Alright, So I have a 99 DOHC MTX neon. Edmunds.com says I hit my max torque at 5500rpm and max horse at 6500rpm. I have heard that after most cars hit their max torque/horse, unless you shift u r pretty much just loosing power. For noticable performance modifications I have the Iceman CAI, short tube Headers, Dynomax Cat-Back Exhaust, and Mopar PCM, and then other little things here and there like performance tires, springs, and other little stuff. When would be the best time for me to shift so that I am not loosing power. This would be highway racing from 50-60mph in 3rd to under 100mph, pretty much whoever pulls out the farthest.

This is between me and my buddies V6 Manual 04 stang pushing 190 horse and 220 torque stock but he also has a Short Ram intake and Cat-Back exhaust weighing in at roughly 3300lbs. We tried last night though kept getting interrupted by traffic or something else though from what little we did it seemed that both put in 3rd at the 50-60mph range the neon would jump right out ahead but slowly towards 90mph the mustang would creep back. His car is also probably in better shape having 50,000 original miles while mine has 50,000 on the motor and 100,000+ on the body though I have replaced some major stuff.

 

You need toget to a spot may on a back road somewhere.Start off at a dead stop cause really can fell it in first when it starts to feel like the car is slowing down instead of speeding up. You would want to shift right before point. So learn it and learn it well because it is just about the same point in each gear. Most of the time this piont is either at or right at red line. Each and every car is different

 

a good shift point is also right before the rev limiter kicks in.....tkae your car out in the country and go through a few gears and hit the limiter...that way you know exactly where it is.......watch the tach..
just make sure that when your racing, you dont hit the limiter....that would be bad

when im racing i always hit the clutch right before the limiter.....takes some practice, but it really helps

 

Yea I was going to 7000, dunno where mopar puts the limiter but that wasnt the prob, i just didnt kno if after 6500 the power simply went down hill.

 

dohc has 7200 or 7250 for stock
if you have or get a mopar dohc pcm, the limiter is raised to 7600 or 7800, i can never remember right...

but if you have the aftermarket pcm, you'll want to get the upgraded valve springs and retainers so you don't get valve float

you may want to get a shift light

 

you are the first person to ever say this

or at least the first i've seen



why hasn't anyone else ever brung this up?

 

What would this run me and how complicated is the install?

 

the valve spring and reatiner install?????
if thats what your talking about then you wont wont to tackle it if you dont know what your doing.....its not that hard, but it takes time and patience

 

yea but why hasn't anyone ever brung it up if we have to do it with the pcm install?

 

you don't HAVE to, but it's recommended
it's not so much a big thing if you are running stock cams, but if you are running aftermarket (aka "HOTTER") cams, you'll for sure want this, esp. with the neon engine as it is an interference engine (the valves will hit the piston if the timing is off, or if the valves float)

most people probably don't mention it because it's usually done (from what i've seen) at the same time as cams anyway

top end wise, first things changed out is usually cams, followed by (or at the same time) springs and retainers, and then rockers and lifters from a 2.4l (usually known as PT type)

anyone else, if i'm wrong, feel free to correct me, my memory's not the greatest cuz of Iraq **** so yea...