Installed 5 speed with Phantom Grip LSD, plus some other updates

[piratewilly]

Right, what Artie said. I haven't had a 5 speed in the car since it's been just an Autox car.. I did 105 in 4th, on GPS.. but it was close to redline.. still felt like it would pull though.. if I had had another cog to go to...

I am really hoping to do some engine work (head/cam,etc...) this winter... but I have a LOT of projects going.. time will tell.

It puts out about 90 horse to the tires, according to a dyno run... would love to get it to 125, but I might be dreaming.. might have to go BP.. I don't want to turbo it.. turbos and autocross aren't always the best mix

yeah turbo cars are actually never good for racing, i have seen so many turbo porches and rx-7's broke down or catch fire because of over heating and an oil leak due to turbo, now don't get me wronge some of the fastest race car's are turbo, but unless u have a lot of money to put into the car for maintenance i would not go with turbo. Right now im looking at running autocross and the car im trying to get my hands on is a 89 with a b6t in it and a 4 speed, but im gonna pull it apart and do a lot of maintenance on it

[FestYboy]

Andrew, you havn't installed an FMS competition cam yet (at least according to your mod list), that'll gain you another 10 or so hp on the top end with out hurting the mid-range. you still need to do that head work as well (another 5 or so through out the power band). and port match the carb to intake to head (makes a big differance).

[neanderpaul]

I looked up cool on wikipedia. And there was a picture of ANDY!

[skeeters_keeper]

andy... with 21.5" tires and stock trany in 4th (four or five speed) you should be able to hit 120mph at around 6100rpm

at 105 your only turning 51-5200

my B6 tops at about 110 in 4th, on flat with little wind. I'm only at a little over 5100rpm (22.5" tires). You won't get faster by putting it in 5th unless you get more power or less drag/weight... which you have done now. so maybe you can hit 120, but you won't need 5th to do it.

[quaddawg]

There is something wrong with your numbers.. or my tach... LOL... Maybe my tires were shorter than that??? Were you using GPS? or a Speedo?

[skeeters_keeper]

I was using the RPM to MPH calculator I wrote in C++ a while back (you enter your tire diameter, gear (festiva trany only), and tach reading) and it gives you a speed. The main reason I wrote it was so that i could tell how fast I was going above the 85mph speedo, and also to see the differences in speedo readings from stock for certain size tires.

thats how I figured how fast you should be going with a 21.5" tire. If you had a 20" tire, at 6000rpm you'd only be going about 107mph... maybe your tire's weren't as tall as you thought?

I have checked the calculator I wrote against a GPS and it seems to be quite accurate. A few other people have used it too, and have said it seems to work well.

[B6T]

I had a Phantom Grip in my G25MR B6T Festiva and it didn't work at all, despite the fact that both wheels turned forward when the car was jacked up in the air. I was using the original spring kit and I think that's what the problem was. I intended to install the "race" spring kit, but installation was impossible due to increased width from the thicker spring wire. I would have had to modify the Phantom Grip plates.

I think the only worthwhile LSD for the G-series transmission is from the Mazdaspeed Protege.

[quaddawg]

Yeah, same thing here... Little to NO effect at all at today's race.

No torque steer, but it's definitely not stopping the one wheel peel....

Oh well... waste of time.. I will have to pull the tranny and put heavier springs in, like IceDawg did.. not just the race springs, but HEAVY die springs... (or, I might just weld the thing...lol)

OH WELL... I need a G tranny anyway...

NOT impressed with Phantom grip... at least not the way this one was installed by a "So called" trans shop.. wonder if they even machined the side gears, or just tossed the thing in there....

[ketchup]

Thats why they are known as Phantom slip. its the weight transfer of the car and most LSDs cant overcome too much tire hang. if you were going strait line you would notice alot. And it was done at a trans shop i saw papers. they are a bad design. clutch type or gear type are best. Phantom grip just puts pressure on the side gears wedging them against the carrier thus adding friction and reducing slip. my bro had one in his turbo mirage and it made a huge difference but he wasnt turning. sorry it wasnt what you were hoping for. by the way we just threw it in the mirage and it worked sweet.

[quaddawg]

Thats why they are known as Phantom slip. its the weight transfer of the car and most LSDs cant overcome too much tire hang. if you were going strait line you would notice alot. And it was done at a trans shop i saw papers. they are a bad design. clutch type or gear type are best. Phantom grip just puts pressure on the side gears wedging them against the carrier thus adding friction and reducing slip. my bro had one in his turbo mirage and it made a huge difference but he wasnt turning. sorry it wasnt what you were hoping for. by the way we just threw it in the mirage and it worked sweet.

Well, a holeshot is a straight line... out of the starting lights it does the one-wheel-peel all the way to the first cone... LOL...

I will take it apart, as just because it was done at a "trans shop" doesn't mean it was done right.. no matter, as I have the unit now, and the deal was a GREAT one, all things considered. There isn't a clutch or gear type made for this tranny, so, at the moment, a Phantom Slip, or a cost prohibitive custom LSD is my only choice..

Like I said, Icedawg has had MUCH better results with his, but he did quite a bit of machining and set up with his..

I have all winter after Oct 19th to perfect it, or pitch it and get a different trans and do something else.

I'm good with the deal... that's for sure!

[iceracerdude]

The key to the "up on jacks, wheel turning thing" is: not to see if both wheels turn forward or backwards together, of course they will, but let one side down and then turn the other wheel. That way you'll see that this PG with it's "stock spring configuration" offers very little of that oh so precious resistance. Of course it's not supposed to be a locker, and there is no Quaif option offered for this transaxle, so that leaves us with this unit, and after that, beefing up the springs is the only thing that will buy you more. Don't waste your time with their so called heavier springs for $35 or what ever they get for them. That will only buy you about 3 more pounds of pressure. Instead, take it to a tool and die shop, machine it out a little deeper and wider and then have these guys put four, heavier, $4 springs in it that won't bind up when compressed.
Some guys have actually measured the resistance at the axle nut with a torque wrench. Which will give you a measureable idea of any gains you will realize, (before and after) you beef the spring configuration up.
I'm absolutely sure the trans shop had to do some grinding on the gears to just get the thing to fit, because it will not just drop in. Now my buddy's neon, that was a different story, it was actually loose till we pulled the pins out, and I can't speak to the fit for other g or f series transaxles.
Speaking to the "weld the diff concept". Some of the guys I race against on the ice have done that. They get great drag racing ability in the straights, coupled with great understeer in the turns, and then a dash of broken cv joint thrown in when the shockload of unforeseen traction comes into play. You have much greater opportunity for traction than we do with what you do, so I would caution welding the diff for anything but straight line drag racing or pulling type events. And oh yeah, that machine of yours is quite the beast!

[ketchup]

i understand.. it shouldwork out the hole. for sure.

[pseudoki]

for those guy whos tried beefing up their phantom grip with bigger springs, i was wondering what the effects are on the steering feel? does it make it harder to turn your steering wheel, especially at low speeds? cause that how welded fwd diffs feel right, their a pain to drive on the streets.

[iceracerdude]

No, it simply doesn't grab that hard. If you can get 20 or 25 pounds of resistance out of it, you'd be doing good.