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Any other 5th gear options?

DR1665

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Oct 19, 2005
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Iowa City, IA
I took 464/1000 to Long Beach, CA and back this weekend. Had to visit some new friends for an interview.



I managed to get right around 24-25+ MPG cruising on the highway with the AC on.
Current mods include:
- MBC @ 12psi, stock 14b
- hacked airbox, fresh K&N
- "Robots WILL kill you sticker" /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/dunno.gif

My speedo reads about 5mph on the high side due to tire size. Speed limit on I-10 between Phoenix and the California border is 75mph. I tried to keep it around the 80mph mark, as economy really suffers at higher speeds in these cars. The engine spent the better part of 6 hours at 4000rpm with the AC on.



Turbo response for passing was outstanding, as she was only pulling about 5" of vac at those speeds. Engine sounded strong, but through the wind noise I couldn't help but feel like I was really making the car earn it's oil changes.

Any options for reducing engine speed at cruise?
Is the DSM 5th taller? Think it would be worth it to switch?
If not, any thoughts on having a custom 5th made somewhere?

After spending two hours with Mitsubishi hearing about how the new OUTLANDER will get 31mpg on the highway, I was really thinking I'd like to get a little more range out of this Galant. Also considering a drop, some undercar aero, and narrower tires, but my big concern here is the 4000rpm cruise. Even dropping to 3500 would be stellar.

Thanks.



Thanks.
 

JSchleim18

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Oct 16, 2006
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Long Island, NY
Brian - the Evo III came with a taller 5th gear. I think it was something like 10% taller
 

There is a 10% taller 5th and a 25% taller (you don't need it) that I know of. The 10% I think from TRE and it puts you at about 3400 rpm at those speeds if Im doing that right. I think the 25% is straight cut and loud, strictly top speed stuff.
 
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Lonewolf64

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May 17, 2006
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Birmingham, Alabama
Brian, I think you have underlying issues...At 4000rpm A/C blasting on a 16g setup with 3" exhaust and FMIC I was getting 27-29mpg. The boost gauge read just a few mm Hg vacuum, somewhere from 1-4. This is on a stock ratio 5th gear.

Also, I did plenty of passing and I was not light on the throttle when doing so--it would hit full boost on a pass. If I drove strictly for economy, I presume I could have hit 30mpg.
 
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Whoodoo

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Binghamton, NY
Wow, I've never done anything more than 26 mpg in 62. She's completely stock too with 137k miles. I know keydiver can help your economy a bit with his chips.

Man, 30 mpg would be great!
 

DR1665

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Quoting Lonewolf64:
Brian, I think you have underlying issues...At 4000rpm A/C blasting on a 16g setup with 3" exhaust and FMIC I was getting 27-29mpg. The boost gauge read just a few mm Hg vacuum, somewhere from 1-4. This is on a stock ratio 5th gear.

Also, I did plenty of passing and I was not light on the throttle when doing so--it would hit full boost on a pass. If I drove strictly for economy, I presume I could have hit 30mpg.



Interesting. I'd be curious if you have some sort of tuning to go along with that turbo/IC setup, sir. I would assume you've got larger injectors and a means for tuning them (chip, AFC)? That, along with the freer flowing exhaust might contribute to a 2-4mpg benefit.

At the same time, I'm running year-old NGKs (maybe 12k on them) and the O2 sensor that came with the car (when I bought it, not sure if OE).

Curious.
 

Keep the exhaust stock but get a chip from Jeff.The stock computer has these things running super rich. Enhanced closed loop is what you need for cruising that fast. FMIC with hard pipes to replace the leaking rubber ones,2g/evo/3g maf plus the chip and leave everything else stock. Makes for a great economy cruiser.
 

DR1665

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Iowa City, IA
Reassuring, Jay.

I have been planning on converting both Galants to speed density. Just have to get around to it. The "rally car" will be getting an SRT4 FMIC and hard piping w/ "boost tube," but maybe I ought to give some more thought to upgrading the IC setup on the daily as well. Hmmm... /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/idea.gif
 

turboaddict

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Mar 14, 2005
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Omaha, NE
the tre 25% 5th gear has been out of production for years now like 2006-7 ish. another option is getting bigger tires or the evo 5th gear. tuning is your friend as well. I'm on a quest to get 30mpg on the highway with e85 but it is a long road so to speak.
 

Terry Posten

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Dec 16, 2003
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Davenport, Iowa USA
What Outlander gets 31mpgs?

My 2010 GT got 24 on the highway with the cruise set at 75.

Now, mine has the 3.0L V6, but I can't think the 4 banger will get any better at 75mph. That motor will be working hard at that speed.

Of course this mileage was with a brand new car. Only 1000 miles on it when we left for the 2000 mile trip. I hope to get 27ish this summer going back to Colorado after the motor is broke in and will have about 8K on it.

My 07 Outlander XLS 3.0l V6 got 28mpgs going to Florida and back in 08. That motor had about 20K on it. My 04 Outlander XLS (2.4L MIVEC 4) was no better. I only got 25mpgs.

