3rd gear?

so i read the manual about the diffrent gears and my question is can u drive in 3rd gear for some distance or is it too hard on the engine? i know it uses more gas and ur really supposed to use it going up hills but i like having a little bit of extra power.

You can do it, but it's not recommended for extremely long hauls at high speed. The trans fluid heats up after a while if not locked up in OD. I've done it for 20-30 mins at speeds up to 75 mph, but for longer times or faster speeds than that, you should give the engine a break as well as the trans. If you need that extra power, it's perfectly ok to throw it down into 3rd when your foot is on the gas.

If you do find yourself spending a lot of time in 3rd at high speed, it's a good idea to change the trans fluid more frequently, imo.

3rd is a 1:1 ratio. It's recommended for towing.
I use it around town if I'm driving around 40-45 mph

what about racing? would it be better than driving in D

The TCC will lock up in 3rd gear, but you create more engine and transmission heat, reducing the life of both. If you are racing... when you step on the gas far enough it will downshift. If you are about to go with somebody from 40 drop it into 2 anyway. If you are going from 70 you don't want 2 and it wouldn't be in 2 anyway. Just leave it in 4th.

Even if you are towing, it's okay to drop into OD because it keeps the engine and trans temps lower and will shift to 3 when it needs to. If you are towing up a long hill you can put it into 3 to reduce hunting but otherwise again just leave it in 4.

Yes, the TCC will lock up in 3rd gear, but it will more easily release, at high speeds or under load, than if you are in 4th.

You can race in 2nd, 3rd, 4th, doesn't matter. But if you start in 2nd, pay attention as you pass 90 mph, as you will redline the engine if you fail to shift. This is on a Series II. I think the gear ratios are the same as Series I.

what do you mean the TCC will lock up in 3rd? but basically ur saying leave it in 4th for every day driving, and driving in third daily would decrease my engine and trans life?

TCC is 'torque converter clutch.'

Driving around in 3rd will cost you trans/engine life and gas money.

Albertj

The TCC locks up in 4th easily, and under certain conditions in 3rd it will, too. I used to drive around in 3rd a lot, and even in 2nd up to 55 mph for brief stretches, and up to 100 mph in 2nd when racing. That was before I tuned the trans to work like it should. Now I leave it in 4th most of the time. No real need to down shift manually anymore.