[Setnev]

So out west we have insanely fast speed limits (upwards of 75MPH ) and at those speeds, fuel efficiency is key. I drive 28 miles to work one way and during much of that stretch on the I-10, the speed limit is 75 and then knocks back to 65 and eventually 55 when getting into the construction zone by my work. At any given day, my speeds range from 80-50(permitted traffic isn't a parking lot on the 10 in the contruction zone). So i finally recorded my RPMs at a steady speed and steady foot on the accelerator(as I have no cruise control ) and was wondering if it were normal for it to be this high.

I have a 95 Escort LX Sport Sedan with a 1.9L and a 4 speed Auto.

60MPH > ~2450RPM
65MPH > ~2550RPM
70MPH > ~2950RPM
75MPH > ~3200RPM
80MPH > ~3450RPM
85MPH > ~3700RPM

I estimate to the nearest 50 cause the needle barely is on the lines as I am crusing.
Now i understand that most of you can't accurately test this as your local speed limits are only about 55-65, so driving at 85 for any length of time would be criminal speed. But anyone here on the west coast, or in a state with a high speed limit, should be able to tell me if it is normal. I can't stomach driving my car at almost 4000RPM at a steady speed. AFAIK, I never felt any transmission problems, fluid isn't low but i am not 100% positive as the dipstick doesn't give you a definitive answer. But definitely driving at 85 is not something out of the ordinary, considering their thinking of raising the speed limit where i live from 75 to 80 and people already drive through here at speeds over 80. If these RPMs are normal, what the hell am i to do about getting them lower as driving under the speed limit is utter suicide.

EDIT: Yes, BTW, my transmission is shifting into overdrive cause when I acclerate to pass, the RPMs jump to about 3700 when driving at 75.

 

[silverton]

I will say yes, your RPM's are just fine. 60 miles an hour with the 5speed transmission is 2700, and I'm pretty sure that they have a little taller gears then the automagic.

 

[88scortgt]

The '95 service manual lists two final drive ratios for the 1.9 auto.
They are:
4.06:1 for all California models, & U.S. and Canada wagons.
3.55:1 for U.S. and Canada, except wagons.
The final drive for the 1.9 5-speed is 3.62:1 for all models.

 

[therieldeal]

remember these cars were designed when the national speed limit was 55

 

[UnexplodedCow]

If you think that's high geared consider this: a bone stock '86 Corolla GTS is revving 4k by 70 mph

Also, if you want to go faster with less rpm (despite what the speedo reads) put larger tires on the car, or at least the front.

 

[silverton]

The 88 Subaru GL I used to cruise around in while my supra was down did 4k rpms @ 60mph.

 

[UnexplodedCow]

Wow....did it have good takeoff?

 

[pstrbrc]

I'm new here, so excuse me for butting in, but my only concern would be trans fluid temps at that speed. Put an aux trans cooler on it. I live in the middle of the BIG EMPTY SPACE on the weather maps between the Ohio River and California (you know, the place the weatherman stands, because he wants you to see all the important places in the nation) and we have 70 and 75 MPH posted speed limits on the Interstates, but it's the two-lane highways far away from the interstates that 85-90 is the going speed limit. My '91 Pony (wearing 185/75-13's, which were the largest tires I could get on the stock rims) went over 250,000 before the keyway on the nose of the crank got too worn for it to hold cam timing right. (sigh) If I'd just had the 650ft/lb airwrench back then!

 

[Setnev]

I was thinking about doing a AT-MT conversion and using a MX-3 manual (which from what I hear, you need to swap the bellhousing for it to fit). I wonder if it will help my high cruising speeds.

 

[silverton]

Wow....did it have good takeoff?

It didn't have good anything, except for being able to turn a 180 in an area just wider than the standard alleyway.

 

[Escort92Man]

yeah them little subaru GL's and what not are GUTLESS wonders, but you could off road them stock, decent gas mileage, and if you maintained them they lasted like scorts, forever!

