hello this is my first post, i just bought a 1998 f150 last week and i like it alot, but i dont know when to shift it properly,
i have been driving manual for years but i was always told by my dad to keep it between 2 and 3000 rpm, and that below 2000 rpm is hard on the engine/tranny.

reading the manual for my truck i decided that ford seriously messed up or there trannys are made to take lots of load at low rpm, any one tell me what they shift at either in rpm or at speed.

by following the owners manual instruction, it has you shifting at 1500 rpms (doesnt say rpm in the manual but when you do it its below 1500 rpm) and below and it seems to me that is just plain dangerous. sure it might increse fuel milage but wont it mess up your motor later in life????

i will post what the owners manual says 4x2 tranny

upshifts when accelerating (recommended for best fuel economy)
1-2 9mph (no way!!)
2-3 20 mph (under 1500 rpms!)
3-4 31 mph ( i shift to 3rd at 35 mph fyi)
4-5 44 mph (i cant believe that)

upshifts when cruising (recommended for best fuel economy)
1-2 10 mph (1500 rpms or less!)
2-3 16 mph (i shift to 2nd gear at about 18 mph but 3rd? no way)
3-4 27 mph (are they on crack???)
4-5 42 mph (wow that seems dangerous)

i may be way wrong here but it seems to me if you drove the truck like that it would never even make it to 100,000 miles!

also as a side note i will include the maximum downshift speeds that also i believe are wrong!

5th to 4th max speed 55 mph

4th to 3rd max speed 45 mph (i dont think you should even shift into 4th unless you are going about 2800 rpms in 3rd and that is 44 mph so how the heck is the max downshift speed 45???)

3rd to 2nd 35 mph (seems about right)

2nd to 1st 20 mph (that one is correct)

about the only one i think is right is the max downshift for 1 and 2

thanks and let me know if im wrong here.... or please tell me what you do or the correct way, there is no web page on this info.

 

Spadetrump,

Welcome to FTE. Glad to have you.

Let me start by saying that I think you are way over-analyising the situation. I suggest you cover up your tach and drive without it for a week. And put the manual away.

It's true that RPM's ultamatly drive your shifting, but your missing the beauty of driving a manual tranny. It's more about the "feel" of the engine through the accelerator. If the engine feels like it's bogging down, then down shift. If your done accelerating or accerlation is topping off in the gear your in, then up shift.

You're not going to hurt your engine unless you hold it at high RPM's for too long on a regular basis. By high RMP's I mean you can hear the engine screaming. It's OK to hit those high RMP's every now and then, just don't hold it there.

I'm unsure why your so concerned about LOW RPM's. The lower the revs the less work your engine is doing. If you drive too slow in high gear the engine will bog down and you will feel it.

The values in your manual work just fine, but they are written for optimum fuel economy, i.e. slow, over-cautious drving. The great thing about a manual is you can make the engine respond how ever you want depending on the mood your in. If your drving in such a way that would cause damage, you'll know it.

 

The numbers noted in the owners manual are the minimum recommended to keep from lugging the engine. This is hard on an engine and will reduce engine life like you suggested. I normally just shift when it feels right. Under normal conditions, high enough to keep the engine in the powerband when the rpm's drop in the next gear. Ususally in these newer EFI engines, the are safe to accelerate from 1200 rpm on due to the computer will only let as much fuel into the engine as is needed, unlike the older carb. engines. So just shift it at what ever feels best to ya.
Just a clearification, The up shift pionts in the manual are minimun speeds, The down shifts are the Maximun allowed safe speeds to prevent tranny/engine damage.
Jimmy