3rd gear pulls like ASS

[ChiGGz]

I think lately my third gear pulls have been sucking really hard. Launching the car still gives me that nice pull, and so does 2nd gear. Can someone tell me why its sucking so hard? If its retarding timing due to knock, shouldnt i feel it equally in 2nd and 1st. I mean, I almost feel barely ANYTHING in 3rd.

Or maybe this is just an AWD thing.

 

[GsX2gDsM]

I'm having the same problem, timing being retarded because of knock. All of 1st and usually most of second i can't feel it. Sometimes towards the end of 2nd and always going into third I can feel the timing being retarded and the car losing alot of power. My knock sensor seems fine (or so the mechanic said), barely leaking, he said it would probably need to be replaced in the next 10,000 miles. Other than that I'm not sure what this knock could be caused from, I'm running 92 octane and ran octane boost once which didn't help either.

 

[rowlex]

my car barely ever knocks in 1st and second, but I'll get a lot in third. Tune your third gear in.

 

[ChiGGz]

Can DSMlink tune on a gear to gear basis? I know you tune the RPM ranges, but didnt know about gears

 

[ADrewzki]

Hm....maybe it's a Washington thing. I have this same problem. 1st and 2nd feel pretty good. Third feels pretty good up until about 5k rpm and then dsmlink says I start knocking. The timing has been retarded through dsmlink so I'm only running about 6 degrees advance at WOT all the way to redline. It sucks and it still says it's knocking. I've already tried a new knock sensor. Plugs are brand new BPR7ES gapped to 0.030" because I am only running 10psi of boost right now. Plug wires have been switched out from NGK to Accel to see if it made a difference. Timing is good. I'm just at a standstill right now. I'm starting to think it's phantom knock. I definitely can't hear anything and the knock is still there no matter how much I retard timing. I'm also getting a little bit in 5th gear at ~0psi of boost and under load.

 

[MNGSX]

There is less mechanical advantage on 3rd gear...

It could also be SMIC heat soak. If applicable...

I would also look at BR8ES plugs... Non projected and heat range change.

Also try to richen it up a touch esp if on pump gas (even 93)

I also think rowlex means to tune the car in the gear you are getting the knock in and it will be gone in all of them.. Because you go thru 1st and 2nd so fast sometimes its easy to miss knock (even for the ECU) than in 3rd.

I had kind of the opposite problem with the 85% alky fuel.. I did'nt have enough timing and had no timing getting pulled.. 3rd gear felt pretty potent with 2nd pulling hard enough to kill a Exedy disk hub but it just did'nt feel and sound just right... I added more advance and it reved up like a elementry school kid who downed a 6pack of red bull...

 

[ADrewzki]

I don't think there's a way to tune for each gear, just overall. I've always believed that third gear was used because it was sufficiently long enough to build up boost. If you wanted, a person could use 4th gear just as easily I suppose.

 

[MNGSX]

I think 4th is a little tall to tune for the entire engine RPM and still have hope of keeping your DL..

3rd is just right...

 

[rowlex]

I think 4th is a little tall to tune for the entire engine RPM and still have hope of keeping your DL..

3rd is just right...

I agree. Top of fourth and you are going WAY too fast. I usually only do highway on-ramp pulls to top of third, usually I get a bunch of knock and let off around 6k anyway

Yes I meant tune your car for the gear you get the most knock in, which is third.

DSMLink has no load-based or gear based tuning abilities. I really wish it did tho.

Andrewzki: You my friend have other problems if your knocking at only 10psi with 6 degree timing. Have you checked your base timing? ALSO: you can turn your knock sensor off for anything under 25% throttle (thats what i've done) because knock below that isn't going to harm anything. I can run 16-17psi on my 60-1 with max. timing of 16 (I havent tried adding timing yet...oh and I wont, car is in storage ) You should also get a FMIC, that should help your third gear knock issue.

 

[MNGSX]

I have ran 3rd to the limiter on a closed course as they say in the car comercial fine print..

You can alternately fine tune the top end of engine RPM in the top of second.....

 

[94Jettameowpsst]

Im having the same problem for a COMPLETELY different reason, but i would like to know one thing. Do any of you see a difference if you shift faster or slower? I get pretty much no knock in 3rd if i shift slow, but if i bang 2nd to 3rd it starts at like 15 counts and pending on the conditions outside, it will either rise, or like it usually does, falls one count at a time as the rpms raise.

 

[MNGSX]

The quick shift makes the engine abrubltly work harder increasing the odds of knock....

I shift firm not hard or slamming which is why I was surprised I blew the exedy clutch disk... It really didn't shatter untill boost peaked in 2nd so I guess it may have been more HP load than shifting shock.

 

[Spookcorleone]

Some of you guys are still on your T-25's and are wondering why you start to fall off after 5K RPM's...

I get alot of knock in my 3rd and 4th range also but I've yet to get DSMLink or SAFC (Depending if my ECU is EPROM...) Either way, I also feel it wether is heatsoak, knock, or something else...

Shift slow by the way - you have a DSM tranny...

And knock below 25% of WOT is harmless? Just double checking, learn something everyday.

 

[MNGSX]

I have had this car over 5 years and modified extensively for most of them.

A firm peformance shift vs a abusive slam shift are two different things...

As far as the shift lever you can shift quick with a 2g trans fed synchromesh and a properly adjusted clutch.

Its like butter right now... You just have to let the clutch out just right. I dont drag out the release for ever nor do I dump it.. It should feel firm...

A guy I put a spec clutch in for said on a post install test drive.. Can you teach me to shift like that....

 

[94Jettameowpsst]

Im unaware of what you mean by 25% knock. Is that out of 43 (max count)?

 

[MNGSX]

No he means TPS under 25%...

 

[rowlex]

Im unaware of what you mean by 25% knock. Is that out of 43 (max count)?

as mngsx mentioned, I meant under 25% throttle. I was mentioning that to andrewzki -- it's a DSMLink thing


Spookcorleone: yes, under 25% you dont have the cylinder pressures to cause any damage. I've been running like this for a year now, as well as a bunch of my buddies with DSMLink -- with no ill effects. Actually on a cold engine I used to get terrible knock through third gear from noisy lifters, now it's gone