Thread: When to shift?
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Old 04-23-2017, 12:15 PM
Cliff R's Avatar
Cliff R Cliff R is offline
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For the big 455 street/strip engines most woln't care all that much about rear gear used or exactly where you shift them at. This assumes you've done your homework and built a pretty stout one that makes peak power past 5000rpms and has a broad/flat torque curve.

For my engine I can shift anywhere from 5000rpm's to 5800rpm's and it will only vary about .04 seconds for the entire spread. For this reason I short shift at 5000rpm's for most runs vs "grinding" up the engine more just to put up a little better time slip.

Many years ago I owned and raced a 1965 Nova SS with a high-winding SBC in it. I shifted it around 7000rpms and went thru lights around 7500rpm's. If you short shifted that little bugger you'd get your BUTT handed to you in a bracket race.......FWIW.......Cliff

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73 Ventura, SOLD 455, 3740lbs, 11.30's at 120mph, 1977 Pontiac Q-jet, HO intake, HEI, 10" converter, 3.42 gears, DOT's, 7.20's at 96mph and still WAY under the roll bar rule. Best ET to date 7.18 at 97MPH (1/8th mile),