Hi, I have a 1996 Chevy Camaro Convertible with a 3.8 V6, 5 speed manual transmission and 3.42 rear differential. I drive 117 miles round trip to work and did all the little tweaks to get better gas mileage. I no longer care about "going fast" but wanted to get even better mileage. I was wondering if changing to the lowest available gear ratio for the 3 series carrier I have would help (3.23 I think) or even a 3.08 or 2.73 on a 2 series carrier. I am not sure what would be the best combo as there are other factors like blowing gas trying to accellerate or just too sluggish to be drivable, I am not sure what the tranny ratios are for 1st gear. Can you help me out with this. Oh and it is mostly highway miles.

 

take the bus.... I just paid $4.30/USG funny thing is in ten years people will be like whats USD... lol

I'm not exactly sure how much "better mileage" you would get with a gear swap.
You would be better off buying a moped or geo metro for $500 and use that for work, at least it would be more economic. The minute savings you would have may off set the gear swap 5 years from now.

 

you'll gain about 1/2 mpg by going to 3.23s'. you'll save about $.40 for that trip. if you took that trip EVERY day of the year,you would save about $73. you would also be putting more wear & tear on your clutch as it would be losing the mechanical advantage it had with the 3.42s'.

 

I don't even think it would affect the mileage that much. A lower numerical gear just means he might be driving in a different gear at various points in his trip. If he happens to be getting it in O/D for most of his drive, he might find with the lower numerical gears he's forced to drive in 4th gear more to avoid lugging the engine.

 

Yeah I just paid 4.30 USD in southern california. Between the 117 mile trip to work 5 days a week, the 300 mile once a month trip to the ANG and then everything else I drive at a minimum 33,000 miles a year. It became my daily driver as the truck gets worse milage. I now have 259,000 miles on the car.

Anyways the bus or train is not an option because there is none.

The reason I asked was because I had an 85 firebird where I did a engine/tranny/rear differential swap many years ago. I installed a 327 from a 65 vette, richmond six speed (similar OD gear as my 5 speed) and I bought an auzzie Borg and warner rear differential from a camaro but the guy told me it was a 3.45 gear but instead i got a 2.70 gear. I got my money back and a free differential so i anstalled it at the time until I could buy a 3.45 or 3.70 gear. Anyways I was surprised to get 24 MPG highway in a carburated V-8 with the combo (my current V-6 gets 25 -28 highway). I never did get around to installing the 3.45 gear I bought before I was rear ended and the car was totaled so I never got to see the difference.

Anyways it ws just a thought, I, can get the gears relitivly inexpensivly and install them myself.

 

its all in how you drive it. I got over 28mpg driving my 97 z28 with my foot out of the peddle and not in traffic. in the same car I could get 1/2 a tank to 14 miles(the stretch of road between GFAFB and down town Grandforks. I giggle at the notion of over $4 gas because back then I was pissed at 2.00/USG and a meek salary as an E3....
Try harder tire tread/properly inflated, clean airfilter ect this effects about the same if not more.

 

I had a v6 firebird awhile ago, came with a 3.08 i think it was, and I ordered a used rearend with 3.73's, but once i got it realized it was a 4.10 rear. I went ahead and put it in and drove it like that with the 5 speed, it drove fine and my gas mileage was even noticeably affected. moral of the story, dont waste your money swapping gears kuz it wont result in any benefit.