LT1 Based Engine Tech 1993-1997 LT1/LT4 Engine Related

What gears for M6 with heads/cam???

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Old Apr 11, 2003 | 09:35 AM
  #1  
ford's Avatar
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What gears for M6 with heads/cam???

Xe230/236 112lsa. Should i go with 3.73's or 4.10's? 94z28 M6

And thanks!
Old Apr 11, 2003 | 09:38 AM
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Im my opinion I would go with the 4:10's. That's the only way to go with an M6.
Old Apr 11, 2003 | 09:47 AM
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Oops forgot to mention it will be a daily driver.

As for 4.10's i know they are everyones favorite for a M6. Yet i just dont want to run out of every gear in less than a second. I still need for 1st and 2nd to be useable.

And i dont really want to be in 5th halfway down the track :P

maybe i answered my own question there. But then again i dont know how 3.73's act with this cam.
Old Apr 11, 2003 | 09:59 AM
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I am going with 3.73 gears...although 4.10's are probably the best, I to use mine as a daily driver during the warm weather and I share the same feelings as not wanting to be in 5th gear running the quarter. That is just how I feel about it.
3.73's sound good to me.
Old Apr 11, 2003 | 10:11 AM
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1997rblckSS i feel the same way. Though i have a seperate question for you. How do you like that clutch? How does it feel, grab, and any chatter or vibration from it?

Thanks!
Old Apr 11, 2003 | 10:27 AM
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When I get some money I'm gonna go with 3.73 prolly. 4.10 sounds like too much gear for a head/cam 383. I may go to 3.90 but that may still be more gear than I want.
Old Apr 11, 2003 | 10:32 AM
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Originally posted by 16blckz28
1997rblckSS i feel the same way. Though i have a seperate question for you. How do you like that clutch? How does it feel, grab, and any chatter or vibration from it?

Thanks!
I like this over the last clutch I had in there ("Heavy duty Ram clutch, which I destroyed on my 2nd run at the local 1/8mile track, the clutch had 2500miles on it when I burned it up/ note: the stock clutch held better than this piece of crap!) The clutch has a little bit of chatter, a little more than the stock clutch did at idle, its not bad at all, and when it grabs it grabs!, I could tell a big difference at my last track outting. I have read other people that have had a hard time with the clutch? I don't have any problems, once it breaks in, it is a extremely good clutch. I will probably be rebuilding my rear end before replacing another clutch.
Old Apr 13, 2003 | 12:12 AM
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I'd say 4.10s for that cam. 4.10s aren't the best gears for all M6 cars like everyone seems to say. You have to match your gears to your cam and your powerband. I really like my 3.73s; makes the car more driveable with the cam I have and at little sacrifice to gas mileage.
Old Apr 13, 2003 | 06:23 AM
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I've had 3.73s in my car for about 5 years and I have been pleased. They provide a small but noticeable change from the oem 3.42s. 6th gear is now usable at lower speeds and 1st gear is just right. I know many friends with 4.10s and they are happy, too.

Much of this gear selection business is just personal preferrance. I would think 3.90s would be great, but I don't feel in the mood or have the coin to change the diff.
Old Apr 13, 2003 | 10:09 AM
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The optimum gear for my heads and cam car at the track is 4.10/4.11s. At almost 118mph I go through the traps in 4th gear at about 6100rpm, and this is with stock sized tires.
Old Apr 13, 2003 | 10:31 AM
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I think of the T56 as a 4-speed with two overdrive gears. Thought of that way, where 5th and 6th are used for cruising and highway and 1-4 for other driving, I'd say 3.73's. If you want to drive it like a 5-speed plus one OD gear, get the 4.10's. Makes sense? At least it does to me. And that's actually the origin of the transmission and how the gears were selected.

Maybe a better way to think of it: a typical LT1 doesn't need a super low first gear, like you get with 4.10's. If 1-5th were closer together, with a higher first first and a lower 5th, then you could use 4.10's. But as it is, 4.10's make 1st pretty useless on street tires.

Just my $0.02

Rich Krause
Old Apr 13, 2003 | 11:07 AM
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I got a CC306 (similar to ur cam) .. and i first had it with my stock rear (3.42s) it was a nightmare to drive ... it was slow, sluggish and frustrating to drive around town ...

then i got a 12bolt with 3.73s and it felt SO much better around town ... a set of 4.10s are going in today ... i think any big cam needs low gears (3.90s or 4.10s) u need to have the cam in its power band . and since u can rev higher with a bigger cam, a lower gear suites ur car and gives u the same range, only a bit higher in the rpm band

4.10s and a stock cam wont go together cuz ur car runs out of breath way too quick

about the track ... im worried about running out of gear on 26" slicks on the bottle ... if that happenes ... i'll get 28" slicks and problems solved
Old Apr 13, 2003 | 11:20 AM
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ok, someone said that with the 4.10s, they are hitting the top of 4th gear aroudn 118mph.

with heads/cam (big cam) i want the top of 4th to hit 130-140 range..........is there a gear calculator to figure out what i want?

keep in mind im not really interested in track times.

if i make a pull on the highway up to 150-160.....is 5th gear just gonna fall on its face? or will it accelerate like an extra gear, instead of an overdrive?

Last edited by got_hp?; Apr 13, 2003 at 11:29 AM.
Old Apr 13, 2003 | 11:22 AM
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oops, dp
Old Apr 13, 2003 | 03:03 PM
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Originally posted by got_hp?
ok, someone said that with the 4.10s, they are hitting the top of 4th gear aroudn 118mph.

with heads/cam (big cam) i want the top of 4th to hit 130-140 range..........is there a gear calculator to figure out what i want?

keep in mind im not really interested in track times.

if i make a pull on the highway up to 150-160.....is 5th gear just gonna fall on its face? or will it accelerate like an extra gear, instead of an overdrive?
A stock LT1/M6 car with 3.42s will pull to 150+mph; a heads/cam car will very likely pull 175+mph with the same gearing. You have some major cajones if you want to go faster than that!



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