Posts: 3,097
Likes: 5
From: Brentwood World's first A6 in the 9's (including N/A, blower, turbo and nitrous cars) 9.950@139.267 CA
Im very surprised that more people aren't recommending a torque converter w/gears option. I can't imagine and easier way to lop a half second or more off your 1/4 time. Yea, you may lose a bit of drivability because the converter doesn't lock up as quickly, but i've been amazed at how much you gain with that combo on auto cars.
No one here has a combo like that?? Not that i care...i'm one of those that doesn't mind rowing his own. Bunch of old farts in here.
No one here has a combo like that?? Not that i care...i'm one of those that doesn't mind rowing his own. Bunch of old farts in here.
Melting Slicks
Joined: May 2006
Posts: 2,891
Likes: 1
From: NJ..."the way I saw it, everyone takes a beating sometimes."
Im very surprised that more people aren't recommending a torque converter w/gears option. I can't imagine and easier way to lop a half second or more off your 1/4 time. Yea, you may lose a bit of drivability because the converter doesn't lock up as quickly, but i've been amazed at how much you gain with that combo on auto cars.
No one here has a combo like that?? Not that i care...i'm one of those that doesn't mind rowing his own. Bunch of old farts in here.
No one here has a combo like that?? Not that i care...i'm one of those that doesn't mind rowing his own. Bunch of old farts in here.
Burning Brakes
Joined: May 2006
Posts: 1,110
Likes: 16
From: stuart fl
thanks
dicky
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jul 2007
Posts: 3,097
Likes: 5
From: Brentwood World's first A6 in the 9's (including N/A, blower, turbo and nitrous cars) 9.950@139.267 CA
i thought you ran an 11.52 with just the 3.42 gears instead of the 3.15s with the converter which gave you an 11.47. just curious why you say you only gained about a tenth when you run pretty much the same time as when you had a converter. not tryin to come off as a dick but just wondering if im missing something mainly because i got some 3.42 recently (with no converter) and i am hoping to get more than a tenth in gains.
thanks
dicky
thanks
dicky
I discovered later that my times from Infineon were (on average) about a tenth slower than Sacramento so when I factored that into the overall equation as well as accounting for the difference in DA, I came up with the tenth of a second improvement.
Still confused? Well that makes two of us as I’ve been on so many different tracks with so many configurations I have trouble keeping track of everything myself.
Hope that helps (or at least lessens the confusion),
Christopher
Instructor
Joined: Feb 2009
Posts: 169
Likes: 0
From: Arlington Texas
Any real cam increases the need for gears.
Cars get built from the back to the front.
3.42 gears and a fully built diff sets the stage for real power. You may find that a S/C completes the package for you later rather than a cam.
If I had to do it all over again and the A6 was available in 2005 when I bought my car, I would have gotten an A6 with 3.42's, headers, and a S/C. I'm still thinking thats my next vette. I will get the C7 with that set-up.
A street car with 600rwhp on an A6 is a tough act to beat. I wont miss the clutch issues.
OK, so my vote is: 3.42 gears. Dont make the 3.15 gear mistake. Talk to the A6 owners that drove both not the 3.15 guys that say its enough and they base the statement only on what they have never having experienced the 3.42's. When I was in a 3.42 geared A6, I thought it was perfect.
Cars get built from the back to the front.
3.42 gears and a fully built diff sets the stage for real power. You may find that a S/C completes the package for you later rather than a cam.
If I had to do it all over again and the A6 was available in 2005 when I bought my car, I would have gotten an A6 with 3.42's, headers, and a S/C. I'm still thinking thats my next vette. I will get the C7 with that set-up.
A street car with 600rwhp on an A6 is a tough act to beat. I wont miss the clutch issues.
OK, so my vote is: 3.42 gears. Dont make the 3.15 gear mistake. Talk to the A6 owners that drove both not the 3.15 guys that say its enough and they base the statement only on what they have never having experienced the 3.42's. When I was in a 3.42 geared A6, I thought it was perfect.
Corvette Stories
The Best of Corvette for Corvette Enthusiasts
Top 10 Most Explosive Corvettes Ever Made: Power-to-Weight Ratio Ranked!
Joe Kucinski
150 hp to 1,250 hp: Every Corvette Generation Compared by the Specs That Matter
Joe Kucinski
8 Coolest Corvette Pace Cars (and Replicas) of All Time
Verdad Gallardo
Top 10 Corvette Engines RANKED by Peak Torque (70+ Years of Muscle!)
Joe Kucinski
Corvette ZR1X Will Be Pacing the Indy 500, And Could Probably Race, Too!
Verdad Gallardo
Top 10 Corvettes Coming to Mecum Indy 2026!
Brett Foote
Top 10 C9 Corvette MUST-HAVES to Fix These C8 Generation Flaws!
Michael S. Palmer
10 Revolutionary 'Corvette Firsts' Most People Don't Know
Joe Kucinski
5 Reasons to Upgrade to an LS6-Powered Corvette; 5 Reasons to Stay LT2
Michael S. Palmer
Burning Brakes
Joined: Apr 2008
Posts: 891
Likes: 1
From: NY NY
Non Z51 should do well with 410s. I had 390s installed in my Z51 and it's been nothing but FUN FUN FUN since.
Former Vendor
Joined: Nov 2005
Posts: 11,792
Likes: 255
From: Ossining New York
St. Jude Donor '07-'08-'09-'10-'12-'13-'14
You made the right choice!
The Chuck CoW 3.42 A6 ATTACK PACKAGE and the A6 ATTACK TUNE!
The ride home will be much shorter than the ride here!
See you in APRIL!
Chuck CoW