Hey there, whereabouts is that auto vs. Stick thread I was reading a couple months ago, I got myself into a drunken arguement with a couple friends of which is quicker off the line. I told them right on the holeshot the auto is quicker but the Manual will catch up at 1/8 mile or even a bit before. Something to do with more gears mesh together at once in an auto, thats why it is stronger for towing too or something. Can anybody help me out on this or prove me wrong, or just find that thread on it?

Thanks.

-Jared

 

You're going to find that there's people sided both ways between an auto and stick. A stick is far better for towing than an auto imho.

 

The auto is quicker from the hole because the torque converter will keep the engine in it's optimal power band while accelerating even from a standstill(Rather theoretical with the stock TC ). The auto will also shift under load opposed to the stick where you'll loose boost at every shift.

Just my 2c

AlpineRAM

 

Autos can be quicker if the shifts are nice and firm so you don't lose alot of RPMs cause on a hand shaker you can always double clutch it.

 

um, maybe i am missing something, but if you start to double clutch while racing, you will loose... way slower having to clutch in, out, in, out than just normal clutching a synchronised tranny of clutch in, out...

 

You're right. Double clutching was necessary on the old trannys without syncronizers to reduce the gear clashing. If you do it right you can shift without using the clutch at all but I don't know if it's any quicker than using the clutch. You could keep from losing boost by not backing clear off the throttle which I hear isn't good either as it causes the turbo to bark.

Besides, what the heck do you want to be racing a workhorse for? The manual tranny will be more efficient at towing heavy loads because you have slippage in the torque converter and the clutches and bands are usually designed to slip some during shifts also.

Manual trannys are simpler and less trouble prone IMHO. If you're lazy get an auto If you want to do serious work get a manual.

Edwin

 

A tricked out auto will flat out kill any hand shaker in a 1/4 mile application untill you get into the air shifted manuals where your clutch pedal collects dust after the leave. In the high reving gasser world I met a couple of lightning fast stick guys but for the most part ..... I cant imagine trying to power shift a low rpm trans Never done it but if you nailed the go pedal to the floor and slipped the clutch enough to change up the lower load must allow some boost to drop? One other downside to the stick is it has one extra shift to make. Dont get me wrong a stick has its place and thats definetly behind a CTD, were the rules change is when you take a CTD to the 1/4 mile, Its amussing to see someone for the first time with a tricked out auto Its a whole nother world Toto

 

Most definately the auto has it's advantages on the 1/4 mile. Mainly the torque converter. I remember way back when B&M hydro was building the old 4 speed HydroMatic tranny to handle nitro burners. I can't remember if it had a TC or just a fluid coupling. TC's were a later innovation.

For those who don't know. A Torque Converter is a fluid coupling with a stator added to redirect the oil flow from the driven member back on the driving member. This way when the rev difference is great it would simply add to the push on the output shaft which turned rpms into more torque.

Ideally if you could run with a torque converter alone it would be awesome. In fact, I remember a 59 Buick my dad had that only had one gear for forward and one for reverse. There was no shifting at all and the torque converter had a high stall speed. That car was really quick!

Edwin

 

But what if you were to take the $3000 dollars extra from the automatic transmission fund and put them someplace else on your truck, hmm?
(There always has to be one. )

A top of the line automatic is expensive compared to a manual. Unless you are going to drop $15,000 on the engine and just go as far as you can go, woullsn't you be better using the money on a turbocharger, heads, sticks, etc. instead of a $7,000 tranny?

But YES, unless you are a shifting machine, a good automatic can beat a manual on the same engine/ truck.

 

I don't care if its a 8 second drag car or a big old diesel truck, it's more fun with a stick... $.02