when to shift gears

[flood]

hi i've had my ranger now for about 5 years now it's a 93 2.3 5 speed but it doesn't have a tach and i just want to know if anyone has the same truck with a factory tach and if so could you tell me what speed i can reach in 1st through 3rd because it sounds like it's going to die at 45mph in third i just want to know what the max speed would be for those gears if anyone knows. thanks.

 

[92ranger2wd]

This really depends on what gears you have in your axle. I have a 92, 2.3L, 3.73 gears, with a 5spd and an aftermarket tach, also 215/70 tires. 45mph in third is around 3,400 rpm(aprox.), which isn't much for a four banger. I take third up to 60mph sometimes if i really need to move.

 

[Mirage]

I have to agree with 92ranger above. My 96 Mazda 2.3l, 5spd, 3.73 and 225/70R/14's is almost exactly the same. Although I rarely run it up over 3k rpm. 3rd gear is about 35-40 mph, 4th 40-55. First and second in my rig always seem to lack the ability to wind out very far. Just the nature of the beast I guess.

 

[Wicked_Sludge]

if it sounds like its boggin, downshift.

who needs a tach? listen to the motor.

 

[phatcap]

if it sounds like its boggin, downshift.

who needs a tach? listen to the motor.

i don't have a tach either. i don't need it for shifting, but i would still like to know what my rpms are sometimes. one of these days i want to swap in a sport trac instrument cluster w/ tach.

 

[flood]

thanks 92 ranger i know sometimes i take mine up to 50 just didn't know if i had anymore room left. and wicked sludge as far as listening to the motor goes my escort sounds exactly the same from 3k to 5500 and if i didn't have a tach in there that would shave about 15 extra mph in third gear when i really needed it most.

 

[Wicked_Sludge]

no motor sounds the same at any two different RPM. you need to practice listening harder

i believe the best way to learn to drive a stick is without a tach. it forces you to shift based on the engines tone rather than what your brain tells you is "safe" on the tach.

 

[86ford]

if it sounds like its boggin, downshift.

who needs a tach? listen to the motor.

if my DD had a tach i would feel guilty...... i am thankful it doesnt. my b2 has one but i couldnt careless. it sees the rev limiter regularly.

86

 

[Bryan22]

I shift when the motor quits making power. probably 5600 rpm. That's just if i wanna get moving though. it's too bad my 2.3 falls flat so fast on top, cause i'd bet you could take that thing way up there without worring about hurting it.

 

[94RangerMike]

Like everyone says, listen to your engine. You will learn when it flattens out and where you need to shift at.

 

[Hollywood88]

Im not sure what my gear ratio is but i can take 1st to 25 2nd to 55 third 83ish and on one really long down hill 112 in fourth and it hit rev limiter.

 

[flood]

no motor sounds the same at any two different RPM. you need to practice listening harder

i believe the best way to learn to drive a stick is without a tach. it forces you to shift based on the engines tone rather than what your brain tells you is "safe" on the tach.

if you would like to drive my escort i will let you. i've been driving manuals my whole driving life which would be the last 16 years automatics are for ladies as far as changing gears i wanted to know how far i could take 3rd before redlining it because if you can tell that exact point without a tach then you should be a human phone tap

 

[flood]

thanks hollywood. if mine ever saw 112 i would never know lol considering those pre 95 instrument clusters only go to 85.

 

[sean9721]

In my 1996 Ranger 2.3L i started driving it without a tach. tonight i put a tach on it so i know what rpms im running. i shift to 2nd at 20, 3rd at 30, 4th at 40, and 5th at 50. i have held 1st gear out to 40 MPH before. today with my tach, i was 35 MPH in first at about 5,000 RPMs.

 

[ncsdaonex]

when to shift

i have a 1990 ranger with no tach and it is a 2.3L manual tranny. now what i'm about to say is not something you should do, but i have ran my truck 37 MPH in first gear and that is the rev limiter, now when i drive calm i shift into 2nd at 15-18 MPH, when i go into 3rd i shift 25-30Mph, i shift into 4th at 35-40 Mph, i only use 5th when going over 50 Mph, hope that helped