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I've looked around on here and other forum's and asked around and got a wide gauge of idea's. So I have drove stick shift's for year's now even Learned how to drive in a 3 on the tree chevy truck. But my question is at what RPM's do you shift your truck i know empty vs. loaded, Rear gear, 4, 5, or 6 speed is all a factor but overall what is your choice RPM's. Just for fun here's three different example'sMy Boss drive's our work truck a 94 5 speed Cummin's 3.55 gear's1-2: 2500 rpm's or 5mph2-3: 2600 rpm's or 15mph 3-4: 2200 rpm's or 25mph 4-5: 3100 rpm's or 45mph Refuse's to down shift when slowing down will push the brake to the floor and nearly kill the Motor before engaging the clutch which nearly bring's a tear to your eye and shake's you like a rag doll yet wonder's why the rotor's are so warped... :banghead:My Cousin drive's his 06 Comman rail 6 speed 3.73 gear's (Built motor and tranny) at 1-2:3100 2-3:3100 3-4:3100 4-5:3100 5-6 3100....See a patern here "if it's not redlined your doing it wrong" to quote him should note he has totaled 2 truck's and 3 Cummins motor's in only 3 year's :spend: lol My uncle's 02 cummins 5spd 4.11 gear's mildly built 1-2 1500 rpm's2-3 1600 rpm's3-4 1600 rpm's4-5 1800 rpm's Build's NO boost maybe 5 pd's :ahhh: and roll's coal and average's really high EGT's bought the truck 5 year's ago and still has no idea what an EGT or PSI gauge measure's even though i've told him again and again. So as you can see I had to learn for my self what I feel is best for my 01 Cummins 6spd 3.55 gear's 1-2 2600 rpm's at 13 PSI Boost EGT around 400+/-2-3 2600 rpm's at 18 PSI3-4 2700 rpm's at 23 PSI 4-5 2800 rpm's at 27 PSI5-6 2800 rpm's at 32 PSI Boost EGT around 900+/-But at time's it feel's as though when the turbo spool's up it hit's those number's above and then they drop off yet i still can give it more pedal and and gain RPM's and speed but not Boost. Is this the wastegate opening i thought it open's at a Set max PSI not at different one's? Look forward to everyone's view's

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I'm about like ISX, our 2000 6 speed I start out in 2nd, (empty), and shift pretty much by ear, which amazingly comes out right at the torque peak! (~1800). Loaded, I think shifting a little higher, (so engine is pretty close to it's peak after higher gear is engaged) would be 2100-2200. I really can't see any reason to push it further than 2500. There is plenty of torque to just 'pull another gear'

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Thanks for the reply ISX those were along the line's I ran myself till my Diesel mech told me to stay above 2500rpm's to take advantage of peak boost level's. below 2500rpm's my 6spd seem's to buck alittle and lug more after shift into next gear. Really bad going into 6th which is only good for interstate or rolln' smoke not that i do that stuff..:ashamed:

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I'm about like ISX, our 2000 6 speed I start out in 2nd, (empty), and shift pretty much by ear, which amazingly comes out right at the torque peak! (~1800). Loaded, I think shifting a little higher, (so engine is pretty close to it's peak after higher gear is engaged) would be 2100-2200. I really can't see any reason to push it further than 2500. There is plenty of torque to just 'pull another gear'

Hmmm 2 to 1 so far lol maybe i just like the sound of my turbo whistleing and the roar of the little 6 talkin' to me to much :cool: hehe

this is what I do more or less in mine(not me in video) :)

http://youtu.be/1EbH3g1_-eI

Though at time's i drive like this (Also not me)

http://youtu.be/3JWnyRrHPPc

And I'm sure we've all done this when you see a Powerstroke/Duramax owner out by there truck looking at you pulling out

http://youtu.be/QQSOFuCB0ac

Ok got alittle of topic....now I wanna go drive mine but it's 12:00 AM .... lol

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I shift mostly by feel and ear. While I do look at the tach, I dont really use it for shifting. If I am moving around town in no particular hurry, I keep the rpm low. If I want to flog somewhere, I will run it up some in the high 2k's. Towing is still by feel and ear, but it seems to pull and accelerate the best in the 1700 to 2500 range. I just dont seem gain much by winding it out when towing.

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  • Owner

I rarely run mine high through the RPM's. don't get me wrong I play with the truck to and wrap it up tight now and then in the high 2K's but typical driving I rarely over 2K ever. Using the above videos... Economy minded... http://youtu.be/1EbH3g1_-eI When I'm playing... http://youtu.be/3JWnyRrHPPc Brakes I never touch the brake pedal till my road speed is below 25 MPH. It's all exhaust brake and down shifting.

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  • 4 weeks later...

Hello again all well after reading the other post i decided to try shifting at the rpms everyone else was using and now i'm getting a P0236 (Turbocharger Boost Sensor A Circuit Range/Performance) Code. Also the tuck feels like i'm more or less Lugging it all the time I build little to no boost and will as some say flat roll coal out the exhaust Double at time's 3 time's compared to windding the motor out as i was previously doing. Took it to my local Diesel mech told him the issue's he test drove the truck copyed my current driving style and and said i was "lugging the truck to much and underboosting the motor blowing my fuel out the tail pipe" He also said that the truck seem's like it has bigger injector with the amount of smoke it was rolling out. But how could i tell if the previous owner installed bigger injector's? Needles to say i'm gonna go back to my previous shifting habit's and wind her out safely that is lolP.S. he checked all the wiring checked the voltage at the APPS and also checked the fuel PSI all right on the mark the VP is spot on as well turbo is good to go.Update this maybe another issue will replace text if so..

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Before I put the 4” exhaust on I would shift around 2000 to 2100 in each gear. That was where it felt and sounded like what the truck wanted. Now with the new exhaust it wants to go to 2500 to 2700 easily. When I am towing I notice I get lower EGT’s by letting it wind a bit in each gear before shifting so I have slowly adapted to driving like that now.

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