Dean Dashwood wrote:
>
> 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 have a 1500 with a MkIV D-type OD tranny. My differential is a 3.89
from a 1500 and I have 175-70sr13 tires. I don't know how much of a
difference that all makes, but I like to have the tach a bit higher than
2000 rpms. The engines were designed to develop their power at higher
revs.
>
> 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.
>
Same here.
> 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.
>
I still find myself forgetting that it is engaged and when I come to a
light and start off through the gears again, I remember when I shift to
third and the OD kicks in. I then must disengage it and continue
shifting.
Joe
--
"If you can't excel with talent, triumph with effort."
-- Dave Weinbaum in National Enquirer
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