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11/12/2019 9:58 PM  #1


butt gears

I have a 65 coupe stock 289, 2bl, auto with 225x60x15s (25"i think ) tall tires. I would like to know how I can tell what I have. I dont know what gears I have in the rear, but would like to know if going to 320s from say 350s would make a big difference in mpg. I don't need speed. I want the best I can get for my buck in milage. I plan on driving this car a lot more on the road. Doing the OD just doesn't calk out in the fact that 10-20K wont pay for the trans in savings at the pump. 
Ideas?? or best choices?


Slammed Big Blue, ran over the varmints that messed with the Stang. Now all is good in the NW
 

11/12/2019 10:46 PM  #2


Re: butt gears

From under the car...........turn the driveshaft (counting the turns) until the tire make ONE revolution. ex. if the tire make one revolution and the shaft make 3 & 1/2 =3.50:1                2 &1/2=2.50:1
If its the stock rear end   more than likely it a 2.80:1  or 3.0:1
Without an OD you just have to live with the mileage.
Clean air filter.......upgrade the ignition (duraspark or such)......headers and free flow exhaust. Maximize the tuning on the carb. (try leaner jets)  all these tips and no jack rabbit starts....cruise control....etc......(.make a lot of down hill trips)
6sal6


Get busy Liv'in or get busy Die'n....Host of the 2020 Bash at the Beach/The only Bash that got cancelled  )8
 

11/12/2019 11:08 PM  #3


Re: butt gears

Your car came with either a 2.79:1, or 2.80:1 rear end.  Autos may have come with 3.00s..  - Yes they had all 3.  What you have now, no one can tell off hand.  the gears easily could have been changed on these intervening years.

I bought a "C" code 3 speed - same engine as yours.
How to determine what you have now?  there are at least 2 easy ones that I know of.  
The rear axle came from the factory with a metal tag on the diff with the ratio stamped on it.
Or, you can put the car on jack stands in neutral and climb under it. mark the bottom of one tire with a crayon or something else that you can see readily.  Mark the bottom of the drive shaft.  Then turn the drive shaft and see how many turns it needs to turn the tire one revolution.  It is not exact, but there are ways to interpret it.  Less than 3 turns and you have a 2.79 or 2.80.  3 turns is a 3.00.  Something like 3 1/4 turns give a 3.25.  3 1/2 turns is a 3.55(or possibly 3.40 again they are close enough for your purposes).  Anything more than that will give you high enough ratio that you should know already that the engine is revving too high.  When I changed out my 2.79 for a 3.25 my gas mileage dropped from 19mpg to 16mpg.  I loved the added power and the way the car drove that way, but I was driving 30-40k miles each year and could not afford the extra cost of gas, so I went back.

There have been many discussions of rear end ratios here.  Advice is all over the place because we all do it differently.  But if you want a daily driver type of car, then stick with 3.00s or 3.25's for best mileage.


Original owner - 351w,T-5, 4whl disks, power R&P
 

11/13/2019 12:06 AM  #4


Re: butt gears

I know the history as I am second owner and the car was serviced by ford it 130K life. , I will look for the tag as it is likely there, somewhere. will also do the count. I have done the duals, electronic. clean air cleaner. Seems like it only got 17 on the trip to Montana with a dirty tank and carb. Has new tank now.


Slammed Big Blue, ran over the varmints that messed with the Stang. Now all is good in the NW
     Thread Starter
 

11/13/2019 5:58 AM  #5


Re: butt gears

Be careful of "this guy got that mileage so I should get that mileage".  Mileage is a weird thing, because it depends so much more on HOW you drive, not how the car is set up.  For example, at what road speed are you computing mileage?  How was traffic?  How many times did you have to slow down or stop and then accelerate back to speed again?  How fast were you accelerating?  The harder you run the car the worse the mileage, regardless of setup.

 

11/13/2019 11:12 AM  #6


Re: butt gears

TKOPerformance wrote:

Be careful of "this guy got that mileage so I should get that mileage".  Mileage is a weird thing, because it depends so much more on HOW you drive, not how the car is set up.  For example, at what road speed are you computing mileage?  How was traffic?  How many times did you have to slow down or stop and then accelerate back to speed again?  How fast were you accelerating?  The harder you run the car the worse the mileage, regardless of setup.

Good response.  My driving was on LA freeways during rush hour.  Downtown to Thousand Oaks.  50 mi each way.  I can't believe I did that for 10 years.   90 min each way.

On the hiway I got a little over 20.
 


Original owner - 351w,T-5, 4whl disks, power R&P
 

11/13/2019 9:39 PM  #7


Re: butt gears

Thanks everyone. I am aware of the how I drive part. I am slow smooth starts, steady throttle on cruising ( I have road with people that cant seam to keep there speed consistent  ever)  and I break easy. So I should get pretty good mileage. Just wondered if there was a taller set of gears to add a little more out on the highway, but it sounds like there may not be.


Slammed Big Blue, ran over the varmints that messed with the Stang. Now all is good in the NW
     Thread Starter
 

11/13/2019 11:37 PM  #8


Re: butt gears

T56 with a 0.50:1 6th gear.  Cuts the rear gear ratio in half.

I think you can get like 2.50 gears for a 9" (think Bonneville).

BUT, none of this will EVER pay for itself in fuel savings, so I don't see the justification. 

 

Board footera


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