Hi guys. I'm trying to learn about these first gens. My ex had one and I loved it except for one thing: the car revs so high in final gear. I don't get it- a camery with the same engine gets better mileage.... Anyways, my question is this: I know the engine is used in lots of other Toyota's, so I'm guessing the trans is as well? If so, then I should be able to get a different final gear ratio from another model and swap it in to get the revs down. So what other vehicles used the same 5sp manual? This is honestly the only thing keeping me from getting one of my own. Thanks!

 

You can pretty much put any toyota final gear in there and it'll work.

 

OOOHHHH!!!! I hope this bodes true!!! Im sooo sick of cruising at 70 mph @ 3500 rpms!!!

Ive been asking around regarding just swapping the OD gear out and leaving the rest!!! Some have said the entire diff gearing has to be changed as well to get the results... which will decrease the pull from the previous 4...

Need to get the stock gearing ratios of different models... need to see if it a big difference.

If this works... im all over it like a fat kid on a cupcake!!!

 

Haha. Ryan Reynolds - Van Wilder

 

Happy Monday brother!! yep you got it!!

So whats your take?? worth the mod or go 6 speed??

 

You too my man.

Well, adding a gear is going to be a whole new transmission, and that doesn't really have a much lower gear in it either; it just effects the other 5. I think throwing in a bigger 5th will be a nice touch. My transmission is fully built with 1-4 PPG gears, and then 5th is from a TSX, and 6th is stock. I'm pretty sure any and all Toyota gears should be able to swap around no problem.

 

You can swap in a different manual transmission from another toyota transmission that uses a 2AZFE like the camry, rav4, highlander and get better highway gas mileage, but depending on the cost of parts and labor you aren't going to break even for 10's of thousands of miles.

 

Found this today: http://www.vibratesoftware.com/html_help/2011/

Lists every final gear and transmission used in every vehicle, AWESOME resource!
I have no need to swap the trans. The 5sp works fine and I don't care about acceleration, thats what I have Honda CBR's for. I just want 4cyl gas mileage [my moms accord v6 matches the Tc mileage] and an engine that isen't screaming its head off everywhere I go. Found a 3.6x ratio final gear in one version of the camery, I think thats the way to go. Should take 3700rpm down to about 3100rpm @80mph.

 

this. driving slower will save more money.

 

Now where's the fun in that??!!? Haha yes in some cases... but this car was meant for triple digits!! Hahahaha and I lived in Cali for 6 years... slow isn't even in ya'lls vocab!!! Hahaha j/k

In all seriousness... with the cross country driving I've done... when the limits go from 65 to 75 and Id rather go around 68 - 70 just for the gas mileage... there's an issue... shouldn't be hovering in my power band at cruising speeds!!

 

you have a 6 speed??!!??!!

 

In the si, yes

 

Ahh... thought you were talking about the tC... how sweet that would be to have a 6th... my mom's Rally Dart is a blast with 6...

 

Driving cross country with my cars, I always laugh that the most fuel efficient highway car I had came with the biggest engine and the most turbos.

2005 Scion tC 5 MT with a stage 1 turbo: 26.8 mpg
2007 BMW 335i 6 MT with intake and Cobb stage 1 tune: 28.3 mpg
2013 Scion FRS 6 MT with borla UEL header, P-tuning exhaust and EcuTech tune: 27.6 mpg.

Those figures are based on cruise control between 70- 80 mph on long highway jaunts.

 

OUCH! IDK what it is but my tc used to get 28 hwy and now I get 31 if I can stay out of boost. Otherwise its crap

 

Haha... ive hit 34 mpg on my cross country trip... over 500 miles to the tank!! but that was bare bones stock and running around 68 / 69 mph.

 

Same numbers, same situation, same stats, same mph and mpg.

AZ to WI - It's a quick trip... only 2000 miles... Haha.

 

This is very very very interesting!!! That final gear has always bothered me but then again so has the first gear...a lot of the time I skip 1st gear from the start (mainly because of the sleet on the streets so may be different in warmer weather)...idk is that just me?

Not sure what I usaully get to the tank but i know i got abt 298 miles at a continuous 90 mph a few weeks ago (20.5 mpg...F to E.Light)

 

Starting in second is definitely not just you. Especially for the boosted guys with non-built transmissions, they mostly start in second when going through the gears from a stop. But when it comes to a stock one with snow, hell, throw it in third for that matter...