3/2 downshift did I hurt anything

**redbird555** · 11-11-2012, 12:44 PM

hey guys I'm pretty sure everything is fine just wanting some reassurance. Today I was having some fun and at wot I did the dreaded 3-2 shift. It banged the limiter for a split sec and chirped the tires but I quickly pushed the clutch back in and pulled over real quick. I don't have any leaks or ticks coming from the motor it all sounds normal. Later I even did another quick 1-2 blast and all the power def seems to be there. I'm up at school so pulling valve covers is a little difficult as I don't have tools here. I drive another 50 miles to where I was going and it's fine. Like I said I'm pretty sure I'm ok just looking for reinforcement lol I hated that sound of the motor overrevving.

**tatertot91** · 11-11-2012, 02:18 PM

Most likely you would hear a bent pushrod
Should be ok

**Hot Black Trans-Am** · 11-11-2012, 11:18 PM

Sounds like a pro 5.0 is needed, it makes the path to 4th so clear. Sounds like you should be fine, but the rev limiter does not function when the tires are driving the engine.

**Too Fast** · 11-12-2012, 02:15 AM

^^^+1 on what HBTA says.

***SMWS6TA*** · 11-13-2012, 06:39 AM

agree with Alex, if you bent a pushrod you'd know it by now.

**Firebirdjones** · 11-13-2012, 06:44 AM

Originally Posted by Hot Black Trans-Am

Sounds like a pro 5.0 is needed, it makes the path to 4th so clear. Sounds like you should be fine, but the rev limiter does not function when the tires are driving the engine.

Yep, You may have banged the limiter, but the limiter won't stop the engine from climbing higher than the set limit when this happens.

**cammed goat** · 11-13-2012, 10:21 AM

Same thing happened to me a few years ago. Merged onto a highway, thought I was shifting from 3rd to 4th, but shifted from 3rd to second. Road was wet so the rear tires spun and I jumped on the clutch to keep the rear from kicking out and shifted to 4th. I had a B&M at the time. Since then, I have taken my time shifting. Even with the Hurst I have now.

**Firebirdjones** · 11-13-2012, 01:12 PM

It's not unusual. People have a tendancy to pull the shifter towards them rather than straight back, and where that tendancy rears it's ugly head is on the 3-4 shift. Worse case scenario you actually grab second gear, but most times you just get caught in the neutral gate and miss 4th gear.

Used to be a common problem on the 1-2 shift with the old muncie shifters GM used, you would get caught in the reverse gate and miss second gear (couldn't hit reverse though because it was actually up next to 1st gear) Hurst designed a reverse lockout feature to cure this, and it works.

However the only thing to cure the 3-4 mishap is to either concentrate on pulling the stick "straight" back or put a much stiffer centering spring in there to keep the shifter in the 3-4 gate. Hurst used to offer several different center springs to adjust the tension just for this purpose, even for the T56.

The type of handle you use could also contribute, causing you to pull towards you rather than straight back so that is also something to look at.

What I'm saying is that it's generally not the shifters fault unless you have a linkage issue (no linkage on the T56). It's generally the operator not pulling straight back.

***SMWS6TA*** · 11-13-2012, 01:25 PM

Even with a Pro 5.0 shifter I've missed 2-3 shift at the track. Not suppose to happen, but sometimes my feet are or not moving as fast as my mind/hands are....

On down shifting 3-2, I find that I'm going into 4th sometimes.

One thing I've learned that each car/tranny is different. My buddies car seems to have different "shift glide pattern" then mine and we have the same car/tranny. I believe it comes down to how the tranny is broken in, to hard it get's loose, to soft and it's tight.

**Too Fast** · 11-14-2012, 02:38 AM

Originally Posted by Firebirdjones

It's not unusual. People have a tendancy to pull the shifter towards them rather than straight back, and where that tendancy rears it's ugly head is on the 3-4 shift. Worse case scenario you actually grab second gear, but most times you just get caught in the neutral gate and miss 4th gear.

Used to be a common problem on the 1-2 shift with the old muncie shifters GM used, you would get caught in the reverse gate and miss second gear (couldn't hit reverse though because it was actually up next to 1st gear) Hurst designed a reverse lockout feature to cure this, and it works.

