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Re: MPH vs. RPM

To: Michael Hargreave Mawson <OC@46thFoot.com>
Subject: Re: MPH vs. RPM
From: Alan Lemen <ralemen@cableone.net>
Date: Sat, 15 Dec 2001 14:34:14 -0700
Used to have an excel spreadsheet with 2 charts:

Chart 1- road speed for engine speed
Chart 2 - engine speed for road speed

Both based on a standard 1976 US federal spec (my car of course) with 
overdrive as my speedo was not working. Turned out it was diconnected at 
teh overdrive. But the table was pretty close I discovered after I got 
the speedo fixed up. Abaout 20mph per 1000 rpm in 4th with overdrive.

I have the standard size wheels and tyres and I took the values from the 
Bently reprint and Haynes books ( I think they were both the same).

Simply used the values like you had from the handbook.

Not sure if there was a different final drive ratio for UK vs US spec, 
books probably tell you. If I can find the excel file I can send or 
modify the ration value if necessary and send as ascii ( text).

Alan

Michael Hargreave Mawson wrote:

>Dear All,
>
>Having recently replaced the gearbox and speedo cable in my non O/D 
>1500, I have noticed that the readings I am getting on the speedo are 
>lower for a given engine speed than hitherto.   For example, at 3000 rpm 
>in top gear I used to see 51 mph on the speedo; now I see 46 mph.
>
>I went straight to the Owner's Handbook and whilst it does not give a 
>table of figures, it does give the following:
>
>Engine rpm at 10 mph in 4th - 555
>Road speed at 1000 rpm in 4th - 18.0
>
>If I assume that the relationship between road speed and engine speed is 
>linear for a given gear (and, ignoring air resistance, I can't think why 
>it shouldn't be), that means that the car should give 54 mph at 3000 
>rpm, regardless of which of these figures is used for the calculation. 
>Of course, it also means that the car should give 108 mph at 6000 rpm, 
>and we know that the correct figure is actually only a fraction over 100 
>mph, so there are performance losses of about 7.4% at maximum revs, and 
>presumably similar or lesser losses at lower revs.
>
>Now, it would be rather handy to know whether I am doing 46 mph, 51 mph 
>or 54 mph at 3000 rpm (or rather, to know by what percentage my speedo 
>is reading low at a given speed).   Does anyone have a formula to 
>convert rpm into road speed for a UK-spec 1500?
>
>A corollary to the above question is, "Is there anything I can do to 
>calibrate my speedo?"
>
>Any help, as always, will be most gratefully received.
>
>ATB

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