4-speed manual per wife :)

problemcat13 · 10-10-2008, 07:47 PM

My wife

I let her drive the Foz to her writer's conference and back. Just made more sense for me to keep the van with the kids and all. Two hour drive, one way. And good for her to get to drive it. So after she gets back Thursday and we go out to eat, she also mentions:

"Oh, I looked down when I was about home and I was in fourth gear...might have been for 30 minutes or an hour....I really don't know!"

She was driving 70mph she says

It turns 4100rpm at 70mph in fourth I determined.

VERY SHARP

The Black Box · 10-10-2008, 08:13 PM

Don't be too hard on her. I left mine in fourth on the freeway for about 10 miles on the way home from buying the car. I was thinking constantly about varying speeds but wasn't familiar with the route and my mind wandered. Guess the stock exhaust is too quiet.

El Sid · 10-10-2008, 08:33 PM

I have to say I drove about 50 miles of high speed in fourth a short while back.

I usually take the turnpike from Miami that is real steady. That trip I took I-95 up. After dicing up some slower traffic I set the cruise somewhere north of 75 mph and didn't figure it out until I hit a contruction area.

Of course it was at night and the stereo was up - and that the car doesn't have a 'highway' gear anyway...

tgaudmx5 · 10-10-2008, 08:42 PM

Ha!

My Miata would turn 4500 rpm @ 80 mph in 5th gear all the way home from college, and I used to make that 2.5 hour trip at least twice a month!

ewong_kaizen · 10-10-2008, 09:23 PM

not familiar with the subie trans, but on the W56 in my Toyota truck, 4th is a "straight through" and 5th is an over drive...
In other words - 4th has less gear stress than 5th
Of course engine RPMs and MPG are another issue

BAC5.2 · 10-11-2008, 05:32 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ewong_kaizen

not familiar with the subie trans, but on the W56 in my Toyota truck, 4th is a "straight through" and 5th is an over drive...
In other words - 4th has less gear stress than 5th
Of course engine RPMs and MPG are another issue

I don't think concern for the transmission is the point of issue. More like cruising for extended periods over 4000 RPM.

YoGeorge · 10-11-2008, 06:27 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BAC5.2

I don't think concern for the transmission is the point of issue. More like cruising for extended periods over 4000 RPM.

Small-engined European and Japanese engines are fine at sustained high RPM. What do you think people with 4-cyl BMW's or VW Golf's run on the Autobahn? Probably more like 5000-5500 RPM cruise for extended periods. I've had 4-speed small cars for years, like my old Sunbeam Alpine, my old SAAB 900, and others, in which I would routinely cruise at 80-85 mph, well over 4000 RPM.

There are a lot of Subaru engines used in aircraft, with a long-term normal cruise RPM of 4200 RPM or so BY DESIGN--and with way more load than a car running 4k in a freeway cruise situation. If THEIR engine fails, they fall out of the sky...

Don't worry in the slightest bit so long as the engine had oil and coolant in it.

George

funkymonkey1002 · 10-11-2008, 07:17 AM

Heh on my old tires (235/45/17) in 4th gear (4eat) i was running around 4,000+ rpm at highway speeds (75-85). I still think 3100 rpm is too much at 70 mph.
I think you might need a louder exhaust though :-)

problemcat13 · 10-11-2008, 07:40 AM

Ha! Yeah, I wouldn't mind a louder exhaust, but....

I'm not too worried about it, she doesn't dog it at all. I'm the one going to an autocross tomorrow. But still...yeesh!

satalac · 10-11-2008, 07:56 AM

at least it wasn't in third.....

snowdance38 · 10-12-2008, 06:15 AM

We have two 5 speed manual cars.. And both my wife and I have done much the same.. Our VW Jetta is the worst as its geared higher.. There was a time when I would say something to my wife but after she said some thing to me a couple times, I had to come up with a better remark.. Now we both just say "Shift". Now when she comes home and tells me she drove in 4th a while I just say "Guess we will have to watch that". I don't tend to tell her when I do it..

But here our roads are very rough because they are eaten up by studded tires and chains so the tire noise is very loud. So you can not hear the engine at all.. You have to watch the tac or look down at the shift position..

I remember some years back when a friends wife said she liked her 68 VW except it was just to slow to use on the highway.. She was driving in 2nd gear all the time.. For about 8000 miles.. She was in shock to find out there were more gears.. Like others said be happy it was not a lower gear.. Grin..

