Hi all, I have a '99 LX 5-speed. I've driven a manual transmission since the late 80s and am pretty much a self-taught manual transmission driver.

I've noticed that I seem to upshift ~ 2,500 to 3,000 rpms, rarely going above 4,000 (the redline is at 6,500 if I remember right). Should I occassionally let the rpms go towards the red line, or is it OK to keep driving like I do? This car has ~ 65,000 miles.

At what rpms do you upshift?

 

:shakes head:

Well, the slower and less friction/heat is on the pistons and overall block the less wear and tear on the engine. If you redline every time your engine will not last long, its not bad for it at all.

Mine shifts at like 3K.

 

well, there are different theories about this...

some say that when cruising on the highway, you should drop into 3rd every once in a while so that oil recurculates into the head in more abundance...

also, it's said that if you don't see redline, or at least high rpm's on any kind of regular basis, the car isn't nearly as happy to do it when you need it to...

i personally shift at 4500 regularly, but my redline isn't at 6200 or whatever yours is...

 

You're doing your car a favor by driving like that. Keep that up, and expect to see that engine and transmission last well past 200,000 miles. 3000 rpm is the ideal rpm to shift into a higher gear.

However, you may want to redline it once in a while, as deposits can build up in the engine over time.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Nick H &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">well, there are different theories about this...

some say that when cruising on the highway, you should drop into 3rd every once in a while so that oil recurculates into the head in more abundance...

also, it's said that if you don't see redline, or at least high rpm's on any kind of regular basis, the car isn't nearly as happy to do it when you need it to...
i personally shift at 4500 regularly, but my redline isn't at 6200 or whatever yours is...</TD></TR></TABLE>

i heard that on the speed channel

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by pyrojeff &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">You're doing your car a favor by driving like that. Keep that up, and expect to see that engine and transmission last well past 200,000 miles. 3000 rpm is the ideal rpm to shift into a higher gear.

However, you may want to redline it once in a while, as deposits can build up in the engine over time.</TD></TR></TABLE>

 

I don't remember verbatim, but my 91lx manual said something along the lines of "a vehicles engine is like the human body, it requires excersize to perform at it's peak"...take it as you wish.

I would say you are doing the vehicle a favor with the lower shift points, but an occasional near-redline shift could help give the engine a healthy "workout" if you will.

BTW, do *yourself* a favor and shift around 5k every once in a while. It's fun and a great way to relieve stress

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Heat &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">... This car has ~ 65,000 miles.</TD></TR></TABLE>If you've driven it this way for all that time, you may have developed enough of a ridge at the top of the cylinders. Revving it high NOW might damage the rings & lands. Most of the advice in this thread sounds good for a fresher engine.

 

Bring it to redline so you can clean it out....but a good example is my friends integra...he was always at redline and well his car now sits b/c of it...

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by JimBlake &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">If you've driven it this way for all that time, you may have developed enough of a ridge at the top of the cylinders. Revving it high NOW might damage the rings & lands. Most of the advice in this thread sounds good for a fresher engine.
</TD></TR></TABLE>

i dont get this...if he redlines isnt it just spinning faster, not higher up on the cylinder? i dont understand how he will have created any more/less of a "ridge" than any of the rest of us because unless he has aftermarket piston rods, his pistons move just as far

 

When you spin it faster, the rods stretch ever so slightly more than at lower rpms. This slight stretch is why you maintain minimum piston to valve clearance..

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by propwdialogue &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">i dont get this...if he redlines isnt it just spinning faster, not higher up on the cylinder? i dont understand how he will have created any more/less of a "ridge" than any of the rest of us because unless he has aftermarket piston rods, his pistons move just as far </TD></TR></TABLE>The rods stretch a little bit more at higher rpms. I doubt about valve clearance, but it only takes a couple mils to hammer on the ring lands.

 

ah i see...learn something new every day