what is with automatics?

[camarodiehard]

Manuals in Canada

If manuals are so hard to find in the states, maybe some of you could look at what's for sale in Canada. Some/ most are never winter-driven (no rust , low mileage) plus exchange rate is in your favour...I would suggest to look in mainly in the provinces of Ontario and Québec. Try the links: hebdo.net ...... occasion.ca. "Problem" is , some of the classifieds (ads) are in french language

Anyway, just suggesting , good luck. I'm part of the Montreal F-body association and one of our members has a nice 2002 SS manual , t-top, black. Ordered his new , very nice

p.s. I think to transfer a car from Canada to U.S. is easier than vice-versa

[Rekisito]

Where I live our heavy traffic could probably compared to your medium traffic. Most of our business revolves around highway '41 which is 6 lanes - 2 ways.


As for the auto vs. manual this must be an 8 cylinder thing. I'm almost certain any 4 banger auto would lose to a manual of the same car.

Either way, I'd still rather have a manual for the fun.

[tabahr]

Your thought about a 4banger manual vs an auto has some merit. In fact it does not matter how many cylinders the car has the simple fact is an auto trans requires some HP to operate, a manual trans does not require nearly as much. In an Auto trans there is no direct connection to the rear wheels, it is a hydraulic coupling. These hydraulics are run by pumps, that are turned using power from the engine. I'm no transmission expert, but I cannot see a way around this power loss with an automatic.

Here is the snag.

Once you are making significant HP, it is harder to control that power. An Automatic does such a superb job applying this power that the small amount lost in the fluid coupling no longer matters.
That amount of power would be difficult to harness to the pavement as nicely with a manual. Much skill is required, and most of us do not have that skill, me included.

In a badly underpowered car... every single pony counts. There is not enough HP to get wild and it is easier to control because it is almost impossible to break traction. A manual offers fine control here, and the additional HP it frees up will make that car faster than its automatic trans counterpart.

There it is in a nutshell.
Can someone get me out of this nutshell, please??
Help!!

[Joe 1320]

[i]I cannot see a way around this power loss with an automatic.
[/B]

A lockup converter does wonders. So does a few extra bolts ons to compensate for the loss. Right after I picked up my 97, I immediatly put on just a few parts to increase power and sure enough, was nose to nose with the stick cars. Now, with all the little mods accumulated over time, I waste stock M6s not to mention stock LS1s. Anthing can be made to be faster than the next car, it just depends on how much dough you want to spend.

[N20LT4Bird]

Originally posted by LimTeng99TransAm
I just prefer an auto because it's easier to live with...no burnt clutchs or anything to worry about.

As long as we are debating M6 vs A4, I worry about the clutches on an automatic a lot more than on my M6. If I waste my clutch on the bird (gone through 2) it takes me about 3 hrs to fix. If you wipe the clutches on an automatic, its a a whole new ball game; much more techinical. The A4 clutches, especially the 3-4 pack, go all the time if your hard on the car.

[Christopherrr]

automatics have clutches??? I never knew that...I always thought they connected from engine to transmission via tranny fluid. Okay...I'm really confused now.

[RangerBob]

Yeah automatics have friction devices not to mention all sorts of springs, valves and other little parts. They are a lot more complicated and expensive to fix.

[N20LT4Bird]

Originally posted by LimTeng99TransAm
automatics have clutches??? I never knew that...I always thought they connected from engine to transmission via tranny fluid. Okay...I'm really confused now.

The fluid coupling you speak of is in the torque convertor. The pump (driven off the crank) is connected to the turbine (drives the input shaft of the tranny) via a fluid coupling. Theres the stator in there too, which redirects fluid back to the pump, but thats for another discussion.

There are "clutch packs" in an auto tranny which resemble several mini clutches and flywheels sandwiched together. They are applied hydraulically, but this is a mechanical connection. The clutches lock different gear train components together which enable the different ratios you get.

The auto tranny is much more complex than a standard. It would require much more explanation than I could ever fit into a thread.

Anyone know a good site? Howitworks.com or something like that?

[wolfdogs]

who here can shift faster than Mother GM..........?

[TimeLord]

I can !!!

My friends 4L60E has a 700-800 RPM lapse before shifting,he has to shift at 6200-6300 RPM if he doesn't want to hit Eds 7000 RPM cut off.

He has an Autometer data recorder that records every run and many components,it then puts them on a graph to be able to compare runs and parameters.

If he shifts any later he hits the limiter and the graph looks like a siesmic counter.

Yes,I can shift faster than GM.

His car !!!

[MaraSport]

Hay when you get an automatic you have a quicker throttle response and I have friends with V8 Mustangs and Camaros and Trans Am that go through clutch like drinking water on a daily basis... So when you get into the range of torque and power of a V8, if you want to be stuck behind some one trying to find the right gear to get in (due to the skip shift mechanism) then be my guest...

I have been following some of my friends around and all I have to do with my automatic is press the gas a little harder and I am shooting off like a rocket around some of these slow pokes around here... They are trying to get their cars to shift into a gear like third or are doing fifth and trying to go to fourth by the time I am around them and almost pass the car I wanted to pass...

Like Larry Webster off of Car and Driver said, "when you get to this level of performance... having a manual can be a curse... so go with the auto..."

I like my auto though its fun to drive and yes I have driven manuals before but I love the conveniences of an automatic and the quick throttle response it gives...

But if you are wanting a manual, keep looking and be careful because they are more dogg than any others...

[TimeLord]

Mara !! That just proves that most people can't drive ,,,A4 is a lot more convenient that I will agree with!!

[94 formula]

I've just read through this whole post and all I can say is wow I never saw so much writing over a subject. It just all comes down to your personal preference and how much your willing to invest in your car. If you get a stock manual its going to be faster than a stock auto. You can make the auto as fast with some money but if you would invest that money in a manual it would be even faster. If you know your car well and are good with a stick you can be almost as consistent as an auto. It can all really be summed up in how much money you want to spend and which you like better.