The 5 speed auto in my superduty crushes the 4 speed it replaced. Better mileage, less hunting for the right gear, etc. Also, it didn't cost much more than the 4 speed it replaced but boy what an improvement. I can't wait until they upgrade the superduty to a six speed like GM did in their trucks.
Someone else also said it and i concur - go drive an Expy with the 6 speed and then give us your feedback...
IMO more moving parts are bad. maybe i'm just stuck in the past? It just seems like transmissions are following the path of razor blades. 3 blades work for me. I tried the more expensive 4 and 5 blade razors but found any increased performance from them wasn't worth the cost.
In my 06' 5.4l, I found that the Torque converter lock up at a high enough RPM to get into the torque curve and has very strong off the line pick-up. gearing up any more would be a waste. IMO!
I dont have any imput on the tranny but i bought that new fusion and it works abou the same as my old mach 3 or whatever and damn those replacement blades are exspensive!
"Vochy, I don't understand why you asked the question if you had your mind made up in advance and you're just gonna disagree with all the answers given."
-webmaster
I asked this question in the begining to spark a disscusion. If I just agree with everyone this disscussion is over. Its not that I really dissagree with anyone. I am trying to hear others opions by antagonizing them out (excuse the spelling).
As for fuel economy increase, I did an online search and found an artical about ford and GM's joint 6 speed project. The artical claims a 4% increse in fuel economy. So there is some truth there. But heres the Math.
1.04 x 15MPG=15.6 (that 0.6 will really come in handy)
by the way my 06' only gets about 14mpg with a tail wind.
As for upfront cost, the artical claims the cost to be about the same. Again I was wrong.
How about moving parts. I was wrong again. The atical states that the 6 speed has the same # of componets as the 4 speed GM tranny that it replaces.
Webmaster, I have a lot of respect for you and this web site, I hope that you or anybody else did not take this the wrong way. I was looking for a good disscussion not a bash fest.
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Vochy: Bone stock '06 F-150, Black Supercab Short box, 5.4L 4x4 XLT
88' F-150 Black Short Box, 302 4x4, true dual flowmater 2in exaust, Mustang equal length headers
Figure this,
with the avances in tech and tolerances our 4 speeds (after the bugs got worked out inm the 90's) have way less service problems than the 3 speeds. engines last longer and get better miloage and performance. I wish I had a 6sp for my excursion.
i do know about that, I've seen my fair share of c4 - c6 and th350 - 400's go 250,000 miles with no problems. their big and simple, the advarage at home mechanic can rebuild one in his garage.
i also see the upside of a modern 6 speed, better milage, allows for better gearing. if i could put a 6 speed behind my 21 year old 351 i would. it would be neat to see a super low granny first gear, along with deep diff gears, and then a double over drive. get the best of both worlds
__________________ MAT
82 F100 / 300, C4, 3.08, 237,000 miles
86 F150 / 351HO, C6, 3.73LS, 170,000 miles
96 F150 / 302, E4OD, 3.55LS, 68,000 miles
I dissagree, my girl friend drives a 96' contor which only has a 3 speed tranny in it. for a car of its size it gets very good fuel economy (30 mph).
The Contour had a four speed automatic or five speed manual transmission. There never was a Contour made with a three speed transmission.
Quote:
Originally Posted by vochy
and as for the six speeds keeping the RPM's in the sweet spot I beleive (correct me if im wrong) the the 4 speed in my 06' has clutching action between gears to keep the RPM's in a sweet spot.
The six speeds also have a lockup torque converter, so they do what the four speeds do, only better.
Smaller RPM drops on shifts allows the engine to spend more time operating at RPMs that give better fuel economy. Six speeds are all about getting better economy. It isn't going to be several MPG better, it's going to be less than 1 MPG better. If you look at the fines that the automakers have to pay if they don't meet the fuel economy regulations you'd understand why they will do almost ANYTHING to get a half of a mile per gallon increase.
The fine for missing the CAFE regulation is $10,000 per 1/10 MPG miss, times EVERY VEHICLE SOLD THAT YEAR!
Casey Your right about my GF's car. I was thinking of her old car which is a geo metro (smallest PSC ever). that car only had a 3 speed. the contour does have OD. You also bring up a good point about the six speeds able to clutch with the torque conerter.
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Vochy: Bone stock '06 F-150, Black Supercab Short box, 5.4L 4x4 XLT
88' F-150 Black Short Box, 302 4x4, true dual flowmater 2in exaust, Mustang equal length headers
Drive train components rarely are a major expense to the new owner. Its the little guy who can only afford a used vehicle that gets screwed when he buys the vehicle that the tard who abused it from new gets rid of it. When that lower income joe gets to pay the 4 grand for a new one.
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My advice is just advice..Its free "IF THAT DONT FIX IT, SOMETHING ELSE WILL"
I seem to remember reading a blurb in some magazine a while ago. They stated there's roughly a 5% gain in mpg per additional gear starting from 3rd-to-4th, but the diminishing returns are quick. That sorta correlates with what vochy is quoting.
Maybe that's why nobody hasn't just leapfrogged everyone else and just jump at building an 8-speed tranny...
shoot... that's right. My wife and I test drove one of those just a couple months back. My memory is going quick :-( Mighty nice I should say--I could barely feel it shifting. But I'll rather buy 2 my trucks for one of those, and I don't have to worry about getting door dings much less where I go. She's got a different opinion though :-(
OTOH, when given unlimited resources ($$) to build a high end vehicle, anything goes... I'm sure that's not in Ford's mind when it comes to designing/building our trucks :-)
Vochy, that 0.6 gain in fuel mileage doesn't seem like alot for a individual and it isn't. If you drive 12,000 miles a year that's only going to save you 30 gallons of fuel in a year. But if you take that and do the math for 500,000 F150 Ford might sell and it comes out to 15,000,000 gallons of gas. And that can keep the tree huggers at bay for a little while.
Casey Your right about my GF's car. I was thinking of her old car which is a geo metro (smallest PSC ever). that car only had a 3 speed. the contour does have OD. You also bring up a good point about the six speeds able to clutch with the torque conerter.
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