Joe - you use 3rd with overdrive at 40-50? I occasionally use it for
cruising at about 30. At 35-40 I use 4th, and at anything over 40 I use
4th with overdrive. That'll give me around the 2000 revs mark -
perfectly ok for cruising along, although obviously requiring a
down-shift (or switching out the overdrive) before acceleration.
Does my 1500 have different ratios to your earlier car? Or do we just
have different driving styles?
I find that trying to use the overdrive to give a 6-speed gearbox is too
cumbersome - 3rd, 3rd with overdrive and 4th are all close enough
together that you have to change at intervals that are too close to be
comfortable. So I only use 3rd with overdrive for cruising, never for
accelerating.
As for the method for selecting overdrive, I generally tend to just
flick the switch. It's probably better to ease off the gas slightly,
otherwise you're going to get different signals coming from the engine
and the road wheels, and that's got to put some strain on something!
But I ignore my own advice and engage it at full throttle.
Dean
-------------
>----------
>From: Joe Curry[SMTP:spitlist@gte.net]
>Sent: 18 June 1999 04:33
>To: Mark Gardner
>Cc: spitfires@autox.team.net
>Subject: Re: O/D use
>
>
>Mark,
>I occasionally use 3rd with overdrive when I am cruising in town and the
>speed limit is 40 to 50. Not high enough for 4th gear and a bit much
>for 3rd without OD.
>
>As for shifting, I don't use the clutch when engaging od disengaging
>overdrive but I do normally ease up a bit on the gas so it doesn't put
>any undue strain on the drive train when it kicks in.
>
>I don't know if it's the accepted proper procedure, but it feels right
>to me.
>
>Joe
>
>Mark Gardner wrote:
>>
>> Hi again - Now that I have you all thinking about O/Ds, what is the
>> accepted method for engaging/disengaging it? Use the clutch? Just back
>> off on the gas? (Thanks for the suggestion, Mike). Any particular
>> reason why O/D is also available in 3rd? Is it practical to use it to
>> create a 6 speed? I presume that the O/D is not available in 1st or 2nd
>> due to the higher torque at the driveshaft in those gears. Correct?
>>
>> Thanks in advance again,
>>
>> Mark Gardner
>
>--
>"If you can't excel with talent, triumph with effort."
> -- Dave Weinbaum in National Enquirer
>
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