Do a google search on engine lugging and you'll be shifting at 3,000rpms minimum from here on out.

 

Google search led me to a man with 307,000 miles on a car who always upshifted at the recommended minimum speeds if possible.

Remember, a powerful engine can run at lower rpms WITHOUT lugging. Lugging only occurs if the engine does not have enough power to overcome the weight of the car.
If you shift at the recommended points for the car you will never lug the engine on a flat surface. Downhill you can upshift at an even lower speed with no damage.

I don't drive this way becuase my Mustang is way too much fun!

 

With summer around, I'm naturally shifting higher anyway, since I love the sound and I have the windows down. When it gets crappy and cold, I put the windows up and turn the radio on, and I tend to shift a little lower.

 

cold and low humidity weather is what the AL motors love - the necessary revs are lower still.

anything between 2500 and 3000 and no worries about lugging or over revving. If revving too high, let her spin for a second before letting the clutch engage and at that point she would be at about 3200. a tip i was told when first learning as the car will move excessively fast for most regular traffic.

 

ummm....im pretty sure stock was 6400rpms for the limiter...... mine is now at 6800, not becuase I am going to go that high, but so I can shift right north of 6k, and not have the torq nanny kick in.

 

Factory Spec on the redline for the 2005 GT is at 6250. Many of the handheld programmers like SCT X-Cal II and Diablo can be programmed to remove the rev. limiter.

Upon removing the rev. limit, i have noticed the TQ Conv. on the GT Auto does not kick in till higher rpm, depending on rate of acceleration.

 

Don't know, maybe there's different specs for auto's and man's???

I just know that mine would kick in the instant I hit 6k.

 

Wwhen not to shift? Didn't read so didn't know about the downshift to first thanks!!!!!! Now for my shifting question.

What if anything does it hurt to put it into N and coast from say 80 to 0, say off an exit ramp?

 

you can put her in N to coast from the exit ramp - but allow time to slow due to the momentum of the car from it's weight and the motor to slow.

It is not advisable to do this in heavy traffic as you never know when you have to "cut and run" and you don't want to be caught out of gear.

I would coast some, downshift to 3rd and re-assess from there. Weather or not to stay in gear or coast some more. I drive the manual everyday in Houston Crazy Traffic and do a lot of coasting - i say about 40% of the time ! but, one needs to be full attentive to it. Downshifting is good to save the brakes and learn better timing technique, but, angers the high strung driver behind you as you slow and they do not notice such, as they were responding to lack of a brake light.

 

I assume yours is a Manual. Seems the ECM lets the Manual rev more than the Auto. My Auto one seems to have a 2800 stall - under moderate load. The program change to remove the rev limiter makes it a bit higher.

The Manual Roush i have responds literally right away to load in any gear and have to rev high to get to feel her holding back. She is completely stock performance wise.

 

Better yet, what do you gain? I've never driven an auto Mustang, but the auto cars I have driven always seem to have a delay from the time you shift from neutral into gear. That seems like it could put you in a bad situation.

 

The S197s have a throttle lag but it is helped by the 3:31s and low end torque. So it is good for daily city driving. Throttle lag can be removed for the most part by re-tuning the car. Factory spec says about 5.1 sec. 0-60 vs the 4.8 for the Manual with the 3:55s.