Anyone want a real gear for cruising on the freeway?
03-18-2004, 07:57 PM
#1
Pineapple Racer
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Anyone want a real gear for cruising on the freeway?
As everyone has noticed, the 8 gets terriable fuel mileage when cruising 70mph+ for long periods. I was talking to Rob Golden at Pineapple Racing about getting a taller 6th gear. So instead of 60mph@3krpms, it could be 70mph or 75mph at 3k rpms. He said it could be done fairy easy. It might be a little expensive, but it could be done. He's yet to see inside of a Rx-8, 6spd tranny, but he says he's confident it could be done. Cost would be this: If there is exsisting parts that could be swapped right over, without any R&D, it would run around $350 just for parts, then anouther $150 for labor. If the parts had to be custom made, the parts would be around $500, plus the $150 for labor, if we could get atleast 20 people interested in this. This would not include the cost of pulling the transmition.
The speed to rpm is not set at this moment. It could be a realy, realy tall 6th gear, or a medium between the 86-91 N/A transmition. (One of the tallest 5th gears of any rotary car, but was nice for freeway travel.) It would depend on what you guys would be interested in.
I would be willing to do this. But this is not a GB or anything like that. This is just a thread to see if interest is out their for the continued R&D of a taller gear.
Anyways, what do you guys think? CJ
The speed to rpm is not set at this moment. It could be a realy, realy tall 6th gear, or a medium between the 86-91 N/A transmition. (One of the tallest 5th gears of any rotary car, but was nice for freeway travel.) It would depend on what you guys would be interested in.
I would be willing to do this. But this is not a GB or anything like that. This is just a thread to see if interest is out their for the continued R&D of a taller gear.
Anyways, what do you guys think? CJ
03-18-2004, 08:58 PM
#6
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I would love a taller 6th gear for freeway cruising, but I don't understand any of the technical stuff. I don't know if I want my transmission opened. I don't know if I want to pay the money.
The "L" reflash is already doing wonders for my car. I'll post when I have some complete data.
The "L" reflash is already doing wonders for my car. I'll post when I have some complete data.
03-18-2004, 09:19 PM
#8
Pineapple Racer
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Originally posted by doccable
What about buying just the gear?
What about buying just the gear?
03-18-2004, 09:23 PM
#9
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If it can be done in the best case scenario, using existiing hardware, I would definitely be interested as well. 95 miles on the highway every day at 85 at 3K RPM? I think so :D
03-18-2004, 11:17 PM
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i wouldnt touch my 6th gear. if it were any taller, you'd need to downshift to have enough juice to pass. i can put it in 6th and weave through traffic without having to shift all day long.
8's have shitty gas mileage. there's so sense in my mind in paying $500+ so I get better slightly better gas mileage 10% of the time I drive.
8's have shitty gas mileage. there's so sense in my mind in paying $500+ so I get better slightly better gas mileage 10% of the time I drive.
03-18-2004, 11:30 PM
#12
Pineapple Racer
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if it were any taller, you'd need to downshift to have enough juice to pass. i can put it in 6th and weave through traffic without having to shift all day long.
03-19-2004, 02:04 AM
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yea yea, it might as well be :P
in my own defense, the car was 2 weeks old (and yes, very much broken in) and it was my first manual and first time at the track. im goin back next week, now that I feel like I've got a handle on the launch.
here's your thread back.
in my own defense, the car was 2 weeks old (and yes, very much broken in) and it was my first manual and first time at the track. im goin back next week, now that I feel like I've got a handle on the launch.
here's your thread back.
03-19-2004, 04:24 AM
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yah... i dont see the point of spending $500 plus to get 3-4 more mpg. I cruise at 80-85 and get 21mpg (before L flash).
I'd rather spend that $500+ on the gas. An extra 4mpg would give you 56miles more per tank. That means if you didnt have the extra mpg, you would need to buy about 3 more gallons which is about $6. So that $500 would only start saving you money after 83 tanks, which is close to 20k miles.