However the only thing to cure the 3-4 mishap is to either concentrate on pulling the stick "straight" back or put a much stiffer centering spring in there to keep the shifter in the 3-4 gate. Hurst used to offer several different center springs to adjust the tension just for this purpose, even for the T56.

The type of handle you use could also contribute, causing you to pull towards you rather than straight back so that is also something to look at.

What I'm saying is that it's generally not the shifters fault unless you have a linkage issue (no linkage on the T56). It's generally the operator not pulling straight back.

Come on, haven't you learned anything lol? It is NEVER operator error, it is always something/someone else's fault. How do you think all those Toyota unintended acceleration incidents happened?
Or all those Audis doing that 15 years ago? And how about the random old people driving into crowds or thru the garage? It must be a mechanical issue, not a human error! The attorneys will agree with me.

And yes OP, a bent pushrod won't wait to show up, it'd start running rough right away if it bent.

**2002ssslp** · 11-14-2012, 04:14 AM

Yeah, I did this in the past and it doesn't feel or sound very good. I have a Pro 5.0 and I still missed 4th gear. As long as you didn't bent a pushrod just call it a lesson learned. I know I did.

**redbird555** · 11-14-2012, 05:12 AM

Originally Posted by 2002ssslp

Yeah, I did this in the past and it doesn't feel or sound very good. I have a Pro 5.0 and I still missed 4th gear. As long as you didn't bent a pushrod just call it a lesson learned. I know I did.

ya i'm pretty paranoid about these things so i found the time and pulled the pr's none were bent, so im taking it as a sign and replacing the b&m with an mgw

the b&m isnt a bad shifter but it is pretty soft on the springs and the stick is angled toward the driver. i've driven tatertots car plenty of times and like the overall stiffness of the mgw so hopefully that helps

**Firebirdjones** · 11-14-2012, 06:02 AM

Originally Posted by Too Fast

Come on, haven't you learned anything lol? It is NEVER operator error, it is always something/someone else's fault. How do you think all those Toyota unintended acceleration incidents happened?
Or all those Audis doing that 15 years ago? And how about the random old people driving into crowds or thru the garage? It must be a mechanical issue, not a human error! The attorneys will agree with me.

And yes OP, a bent pushrod won't wait to show up, it'd start running rough right away if it bent.

Yeah what was I thinking

It's always the cars fault

**Spikito** · 11-14-2012, 08:27 AM

i have a pro- 5.0, but even still, when im shifting hard, esp 3-4, i roll my wrist in, and actually have my palm on the side of the shifter, with my thumb facing down....seems to help me from pulling the stick towards myself, and keeps it straight back, as mentioned above

**35th-ANV-SS** · 11-14-2012, 04:14 PM

Something else that wasn't mentioned is that when your rev limiter is pinged, the PCM retards fuel. In the case of my vehicle, where fuel is extremely important at higher RPM's, it's definitely not warranted to miss a shift.

I pegged my limiter once or twice before (in 1st gear) when I first got the car back. With the S/C and 4.11 gear, 1st gear comes and goes extremely fast so you have to be quick. I wasn't ready for it. I'm pretty damn good now though. I haven't missed 3rd or 4th ever with my Hurst Billet that I remember.

**Firebirdjones** · 11-15-2012, 06:15 AM

Originally Posted by 35th-ANV-SS

Something else that wasn't mentioned is that when your rev limiter is pinged, the PCM retards fuel. In the case of my vehicle, where fuel is extremely important at higher RPM's, it's definitely not warranted to miss a shift.

I pegged my limiter once or twice before (in 1st gear) when I first got the car back. With the S/C and 4.11 gear, 1st gear comes and goes extremely fast so you have to be quick. I wasn't ready for it. I'm pretty damn good now though. I haven't missed 3rd or 4th ever with my Hurst Billet that I remember.

An auto would be better suited for a combo like that, (I know you hate to hear that) But if it's more of a cruiser and not that serious about racing it the 6 speed is fun.

**tatertot91** · 11-15-2012, 02:32 PM

Yeah Jon, time for an auto swap

**35th-ANV-SS** · 11-15-2012, 02:37 PM

@ you guys. If my car was a track car I would definitely have an auto. No doubt about that. It's a street toy though.

Maybe someday I'll have a real track worthy car though.