Mach 1 what are your shift points

[djlethalwang]

We all know the Mach has a 6800RPM redline and 7200RPM rev limiter(for the 5-speeds). When I first got my car, I'd wrap it all the way up to a little over seven grand before i'd shift, but it didn't take me long to realize that after 6500 or so there isn't really any more power to be had. Redlining everytime will certainly slow you down a bit. I shift about 6500 now when i get all over it, but I'm just curious as to what everyone else here shifts at. The more input, the better....

 

[gfong]

I shift at anywhere between 6300 and 6500. I seem to short shift 1st at 6000. This year I am going to change that and try and stick to a constant shift like you mentioned. I have 4.10 gears so I can not hold it through 3rd anymore going across the line.

 

[Crzyhrse]

I just had my Mach dynoed and my peak horsepower was at 6,000. No need for me to go any higher.

 

[TR03Mach1]

Unless you have some serious engine work done or some type of forced induction, the Mach 1's power band drops off after 6k, so taking it out much past that is just a waste of time.

 

[djlethalwang]

Well, I think I figured out that I probably need to shift a little bit sooner. Sucks not having a dyno near cause I can't see what kind of power my car is putting to the ground. Oh well, thanks for the input guys.

 

[wurd2]

I'm no drag racing expert, but I think I've learned enough to know that you do not shift the instant your engine power begins to decline. If you did this, then you will be way out of power range when you shift into the next gear. I would think that you would want to take the RPM's some distance beyond the peak points.

I think the issue of shift points is more complicated than just shifting at peak points.

 

[TR03Mach1]

I'm no drag racing expert, but I think I've learned enough to know that you do not shift the instant your engine power begins to decline. If you did this, then you will be way out of power range when you shift into the next gear. I would think that you would want to take the RPM's some distance beyond the peak points.

I think the issue of shift points is more complicated than just shifting at peak points.

Not necessarily true. Drag racing is all about tenths and hundreths of a second meaning the difference between winning and losing. If you waste time letting the engine rev out to a point where it's no longer producing useable power, you just lost to that LS1 in the next lane! The Mach 1's "sweet spot" in the powerband, according to every dyno sheet I've seen, is between 3k and 6k, minus any forced induction. It drops off precipitiously after 6k, so letting it wind out to 6500+ rpms is just costing you precious time and the engine is no longer providing useable power, it's basically coasting. Powershifting is what keeps the engine in the powerband during shifting. I've never had the engine revs drop below 3k during shifts while racing at the track. On the street, it's a slightly different story, traction becomes a serious issue, plus there's no timeslip to worry about, so you have a little more wiggle room out on the street.

 

[wurd2]

Not necessarily true. Drag racing is all about tenths and hundreths of a second meaning the difference between winning and losing. If you waste time letting the engine rev out to a point where it's no longer producing useable power, you just lost to that LS1 in the next lane! The Mach 1's "sweet spot" in the powerband, according to every dyno sheet I've seen, is between 3k and 6k, minus any forced induction. It drops off precipitiously after 6k, so letting it wind out to 6500+ rpms is just costing you precious time and the engine is no longer providing useable power, it's basically coasting. Powershifting is what keeps the engine in the powerband during shifting. I've never had the engine revs drop below 3k during shifts while racing at the track. On the street, it's a slightly different story, traction becomes a serious issue, plus there's no timeslip to worry about, so you have a little more wiggle room out on the street.

I see what you mean here, but depending on your power curve you might go out 500 RPM or so beyond your peak power point because you're only making like 10 or 15 less hp.

For example, click here and check my power curve out. When I accelerate in my car from a dig, it seems to work out better if I shift out of 1st gear at 6800 rpm rather than 6100 rpm or so which is where my peak power is. When I shift out of 1st gear at 6100 rpm, I end up at 4800 rpm in 2nd gear unable to chirp or break the tires loose. However, when I shift out of 1st gear at 6800 rpm or so, I can break the tires loose shifting into 2nd and basically wind 2nd gear out starting from 5500 rpm instead of 4800 rpm. This makes a huge difference because I'm into 3rd gear a lot sooner!

Keep in mind that I'm not powershifting because I have no experience doing so and I am also running 4.30's.

 

[Crzyhrse]

Damn dude, that dyno sheet is a mess. Your power curve is all over the place. Up in one place, then down, then up again. You need to get a chip or tuner or something to smooth everything out.

 

[wurd2]

Damn dude, that dyno sheet is a mess. Your power curve is all over the place. Up in one place, then down, then up again. You need to get a chip or tuner or something to smooth everything out.

My car was tuned by Swanson Performance and they used an SCT chip. I think this is perfectly normal for power curves. I think perfectly smooth power curves are just made this way depending on the software that plots all the data points. Since my power curve shows minute variations, I'm betting that it's a more accurate representation (or graph) of all the data collected by the dyno machine.

