Benefits of a 5Speed

[flareside_thunder]

Seriously..I just did a comparo and the AODE has a better OD gear than the M5OD....so if that's the case, then what exactly are the benefits?

Transmission gear Ratios

 

[smokey]

Manual transmissions
Pros:
Better gas mileage
You can hold in what gear you need
Generally last longer
You can drift start if you starter dies or battery is weak
Cons:
Stop and go heavy traffic on steep hills
personal preference for off roading some prefer the automatic transmissions

 

[Fellro]

x2

The autos work on hydraulic principles, while the clutch itself is direct connection, so there is less loss from the converter. I know of kits to turn an auto trans to have a manual disconnect for racing.While the torque multiplication of the converter is supposed to help, at the same time, it costs efficiency to work it. You also generally get a lower 1st gear if you want it. Helpful trying to get the heavy loads moving. For simple daily driving, not as much of an issue.

 

[flareside_thunder]

So what you're saying is that regardless of the overdrive ration, it's going to get better mileage because it's losing less rotational force because of the direct driven system that a manual uses?

 

[smokey]

that is correct

 

[F 150Cobra]

and dont forget.. its more fun!!

 

[NeXtras]

it all depends on the years too... newer manuals dont get better mileage, not with todays technology.. new cars you cant drift start either, due to neutral safety switches, which these trucks should have..?

It is all prefference, i wish i had a 5spd cause it is so much more fun!!

 

[Truckin4life]

Neutral safety switch wont affect a drift or roll start...

My truck you have to have the clutch pushed in to start.. In gear or not... But it will roll start with the key in the on position...

 

[1985 Ford F-150]

I disabled that on the 85.

 

[70torino429]

You can also use the trans/engine as a brake with a standard trans if you know how to use it...

All the other positives have mostly already been mentioned. My straight six/5 speed f150 was way more fun than my current 5.0L automatic.

 

[1985 Ford F-150]

Yeah I do that all the time.

 

[Lost]

it all depends on the years too... newer manuals dont get better mileage, not with todays technology.. new cars you cant drift start either, due to neutral safety switches, which these trucks should have..?

It is all prefference, i wish i had a 5spd cause it is so much more fun!!

Not really MPG

We have 05-06 4 F150 2wd 3 auto 1 manual all same gears cabs. The Manual get 2 MPG better

We have 8 F550 newer than 2002 that r auto . and 1 manual . We tow with auto and the manual same ratio. Manual gets better MPG tows better. As the auto goes into passing gear and screams and the manual can pick what gear u want .

 

[flareside_thunder]

Thanks for all the input guys.....

 

[F 150Cobra]

Carb and manual and the only safety you need is an engine rev limiter its like there is no limitations!! blasst at 5000 rpms in 4th and ran out of road i dont have a working speedo soo i dunno how fast i was goind but i bet it was fast with 3.55 gears in the back

 

[polarbear]

that is correct

Almost- with the newer lockup torque convertors, the highway mileage on any modern automatic is identical to a manual.

You can also use the trans/engine as a brake with a standard trans if you know how to use it...

All the other positives have mostly already been mentioned. My straight six/5 speed f150 was way more fun than my current 5.0L automatic.

What model year are we talkijng about? On the newer manuals, the engine computer makes sure there isn't too much "compression braking" going on because of emissions. You can tell when you downshift, let out the clutch, and the computer revs up the engine.

Not really MPG

We have 05-06 4 F150 2wd 3 auto 1 manual all same gears cabs. The Manual get 2 MPG better

We have 8 F550 newer than 2002 that r auto . and 1 manual . We tow with auto and the manual same ratio. Manual gets better MPG tows better. As the auto goes into passing gear and screams and the manual can pick what gear u want .

In that particular case, the manual has six-speeds, the automatic only 5. If you had Chebbies with the 6-speed Allison, you couldn't list that as an advantage.

**********************

A couple of other thoughts:

1. Automatics have torque convertors, which multiply torque when towing off of a dead stop.

2. Most automatics (Ford SD's w/ZF tranny's are the exception here, not the rule) are rated for much higher towing limits than the manuals available.

3. On newer vehicles, an Automatic grenading will be covered under warranty. Not so the manual.

I could actually make a pretty strong case for an Automatic vs. a manual. It probably all comes down to what you'd rather drive. Objectively, a modern automatic murders a stick by the numbers.

 

[1985 Ford F-150]

But theres nothin more satisfyin than feelin a good shift.

 

[Fellro]

The hydraulic system does give some parasitic loss on the automatics. otherwise the older automatics should have been better. Lockup is not a new thing, but still doesn't quite get the same mileage a manual does, due to the loss from the hydraulic system.

 

[blackhat620]

The hydraulic system does give some parasitic loss on the automatics. otherwise the older automatics should have been better. Lockup is not a new thing, but still doesn't quite get the same mileage a manual does, due to the loss from the hydraulic system.

When the torque converter in an automatic is "locked up" there is no hydraulic loss because it is now a direct mechanical connection. In addition, modern automatic transmission are more efficient than past automatics because the control systems are much more sophisticated and precise. The other factor that will effect an automatics efficiency is the stall speed of the converter.

 

[blackhat620]

I disabled that on the 85.

Curious, what is the advantage of this?

 

[polarbear]

I think the real bottom line here is driver's preference. There was a time (past tense) when a manual could have some actual performance advantages. Today, we live in an age where drag racers are automatics and Formula 1 cars are paddle-shifted. Not because they're easier to use, but because they're faster.

The Z06 and ZR1 Corvettes are six-speed manuals simply because GM didn't have an off-the-shelf automatic stout enough for the power output.