Bob:
Still the best conversion is too 4.5 gears for a stock TD. It is the best
of both worlds. I have used them all and can vouch for this. If you have
pumped up the 1250, or put in a 1500, then you can handle a 4.3. You just
find that you will use the gear lever a little more, so as not to screw up
the BMEP of the engine. Most TDs will really struggle to do 80 MPH, no
matter what. Your best max cruising speed is 4130 RPM. At this point you
exceed 2550 ft. per min. of piston speed, at which time the wear rate on
the engine is excessive for sustained operation. My own car with 4.3 gears
cruises all day at 3600 RPM/60 MPH. I can do 4000 turns/68 MPH, but the gas
mileage drops off some due to the "shoebox" effect of the cars shape.
Cheers:
Skip Kelsey.......................................
At 09:02 PM 3/21/02 -0500, Bob D. wrote:
>So ironically, overdrive will make the car slower with regard to top end. On
>the other hand, a lower ratio is said to make the TD much more agreeable at
>highway speed. I'm the only member of our local T series club that hasn't
>converted to the MGA 4.3 rear end gears.
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