In my opinion its not worth it, since you'd lose any possibility of accelerating in 6th gear
I'd rather spend that $500+ on the gas. An extra 4mpg would give you 56miles more per tank. That means if you didnt have the extra mpg, you would need to buy about 3 more gallons which is about $6. So that $500 would only start saving you money after 83 tanks, which is close to 20k miles.
In my opinion its not worth it, since you'd lose any possibility of accelerating in 6th gear
03-19-2004, 05:40 AM
#15
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Originally posted by wolfbeast
yah... i dont see the point of spending $500 plus to get 3-4 more mpg. I cruise at 80-85 and get 21mpg (before L flash).
I'd rather spend that $500+ on the gas. An extra 4mpg would give you 56miles more per tank. That means if you didnt have the extra mpg, you would need to buy about 3 more gallons which is about $6. So that $500 would only start saving you money after 83 tanks, which is close to 20k miles.
In my opinion its not worth it, since you'd lose any possibility of accelerating in 6th gear
yah... i dont see the point of spending $500 plus to get 3-4 more mpg. I cruise at 80-85 and get 21mpg (before L flash).
I'd rather spend that $500+ on the gas. An extra 4mpg would give you 56miles more per tank. That means if you didnt have the extra mpg, you would need to buy about 3 more gallons which is about $6. So that $500 would only start saving you money after 83 tanks, which is close to 20k miles.
In my opinion its not worth it, since you'd lose any possibility of accelerating in 6th gear
03-19-2004, 09:15 AM
#16
Pineapple Racer
Thread Starter
In my opinion its not worth it, since you'd lose any possibility of accelerating in 6th gear
You can actually accelerate in 5th gear in that car.
in my own defense, the car was 2 weeks old (and yes, very much broken in) and it was my first manual and first time at the track. im goin back next week, now that I feel like I've got a handle on the launch.
Keep the feedback coming guys.
CJ
03-19-2004, 09:49 AM
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Gearing, top and otherwise
The MT, according to Mazda's gearing figures, does 58.2 at 3,000. My AT does 70.5. The response to the throttle in that gear is leisurely, to put it mildly.
One problem I see in just altering the top gear of an MT is the big gap between 5th and 6th. OTOH, you could think of it as a 5-speed trranny for everything but straight, level, no-traffic runs in overdrive.
One problem I see in just altering the top gear of an MT is the big gap between 5th and 6th. OTOH, you could think of it as a 5-speed trranny for everything but straight, level, no-traffic runs in overdrive.
03-19-2004, 10:36 AM
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For those quick to say it's a bad idea and you'd never do it, fine. But dont assume everybody elses situation is the same as yours. Peoples MPG varies a lot, as well as driving habits/needs. He's looking for people who would do this, not asking people to point out their personal reasons not to. I only use 6th for cruising. 3-4 MPG might not mean anything to you, but for my driving needs it's pretty substantial.
03-19-2004, 03:45 PM
#23
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people swap gears all the time in the s2k...but most of the time the final drive is actually REDUCED. funny enough, some of the original gear swaps were to MAZDA gears!
FWIW, the majority of the gear swaps have been successful and there really haven't been many problems reported on s2ki.com. don't know what that implies for the RX8, but if the person knows their trannys you should be fine.
EDIT: PLUS you get the added bonus of getting to downshift when you want to pass. i'm sorry, but downshifting at highway speeds ALWAYS brings a smile to my face!
FWIW, the majority of the gear swaps have been successful and there really haven't been many problems reported on s2ki.com. don't know what that implies for the RX8, but if the person knows their trannys you should be fine.
EDIT: PLUS you get the added bonus of getting to downshift when you want to pass. i'm sorry, but downshifting at highway speeds ALWAYS brings a smile to my face!
03-19-2004, 04:20 PM
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Overall I'm pretty happy with the gearing in the '8, just would really like to have 6th reserved as a tall highway gear. I sure don't mind downshifting to pass either! :D