How bad is it to "engine brake" with a manual tranny?

62thunderbird · Jul 14, 2008

When I down shift I blip the throttle to sync up the gears better. It is fun when you drop it 5th to 4th or 4th to 3rd. I live in a hilly area and there is a big long descending hill I down shift to 4th and let it coast all the way down and it gurgles and pops all the way down. It sounds awesome.

blacksheep-1 · Jul 14, 2008

It sort of sounds like you may have downshifted a little early and got into the rev limiter, that might explain the "pop" sound, but so would a leaking exhaust pipe.
YouTube - Griggs Racing Track Record @ Infineon (1:45:101)

YouTube - Agent 47 Track Record @ Infineon (1:45:4)

what you will find is that road race guys don't do as much downshifting as people think.

2002GreyGT · Jul 16, 2008

I rev match and engine break to slow down almost all the time. My car has 96K miles and runs great. Only changed the clutch once and that was at like 60K miles.

If you do it right you should not hurt anything. Just don't dump the clutch, and try your best to match the current rev's with a quick thorttle blurp.

~K

Killa · Jul 16, 2008

hell I alway put on neutral when i want stop the cars. I rather use brake to stop the engine or the clutch or tranny to stop the engine, cause I have life time on brake pad

RedDaemon · Jul 16, 2008

ive been using the clutch to slow the car down for the past two years. i dont "blip" the throttle and the car has been fine.

Mustang5L5 · Jul 16, 2008

KillaGT said:
hell I alway put on neutral when i want stop the cars. I rather use brake to stop the engine or the clutch or tranny to stop the engine, cause I have life time on brake pad

So what do you do if you are cruising in say 4th and come up to traffic and now your cruising speed has slowed and you start to lug 4th gear? You almost have to downshift.

I mean it's one thing to be in 4th and see the light changing to red and just go to nuetral, but if you are just slowing down, you can't really just leave it in 4th or 5th gear and lug the engine now.

race-stang · Jul 16, 2008

SRT Handz said:
ZI Rev match EVERYTIME i downshift.....no matter what... I usually use the "Heel -toe" downshift technique everytime i have to turn and downshift

AMEN brotha

62thunderbird · Jul 16, 2008

It is all in the exhaust. I have a company that is called Blue Streak Glass packs and they are rare I did my research. The car is not stock and I have no idea what has been done to the motor. So I think I also I desibed it wrong it is more of a backfire noise. I do not think anything is wrong with it it is just in the exhaust. It may have a Cam in it too?

Killa · Jul 16, 2008

Mustang5L5 said:
So what do you do if you are cruising in say 4th and come up to traffic and now your cruising speed has slowed and you start to lug 4th gear? You almost have to downshift.

I mean it's one thing to be in 4th and see the light changing to red and just go to nuetral, but if you are just slowing down, you can't really just leave it in 4th or 5th gear and lug the engine now.

If i cruising in 4 and saw a red light ahead, I just put on neutral and let it cruising it self and i stop using brake. I never leave it in gear and let it the engine almost die to stop the car.

on time im down shift is like if im cruising in 4 and I go 40mph, and some one ahead of me slow down the car, my speed drop down to 30mph, that when I down shift to 3. or if they completely stop i just drop in neutral and slow down the car, and put on gear on depend of wat speed im at now, 10-20mph i will put on 2, NEVER DOWN SHIFT TO FIRST, UNLESS YOU ARE ON 1-5MPH SPEED .

98COBRA281 · Jul 16, 2008

KillaGT said:
NEVER DOWN SHIFT TO FIRST, UNLESS YOU ARE ON 1-5MPH SPEED .

yeah, my car wont even go into first unless i going less then 5 mph...

geoffsgt · Jul 17, 2008

KillaGT said:
NEVER DOWN SHIFT TO FIRST, UNLESS YOU ARE ON 1-5MPH SPEED .

Why does everyone say this? Because it says it in the owners manual?

I believed it for about 3 months after I got my car. Then someone slowed down to make a turn, I was at like 12mph and really wanted to get on it, so I put it in first and lo and behold, I lived and so did the car.

BurningRubber · Jul 17, 2008

Yeah I can also put it into 1st at 10-15mph at the most.

It doesnt struggle to go in, and I wouldnt force it if it did.

Killa · Jul 17, 2008

geoffsgt said:
Why does everyone say this? Because it says it in the owners manual?

I believed it for about 3 months after I got my car. Then someone slowed down to make a turn, I was at like 12mph and really wanted to get on it, so I put it in first and lo and behold, I lived and so did the car.

Yea few time is ok, but not every dam day. hell some time it cant get in first, i rev up a little and it will go right in ( but I did that to my bealter ) for mustang " hell na !" Im grandma shift it .

98V6 K.I.T.T. · Jul 17, 2008

Everyone should rev match or just put it in Neutral and use your brakes. Rev matching isn't all that hard once you get the idea. I used to use the engine to slow me down but I found out that it's harder on your clutch. Plus you will save some gas (especially prices these days), and I much rather change brake pads then a clutch. It's not HORRIBLE but it's not great, just like people will tell you not to put your hand on the gear shifter if your not shifting because you will hurt the synchros, does it really hurt it...probably not until along time but it still probably isn't good.

Burtonsnow157 · Jul 17, 2008

i blip the throttle before i engine brake, it definitely sounds cool but as noted wears the drivetrain and wastes gas, but its not that bad

Mustang5L5 · Jul 17, 2008

geoffsgt said:
Why does everyone say this? Because it says it in the owners manual?=.

Prob because the owners manual was written for the everyday folks who would use a Mustang as a regular car and not analyze them to the extend we do.

If you don't know what you are doing and downshift to 1st you could get in trouble. Engine compression braking is greatest in 1st gear, so if some clueless person doing 20MPH decides to downshift to 1st in the rain, they could lock up their rear tires for a second and lose control.

But I do it. Granted i do it at low speed and rev match when i do it. Plus the trans won't even let you drop into 1st easily.

I wouldn't try to drop into 1st from 2nd and go WOT. That's why i HATE getting stuck in 2nd gear at a low speed. WTF am i supposed to do when some ricer punk started revving at me and takes off and I'm at 2000RPM in 2nd? The car is gutless and really should be in 1st for that speed...but i can't drop to 1st and go WOT

GettinThere · Jul 22, 2008

PonyboyIsaac said:
...it makes an intoxicating gurgling (backfiring) kind of sound when i do it...

62thunderbird said:
...it gurgles and pops all the way down. It sounds awesome.

+1

How bad is it to "engine brake" with a manual tranny?

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