automatic trans
 

ok, so i don't have a real sportscar. but i have a question that i hope somebody can answer for me.
i usually drive around town with my automatic set for 2nd gear, my speed varies anywhere from 35 to 60 mph. my tach indicates that i'm revving to a max of 3000 to 4000 rpm. am i doing any harm to the engine keeping the revs so high?

Why do you leave it in 2nd? The computer knows how to shift.
Don.

Re: automatic trans
 

Yes you DO have a "real" sports car....don't let the automatic tranny bashers convince you otherwise! Maximum torque is available sooner with the automatic (by 300 rpm) than with a manual.

No, no harm. Remember that your rotor speed is 1/3 that of the output shaft that the RPM is measured from. So a rotary at 3000 rpm is lazily spinning its rotors at 1000 rpm. And since there is no reciprocating mass involved, there is NO problem from high rpm. Personally I don't consider rotary rpm "high" until it hits 5 digits!

I too will often leave my car in '2nd' around town, the power delivery and transitions are much smoother. In fact, in some cases I leave it in 'L', as long as the speeds are less than 50 mph or so you won't be taching very high, since the car will shift up to 2nd gear with the selector in the 'L' position. In the '2nd' position, you actually shift to 3rd gear.
In 'D' you actually shift to overdrive (4th gear) AND you get torque converter lock-up. The tranny is a 4 speed with full lock-up available.
I personally LIKE it.

I like my Auto also
another advantage to using "S" around town is the trans always start (from a stop) in first - in "D" you start off in second unless you use greater than 50% throttle
also the HOLD functon gives you full lock up on both ACCEL & DECEL so drives like a manual - Often I hit the hold button and shift up/down through the lower 3 gears like a seq. box :D

And even though it's an AUTO its still A REAL SPORTS CAR!

Just remember, all Jim Hall's Can-Am and Le Mans Chaparrall race cars used GM automatic transmissions!

I shift using the Hold button and shift manually 90% of the time. I have all the control I want, contrary to those that have not driven a 3rd gen auto thinks.

A quasi-tiptronic if you will.

I am going to do the 5-speed conversion though, and almost have all my parts. My biggest reason for this was because there are alot more (easier) ecu options with a manually equiped car - I can now go much further along my mod plans. Also, since mine is purely a weekend car, I want a manual again.

i too consider the automatic rx-7 a sportscar, but often on this forum i read less than complimentary comments about it.
so, now you bring up the hold function................and i must say.............in the 6 years i've owned the red rocket.............i have yet to use "hold".............mostly because i have no clue what to use it for............
gearhead..............the reason i keep the trans in 2nd is to keep the rpms high and avoid carbon buildup and fouling plugs. or so i have been told.

My brother just got his '93 FD auto back from KDR. It spins the tires by just flooring it in 1st gear at 10psi. He has performance tires. PFS PMC, racing fuel pump. dp, mp, cat-back, big IC, 1200 cc injectors. Imagine what it will do at 15 psi and high octane fuel.

Ken

oh my goodness!
 

Okay, go out RIGHT NOW and put that baby in 'L' and push the hold button and floor it! Or better yet, go out and find a nice open road, no traffic, stop the car, push the hold, put your left foot on the brake, push the gas down and watch as your rpm's hit about 3800 or so....the tires will start breaking loose here......and as boost builds you can start power braking the hell out of things! Fun fun fun! You can do the most amazing launches this way with practice, but you MUST be prepared to either release the hold function or push the gear selector to '2' REALLY really fast once you let off the brakes.......whoohoooooooo!
Hell, just drive around the block with it in 'L' and the hold pushed, you'll stay in 1st gear this way.....feel the power and the glory....it is a whole different car!
:cool:

I like driving my car in "D" all the time. :cool:

haha

Re: oh my goodness!
 

I will try this tommorrow......are there any adverse affects on the transmission from driving it 1st gear (assuming you go under ~50mph) all the time with the hold button engaged? :o

"S" is good for 120 mph. I leave mine in "S" too. Even if you do not use the hold function, assuming your tranny ecu is functional, "S" is for sport mode and the tranny will shift appropriately. Also you will not have to wait for annoying auto kick down at cruising speeds when you mash the GO pedal. I would advise against brake torqueing. I did that a lot when I first got my car and I was doing tests with my g-tech. My fastest was a 5.2 0-60 and high 13s quarter, but that day I noticed something different about the shifting. Also it was like a furnace blasting out of the tranny tube. Passengers would comment about it even with normal cruising. I had the tranny rebuilt a month or so ago when 3rd gear went out. It doesn't ever feel hot now. My brake torque days are over. I am thinking of a line lock. BTW get a level 10 torque converter. I can spin the tires from a stop now. I'm not sure the PTS kit makes a difference even though I had it installed too. If anyone has not done so-change to a synthetic ATF NOW! The guy that worked on mine said it's the most important thing you can do, more important than the type of gaskets and parts.

