Engine Brake - or?

[Stumper]

Curious how many of you racers engine brake after the stripe or go to neutral? Pros and cons of each?

 

[mark42202]

Depends on the speed, I guess. With the Fury (6.70's 1/8 mile, mid 10's 1/4) I just let off the gas and used the brakes. Faster cars, it's a very good idea to shut down after the stripe, due to the huge drop in oil pressure on deceleration. My Fury dropped some, but not enough to warrant shutting it down. Everyone on my team who goes faster shuts down at the stripe because of the oil pressure issue.

 

[Stumper]

I haven't raced mine alot but never noticed a big drop in oil pressure since the rpms are still up, until it coasts down some. With 4:56 gears I get a lot of engine braking when I lift but it feels rough on the car. On the other hand I have drum brakes all around and not sure I could stop if I did just go into neutral

 

[wedge5]

I just lift at the line and let the motor slow me down. I have a reverse valve body so I cant go to neutral without hitting low gear first (no good).

 

[SUPERSTOCKRACER]

I just lift at the line and let the motor slow me down. I have a reverse valve body so I cant go to neutral without hitting low gear first (no good).

so you have a low band apply valve body?
if you dont you can go into 1st and it free wheels in nuetral.

 

[wedge5]

If you say so.:shruggy:

I was just going by what Rick Allison(A&A Transmission) told me when I bought one of his trans. He told me not to try and put it into "N" after my run because it would go into 1st before it would go into "N". I guess it has something to do with to much trans pressure for low gear.

I guess I could have gotten the manual valve body with the extra "N" and the cheetah shifter with the same feature so I could go into "N" after my run.

 

[Stumper]

Mine is a manual valve body Turbo Action with the Cheatah shifter but retains the standard pattern so the next step up from 3rd is into neutral. I guess I was just wondering if I could be doing any damage by letting the engine brake slow the car at 7000+ rpm and 125+ mph.

 

[SUPERSTOCKRACER]

If you say so.:shruggy:

I was just going by what Rick Allison(A&A Transmission) told me when I bought one of his trans. He told me not to try and put it into "N" after my run because it would go into 1st before it would go into "N". I guess it has something to do with to much trans pressure for low gear.

I guess I could have gotten the manual valve body with the extra "N" and the cheetah shifter with the same feature so I could go into "N" after my run.

next time your in your car go in 1st gear and start going about 10 miles per hour and shift into 2nd at the same mile per hour and then put it back in 1st gear,if you free wheel like your in nuetral then you have a NON low band apply valve body. if you car stays in gear then you have a low band apply valvebody and that throwing it in 1st at the sttripe will not work and you'll do damage.

 

[wedge5]

I just looked at A&A Transmissions website. I have the Comp + trans and it states it has a low band apply. It is a street/strip trans so I figure that is why it is set up that way.

 

[SUPERSTOCKRACER]

I just looked at A&A Transmissions website. I have the Comp + trans and it states it has a low band apply. It is a street/strip trans so I figure that is why it is set up that way.

yep, you cant go into 1st you'll rip up your tranny. no downshifting into 1st for you buddy. i'm not a big fan of the low band apply. i believe your leaving a little on the table with a low bad apply. they are a little slower in et.

 

[Patrick]

A car that runs 11's 1/4 mile needs to go to neutral. The firing order of an engine is done to keep the twisting even along the crankshaft. At the end of the run those slicks and low gearing can and will over time break the crankshaft at the flywheel end of it. Been 40 years sense school but best I remember a 3400# car/4:88 gears/11X29 slick that runs 12"s put like 50 tons of reverse rotation on the crankshaft in one spot if you just lift at the end with a 1to1 high gear.

 

[Stumper]

A car that runs 11's 1/4 mile needs to go to neutral. The firing order of an engine is done to keep the twisting even along the crankshaft. At the end of the run those slicks and low gearing can and will over time break the crankshaft at the flywheel end of it. Been 40 years sense school but best I remember a 3400# car/4:88 gears/11X29 slick that runs 12"s put like 50 tons of reverse rotation on the crankshaft in one spot if you just lift at the end with a 1to1 high gear.

Thanks, that was the kind of feedback I was hoping for. Not that I'm happy to learn that I may be ruining my crank but it's good to know for future. I figured it had to be unhealthy just based on the feel of the car.

 

[65-440]

I just looked at A&A Transmissions website. I have the Comp + trans and it states it has a low band apply. It is a street/strip trans so I figure that is why it is set up that way.

next time your in the trans, get a griner valve body .... they are the **** ! non-low band apply, incredible shift speed, check out the website !

 

[quick63]

I run mostly 1/8 mile tracks with not much shutdown room. I try to roll out of the throttle gradually and left foot brake. It's a lot easier on the rotating mass than just closing the throttle all at once. You need disk brakes to get away with this. One day a 4 speed will solve this all together.

 

[wedge5]

I will start doing that also. I have disc on the front so stopping isn't a issue now.