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Question about the manual transmission

3K views 23 replies 12 participants last post by  Chiguy_2002 
#1 ·
Hello again everyone,

I have a manual box. The first weekend I had it, I took it to Artesia to get the kids. My question is this: When I have it in 5th gear and I go above 70 mph the rpm's go up to 4. Is this normal? There is a guy at the shop next to my work and he says I have short gears. I did not know there was a difference. Can anyone explain please?
 
#3 ·
Yes, the xB manual has VERY short gears from the factory.

AUTOMATIC:

2560 RPM @ 60 MPH
2990 RPM @ 70 MPH

MANUAL:

3070 RPM @ 60 MPH
3580 RPM @ 70 MPH

Tomas
 
#5 ·
#6 ·
Tomas said:
Yes, the xB manual has VERY short gears from the factory.

AUTOMATIC:

2560 RPM @ 60 MPH
2990 RPM @ 70 MPH

MANUAL:

3070 RPM @ 60 MPH
3580 RPM @ 70 MPH

Tomas
do you know why it is the way it is?
 
#7 ·
That is to give the manual trans version a more sporty and aggressive feel, instead of feeling like an econo-box. (The auto trans has some additional gear advantage from the torque converter, so doesn't need the shorter gearing for acceleration.)

"Wait," you say, "the manual transmission xB accelerates SO much faster, why didn't they do that to the auto trans, too?"

Really? THAT much faster?

Accelerating flat out, side by side, zero to 60, the auto is only 88 feet behind the manual getting on the freeway. I'd have to drop back to twice that distance to not tailgate. :)

The auto is a reasonably smooth, relaxed, quiet cruiser on the highway (it even locks it's torque converter in the top two gears, for economy), the manual is an urban rat racer that gets a little out of breath on the long fast haul.

Two totally different styles of driving, two totally different personalities.

Tomas
 
#9 ·
Thanks for the info. I know when I drove to Artesia, people were passing me left and right because I was afraid to go too fast with it. Too fast was the speed limit. Everyone was passing me and I looked down and was going 60. Either way, it is fun. I just wish it had a cruise control on it.

Michele
 
#10 ·
The engine in the box is designed to be a high rev engine - it has no problem spinning along at 4000 rpm all day.

Tomas
 
#15 ·
Im in Montana right now, and across most of Washington, Idaho, and this part of Montana it was mostly at 70-80 MPH, with the occasional run at 85 and burst to 95. Weather was in the mid 80's for the most part (cooler than it was in June when we made the trip, by about 10 degrees).

Vanilla made no complaints, got reasonable milage, and ran her air conditioning and headlights all the way.

I don't brutalize my car - she can handle what I ask of her with no problem. A manual might not be QUITE as happy at the speeds I was running for as long as I was running them, but it would hav done fine, too.

(Toyota says that max design speed is 103, and max sustained speed is 90.)

Obviously, running at 40 MPH is easier on any car than running at 80, and running at 60 degrees OAT (Outside Air Temperature) is easier on it than running at 90 degrees OAT, but the box can take it.

Enjoy!

Tomas
 
#16 ·
Tomas said:
Im in Montana right now, and across most of Washington, Idaho, and this part of Montana it was mostly at 70-80 MPH, with the occasional run at 85 and burst to 95. Weather was in the mid 80's for the most part (cooler than it was in June when we made the trip, by about 10 degrees).

Vanilla made no complaints, got reasonable milage, and ran her air conditioning and headlights all the way.

I don't brutalize my car - she can handle what I ask of her with no problem. A manual might not be QUITE as happy at the speeds I was running for as long as I was running them, but it would hav done fine, too.

(Toyota says that max design speed is 103, and max sustained speed is 90.)

Obviously, running at 40 MPH is easier on any car than running at 80, and running at 60 degrees OAT (Outside Air Temperature) is easier on it than running at 90 degrees OAT, but the box can take it.

Enjoy!

Tomas
Nicely Put Tomas! :D :) :)
 
#19 · (Edited)
Tomas said:
That is to give the manual trans version a more sporty and aggressive feel, instead of feeling like an econo-box. (The auto trans has some additional gear advantage from the torque converter, so doesn't need the shorter gearing for acceleration.)

"Wait," you say, "the manual transmission xB accelerates SO much faster, why didn't they do that to the auto trans, too?"

Really? THAT much faster?

Accelerating flat out, side by side, zero to 60, the auto is only 88 feet behind the manual getting on the freeway. I'd have to drop back to twice that distance to not tailgate. :)

The auto is a reasonably smooth, relaxed, quiet cruiser on the highway (it even locks it's torque converter in the top two gears, for economy), the manual is an urban rat racer that gets a little out of breath on the long fast haul.

Two totally different styles of driving, two totally different personalities.

Tomas
every auto xB i've ever driven or been in has been PAINSTAKINGLY slower than my manual xB ever was. 88 feet behind highly doubtful.

i've driven my car for 100mph for an hour or so straight not a problem before , during or after.

and driven 90 for 2 hours straight again same after as it was before. worst case i pay 150 for a new shortblock , lol.


and i'm not arguing to argue i'm just stating my opinions after working on , driving , being driven in , more than 40 xB's and at least 10 of em were auto's.
 
#20 ·
Take a look at the 0-60 times for the manual transmission versus the automatic. There is about a one second difference. At 60 MPH a vehicle travels 88 feet in one second...

Tomas
 
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