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daverbmxer · 02-28-2010, 12:24 PM

Well it's hard to tell if I'm lugging a 1.3L that puts 40 hp to the ground! When I cruise at 65 mph in 5th gear, I'm doing 3600 RPM. It's not lugging, it's just suffering from sheer lack of power.

So a real life example..

65 mph, 5th gear, 3600 RPM, 3/4 throttle
65 mph, 4th gear, 4100 RPM, 3/4 throttle

Even though I'm going the SAME speed and have the SAME throttle position, 5th gear should yield higher mpg?

I use 5th gear on the highway 90% of the time, but once in a while due to the barrenness of ND, winds can get crazy high and the truck doesn't have the power to hold speed at 60 mph even when it's to the floor. So I drop it to 4th.. Usually it's not that bad, and to go 60 mph I keep it about 3/4 though.

After all this is said though, once I get the vacuum gauge installed, I should just go by which ever gear produces the most vacuum to hold the speed I want, correct?

02-28-2010, 12:24 PM	#4 (permalink)
daverbmxer One Cold North Dakotan Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: ND Posts: 7 Sammy - '88 Suzuki Samurai JX 90 day: 21.41 mpg (US) Doc - '91 Suzuki DR350S S 90 day: 48.14 mpg (US) Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Well it's hard to tell if I'm lugging a 1.3L that puts 40 hp to the ground! When I cruise at 65 mph in 5th gear, I'm doing 3600 RPM. It's not lugging, it's just suffering from sheer lack of power. So a real life example.. 65 mph, 5th gear, 3600 RPM, 3/4 throttle 65 mph, 4th gear, 4100 RPM, 3/4 throttle Even though I'm going the SAME speed and have the SAME throttle position, 5th gear should yield higher mpg? I use 5th gear on the highway 90% of the time, but once in a while due to the barrenness of ND, winds can get crazy high and the truck doesn't have the power to hold speed at 60 mph even when it's to the floor. So I drop it to 4th.. Usually it's not that bad, and to go 60 mph I keep it about 3/4 though. After all this is said though, once I get the vacuum gauge installed, I should just go by which ever gear produces the most vacuum to hold the speed I want, correct?