Whether the transmission is automatic or manual, engaging or shifting when the engine speed does not match transmission output shaft speed, you'll rapidly wear friction surfaces.
Yes, if the brakes aren't toast from coasting without the benefit of engine braking.
That's where being a thinking being helps - there are a whole lot of things that make sense that they don't teach you in Driver's Ed.
On new AT cars the computer cuts the fuel for an upshift at WOT, but on old cars the ATs live a whole lot longer when you back off the gas for a second and tell the vacuum modulator it's time to upshift, and you've reduced the load. After it shifts, you get back on the gas.
Did you hear the one where Ivan Stewart drove almost the entire Baja
500 with a Second Gear on the five speed that was growling andearly and remembered to baby it into and out of second on every single shift, won the race, parked it on the reviewing stand, and took his bows.
A pit worker hopped in the truck to load it on the transporter, and grenaded Second instantly when sedately driving it off the stand.
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Wrong. If the mainshaft is being spun by the rear axle at 65 MPH, and the gear you are trying to engage is stopped, the balk rings on the synchro will NOT let you slide the gear home until the stopped gear has had a chance to spin up and match speeds. This can take several seconds, and you may not HAVE several seconds.
And if you don't know this, you won't be patient and hold it there waiting for the speeds to match and the gear to eventually drop in, the usual response is to start stabbing at it with the shifter. Which makes you pay even less attention to the steering, and the brakes just keep getting hotter...
We'll ignore the fact that this causes a lot of wear on the synchros, and if you abuse them often enough they fail altogether. They're only a hard brass alloy.
Wrong. If you are going down a long 8% or steeper grade while heavily loaded, you can easily overheat the brakes to the point of fading out. The family car with modern disc brakes has it far easier in those situations since discs dissipate heat much better - but we're talking large vehicles, not so large brakes by comparison, and large loads. Semi's can very easily find themselves in this type of trouble.
Been there, Done that, several times - '62 IH Scout with 3-speed, non-power drum brakes, non-power recirculating-ball steering, and a
2,000 pound trailer (no trailer brakes) being the most notable. Even without coasting and the trans in the right gear for the descent, there were a few hills where I was praying rather loudly and working hard to keep the shiny side up.Needless to say, I picked a much longer but flatter route home. Now whenever I tow the generator I use something bigger - my LandCruiser,
3/4T Work Van, or 1-ton Chevy Utility, and I have no problems at all. But if I doubled the weight with the same tow vehicles, I could still get into the same mess.BiaF: Now if you want to tell me I'm full of shit or imagining things, bring an old Toyota Hilux 3 or 4-speed truck from the 60's with 4-wheel drum brakes right over here, that would be the equivalent of the Scout. I still own that 2,000 pound generator and trailer, we can hitch it up and I'll let you drive it up and over Malibu Canyon or Topanga Canyon to the beach. (Kanan Rd./ Kanan Dume is even worse, but they put weight and trailer restrictions on that road.)
And if you survive the first trip, then we'll follow your advice and have you try it again without any engine braking, using only the service brakes and steering. But I want you to bring proof of life and health insurance, and an auto policy that covers LOTS of liability in case you wipe out someone else on your way down.
And bring a gold coin to pay Charon for the boat trip across the River Styx, you may need it.
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Nah, I just slam it back into Drive whenever, wherever. Probably not a real good idea with a Crapsler, eh?
Probably not a good idea for any auto trans, especially when dropping down Route 2 into N. Adams!
Unfortunately, Driver's Ed seems to be more of a lesson on the rules of the road than learning how to drive.
On computer controlled AT cars, the computer won't shift if vehicle speed, output shaft speed, and gear range don't match. Select "L" range at 80 MPH and nothing will happen until the speed drops.
I haven't heard the story about Iron Man Stewart at Baja. I did meet him a couple of times, once at a dealer new car intro meeting where he was autographing posters for attendees and once at O'Hare Airport. He's a really nice guy, didn't know me from Adam but sat there and shot the breeze with me until boarding time.
My friends and I used to go drving throught the mountains in rural Pa with a six pack (or 4) back in the 70's when DUI was legal. 8>)
I used to take my 67 (ish) mustang automatic to the top of a mountain and shut it off and coast. I did it till it got too fast and I got too scared I would not be able to control it without the PS and PB's .
Fortunatly for me it started up when I needed it to. I guess if it didn't, the brakes would have eventully failed and we would not be able to get our deposit back on our beer bottles.
I wonder if a cop could tell the car was OFF by looking at its 'posture'.
CP
"" wrote: > So what you're saying is that the law came > into effect because of cars that, unlike today's, > did not have syncro on each gear. > > Therefore the law is inappropriate today > on anything but antique cars.
yeah, well the current speed limits were set because that what the cars of the time could safely travel at. your cars 30+ years ago often topped out at 80, so 75 was a reasonable speed, 65 in some states. Following the current logic of cars can do better today vs 30 years ago the speed limits should be 120, I can travel 120 in my chrysler concorde safer than I could go 60 in my friends 73 Buick skylark. The float doesnt have to stand up in court for 2 reasons: 1 most people just pay their tickets, avoiding court and 2: its your word aginst the cops.
pressing the clutch is different than riding the clutch. the reason it is illegal is because you cannot be in control of your car w/o your car being in gear (yes you can steer and brake, but ?punching it? is sometimes the answer to a problem). If you ride the clutch down a hill you can get a ticket just as easy as leaving your car in neutral.
My Mom used to put her '64 into "2" going down the hairpin!
Nice talking to someone who knows the area.
And there STILL aren't any plans to replace the route. Plenty of talk (I've been hearing it since I was SIX!)
They ARE replacing Rt 2 in Erving at the Erving Paper Company. Always a GOOD place to be when an 18 wheeler is trying to get into one of the docks...
2 is the best gear for that stretch. 1 slows the car too much, 3 not enough.
Can you name 3 towns in MA named after politicians?
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