Shifting by the Tach

OK all these distributor threads got me thinkin. Seems everyone is concerned with the tach, which I agree if you have one you want it to work. But thats not what this one is about. Speaking for myself here, when I an driving my car I DO NOT watch my tack I shift by sound and feel. How many on here shift by tach reading and how many by feel??????????? Now my tach does have rpm save that will retain the highest rpm for the key cycle that I will glance at from time to time but thats about all its good for.

I have always listened more than watched. IMHO, no 2 identicaly built engines will perform identically. So why leave anything on the plate.

When Im just driving along I seldom look at my tach. But when i'm really running my car I like to check to make sure I dont over-rev the motor. and try to shift just before I hit 6000 rpm. Seems to really be in the power if I shift there and not go any further. Just to try to get to "know" my motor and how it performs, and how hard I can push it. I have a rev limiter set at 6100 or so, but i try not to hit that. I like to run mine once in a while. didnt build it to look at !! LOL

Mine's an auto, but I never shifted by tach with any of my manual cars. My problem is, at 75 my motor sounds like it's really wound up and that worries me because I have a 2.80:1 rear with a C6 and I don't think it should be running at a really high RPM. So I'd like to be able to see what RPMs the motor is running at. Now last time I drove it at that speed the interior and all windows (except windshield) were out. That would make it louder than normal, obviously.

So I just plugged the #'s in a calculator and I should be running 2800 RPM @ 75 mph. So I should be good. I still want another gear.

Edit: because I'm dumb.

I shift by sound and feel. I look at the tach when I'm on the highway just to make sure what I'm hearing looks right on the dial.

I shift when the pull seem to be dropping off a little. I do glance down at the tach to see where I shifted (sometimes)

In my drag racing days I shifted by the tach. I agree with You. On my bikes and cars I always shift by sound and feel. My little Honda 400 that I ride to work doesn't even have a tach and it is not missed.

I shift by ear and feel too on my manual cars. Mustang´s got an FMX anyway. But a working tach is just one more source of information of what´s going on up front. I am still planning to get a tach because I´d really like to know about the revs the motor makes under certain conditions like German Autobahn speeding or rough driving on rural roads.

For me it would be only to satisfy my curiosity.

Now, for racing, that would be something completely different!

Like most, just cruising by "feel" when running hard by tach. It's too easy to spin the engine too hard shifting by ear or feel.

Like most, just cruising by "feel" when running hard by tach. It's too easy to spin the engine too hard shifting by ear or feel.

Click to expand...

Maybe:blush: but my rev limiter works well:idea:

Like most, just cruising by "feel" when running hard by tach. It's too easy to spin the engine too hard shifting by ear or feel.

Click to expand...

Maybe:blush: but my rev limiter works well:idea:

Click to expand...

Rev limiter... we don't need no stinking rev limiter!

You planning on missing shifts buddy?

I guess I use the tach to shift. Speedo is not currently working.

Also shift by feel, if the car is not doing what I want it to do,

I shift gears.

mike

Like most, just cruising by "feel" when running hard by tach. It's too easy to spin the engine too hard shifting by ear or feel.

Click to expand...

Maybe:blush: but my rev limiter works well:idea:

Click to expand...

Rev limiter... we don't need no stinking rev limiter!

You planning on missing shifts buddy?

Click to expand...

Nope just turned down for new motor

OK all these distributor threads got me thinkin. Seems everyone is concerned with the tach, which I agree if you have one you want it to work. But thats not what this one is about. Speaking for myself here, when I an driving my car I DO NOT watch my tack I shift by sound and feel. How many on here shift by tach reading and how many by feel??????????? Now my tach does have rpm save that will retain the highest rpm for the key cycle that I will glance at from time to time but thats about all its good for.

Click to expand...

I shift just before it sounds like a piston is going to come through the hood! I like to win... I use my tach for setting my idle.