Is anybody else's GT geared extrememly low like mine? Im usually shifted into 4th gear before 50 mph, and i was just wondering if this is normal, of maybe if it has something to do with the fact that mine is rebuilt and maybe the previous owner didnt do something right with the motor re-install. Until i find out what the deal is with this, ill just use the excuse "its set up for drag racing"


if this is normal, what can i do for better top end?

wow, my ST...when running hard i shift at 65ish...and thats into 3rd

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yeah, it didnt seem right to me either. Luckily, im saving for a 3sgte right now, but i dont want my 5sfe to go before then. Its got some get up and go to it, but that doesnt mean anything when its screaming as hard as it will go in 5th gear at 110 mph.

Thats normal for the GT 5spd. You shold be seeing almost exactly 60mph at 3k in 5th gear, 3.5k is 70mph, 100 is 5k.....etc.


Perfectly normal, the transmission final drive and 5th gear are just really short. Not great for highway cruising at speed, but very good for sporty driving on the backroads.

According to the manual for my GT ( 3S-GE ) 2nd gear is good for 62MPH, 3rd up to 95MPH and 4th up to 124MPH, it doesn't give a limit for 5th gear. Personally i ride 4th up to about 90 MPH if i'm really pushin it but i'd never go as far as the manual says is safe. On a lazy day i would change into 4th at around 30MPH and be in 4th for 40MPH. Its your car, your fuel and your engine. You decide whats best.

Leigh.P

is 4.5K @ 90mph right for a ST?

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Can confirm this. Usually go easy up to 3,5k at every gear but also topped them out. Altough the top speed of my gears is lower now since I have to shift at 6500 rpm with the 3S-GTE.

when I had th s series trans in my car highway driving was terrible. its geared so low. In my e153 which has taller gears I can hit 3rd gear at 7500 rpms around 100mph.

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Dont know about the 2nd gen but the 3rd gen max rev speed is 6500-7000. Hope you dont take it to 7500 very often

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The trans mated to the 3SGE had a different final gear ratio then our US versions.

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Yes thats about right. I will edit this later when I drive home if that is for sure.

Edit: No you should be at about 4K at 90. and close to 105 at 4.5K. Hope this helps.

This post has been edited by bindertch: Jun 29, 2006 - 11:18 PM

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can a 3s tranny bolt up to a 5s i assume the answer is yes. other then a better final drive what else would u get and lose. I assume we would lose a lot of a low end torque

You wont loose torque simply because the gears are different, Thats the engine side. Okay you will "loose" torque if you drive at the same speeds since the revs would be lower with the 3S tranny. Someone already stated (I think it was Lagos) and said that he drove 75 or 80 mph @ 3900rpm. On my tranny thats 3200-3300 rpm. So in a sprint in the same gear he would have an advantage because of higher revs/boost.

If a 5S tranny fits a 3S-GTE and the 3S-GE tranny fits the 3S-GTE you would assume that the 3S tranny will bolt up to a 5S engine.

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Your right - because its the SAME trans!

The standard 3SGE's were mated to the S54 tranny (or S53 for the ST162 model).

The US 5SFE's were mated to the same S54 trans, but the US edition had a shorter final drive ratio, giving us more torque and less high-end.

The later generaton ST202 "sport" models came with the LSD equiped E56 trans and super-strur suspension. This trans has the same gearing as the E151 / E153 trans that came with the 3SGTE motors.