HSV Advice

[perkz]

The LSA manual gear ratios are better than the LS3 which are pretty lousy, 1st gear too low, too much RPM drop into 3rd and 5th and 6th too tall. I find the LS3 manual needs to be flogged off the lights to keep up with the traffic where the auto does it easily without the need for "boy racer" mode attracting unwanted attention. I don't like autos fundamentally and I prefer manual's, but the LS3 is a much better functioning auto ratio wise than the lousy ratio manual. I think Holden did the LS3 a disservice not fitting the LSA gear ratios in all the V8's across the board.

Definitely agree with that they did do a disservice with the gear ratios

 

[RevNev]

Definitely agree with that they did do a disservice with the gear ratios

They didn't learn much from the VZ LS1 that wouldn't pull 6th gear, it was faster in 5th. I can't understand how Holden could sign off on the non LSA ratio gearbox when it's so clearly wrong unless Tremec did a good price deal on the lousy ratio box perhaps.

 

[Forg]

They didn't learn much from the VZ LS1 that wouldn't pull 6th gear, it was faster in 5th. I can't understand how Holden could sign off on the non LSA ratio gearbox when it's so clearly wrong unless Tremec did a good price deal on the lousy ratio box perhaps.

There could be economy or emissions Stuff we don't know about, too.

 

[Derekthetree]

The LSA manual gear ratios are better than the LS3 which are pretty lousy, 1st gear too low, too much RPM drop into 3rd and 5th and 6th too tall. I find the LS3 manual needs to be flogged off the lights to keep up with the traffic where the auto does it easily without the need for "boy racer" mode attracting unwanted attention. I don't like autos fundamentally and I prefer manual's, but the LS3 is a much better functioning auto ratio wise than the lousy ratio manual. I think Holden did the LS3 a disservice not fitting the LSA gear ratios in all the V8's across the board.

6th is obviously a cruising gear to help the official economy figures.

I think the ratios are actually a little long for everyday driving in my HSV, 3rd gets you into plenty of trouble. They have a different diff ratio to the SS right?

 

[mpower]

Yeah they its usually warm when I get in it.

you want to hear it cold, it's a very typical dealer thing to warm the car up before you get there.

 

[Forg]

you want to hear it cold

Is it a common problem (LS3's slapping), or do they all do it & you're listening to ensure it's not worse than ... I dunno, some-amount-or-other? And what's that "amount"?

 

[VS 5.0]

Yeah they its usually warm when I get in it.

Go first thing in the morning and don't tell them you are coming.

 

[RevNev]

There could be economy or emissions Stuff we don't know about, too.

I doubt that as HSV tended to use lower diff ratios to band aid the gearbox ratio mismatch. I think the VF2 SS ended up with Gen F diff ratios that effectively made 1st and 2nd gear too low and 2nd a bit peaky on the average corner with 3rd gear too tall. The old M20 4 speed was like that too, and the M21 was the better ratio box fitted to some 308's.

 

[RevNev]

6th is obviously a cruising gear to help the official economy figures.

Yeah on a dead flat road otherwise in reality, you're changing back to 5th all the time and the economy's worse. Top gear needs to be about 1750 RPM at 100kmph for an LS3 and that's what the LSA ratio box gives you with a 3.7 diff. The auto top gear ratio's better than the manual on the VF2.

 

[perkz]

Go first thing in the morning and don't tell them you are coming.
[/QUOTE

Good idea . will do that next time and catch out by surprise