Hey Weaklink
 

How's your car running with the PFC? I cant remeber the details but didnt you get it installed in parallel with your stock ECU?

Where did you have the work done? I REALLY want to get the stock ECU outa mine, but I dont want to lose HOLD or have the tranny doing funky stuff.

Thanks for the info!

No I replaced my stock unit with the PFC. It's a big improvement, but I lost the hold function. I think you are thinking of viper jr. He has a haltec wired in parallel. I wouldn't go back to stock ecu, but I would warn you that stock tranny may not take the increase in power. I had to rebuild mine.

Auto's are great I get made fun of because of it by stupid people, but they just dont understand the hold button is a sweet thing. I dont know exactly what it does I just use it because I can get better launches with it. But even with an auto I can pull high 12's or low 13's, great suprise for those mustang wannabe's that think the can take some guy in a ricey auto.

Damn, that Level 10 torque converter sounds nice! I can't spin my wheels without a bit of power braking from a dead stop, but if I mash the gas the car leaps forward, and about the time the boost hits hard the tires break loose, this equates to about 10-20 yards from the initial launch point, so at this point is when you suddenly have a handful, my car always tries to go right, meaning the left rear is trying to come around.
But yeah, I don't power brake often at all, in my opinion the car is not really meant for drag racing.....though that line-lock sounds fun!

What sort of synthetic ATF?

redline synthetic ATF for one....couple of different kinds of that too.http://www.redlineoil.com/frames/gearoil.htm

Thanks man! I use other REDLINE products, so I will go get their ATF and change mine soon.

:cool: I like my auto better than a 5 speed they shift like shit.
I said it to get it going.

i haev yet to git my FD and im deciding whether to git a manual or an auto. I dont know how fun it would be to constantly be with like stop lights and all that or if you just want to relax in the car and not have to worry bout missing gears or anything. Although i do hear that the manual is faster which is probably the 99.9 percent everyone gits then along witht their beauty.....feedbeack would help

generally the autos are in better shape and have lower miles. usually you can get a good deal too, because most want automatics. I enjoy mine, and since I got the pfc I like it a lot better. for daily driving it's awesome, but I can still get on it when i need to.

If I recall reading that the 5 speed is only .7 of second faster then the auto.

To TpCpLaYa
 

Man, don't get an auto. I've got a manual: Yes, it shifts like shit; yes, in traffic, it can be annoying OCCASIONALLY. But nothing can compare to cruising along the highway in fifth, seeing a nice stretch open up, and double-clutching down to third. Having a manual makes you feel more like you're driving a race car.

And, in response to the post just above, .7 seconds difference, whether in the quarter mile or in the 0-60 time, is a huge difference. Put it this way: My friend just spent $8,000 and almost a year and a half to modify his Stealth R/T TT, and he'll take off about .7 seconds for his 0-60 time.

Clint Fralick
Struggly@hotmail.com

hey weaklink, what sort of power are you subjecting your AT to? I'm in the process of an engine rebuild and when I'm done I should be arround 350~365 but I'm going to need to beef up the tranny. I know level 10 makes a valve kit and the torque converter, is there anyone else who makes stuff for the 3rd gen? Anything else you can do to make it withstand more power?

Matt

350-365? SWEET! Where ya been Matt? I only put around 250 to the wheels. A couple thousand miles and I haven't had any trouble. I had a flat spot in fourth that has gone away. Not sure if it was breaking in, or if it was tuning (I pulled out some fuel in the upper cells using Tim Benton's maps), or if it was just the cold weather. I know to get the valve work done you have to send the tranny to level 10. Might not be a bad idea since you may have trouble finding someone local that you feel good about. The PTS kit (gaskets, bands, clutches) , I dunno. The guy that rebuilt mine says that doesn't matter too much. He says trans fluid is more important. I do know that if you take your own parts in you will get ZERO warranty. Chuck at rotaryextreme.com runs a single turbo auto. He may be closer to your numbers. He runs a level ten tranny too, and has for a while. His email is rotaryextreme@aol.com, or go to his website www.rotaryextreme.com. While you are there look at the feed bumper! As far as other options, I think I saw somewhere some companies that will make you a one off bell housing converter. That way you could run a tranny that could handle big numbers, but probably also is big $$$. Sorry for the book. Did you ever make any progress with your harness? I don't care if the hold light flashes or not, I just want to make sure that the tranny is functioning at it's safest and best. I am eagerly awaiting the AEM ECU. Supposedly it will control the auto too!

oh yeah, what are your plans for 350-365 hp? or is it a secret?