downshifting?

Does down shifting cause any problems to engine? In other words, can it mess thing up internally?

thanks,

Mel

Reply to
Mel P.
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That depends on what speed(revs) you downshift from..

In my youthfull days I deliberately abused a 1200 from forth into third, never made it blow up though. So unless you try hard, you are not hurting anything by downshifting, infact you are suposed to downshift, it saves the brakes and is standard procedeure in the learning process of any decent drivers ed. school. It also lets you controll the car better in slippery conditions as you can go "On" the throttle again, not for firsttimers...

J.

Reply to
P.J.Berg

I have always held the opinion that brakes are cheaper than transaxles. And given the way the availability of parts is going, finding a properly overhauled transaxle is only going to get more difficult as time goes on, if you can find one at all.

Personally, I'd rather reline my brakes. If nothing else, it is less work than yanking the transaxle out... ;-)

Chris

Reply to
halatos

And why would the transaxle be damaged? Or the clutch if the driver knows how to drive?

Reply to
dave AKA vwdoc1

I did not say downshifting would -damage- the transaxle or the clutch.

Which brings me to what my original point was: I can do a lot of brake jobs for the cost of a transaxle overhaul in terms of both parts and labor. Given the choice between more frequent relining of my brakes versus dragging the entire ass-end of my car onto the garage floor to replace a major assembly, I'd much rather consume and change my brakes than use up a transaxle and clutch by shifting twice as many times as necessary.

As always, your mileage may vary.

Chris

Reply to
halatos

Engine braking, which I guess what the subject is here, is critically important for proper break-in for a new engine (or just new pistons, rings and cylinders. ) It is in no way harmful to the engine or transmission itself. Just don't go crazy with it. In extreme cases the rear tires may lose traction and skid... :)

Jan

Reply to
Jan Andersson

So you wouldn't recommend a 4th to 1st downshift doing around 40 or so ?

Randy

Reply to
rjmacres

around here we call that a redneck compression test....

Reply to
Joey Tribiani

You have compression ? Dang it.

Randy

Reply to
rjmacres

True.... you can do many brake jobs for the cost of a transaxle overhaul in terms of both parts and labor! Although I just don't know why it is being compared like this! I would rather roller-skate than replace a transmission! AND actually you did say "use up a transaxle and clutch by shifting twice as many times"!

I installed a used clutch in my '83 Audi 4000S back in 1991 at 85K miles. The Odometer now reads 241K miles on that same used clutch. I think I have replaced the front and rear brakes twice. It is still on the second replacement! I also need a new clutch since the pressure plate is so rusty and stiff that it is killing my left leg! lol Trans is fine though and I can still burn some rubber in first and second gear so the clutch grabs well too.

I do mostly city driving and downshift (AKA engine braking). I love this car even after 17 years of ownership! I can also shift without using the clutch pedal and that is upshifting or downshifting. ;-)

Now if I get some education on how to drive for economy I can probably up my mpg and save other components from normal wear like the clutch and brakes.

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Mileage will vary! ;-) BTW I don't remember the mileage I had on my 1967 Beetle Convertible after only 9 years of ownership, but I only replaced the transmission once after it was stolen and recovered. This was over 28 years ago so I just don't remember all of the details but my driving habits remain the same. ;-)

Reply to
dave AKA vwdoc1

On a serious note, you would not be able to go from 4th to 1srt. Sync speed way to high for the design.

J.

Reply to
P.J.Berg

No, never more than to the next smaller gear.

Reply to
Jan Andersson

Double clutch.

Randy

Reply to
rjmacres

Try it.

Randy

Reply to
rjmacres

From a cost of ownership standpoint, it is cheaper(and easier in my opinion) to use the brakes to slow the car and replace the brakes when they wear out, and spare the extra shifting and clutching....but to each their own.

All I can say is..wow. I've never put that many miles on a car. However, on the longevity standpoint, I did note that when I pulled the Mazda G5M out of my daily driver(no, it's NOT a ford thank you) that despite the fact that the pressure plate and flywheel were burned, the clutch disc itself still had plenty of meat on it. I could have re-used it, but since I had the kit I did the whole thing. The reason I took the car apart is I did manage to destroy the 2nd gear synchronizer on that gearbox after only 100,000 miles of chirping 2nd and 3rd on a daily basis. Damn japanese gearboxes... ;-)

Indeed this is a good skill to have in the event you have to get home WITHOUT a clutch. I learned how to do it, albeit poorly, a while back. However, I'd rather swap the clutch cable on the side of the road than drive home without a clutch.

brakes.http://www.motherjones.com/news/feature/2007/01/king_of_the_hypermile... Screw it. Fuel costs are a pittance compared to the total cost of ownership of a vehicle. People smarter than me have said as much in past years, which after reading statements like that I immediately concluded said folks were full of it. But I started doing the math and found out that they were right. Fuel costs alone are only about 20% of the cost of operating a vehicle. The REAL money comes in when you look at the payment on your box on wheels. Not having a car payment at all and keeping your car forever is the best way to keep your cost per mile to a minimum. And uhh...pump up your damn tires and keep that asshat Obama happy.

Anyway, John Muir was right when he proposed the forever car concept. I'll spare you the long drawn out version of the spreadsheet here, but if you want to download my work you can and tweak as needed. Bottom line: In 2006 a brand new Honda Civic would have set you back $7,000+ a year to drive 15,000 miles. I know, I know...can't possibly be can it.

Well, see for yourself: Shoot holes in it if you like, personally, I think I lo-balled it. You can ignore the airplane stuff at the top.

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Chris

Reply to
halatos

Reply to
Joey Tribiani

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