Potomac-Greg

Anyone else think that there are too many gears in modern transmissions? I used to switch between my 5 speed 944 and a 6 speed Audi TT, and I was often at a loss to find the right gear in the TT when entering turns. Too many options! Now I have 7 speed "manumatic" for the street, and there is no way to drive in manual mode. I can't keep track of what gear I'm in, especially when the computer is making and blocking shifts (for my benefit).

Bryan Watts

Too many? Nope, I'd love to have more.

If you step down through the gears one at a time, you won't find yourself at such a loss at turn entry. On a modern street car transmission, only 3rd - 6th are usually able to be used on track anyway. 1st and 2nd are too low for track use. With 5-6 usable gears in a proper race transmission, the performance benefits are significant.

M758

more gears = more better

Their are always times you could use a gear in between gears to maximize entry/exit speed. It is more work going through 6 gears on the track, but well spaced it is an edge. This weekend at Miller I would have love a 3.5 gear. There were many corners taken at the top 3rd instead of 4th. 4th was too tall get any power down or to get any weight transfer from acceleration. Thus making the car more prone to oversteer. Howeve using 3rd required possibly a bit too much brakign to keep the revs to under 6k at turn in. Still it was faster than 4th due to the pull on the way out. gear 3.5 would probably be perfect to prevent slowing down on the way in and keep good power on the way out.

Of course a pro racer would simply change the diff ratio, but there are times that may not help since on some corners the standard gears were perfect. Another gear gives you more options.

Bryan Watts

A Pro racer would change the diff AND/OR the actual gear stack in the transmission. Even in Formula Mazdas in SCCA club racing, it's pretty standard practice to change the gearing in the gearbox between various tracks.

C.J. Ichiban

I do it on the street (out of boredom) or in the CGT when the transmission is cold, but on the track just blippin do it

Z-man

Quote of the week!

Query: I believe the old 928 had a 2-plate clutch setup - as in a double clutch - kinda like a predecessor to Porsche's PDK or "doppelkuplung" transmision. So to double-declutch in a 928, do you double-declutch once? Or should you double-declutch for each clutch? Would you call the process 'Two double declutches?' or simply "Quad-declutching?" The good news is that even if you have to declutch 4 times, one would have sufficient fingers on one hand to keep track, unless, of course, one is wearing racing mittens.

Just wanted to throw that out there. Please discuss...

-Z-man.

Professor Helmüt Tester

We need a new thread, with a poll, asking opinions of this:

"Would you rather have more gears, or more torque ?"

I will just stand back with a deep, morbid curiosity as to the opinion offered. But that will have to wait...I'm going racing this weekend, and wouldn't be surprised if I end up augmenting & reorganizing my broken fibreglass collection.

See ya, chumps.

Larry Herman

Burn a piston for me.

mark kibort

You know I have to respond.

That depends on the shape of the HP curves being compared.
Flat hp curves, can have less gears
Peaky hp curves need more gears to keep average HP same as above.

DogInBlack

I would like to say, "I can't believe you just said that," but then I would be lying

Veloce Raptor

Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr......................






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SundayDriver

Not even close. An engine with a flat torque curve needs a transmissions with square cut (flat) gears. Peaky HP curves need bevel cut gears in the transmission.

Veloce Raptor

Thanks. I just spat Spaten Oktoberfest all over my keyboard.






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SundayDriver

Whaaat? That science is just as good as much of the other stuff that gets posted here.

Veloce Raptor

Ed Zachary.






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