A&Q about 350Z
Q:
Yes Random task is absolutely right
The th350 isn't the most poplular gm auto and hasn't been so for a long time
the turbo 350 hasn't even been made since 82 and as Random said was replaced with the 700r4 which used a tv cable not a vacuum modulator
Gms other popular rwd's the 200r4 and the 4l80-e don't use vacuum modulators either for that matter
Gms fwd trannies such as the 4t60e and 4t40e don't use a vacuum modular either
The 700r4 did have a bad reputation till 87 when then made some upgrades to it, it now is one of the better 4 speed auto's on the market and with some aftermarket upgrades can survive in very high hp environments.
-Automatics are usually the best choice for drag racing as already mention, they are far more consistant can offer very fast gear changes and have the torque mulitiplication of the tc something manuals can ever claim.
-Most shift kits change the tention on some of the shift valves, come with a stronger pressure relief valve spring to increase line pressure,enlarge cirtian orifaces,replace cirtian shift valves in some cases,remove accumulators.
I am a big supporter of auto's they are very reliable and durable and have some advantages than manuals can never have.
A:
Actually the TH350 is still made today. Its not very commonly seen, but its widely used in commercial applications. Nearly any automatic UPS truck, Fed ex truck, Hino cube, Step Van, and even some of the smaller TD stake bodies still use TH350s
It was also used in passenger cars up through the late 80's, at least as far as 1988. It was mostly phased out by 1986 by the THM200 three speed, but it was used in light trucks and vans as late as 1998.
If you go into a chevy dealer and buy a stripped down commercial one-ton delivery van, you still get a traditional small block 350 with EFI and a TH350C.
A:
Man, lol, now i'm totally un-decided on which to get-eventually.
Thanks alot for all the useful info-you guys kick a**.
It seams to be that MT is for the fun, the rawness of the shifts.. While the AT is for conveniance, naturally, and predictable performance. I might lean toward the AT because of the fact i get tired of things FAST. And i think i'd get tired of shifting, then again-i never drove an MT so i cannot judge.
A test drive will settle this.
A:
in my opinion you get more predictability with a MT
and no offense but i doubt you will learn to drive a MT well during a test drive. also your right, i do get tired of shifting sometimes but when it comes time to hit the twisty bits, nothing beats it.
A:
Indeed, in CART, F1, and WRC, they all use "Semi-Automatic" transmissions. Shift it where you want, or flip a switch, and let it shift for you.
And NO, not all of the cars that ran Pikes Peak had autos, just to make a correction.
My preference? Definately Semi-Auto. But that's if money were no object.
Real world preference: Manual. Absolutely. No amount of BS will sway me. HP loss (ha, right), or whatever. And besides, I just feel more connected to the car if it has a Manual, and I never get tired of it.
A:
I can't get over this notion that an auto doesn't give you a 'connection' to your car. Usually on domestic vehicles a manual transmission can give you more choices (in quantity) of gears. In all honesty, most people who have driven an auto have never driven one that passed stock.
Personal Experience: I had a B&M shift kit in it as well as a B&M Pro Stick Shifter in my Monte Carlo (TH350 Tranny). There is absolutely NO way I can shift faster than that thing in a manual car... PERIOD. Yes, I can shift a manual fast. (I guess this is the part where someone tries to come out and say they can shift faster than anyone) On my monte, as soon as you push that stick up (Slap shift in center console) it went into that gear whether I was just putting around or on WOT. (And the thing would NEVER miss a shift) I could downshift just as quickly. I even had it set so if I were to downshift, it wouldn't over rev the motor. It wouldn't downshift until the motor wouldn't be passed 6200RPM. (on a two bolt main small block 355
) I hadn't even purchased the most aggresive kit either. Better yet you can purchase a nice kit from anywhere from $40-$80. An auto tranny is also less likely to upset (handling wise, not emotionaly
) the car. I personally believe a lot of 'ricers' to swear by a manual due to the fact that they're running low torque (and generally low HP) cars. Their power band is not that long and as such they want to keep their car in it as long as possible. A downside to an auto tranny is that its not as efficient as a manual. Expect around a 12%-15% driveline loss to a manual as opposed to a 20%-30% loss with an auto. (And I guess when you only have 148hp, you need every last pony you can get
) I have a feeling on which tranny is better will never end. I look at both of them equally, both have their pro's and con's. If I were to go out tommorow and by a vette. I would get a manual. If I were to by a 5 series BMW or a benz. Have to stick(no pun intended) with the auto. In relation to solaris, I still stick beside, don't let it being an auto discourage you. Listed some pros and cons of each (everyone feel free to add some!):
Pro's Auto Tranny:
Fast shifting
High resale value
No clutch to replace
Quicker/easier launches
Con's Auto Tranny:
Can burn it up under hard driving conditions (GET A FLUID COOLER)
Weight (usually generally heavier)
Power Loss
Manual Pro's
Chicks love guys who can drive one
Get lotsa forearm workout if there is no chick
Easier burnouts and 2nd/3rd gear rubber.