 

[TR03Mach1]

so and I am also running 4.30's.

I didn't even get into this, since I thought the original poster was referring to a fairly stock Mach 1 with 355's. But gears are going to mess up the entire equation, due to the multiplying effect they have on the engines' power. When you start running serious gears like you are, then you have to start experimenting, and just go with what works best for you. BTW, I love the pictures of your car! I've always had a soft spot for white Mustangs, since my very first Mustang was a white 69 Grande.

 

[djlethalwang]

Yes, I was referring to a fairly stock car with the stock 3.55 gears. I don't plan on messing with gears anytime soon, if ever. 3.55s are fine for me, especially since my Mach is my everyday driver.

 

[wurd2]

Now I know why I'm having trouble shifting, and having to experiment!



And thanks for the comments about my pictures!

 

[BurlyStang]

Good post, thalwang.

I have not tracked or dynoed mine, yet, but I have reamed her quite a bit over the last year. This is what I have learned concerning the street:

1. If I redline 1st, I roast 2nd & have to grab 3rd to get traction (not good)
*my rule-of-thumb: grab another gear if you lose acceleration, the gears are close enough together and the motor strong enough to recover - this is no GT
2. If I roll 1st into the intersection and then plant the accelerator, I can power-shift 2nd around 5800 RPM (about 3/4-way through the intersection)
It's CHIRP-AND-GO; just about perfect
3. My stock power band kicks in around 3200 and drops after 5800, so I try to keep the motor in that range, grabbing gears as I go.

I'm no trackster, but I hold my own on the street. I'm stock and do not have the benefit of 7-second burnouts, gears or soft rubber. I have not lost yet, to anything, most back down after about 60MPH; even cycles. The others watch the back of my Mach pull away at over 110MPH.

It's a strong 4V motor, keep it in the power band, regardless of gear.

BTW, I shift out of 4th at 5800 at ~130MPH Just saw that you were two hours up from me. If you see a white Mach with my Avatar over the trunk badge, it's me.

 

[djlethalwang]

Good post, thalwang.

I have not tracked or dynoed mine, yet, but I have reamed her quite a bit over the last year. This is what I have learned concerning the street:

1. If I redline 1st, I roast 2nd & have to grab 3rd to get traction (not good)
*my rule-of-thumb: grab another gear if you lose acceleration, the gears are close enough together and the motor strong enough to recover - this is no GT
2. If I roll 1st into the intersection and then plant the accelerator, I can power-shift 2nd around 5800 RPM (about 3/4-way through the intersection)
It's CHIRP-AND-GO; just about perfect
3. My stock power band kicks in around 3200 and drops after 5800, so I try to keep the motor in that range, grabbing gears as I go.

I'm no trackster, but I hold my own on the street. I'm stock and do not have the benefit of 7-second burnouts, gears or soft rubber. I have not lost yet, to anything, most back down after about 60MPH; even cycles. The others watch the back of my Mach pull away at over 110MPH.

It's a strong 4V motor, keep it in the power band, regardless of gear.

BTW, I shift out of 4th at 5800 at ~130MPH Just saw that you were two hours up from me. If you see a white Mach with my Avatar over the trunk badge, it's me.

Yeah, the Mach is a really good running car. The only thing i've really lost to are fixed up LS1s and an '04 Cobra that runs 11s. I just ate up a black LS1 Ram Air Trans Am today from a light.....Well if you ever make it up here, just look for me out sometime. I'm the only red Mach here with black rims and I have a 'Lethal Performance' sticker on my back window. Later man

 

[BurlyStang]

I never go to Amarillo unless I'm passing through. Look for the Mustang roundups (Mustang Shows) in Lubbock, I usually go. If they do the same up North two hours, PM me, I may show up.

Either way, your Best ET: [email protected] should be worth about 13.323 in most places, good time (assuming you ran that somewhere around here)

 

[djlethalwang]

Yeah, I ran that time at the Amarillo Dragway. Thats the only track i've been to so far. Some buddies of mine wanna head down to Dallas this summer and run at the track in Ennis. That would be pretty nice and i'm sure I could probably run a low 13 down there, like you said, with my car like it is. Hopefully I'll have several mods by then and possibly pull a 12. Anyway, I don't think we have any kind of Mustang roundup up here. This town sucks too bad for anything like that. The only thing we have is a hot rod gathering the first saturday of every month in this big parking lot in the southwest part of town......well i'll catch ya later man....

 

[BurlyStang]

Anyway, I don't think we have any kind of Mustang roundup up here. This town sucks too bad for anything like that.

LOL, most Lubbockites agree. At least you do have an organized hotrod roundup, I don't know about anything like that around here except for punks cruising 82nd street.