Snowdance
Flickr: snowdance38's Photostream

10-10-2008, 07:47 PM	#1 (permalink)
problemcat13 Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Winston Salem, NC Posts: 1,143 Gallery: 0 iTrader: 1 / 100%	4-speed manual per wife :) My wife I let her drive the Foz to her writer's conference and back. Just made more sense for me to keep the van with the kids and all. Two hour drive, one way. And good for her to get to drive it. So after she gets back Thursday and we go out to eat, she also mentions: "Oh, I looked down when I was about home and I was in fourth gear...might have been for 30 minutes or an hour....I really don't know!" She was driving 70mph she says It turns 4100rpm at 70mph in fourth I determined. VERY SHARP __________________ 99 L 5MT (sorely missed) 04 JBP XT 5MT

10-10-2008, 08:13 PM	#2 (permalink)
The Black Box I can argue with no facts to back me up!! Contributing Member Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Los Angeles Posts: 3,427 Gallery: 0 iTrader: 0 / 0%	Don't be too hard on her. I left mine in fourth on the freeway for about 10 miles on the way home from buying the car. I was thinking constantly about varying speeds but wasn't familiar with the route and my mind wandered. Guess the stock exhaust is too quiet. __________________ '08 XT LTD/MT

10-11-2008, 07:17 AM	#8 (permalink)
funkymonkey1002 Contributing Member Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Rochester, NY Posts: 3,437 Gallery: 0 iTrader: 3 / 100%	Heh on my old tires (235/45/17) in 4th gear (4eat) i was running around 4,000+ rpm at highway speeds (75-85). I still think 3100 rpm is too much at 70 mph. I think you might need a louder exhaust though :-) __________________ 04FXT/4EAT Snorkus Free, WRX suspension, rota/falken/racingbrake/hawk

10-11-2008, 07:40 AM	#9 (permalink)
problemcat13 Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Winston Salem, NC Posts: 1,143 Gallery: 0 iTrader: 1 / 100%	Ha! Yeah, I wouldn't mind a louder exhaust, but.... I'm not too worried about it, she doesn't dog it at all. I'm the one going to an autocross tomorrow. But still...yeesh! __________________ 99 L 5MT (sorely missed) 04 JBP XT 5MT

10-12-2008, 06:15 AM	#11 (permalink)
snowdance38 Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Yreka, Calif. Posts: 75 Gallery: 0 iTrader: 0 / 0%	We have two 5 speed manual cars.. And both my wife and I have done much the same.. Our VW Jetta is the worst as its geared higher.. There was a time when I would say something to my wife but after she said some thing to me a couple times, I had to come up with a better remark.. Now we both just say "Shift". Now when she comes home and tells me she drove in 4th a while I just say "Guess we will have to watch that". I don't tend to tell her when I do it.. But here our roads are very rough because they are eaten up by studded tires and chains so the tire noise is very loud. So you can not hear the engine at all.. You have to watch the tac or look down at the shift position.. I remember some years back when a friends wife said she liked her 68 VW except it was just to slow to use on the highway.. She was driving in 2nd gear all the time.. For about 8000 miles.. She was in shock to find out there were more gears.. Like others said be happy it was not a lower gear.. Grin.. Snowdance Flickr: snowdance38's Photostream Last edited by snowdance38 : 10-12-2008 at 06:22 AM.

10-10-2008, 08:33 PM	#3 (permalink)
El Sid Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: West Palm Beach, Florida Posts: 483 Gallery: 1 iTrader: 0 / 0%	I have to say I drove about 50 miles of high speed in fourth a short while back. I usually take the turnpike from Miami that is real steady. That trip I took I-95 up. After dicing up some slower traffic I set the cruise somewhere north of 75 mph and didn't figure it out until I hit a contruction area. Of course it was at night and the stereo was up - and that the car doesn't have a 'highway' gear anyway...

10-10-2008, 08:42 PM	#4 (permalink)
tgaudmx5 Join Date: May 2008 Location: Manchester, VT Posts: 133 Gallery: 0 iTrader: 0 / 0%	Ha! My Miata would turn 4500 rpm @ 80 mph in 5th gear all the way home from college, and I used to make that 2.5 hour trip at least twice a month!

10-10-2008, 09:23 PM	#5 (permalink)
ewong_kaizen Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Philly Posts: 371 Gallery: 0 iTrader: 1 / 100%	not familiar with the subie trans, but on the W56 in my Toyota truck, 4th is a "straight through" and 5th is an over drive... In other words - 4th has less gear stress than 5th Of course engine RPMs and MPG are another issue

10-11-2008, 07:56 AM	#10 (permalink)
satalac Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Nashville Posts: 795 Gallery: 0 iTrader: 0 / 0%	at least it wasn't in third.....

Thread Tools
Show Printable Version Email this Page
Display Modes
Linear Mode Switch to Hybrid Mode Switch to Threaded Mode