top end rpms, how to achieve

[HondaBoy]

well aside from new valve springs that i'm sure are going to be necessary for more rpms that a stock engine will push, what to do with the transmission. i've noticed about 5500 rpms or so, the engine speed with start to climb very quickly. when i had first put my new transmission in, i hadnt adjusted it and it would let the rpms rise to near 8000 rpm. with the header and exhaust on there, it puts out a good amount of hp at the top of the revs. but, with the transmission shifting about 6200-6500 rpms, its not going its full potential. am i just going to need a manual transmission to run at full potential? i'm guessing so. this is just on my mind because i have finally run my car with the new transmission and the header on. i know an automatic isnt really great for a race application, but is there any way to safely adjust it to shift a little higher?

[snoopyloopy]

adjust the tv cable. i adjusted mine one day and it was going to 5500-6000 in just normal driving w/o flooring it. needless to say, i adjusted it down a bit. but that cable is the key.

[knarg]

automatic is lol.

[LiTtLe xOx BitT]

Your going to need to do a tranny swap, especially if you plan on doing amymore mods or racing it around town.

[Vanilla Sky]

Check with Level10 and see if they will beef up your trans. I'm a fan of autos myself. The problem we have is that we don't have the torque to make an auto shine, even with significant mods.

[AccordEpicenter]

if you went with a stock 5speed swap youll be about a second or more faster in the 1/4 mi just with the swap so if you wanna go fast the auto is the hard way. I used to have an auto...

[88accordSF]

auto transmission design engages more friction, limited slip action, and less drivetrain effeciency primarily because of the damned "torque converter". there are other factors as well, such as the gear engagement and gear management, and also 4 gears instead of 5, but the torque converter is, in my opinion, the reason for about a 20% less effective drivetrain than a manual tranny.

a manual tranny keeps the number of moving parts that are directly connected to the drivetrain in a much better configuration. the only thing that slips is the clutch, so when you stomp on it, it responds literally by engaging the gears. there is a stall-speed with torque converters, which is similar to a clutch. but at high rpms, the torque converter can start slipping where a good clutch wont. even with aftermarket mods like a locker auto, the manual tranny is still a better gear drive mechanism.

i love the auto for daily driving, won't ever take it outta my LX, but for my other 2 performance cars i use stick shift, bottomline. that auto tranny wont do you any justice on the track.

on that note, i do really like the 88 LX auto tranny. hits harder than my 05 civic coupe auto tranny, thats for sure....

[lostforawhile]

it does that because the tranny on the accord is a true hydraulically controlled auto, the newer hondas have a drive train computer that completly controls the auto matic transmission. it uses hydraulic pressure sensors,and inputs from the engine computer to control the transmission. the upside to this,is it should be reprogramable with the right programmer.

[MessyHonda]

automatic is lol.

[HondaBoy]

personally, i like the automatic to the effect that its easy and is good for driving around the city. although i have taken consideration for a 5 speed manual. but, if i do go for a manual, i may try and rebuild it to become the hybrid accord/integra 5 speed. is that going to be my best bet? problem is finding something that isnt trashed, here where i live anyway.

[2oodoor]

if you went with a stock 5speed swap youll be about a second or more faster in the 1/4 mi just with the swap so if you wanna go fast the auto is the hard way. I used to have an auto...

I disagree , got proof? harrrrrr
The only way that would be is the gear ratio is a bit taller, otherwise you lose fractions of a second by not shifting at the best time or quickley enough. I have piddled with the adjustment to go with the weber and finally have it mastered, as long as it holds up I would not swap out of the auto, but then I am not 150+ HP either.
I have listened to other cars similar to ours (five speeds) and always hear a slight bog or loss of rpms during shifts and with mine it steadily climbs in rpms and speed.
adjust the cable, and lube it good so it does not hang and consistantly goes to it's home position when you are off the throttle (basically at idle)
go ahead and get used to getting under there with a 12 mm stubby wrench, it is a trail by error just a little , after you have the initial factory recommended travel, only move it a few threads at time and test drive.
you can easily break the transmission if you get too far off with the adjustment.

[rjudgey]

go manual for those rpms auto is for stock cars being driven daily in town. Integra hybrid is best, if your that worried just get a gear, bearing and syncro set and put that in your rebuilt box. Unusual for the gears to be worn, normally syncros and their fairly cheap to rebuild so you should be okay with new bearings, syncros and a gasket kit for the box. With 8000rpm Teggy box makes way more sense but are you actually making good power at those revs? Unless you have a 280 degree cam or better, with headwork, and bike carbs/Webers/ITB's or B18 intake with a big arse TB bolted to it i very much doubt your you will be making much power above 7000rpm unless your running a modded B20A? What mods you done to be able to rev to 8k can you rev to 8k in 3rd gear on your auto box?