I wanted to get one but then this little red escort showed up on craigslist for 1100, had no hub caps, few small dents, and I wanted it!!! so I got it and the escort madness with me began!

my current project GT looks like this....

and forgive me for getting side tracked I felt like telling a story but I wouldn't worry about trans temps in a manual escort even at 90, besides manuals have no pumps in them to put lines to a cooler and back it wouldn't work unless you put an inline electric pump in, but all a manual has in it is fluid, and gears that mesh together, it theoretically can get way up there in temp, hotter than your engine, and should be just fine. I drove mine at 70 to 75 straight for an hour and a half and the trans wasn't really hot at all, the engine was blistering hot like it is with any good long drive but you could put your hand on the trans no problem.

that's my experience, peace out all!

 

[UnexplodedCow]

I switched to using motor oil in mine instead of ATF, and it really seems to have helped the shifting after driving for an hour to work. Before it felt really notchy and hard to shift. With the motor oil it's smoother. I guess a pump wouldn't be a bad idea for cooling, but I don't think it's really necessary unless one was racing.

 

[Setnev]

I switched to using motor oil in mine instead of ATF, and it really seems to have helped the shifting after driving for an hour to work. Before it felt really notchy and hard to shift. With the motor oil it's smoother. I guess a pump wouldn't be a bad idea for cooling, but I don't think it's really necessary unless one was racing.

Is that really a good thing to do or safe to do? I would think that using motor oil would clog the filter. I would like to know more about this ATF to Motor Oil swap? Anyone else done it?

 

[jagabomb]

i gotta egt and i ran it for an hour straight at about 80 85 mph on an 90 degree day no probs at all and the motor was running just over 4k if i remember correctly and when i stopped the cooling fan didnt even kick in goddamn escorts gotta love em well thats my input and i got over 177000 miles on it most kid drivin so hell yea these cars are tanks unstoppable

 

[silverton]

decent gas mileage

Negative, my old supra with an inline six got better gas mileage than that subie. the subie got like 22-25.

 

[denisond3]

Not to hijack a thread, but I also would like to know if its possible to put motor oil into the Escort transmission. I thought that was something you were '''never''' supposed to do.

Setnev: I think your RPMs are correct. I had a tach in our 92 LX wagon (auto tranny) for a while, just to see what the rpms were as the torque converter went into and out of lockup; also to see the miles per hours in each of the gears & how much slip I had in the torque converter.

As far as the car turning 3450 rpm at 80 - I dont see whats wrong with that. At higher speeds it takes lots more power to push the car through the air, and that implies either high rpm, ... or working the engine harder at RPMs where it wasnt designed to produce the extra power for long periods. There are a lot of factors involved; heat stress on exhaust valves & piston tops, lower hydrodynamic oil pressure on the bearings at the same time as higher torsional vibration at the con rod journals, etc.

 

[Escort92Man]

Silverton: wow that's crazy your supra got better mileage than the small subaru, better for driving the supra though

and as far as running motor oil in the transmission in a manual it is about the same as running ATF, almost the same viscosity as 5w 30, read this from the escort GT 1.8 forum. http://www.feoa.net/modules.php?name=Fo ... 6&start=15

we talked about this same topic here. next trans fluid change you bet I'm using motor oil, it's cheaper! I'd change it every 10k miles to keep the trans in good shape. if you live in a place that doesn't get COLD you can run 10W30, but if you live in a cold place 5W30 is better. you can also use gear lube 75w90 but motor oil is cheaper and I'm talking about MANUAL TRANSMISSIONS HERE, automatics still use ATF

HTH

 

[silverton]

I'm pretty sure UnexplodedCow is talking about running motor oil in his automatic.

 

[Setnev]

I know you can run just about anything in your manual, people use friggin gear oil in their MTX but i am concerned about ATX.

 

[UnexplodedCow]

I switched to using motor oil in mine instead of ATF, and it really seems to have helped the shifting after driving for an hour to work. Before it felt really notchy and hard to shift. With the motor oil it's smoother. I guess a pump wouldn't be a bad idea for cooling, but I don't think it's really necessary unless one was racing.

Is that really a good thing to do or safe to do? I would think that using motor oil would clog the filter. I would like to know more about this ATF to Motor Oil swap? Anyone else done it?

To clarify: I have an MTX-3 CV model 5 speed manual....there is no filter or pump. Ford originally spec'd ATF to lubricate the manuals, but I really prefer the motor oil. It definitely sticks to the gears better. Gear oil is the best, but incredibly hard to shift on a cold day.