Manual Con's
Gotta replace clutch every 75-120k
left leg eventually becomes bigger than your right
TRAFFIC
downshifting more likely to upset car
A:
yes the auto can generaly shift faster but the manual will shift EXAXTLY when you want, i.e. you see something in the road ahead that you will either need to downshift for or upshift for.
pro for the auto is that if you end up with your rear end pointing where our front should be pointing, you probably wont stall out.
pro for the manual, you can drive through crowded areas in a lower gear than you should be in so everyone can hear how much better you are than them. ha
A:
Now every guy is going to go out and get a manual car
AUTO Pro:
Don't need to worry about missing a gear
AUTO Con:
Chicks just like guys who can drive one
Manual Pro:
You have alot more control over the car
Manual Con:
Worse fuel economy
A:
sunfire, I disagree with that manual con. There is less driveline loss and as such you generally achieve a better fuel economy with a manual over an auto...
A:
im pretty sure that in every car sold that has a manual as an option, the manual has better fuel economy
A:
The Buick is a (new to me) 98 Century. V6 FWD with a expensive modulator. Neither of my Cavaliers have a modulator. I was suprised to fine one on the 98 but when it wnet bad it brought back a lot of memories.
I also do not recall the exact parts in a shift kit-it has been a long time.
Here in Florida you are RIGHT-HEAT KILLS. these autos down here really need the extra cooler.
A:
i meant that if you weren't shifting right like running the car to like 5k rmp and then shift you would lose more fuel at least that is what ive seen in auto vs manual cars ive seen. like my car gets about 30 mpg and a guy a know that owns the same style and year car that has manual gets about 27 mpg. but he does shift and 5k rpm all the time so that probably does something to it. but if you were shifting right then yea you could easily get better fuel economy. but since the thread has to do with fast cars i don't really think of someone shifting for fuel economy in fast cars
A:
Shift kits include modifications to the hydraulic part of the tranny mostly. You pull the valve body off and replace the plate above it. Sometimes you remove check balls, replace them with lighter ones, or swap out little springs. It all has to do with modifying the volume and pressure of fluid at differnent points in the RPM range and load.
Most kits include a few different plates and instructions on which balls and springs to alter. In this manner they can offer one box that will do everything from slightly firm up the shifts, all the way up to making it a fully manual race tranny.
Some kits (for older transmissions) include an adjustable vacuum modulator and springs to alter the governor. To the best of my knowledge (which is pretty thin on newer trannys) once they went to electronic transmissions the modulator disappeared. The governors remain, but load compensation is now a function of the computer, not a vacuum signal.
Public... by the way, the tranny in your 98 Century is a 4L60e, but since its front wheel drive, they called them 4T60e. Its just a way of differentiating the different cases, but many of the guts are the same, so your nomenclature wasn't wrong, just the T is more specific.
A:
Running to 5k only depends on where the redline is. Now if it were 5500 or 6k, then yeah.
In my experience (uh-oh), manuals have gotten better fuel economy.
A:
Public... by the way, the tranny in your 98 Century is a 4L60e, but since its front wheel drive, they called them 4T60e. Its just a way of differentiating the different cases, but many of the guts are the same, so your nomenclature wasn't wrong, just the T is more specific.[/quote]
Thanks for the info on the shift kit. We put several in back in the 80's. I remember the "bb's" and the springs but that was about it. And I certainly did not remember what any of these thing did. Memory is the first thing to go.
The "L" is pretty funny as it was a typo. (if i typed any other letter???) You are again correct it is a "4T60e" lots of wires and a damn modulator valve.