Just got me an '99 Z28 with the 6-speed. Car is bone stock to the paperfilter and cags!!!
I'm just wondering when are you shifting into sixth? How bad/good are low rpms (1000-1200rpm) for the engine?

 

Congrats on the purchase!

Don't think lower RPM's would be bad for the engine; as long as it isn't bogging down...I usually shift into 6th whenever I reach my cruising speed for the particular road I'm on...At about 60mph (or 100 kmh since youre 'over the pond') I believe my car sits around 13-1400 rpm's. 1000 rpm's in 6th gear may not be beneficial to your gas mileage any more, as it may take more throttle to keep you moving at that speed (45mph-ish or 80 kmh-ish?) Then again maybe I'm wrong and you get insanely good gas mileage. The way I see it, as long as whatever gear you are in puts the engine moving faster than the idle RPM level, you won't screw it up any...

Before getting into sixth I usually get the car to around 2000 rpms and shift to the next gear, as that is all it takes for my type of driving to keep up in traffic (I usually stay inside the city)...If I'm lazy and use the skip shift I get 1st gear to around 2200-2300 and go straight to 4th and stay there until I get stopped by another light

 

With the stock 98SS we never use 6th unless we're going 60mph or more. At less than that in 6th it feels like it's lugging.
Now with the 03 'vette 6th works well down to 50mph. I think that this is due to lower weight and that the late model LS1 makes a little more hp and more torque down low.

 

perfectly flat...with no change in speed...55mph works for 6th for me.

other than that...redline for every other gear

i skip shift alot around town. 1-2-4-6 or similar...hell sometime pulling into traffic i'll pour it on for 1-2...then shift gently into 6th at speed.


if you're curious as to gear/speed info...check out this calculator...although you'll have to convert it:
http://www.f-body.org/gears/

 

Not Tech. Moving.

 

If the engine is warm, I use 6th when cruising at any speed over 45mph. That's 1000 rpm. I can even accelerate uphill from there without downshifting. It doesn't bog or anything at that speed. I have a lid and a catback exhaust, but even a stock car should be able to do that.

I try not to cruise below 1500 rpm if the engine isn't up to temp yet.

Anyone who worries about 1000 rpm being too low needs to get with the times. We are not running 1970's carbureted engines!

 

I'll take you for a ride in the 98SS and educate you. If you lean on the pedal at all at 1000rpm it lugs, almost rattles. Your 02 has a differeent cam and the LS6 intake which changes things a little.

 

Thanks all!

I'm just getting used to the car and I was surprised how well the car picked up speed at low rpms. On the other hand its fun to get on it but that could become very expensive...

 

Ah, I forgot about that. Nice to know that the cam change improved drivability a bit!

I can floor it in 6th from 1000rpm; no rattles, no bogging, just (mild) acceleration.

At least, I could before I broke my trans... I can't do anything in any gear right now.

 

just cruising I usually do a 1-3-4 or 1-4, or a 1-3-5, and then pretty much anytime at 45 or more I'll hit 6th, but that's a lt1 a lot of down low grunt, and on my last straight city tank, I got 17mpg, two less that my 4.3 sonoma, but way more fun to drive.

 

Yep floor the 98 in 6th at 1000 and it's ugly.
Floor the 03 in 6th at 1000 and it pulls smoothly.

 

Like others have said, only use 6th for highway cruising. You won't feel any power in 6th until you are over 90mph, even then you are only @ ~2000rpm.

 

"but that's a lt1 a lot of down low grunt, and on my last straight city tank, I got 17mpg,"

pretty sure the ls1 has more hp at low rpm than the lt1...or at least the same. so i'm not sure how that makes a difference.

and hell i get 17mpg around town with my cammed LS1...and i couldn't tell you the last time i used 6th gear...seriously...probably been weeks.

 

I was referring to torque, damn that's good mpg, or is mine crappy, I really need to get a tune.

 

I use 6th whenever possible, and I get 21-22mpg around town, driving spiritedly.

At a given RPM, horsepower and torque are directly proportional to each other, so it doesn't make a difference which you were referring to.