Back on topic, I got 28mpg in the GVR4 going to Colorado and back when we went out in 05 for the IA/IL meets CO GVR4 meet. Had the AC on about 1/3 of the time. I only had a Keydiver chip, 550 injectors, 3G MAS, 2.5 turbo back exhaust w/o cat. It was a good ride.
 

dsmless

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Jun 12, 2008
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tucson,az
On 96 when I used to have the 550 and 16g setup with ets fmic
hard pipes 3 " exhaust and a keydiver chip got 28.4 mpg going from
Arizona to Minnesota at 4200 rpm truer to keep in vacumn all the time
but you can get good mpg just baby it on theroad
 

Quoting DR1665:


Interesting. I'd be curious if you have some sort of tuning to go along with that turbo/IC setup, sir. I would assume you've got larger injectors and a means for tuning them (chip, AFC)? That, along with the freer flowing exhaust might contribute to a 2-4mpg benefit.

At the same time, I'm running year-old NGKs (maybe 12k on them) and the O2 sensor that came with the car (when I bought it, not sure if OE).

Curious.



Here's another thing, and these are your cars and it's all up to you, but you have 2 Galants. One nice one you do trips with and one you are going to rally.

The grey car I would make look as nice as possible. I would do the things to it that make sense for your usage like your JDM bumper you have etc. etc.. Make the outside look nice and do milege mods. Make power on the black car. I would leave the motor as stock as possible save the mpg stuff.

MPG Mods:
______
Stock trans (don't do the 10% taller 5th until you need tranny work, you know you will one day anyway)

3g maf/Keydiver chip with enhanced open loop. You don't need speed density on the cruiser.

JDM fmic or something smallish with hardpipes and a 2g turbo TB elbow

bpr6es plugs gapped stock. you don't need 7s on a 14b car with stock boost

2g exhaust manifold, 1g might just be cracked a little

Stock exhaust. Honestly If you wanted more I would get a dump pipe but keep the exhaust stock. Then you'll notice the exhaust leak sound all the time from your likely cracked wastegate flapper and then convince yourself to go 16g and then bigger injectors and fuel pu.....yeah keep that exhaust stock. Cruising on the long trips and stock exhaust on a GVR4 is almost as rare as the keychains man.

O2 sensor: Get a 1990 DSM turbo o2. The 1990's had more holes in them and read faster in my experience. I dont know if they were more expensive and thats why they changed them or what but go for them and go OEM.
______
Anyway thats my 2 cents and with all these steps done you should be high 20's for sure on the highway. I have wanted to do all these things to another 1g awd again.
 

Quoting crankwalk:
There is a 10% taller 5th and a 25% taller (you don't need it) that I know of. The 10% I think from TRE and it puts you at about 3400 rpm at those speeds if Im doing that right. I think the 25% is straight cut and loud, strictly top speed stuff.



The 10% taller fifth gear is out of an Evo III and it only lowered my rpm's by 250. I then installed the 25% straight cut gear and it lowered it 750 rpm's. This is in my work car, and anyone that says that the straight cut fifth gear is too loud, I bet they have never ran one. You can tell mine is there, but it is way beyond tolerable. I love it. I just put it in last weekend so I still don't know what my fuel milage is yet. Jon Ripple from TRE doesn't make them anymore, so you would have to find a used one somewhere. I bought mine a few years ago because I know Jon was going to stop making them.
 

turboaddict

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Omaha, NE
chris I would like to see the results of the 25% on milage and what your rpms are at at what speed and tire size.
Thanks
Barnes
 

Will check it tomorrow on my way to work. The only downside is, my 2g used to be an auto, and I don't know if the old owner changed out the rear end final drive, or swapped the ring and pinion off of the auto into the trans.

None the less, I will get that info for you tomorrow.
 

Quoting BOOSTIN HARD:
Quoting crankwalk:
There is a 10% taller 5th and a 25% taller (you don't need it) that I know of. The 10% I think from TRE and it puts you at about 3400 rpm at those speeds if Im doing that right. I think the 25% is straight cut and loud, strictly top speed stuff.



The 10% taller fifth gear is out of an Evo III and it only lowered my rpm's by 250. I then installed the 25% straight cut gear and it lowered it 750 rpm's. This is in my work car, and anyone that says that the straight cut fifth gear is too loud, I bet they have never ran one. You can tell mine is there, but it is way beyond tolerable. I love it. I just put it in last weekend so I still don't know what my fuel milage is yet. Jon Ripple from TRE doesn't make them anymore, so you would have to find a used one somewhere. I bought mine a few years ago because I know Jon was going to stop making them.



Well I guess the calculation was more on par with the 25%. I have ridden in a 2g awd with the 25% and it noisy. Sounded almost like reverse, maybe there were other issues with the driveline but everything else sounded fine. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/dunno.gif There are many other things to consider to get better mileage before touching the gearset though.
 

turboaddict

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Mar 14, 2005
Messages
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Location
Omaha, NE
you guys know that 5th gear can be changed on the car in no time right? also what is with the atomic vtec? should it be mivec??
 
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Quoting turboaddict:
you guys know that 5th gear can be changed on the car in no time right? also what is with the atomic vtec? should it be mivec??



Thats what I did. I also installed the straight cut 5th with the trans in the car, which is no easy task. You have to grind down the middle shift rail so the gear clears it.

You also have to cut your oil guide down and install the new one. That was the hardest part of the entire job.
 
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