question to perfect my skill

ok i have a very simple question about shifting.... how do you know/what to look for/what to feel for to know when to shift.....

normaly i shift when i redline.... but is there a way for me to tell when i reach that perfect shift spot..... any advice is apreciated..... thx poeple

Powerband.

What car?? Ever had it on a dyno? The graph from that will show you your powerband.

I shift when i feel the car is starting to fall off it's power band.

Basically, when the car stops pulling its hardest in that particular gear. Shift, then let it wind through the next gear and shift when that gear stops pulling its hardest.

Each car is different, each motor is different.

no never had it on dyno... how much dose it cost?? im broke right now.... and i jsut have a 89 mr2 with a 4ag-z engin i think..... not the supercharged one...

oh by the way... what dose ... low/high gears mean???

^^^

Yep. When your power starts dropping, shift so that you can get back to the point where you make the most power.

You can redline at 10K RPMs, but if your peak hp/tq are at 5K, then there's no need to rev it that high when you make more power a lower rpms. Once you pass 6 or 7K rpms, you're probably losing power. That's just an example.

The only way to find this out is to do a dyno and actually see where the car makes the most power. Wherever it is, that's where you try to keep the shifts.

I just use what's called the Butt-Dyno.

Just drive the freaking car, you'll feel when the power drops off.

I don't even look at my tach, it's just there as a reminder. You'll feel the car stop pulling.

Simple as that, don't need dyno time to tell you that. It's helpful though. I will say that.

I just use what's called the Butt-Dyno.

Just drive the freaking car, you'll feel when the power drops off.

I don't even look at my tach, it's just there as a reminder. You'll feel the car stop pulling.

Simple as that, don't need dyno time to tell you that. It's helpful though. I will say that.


You can always get one of those cool gauges that lights up when you're supposed to shift. :rofl: :uhoh:

and hide it in an air vent so that nobody knows its there until it lights up

my car needs to be shifted when the CAI makes a sound like the engine can't keep up w/ the acceleration (5700 rpm) redline is at 6200 and stock power is at 5500 so i shift at 5700 normally, i'll let it go higher cuz i like the sound sometimes and b4 the curb, i shifted at 5k cuz thast where it feels like it dies, but mostly you want to hit the spot that will drop you back into the powerband at a good spot, if it is already in gear and it starts to lessen acceleration it is less evident than if you shift and it falls into less acceleration...the powerband is your friend

LOL I use to own the same car (An 87 model to be exact). I hope you don't have overheating problems, cause that car is riddled with those issues (Although they are easy to fix). I typically just held it to it's catastrophic redline, then shifted. I beat a modified CRX Si with it, and my former mister 2 was stock at the time. If you want to work on anything, work on your launch, as that car has no torque. Buy a gtech pro competition, and see what shift points help you the most.

Butt dyno...lol
Just try shifting at different points, and see what works... I.E., if you're driving a Civic, you'd want to shift at redline...

You can always get one of those cool gauges that lights up when you're supposed to shift. :rofl: :uhoh:

Hey I have one of those guages! :icon16: nothing wrong with a little reminder telling you "shift you moron, SHIFT!"

Well actually I got it for the autocross. My helmet really cuts vissibility and I suck if I have to keep on tilting my head down to look at the stock tach. :loser:

As for your question dude, I just shift wherever the dyno chart shows a drop in power. now if I run against someone and have them licked by 5000rpms then I just shift and keep the lead, no need to push it unless you want to make them bow in shame!

On my 91 CRX I never feel the power drop. It feels like it's pulling about the same from 5500 to 6500. Could it be that my power only drops after redline?

To accurately find your optimal shift point, you need to at least know your powerband (dyno) and your gearing.

Yes, it is possible on some setups, that your ideal shiftpoint could mathematically be past redline...however, redline is there to generally remind you of the fact that an engine has limitations. Mathematically your ideal shift point could be well beyond redline, but in the real world, it is better to shift at redline if this is the case...now some people with some turbo setups for instance, will continue to build boost and will go a bit (a few hundred rpms or so) past redline, if they know it will continue to gain power, but I wouldn't recommend it to most...if your car is stock or bpu, I'd stick with shifting at redline(NOTE:I'm only talking about those whose ideal shift points are beyond redline, not everyone) If it is highly modified, then chances are you have or should consider a upgraded or reprogrammed ECU, and a rebuilt/strengthened motor capable of supporting such power and high rpms.

There are plenty of cars that should not be shifted at redline since there power band and/or gearing would indicate the optimal shift point to me much lower than redline.

A perfect example is the turbo MR2, it redlines at 7200 rpm, but with the OEM turbo 5500 rpms (roughly) is the ideal shift point.
With my upgraded turbo, my optimal shift point is way beyond redline ... so I am shifting at redline.

Exactly

my car makes a little "ding" noise at around 6600 so thats when i shift. Redline is 7k.

every car is diff

if you focus mainley on your power ban you also have to take into consideration where your car ends up after shifting.

if i take my car to 6500 and shift before my 7000 redline, the next gear is gonna come to a lower rpm range wich may not be your sweet spot.

if you take it 500 rpms past your best spot according to your power band and then shift you may end up exactly were your sweet spot is in the next gear.

as jeckyleandhyde said powerband and gearing.
its a little more complicated then just were is my power band.

as redneck said, butt dyno, find out for yourself and get the feel of your own car, there all different

hey thx alot people... i think i felt the spot where the car stop pulling in 1,2.... havn't done it in 3+ but its around 6200 rpm......

thx alot for helping me.... now i know why the gap between them and me get smaller when i shift... cause i shift at 7000-7500 when i should be shifting around 6000-6500.... i though i was just slow at shifting... but now i know better

On my 91 CRX I never feel the power drop. It feels like it's pulling about the same from 5500 to 6500. Could it be that my power only drops after redline?

What power?

=p jk

i cant wait to get a std. truck... then i can have fun!