?

 

Drive a 5-speed/4.30 car. It has the same 1st and 2nd as a 6speed/3.63 car. 3/4/5 are slightly shorter (2-6mph per gear), with a "highway" 6th.

 

3.636 + 6sp - Would buy again.

 

My car used to be 5sp/4.3. The switch to 5sp/3.9 was perfect.

 

I have this set-up in my track car and love it so much that I'm going to put the same in my daily in the near future...but it's pretty hot.

 

Jason I have this combo and its very nice. I recommend it strongly for higher hp miatae. Stock or wussturbopower I would not. Note that I also have 8000rpm redline which makes an even larger difference than the gears. I'm only run 7400rpm limit on track events though. On the street though, 3rd gear ends at like 92mph FTW.


Note that I am going wide geared quaife though so if any of you track ***** want a 6speed with a juiced 2nd gear synchro for uh $300 shoot me a pm.

 

I have this combo from the factory and I love it. Having driven many other combos, I like it more than anything.

 

Jason, I had the 5 sp/4.3 combo as well but upgraded to the 6sp when the 5 went south. The 6/4.3 combo really makes 1/2 gears useless and considering either the 3.6 or 3.9 to remedy this. I'm curious as to why you're considering the 3.6 if you considered the 5/3.9 perfect.

 

6/3.6 yields a 1/2 that's the same as the 5/4.3.
In order to make the 6sp 1/2 the same as my 5/3.9, it needs a 3.3, which doesn't exist.

 

Higher redline!!!

 

I went from a 5/4.1 to this and so far have been somewhat underwhelmed. Track only, so I can't comment on dd or hiway..

I guess I was expecting so much after the research before the decision. That said, I've only 2 and 1/2 events to get used to it...it may grow on me.

This is with 15"/275 tires. When I put the 13" wheels on, It feels much better, so much that I'll likely be using a 13"/255 combo when the current tires need replacing.

I do feel better knowing it's a more robust setup than the old one..

 

Why are you so enamored with a usable 1st gear? If you want a usable 1st gear, why not use a 6-speed/4.30 combo and launch in 2nd? That's the most usable "1st" gear you'll find in any factory Miata, and since you don't seem to care about the consequences in the other 4 or 5 gears, the 6-speed/4.30 would probably be a perfect match for you.

Or, you could stop worrying about a 1st gear that isn't going to be usable no matter what rear end you run, and focus on the ratio split and versatility that make the 6-speed such a great gearbox.

Enlightenment is when your 6sp/3.909 car will spin 3rd gear from a 40mph roll - once that happens you can stop worrying about the stupid low gears and optimize the 3-4-5-6, which are the ratios that actually matter in the twisties.

 

Making 1st gear usable makes 6th gear nice and tall for cruising. The 6sp/4.3 combo would be nearly as bad as the stock car for cruising RPM.

I drove a 6sp/3.9 in the twisties and the 2-3-4 ratios seem too close. A 3.6 would make that feel better.

It looks to me like the 3.6 will be OK, and 3.3 ideal (if it exists).

 

The Aussie MSMs (badged as SEs here since badging that contains "speed" promotes reckless driving according to our regulators) came OEM with a 3.6 which is how they should have been delivered in the US too. As stated above, 6th is a VERY useful gear when driving long distances.

 

How many torq's do you make? You might want a 3.90 if you're not over 210wtq or so. If I didn't drive my car to and from the track I'd have a 3.90 in it.

 

That makes sense. I'm at 197. I guess if we ever get to run 3/4 of the oval at TWS I'll be able to stretch it's legs more. Like I said, still getting used to it. At MSR-C, on the 3.1, I was trying to learn the track "and" the new shift points (data showed I was even slower on the 1.7 bits).

On a plus side, with the old setup, there were a couple of places that required a shift at apex, now it's past the apex. But track dependant, as TWS introduced the opposite effect. Well see how Hallet is next month..

 

Time for megasquirt.

When I run my car at 210whp/200wtq I feel like the gears are too big and won't spin the tires in 3rd. When I run 242whp/230wtq it feels "right".

 

Are you guys getting these gears out of old 626's or through another source? I've really been wanting to go to a longer gear but I'm a little nervous about going through all that work just to drop in a 30 year old ring and pinion built for a 100hp family sedan. I'd love some confirmation on how they are holding up.

 

Yeah, it's sitting in a box with bigger injectors and COPS. My garage temps have been rivaling the surface of the sun for like 2 months now.

It's my new winter project.

 

All i know is that 238wtq on a 6spd/4.10 combo is friggin' stupid.