Honda / Acura

Honda / Acura K20 6-Speed (Acura RSX Type-S, 2002) gear ratios

The Honda / Acura K20 6-Speed (Acura RSX Type-S, 2002) is a six-speed manual gearbox.

First gear is 3.267:1 and 6th is 0.738:1. Divide one by the other and the overall spread is 4.43:1. That is a wide spread: a short first to get the car moving and a tall top to bring cruise revs down.

6th is an overdrive at 0.738:1: the output shaft turns faster than the input shaft. Two of the six gears are overdrives. No gear is exactly 1.00:1, so there is no direct drive.

The biggest step is 1st to 2nd, where the ratio drops 35%. The smallest is 4th to 5th at 20%. On each upshift the revs drop by the same percentage as the ratio.

The final drive lives in a separate diff, so the speed table shows three common ratios: 3.42, 3.73 and 4.10. With a 3.73 final drive and 225/45R17 tyres, 6th at 6,000 rpm works out at 261 km/h (162 mph), and first runs out at 59 km/h (37 mph). That is how tall the gear is, not a top speed. Drag and power decide that. At 70 mph in 6th the engine turns about 2,590 rpm.

Ratios

Honda / Acura K20 6-Speed (Acura RSX Type-S, 2002): ratio per gear, and how far the ratio drops from the gear before.
GearRatioStep
1st3.267:1-
2nd2.13:134.8%
3rd1.517:128.8%
4th1.147:124.4%
5th0.921:119.7%
6th0.738:119.9%

Road speed at 6,000 rpm

Road speed at 6,000 rpm on a 225/45R17 tyre (1.993 m rolling circumference), by final drive. No slip, no drivetrain losses.
Gear3.42 final drive3.73 final drive4.10 final drive
1st64 km/h 40 mph59 km/h 37 mph54 km/h 33 mph
2nd98 km/h 61 mph90 km/h 56 mph82 km/h 51 mph
3rd138 km/h 86 mph127 km/h 79 mph115 km/h 72 mph
4th183 km/h 114 mph168 km/h 104 mph153 km/h 95 mph
5th228 km/h 142 mph209 km/h 130 mph190 km/h 118 mph
6th284 km/h 177 mph261 km/h 162 mph237 km/h 147 mph

Closest gearboxes by spread

Source: Honda News 2002 Acura RSX and RSX Type-S Specifications

Results are theoretical: stock ratio specs, your inputs, no drivetrain losses. Verify with your drivetrain supplier before spending real money.

Swapping the engine as well? StandaloneHQ counts the inputs and outputs the new engine needs and shortlists the wire-in ECUs that fit: ECU Pinout Planner.

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