Quote:
Originally Posted by MetroMPG
Thanks for posting, Captain Chaos. And congrats on the success.
When I swapped in the transmission with the taller final drive into my Firefly/Metro, I had the exact same initial response: the car felt so much more "relaxed" at cruise. It does require more downshifting out of top gear, of course, but I don't mind at all. It's a manual transmission, and I like using it!
I wish automakers would offer a highway "nerd gear" option for people who really want to save fuel and aren't bothered by the idea of downshifting for power when needed.
I'd like to feature your mod on the home page. Any plans to post a fuel log? Something so people could see some of your "before" & monitor the "after".
I don't suppose you have the ratios for the before/after?
|
I agree 100%. I'm fully convinced that the lower mpg rating on some modern cars vs. the auto-tragic versions is due to very poor ratio selection. The option for more mileage biased ratios would put whatever car offered it to the top of my wish list.
The real kick in the teeth is when, like my Saturn, the ratios are already available and require no mods what-so-ever to add but the mfg just doesn't offer it.
A fuel log for before/after comparison could be tricky for a couple of reasons:
1) I keep a mental log myself (I check mileage at every fill-up) but I never write it down. I do know that my summertime mileage "before" would float right around 39mpg, with the occasional 40mpg tank when conditions were very good (no wind- clear sailing). Winter time has me right around 37. I've had this car for several years now and I'm confident in those numbers. My driving is also VERY consistent (~400mi/wk to/from work, very little side driving) so it's very easy for me to track mileage gains/losses. However, anyone reading this is just taking my word for it and they have every right to be skeptical (I would be).
2) My odometer just recently decided to stop working so tracking mileage for anything other than to-from work (which I KNOW to be exactly 78.2 miles) is impossible until I fix it. I’m hoping to get on it here sometime soon but in all honesty it’s not a top priority at the moment.
As far as the ratios, here’s a pic of the chart I have.
There’s also a site with them (as well as the ones for the auto versions) here:
Different Racing
If anyone has questions about the swap or anything I'd be happy to help.
