Sorry for the repeat but my first message was clipped. TH
At 01:55 PM 3/11/2006, you wrote:
> O.K., time for a new thread. Even though Bob Hokanson
> deserves the all time 'flushing out the lurkers' award, everyone
> glorying in their dotage is getting depressing. Bob gets the
> credit for this one too, since he provided the Excel sheet for
> trans calcs on T.U. which prompts my question.
> I'm hoping to do a 5 speed , but without a lot of experience
> actually driving a Tiger (as contrasted with years of squirming
> around on my back underneath one), I'm not sure what I'm seeing in
> the numbers I get on Bob's calculator. Steve Laifman, for one, has
> been effusive about the advantages of the wide ratio trans in the 4
> speed and the various 5 speeds are roughly identical in ratio to
> this in 2nd, 3rd and 4th. And since the .80 5th seems to be
> relative unobtainium without greater cash outlay, I'll exclude that for now.
> But 1st is more variable. The drop in 1st from 2.32 to 2.78
> made a lot of difference evidently. The drop from 2.78 to 3.35 is
> even greater. Is it worth trying to fiind a 2.95 1st gear box? Is
> dropping below the stock 2.88 rear end ratio with a 3.35 1st gear
> box a bad idea? My question is: from a real world [read
> 'driving'] point of view, what have the 5 speed people found to be
> good 'all around' combinations of 1st gear and rear end ratios and
> tire size. By 'all around' I mean something that can still
> embarass the occasional Porsche off stop lights without hitting 6
> grand at 10 mph and a reasonable agility in daily driving,
> autocross, and the occasional road race (not asking much am I?).
> Since 5 speeds are still a relative minority, people are
> welcome to reply off-list. Thanks for any input!
> Chris Hill
All of the 5 speed transmissions I have sold and even the one in my
blue Tiger are of the 2.95 first gear
variety. This is the one you want to use. The 3.35 is too low even
with the 2.88 OEM gearing. Some owners have reduced their
differential ratios and most are happy in the 3.07 range with the
2.95 1st gear. Those with 3.31 or higher (numerically) find that 1st
gear is almost unusable. I'm talking basically about street
operation. For emphasis on autocross, sometimes the lower 2nd, and
3rd gears could be an advantage, so you have to decide on which is
most important for your application. The 2.95 1st gear T-5 is very
comparable to the wide ratio toploader on a driving basis, and you
have the benefit of the OD gear.
I always wanted to put a 3.35 ratio T-5 in my 86 SVO Mustang, cause
the 3.50 4 cylinder 1st gear in that car is way too low. Another
project still in waiting.
Tom Hall
ModTiger Engineering LLC
www.tigerengineering.net
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