[BONOMAN5064]

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Good evening everyone:
Well here is my question:

My focus did not come equipped with a tachometer.So basically I have been shifting by ear.So far, it has been ok.Typically when I want to power-shift I do so by shifting right before the 30 mph mark on first gear from there I can extend second gear to 50-55 mph. Now tonight, I tried to get out of the hole and try the limits and revved the engine on first gear close to 35 mph.I went to shift right at 35 when I felt a power cut off, which leads me to believe that I had actually hit the rev-limiter.I do NOT want to over rev my engine, but then again getting a tach is going to run me for what i have seen close to 300 dollars (since i need the ford tach driver and chances are will need to get either the ford racing tach or the autometer which both work with the ford racing tach driver).I would like to know about other focus owners here think and also if i can get confirmation as to the numbers in mph I have been using are correct or in fact im going overboard with my power shifting mph numbers.Please, any input will be appreciated!!>

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[split_s]

I also don't have a tach on my focus. So far you're right on when to shift. When I'm racing I shift 1st at 28MPH 2nd at 53MPH 3rd at 80MPH and don't really know the rest. If you look on ebay some people sell their instrument clusters with a tach. So watch ebay for that item. hope this helps!

 

[BONOMAN5064]

So I guess That the car does have an electronic rev limiter?

 

[hendu33]

yeah, there's a cut-off so if you keep it floored in 1st for example the engine will start bouncing off the rev limiter.

 

[hotfocus]

Its amazing how Ford can be so cheap as to not install Tachs on manual tranny sedans.

 

[vanace]

the rev limiter keeps you from damaging the engine. While it isn't good to bang on the rev limiter all the time, it souldn't do any damage to the engine.

 

[Infra3sv]

What is a tach driver? I thought tachs were like $30 at O'reillys.
I had a P.O.S. '93 F150 before the Focus & it didn't have a tach either.

 

[whiteboyslo]

tach driver is a device that lets you use an aftermarket tach on the focus. on old-school setups, a tach would just count the pulses off the coil wire. out car doesn't have a coil, so you need this device to make a tach work. not exactly sure how it works, though.

ford has always done this with the cheaper version of any car. it doesn't matter what kind of tranny you have. my old 90 f150 custom was a 5 speed but had no tach. the only saving grace was that the one with the tach was a direct swap. from what i've heard, it's the same deal for the focus. just keep checking those junkyards!

Mike

 

[Geezer]

I suggest a shift light in lieu of a tach. You can program the desired shift point with a plug-in "pill". Autometer makes several nice ones for under a hundred bucks. If you a serious driver you should be looking at the road not a tach. I use to participate in prorally and believe me you did not take your eyes off of the road. A shift light was a blessing. You just aim it at your periperal vision. Use a pill that is a couple of hundred RPM below your redline or desired RPM (max. horsepower RPM, where torque and horsepower curves cross, etc.). Setting it slightly low compensates for reaction time. Even the better tachs come with shift lights.

 

[focus]

The only way it is possible to over rev the engine is a missed shift. Like accidentaly going to 2nd at 80mph. If you just floor it in neutral you will hear the engine hit the rev limiter.

 

[Geezer]

Over reving an engine under load is not as bad as over reving while not under a load (e.g. missed shift with clutch in). When not under load the odds of damage to valve springs, valves, cam shaft and possible piston damage increases significantly).

 

[fokuzsport]

no tach on a manny is freakin hilarious....

 

[BONOMAN5064]

Yeah, but not that funny when I own it!!!!

 

[avengerc4]

hmmm the cluster with the tach is plug and play if u'r car doesn't have a tach already?? how does that work out?

 

[viney266]

The tach driver is part # 161-m-17361-A200 from steeda , and it was $53, it hooks to the two wires coming from the crank trigger, not hard to do, crank trigger is on left side of the engine ( drivers side). Then you can run any aftermarket tach you like, also, the car does have a rev limiter that will keep you from killing it, I wouldn't spend all day there, but you can bounce off of it more than you think and it will not hurt the car, when we road race bikes we hit them all the time!, there are usually set very conservative to be on the safe side of things!