[AccordEpicenter]

actually yeah i have timeslips pre and post 5 speed swap. I used to run consistant 17.3s but with the 5sp and no other changes i was pulling down 16.2s. Spining 8krpms is pretty worthless in these engines imo, youll be faster even with a built motor spinning 7k max pretty much. And thats only on a built motor. I think all the big power A20s (guys running 9s 10s) are well under 8krpms, more like 7250 max i believe

[2oodoor]

I knew you could I knew you would
Im just speaking up for the automatics
True an Acura gearset and a skillfull driver would be a better choice for acheiving faster ET, although it may not be the best choice for everyone when it comes to bracket racing.

[lostforawhile]

rebuild all those bushings in your mounts on the manual,and you'll be amazed how much faster you can shift. especially do what i did,get rid of the rubber mount between the transmission selector,and shift rod,replace it with an aluminum mount. the difference is amazing, the transmission clicks right into gear like something out of a prancing horse stable. this is really an excellent manual, the bushings and mounts just tend to wear is all. as far as auto vs manual, you will always be able to outrun an auto,unless you are talking about something with masssive amounts of torque,like a big block v8. then the point of an auto is to avoid smoking the clutch. even a lot of those guys run manual valve bodies with a rachet shifter,shift light-bam-shift light-bam. or they use an rpm switch and a co2 shifter to do it for them. you are always going to suck power with a torque converter,just due to parasitic load.

[rjudgey]

Yeah it's amazing howmuch difference getting rid of that crappy plastic and rubber bushing in the shift rod makes such a difference i made one out of brass about 3 years ago as i lost half of one down the road after changing clutch and forgetting to do up the bolt best mistake i made for a while was interesting getting home stuck in 3rd gear suppose it culd have been worse 5th would have been realy interesting!! But yeah next tiem i'll make one out of ally as the brass weighs a tonne!! Teggy box still the best gears are nice and close.

['A20A3']

to be honest i don't even see why people use hybrid trannies. my lx-i tranny runs like 3 grand going like 60 and all the gears are pretty short. seems like a waste of time IMO.

automatics on anything that doesn't make like 500 horses is a waste as well.

[MessyHonda]

to be honest i don't even see why people use hybrid trannies. my lx-i tranny runs like 3 grand going like 60 and all the gears are pretty short. seems like a waste of time IMO.
automatics on anything that doesn't make like 500 horses is a waste as well.

you never been in a hybrid tranny car.....





i have

['A20A3']

with the hybrid it prolly runs like .2 seconds faster...wow...

seems like you would only need that if the car was a dedicated racer. i think my gears are too short right now i hate how my 5th only drops me down like 500rpms from what 4th had me sitting at.

[MessyHonda]

with the hybrid it prolly runs like .2 seconds faster...wow...
seems like you would only need that if the car was a dedicated racer. i think my gears are too short right now i hate how my 5th only drops me down like 500rpms from what 4th had me sitting at.

im not sure but its really fast.....i was in openloops car....the one that has 165whp.....its make our cars feel as slow as a CAH special Geo. im with you i think the lx-i gears are perfect. in 4th gear im going like 3100rpm to go 60mph and then in 5th it does drop to like 2500rpm. and it saves you lots of gas...because my tranny is mest up and im only getting 22mpg


in racing you will only use 1-3 gears....but in your case you are going turbo...you should get a carb tranny since they have a bit longer gears so that turbo gets really spooled up.

['A20A3']

yeah man i heard epicenter was running a LX trans, sounds like a good idea to me...openloop's car is ridiculous, a 165whp all-motor A20...i love the sound of that.

a 325whp boosted A20 sounds really good too though

[Vanilla Sky]

If you're staying NA, you need to rev higher and keep the revs up. The hybrid trans gives you that. I'm going 1-3 Teg and 4-5 Accord. I'm not sure there's a 4th gear difference, though.

Of course, I'll be going DCOE, so I'm planning on working with a somewhat narrow power band. Keeping those first gears close is exactly what an autocross car (like mine will be) needs.

[AccordEpicenter]

if youre na, the shorter gears the better. i really think a hybrid trans would wake up a decent NA build, but for boost, you dont need or want such short gears. Shorter gears are worthless for traction and you wont stay in boost long enough to gain an advantage. Ive used an LX trans and an lxi trans in the turboaccord and the longer final drive in the lx trans makes for a more useable 1st and 2nd gear. And BTW, when racing i run through the traps in 4th gear, either tranny.

[Vanilla Sky]

I agree. With that much torque, you need longer gears. I'm half surprised we don't see those tegs running our gears. They complain about lack of traction, too.

[A20A1]

My problem was I barely get into D3 before I finished... Auto Trannies are okay but not for the high reving N/A, I would have been much better off with a teg hybrid doing the 1/4 mile. Cornering with the auto I still like better.