Hello everyone , I have a fiesta ecoboost 2013 and have been through many gearboxes , what rpm do you suggest changing gears , in first importantly and all the other gears …. As my synchros always go…. Also the best rpm to stay in to not labour the engine 🙂

many thanks 

I kinda find it hard with this engine. Sometimes it sounds like its struggling slightly at low rpms like 1500 but doesnt feel like it as it will still respond well. Mabye thats the effect of the turbo carrying the engine idk. I always try to change up no later than 3k rpm unless Im accelerating up a big hill or just feel like going fast

6 minutes ago, country roads said:

I kinda find it hard with this engine. Sometimes it sounds like its struggling slightly at low rpms like 1500 but doesnt feel like it as it will still respond well. Mabye thats the effect of the turbo carrying the engine idk. I always try to change up no later than 3k rpm unless Im accelerating up a big hill or just feel like going fast

Turbo kicks in at 1500 rpm, I’d just like to know when I should be shifting from first and second as them gears alwaus go first 🙂 

10 hours ago, FezzaMitch said:

Hello everyone , I have a fiesta ecoboost 2013 and have been through many gearboxes , what rpm do you suggest changing gears , in first importantly and all the other gears …. As my synchros always go…. Also the best rpm to stay in to not labour the engine 🙂

many thanks 

See if this helps:

https://youtu.be/3a8IvfnxGE8

Changing Gears in a manual car is one of the first skills you are taught when learning to drive. Eventually you do changes without thought, but there’s more to them than some people realise.

 

This box is notorious for eating synchros, and although the Mk 8 6 speed is supposed to be stronger, I still treat mine with caution.

So I basically use 1st just to get the car rolling, get through 2nd gently and only accelerate hard once in 3rd.

 

 

1 hour ago, Eric Bloodaxe said:

This box is notorious for eating synchros, and although the Mk 8 6 speed is supposed to be stronger, I still treat mine with caution.

So I basically use 1st just to get the car rolling, get through 2nd gently and only accelerate hard once in 3rd.

 

 

So first gear tops 15mph second 25 3rd 35 4th 70 ish 5th anything else ? And oh- so even just accelerating fully at low rpm can ruin the synchro ?

1 hour ago, Eric Bloodaxe said:

This box is notorious for eating synchros, and although the Mk 8 6 speed is supposed to be stronger, I still treat mine with caution.

So I basically use 1st just to get the car rolling, get through 2nd gently and only accelerate hard once in 3rd.

 

 

And also in first can’t you use it up until about 3000rpm with slow acceleration so your back into that turbo range so your not lugging the engine in second ? Because I’m trying to figure out if it’s the rpm or just harsh acceleration 

Are you pressing the clutch right to the floor to change gear?

The main thing that damages synchros is the difference in speed between the two gears.  There's also no need to change 'quickly', a few more milliseconds between deselecting one gear and selecting the next allows the box more time to speed match between them.

might I suggest just getting an automatic 🤣

6 minutes ago, unofix said:

might I suggest just getting an automatic 🤣

The iB5 box is horrendous it doesn’t matter how long you’ve driven , the car feels happiest above 1600rpm where the turbo kicks in, however you can’t drive this car by sound because if you do, the gearbox dies , like the ratio let’s second go to 70 mph but I wouldn’t do that because it would break the synchro same with first can go to 40 but again break the synchro 

13 minutes ago, TomsFocus said:

Are you pressing the clutch right to the floor to change gear?

The main thing that damages synchros is the difference in speed between the two gears.  There's also no need to change 'quickly', a few more milliseconds between deselecting one gear and selecting the next allows the box more time to speed match between them.

Yeah I’m pressing the clutch down fully and I’m not slamming it into gears , just where the car feels happy changing gear, about 3000rpm every gear to drop the revs to 2k the next gear to keep the turbo happy , but I just don’t trust that high rpm in first 

My understanding of how the gearbox works , but I don’t claim to be an expert, is like Tom’s , any wear on synchromesh occurs when changing gear.  Harsh acceleration has no effect on synchro.  Whilst I am happy with my wife’s driving, the one thing I hate is how she forces the gear lever into first before she comes to a stop.  I never put the gear lever in first unless I am stationary. I assume what she does is not good for the gearbox.  

1 minute ago, isetta said:

My understanding of how the gearbox works , but I don’t claim to be an expert, is like Tom’s , any wear on synchromesh occurs when changing gear.  Harsh acceleration has no effect on synchro.  Whilst I am happy with my wife’s driving, the one thing I hate is how she forces the gear lever into first before she comes to a stop.  I never put the gear lever in first unless I am stationary. I assume what she does is not good for the gearbox.  

I thought It was too much torque that broke the synchro on these gearboxes , I know there shockingly weak at first and second gear as I’ve been through four driving like a ***** 🤣

9 minutes ago, FezzaMitch said:

I thought It was too much torque that broke the synchro on these gearboxes , I know there shockingly weak at first and second gear as I’ve been through four driving like a ***** 🤣

Has the wrong gear oil been used?  I wrecked a replacement box in a couple of months (albeit not a Ford!) because the wrong gear oil was used when it was changed by an indy garage.  Or perhaps these are used 'boxes that were on their last legs anyway?

I just can't understand how you can wreck 4 'boxes without there being another mechanical problem.

4 minutes ago, TomsFocus said:

Has the wrong gear oil been used?  I wrecked a replacement box in a couple of months (albeit not a Ford!) because the wrong gear oil was used when it was changed by an indy garage.  Or perhaps these are used 'boxes that were on their last legs anyway?

I just can't understand how you can wreck 4 'boxes without there being another mechanical problem.

Because I used to drive very agressive using all the rpm, downshifting from third to second at 50 and redlining first gear , I’ve grown up now just trying to learn what a good speed to change from first and second is and if I can accelerate hard to that point or not 

But yeah just really want to know the safe range to change gears as I know how to drive just not to the capability of this chocolate box , boost kicks in about 1500rpm so surely if I changed from first at say 2500 the car would accelerate healthily in second 

 

2 minutes ago, FezzaMitch said:

But yeah just really want to know the safe range to change gears as I know how to drive just not to the capability of this chocolate box , boost kicks in about 1500rpm so surely if I changed from first at say 2500 the car would accelerate healthily in second 

Downshifting to 2nd at 50 will put far more strain on the synchro's than upshifting from 2nd to 3rd at 50.  That's the speed difference we were talking about above.

You should be able to upshift at 4-5k without a problem when driving briskly.  There's no exact speed when driving normally because it depends on engine load from hills etc.  As long as the engine isn't labouring when you change up, it's fine.

48 minutes ago, TomsFocus said:

Jen 

Downshifting to 2nd at 50 will put far more strain on the synchro's than upshifting from 2nd to 3rd at 50.  That's the speed difference we were talking about above.

You should be able to upshift at 4-5k without a problem when driving briskly.  There's no exact speed when driving normally because it depends on engine load from hills etc.  As long as the engine isn't labouring when you change up, it's fine.

Okay just went for a quick drive anything under 15 mph I need first but I’m wondering how high rpm is safe in first because that gear is the worst on these cars and ah okay good second I usually change at about 2-500 I recon about 3-3.5k second when wanting some more power 

In first I try not to go over 2500rpm or mabye 3k+ if I am pulling into a steep hill. So far this has worked for me fine.

33 minutes ago, country roads said:

In first I try not to go over 2500rpm or mabye 3k+ if I am pulling into a steep hill. So far this has worked for me fine.

And second upwards ? 🙂