Stupid A4 trans question...
Thread Starter
Le Mans Master
Joined: Oct 2003
Posts: 7,625
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From: Director of Bands
St. Jude Donor '08
Stupid A4 trans question...
I have a 93 with the A4 and the 2.59 rear. When I am, say, in town and the speed limit is only 30-35 anyway, does it do any damage to the transmission/driveline to drop it into first gear just to hear that engine roar for a bit? It sounds cool when let it rev to 4500 and then let the engine braking do the rest... does it produce a significant amount of heat in the tranny? I would love to utilize my low gears more (for the sheer fun and "sounds cool" factor) but not at the cost of my transmission.
Any thoughts/ previous experience?
Any thoughts/ previous experience?
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jan 2002
Posts: 2,238
Likes: 4
From: Milan
Originally Posted by eschoendorff
I have a 93 with the A4 and the 2.59 rear. When I am, say, in town and the speed limit is only 30-35 anyway, does it do any damage to the transmission/driveline to drop it into first gear just to hear that engine roar for a bit? It sounds cool when let it rev to 4500 and then let the engine braking do the rest... does it produce a significant amount of heat in the tranny? I would love to utilize my low gears more (for the sheer fun and "sounds cool" factor) but not at the cost of my transmission.
Any thoughts/ previous experience?
Any thoughts/ previous experience?
-Beppe-
Team Owner
Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 90,675
Likes: 304
From: SE NY
Cruise-In II Veteran
Well my thoughts are that any gear change causes some measure of wear but just how much I'm not sure.
I think that if you are accelerating when you make the gear change the effect is much like forcing a downshift with the accelerator.
Though I just paid over $2,100 for a performance rebuild (with TC and TransGo) I too like to sometimes (play in traffic), which includes down shifting and holding 1st gear for a while.
It's really up to you, we buy these cars to enjoy and that's the bottom line.
I think that if you are accelerating when you make the gear change the effect is much like forcing a downshift with the accelerator.
Though I just paid over $2,100 for a performance rebuild (with TC and TransGo) I too like to sometimes (play in traffic), which includes down shifting and holding 1st gear for a while.
It's really up to you, we buy these cars to enjoy and that's the bottom line.
Instructor
Joined: May 2005
Posts: 162
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From: Lady Lake FL
I don't know about the 4L60E's, but with the earlier 700R4's, if you wound it out holding it in first gear so that the governor shifted it to second, when you slowed back down, it would downshift back to first fast enough to slide the back tires as the engine was forced to speed up. Definitely not a suggestion, and please "don't try this at home 
", it's just something I learned on my blazer. 
KC
", it's just something I learned on my blazer. KC
Team Owner
Joined: Nov 2000
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From: I was a young troubadour when I rode in on a song, and I'll be an old troubadour when I'm gone.
St. Jude Donor '08
I don't think that's going to hurt the transmission at all.
I drive with my car in third around town (30 to 35 MPH) to prevent the tranny from shifting into overdrive. Every once in a while, I'll pull it down into second and accelerate up to the speed limit just to hear the tail pipes roar a bit before going ahead and shifting into third.
Sometime when I turn onto the hightway and want to have little more fun, I pull it down into first and manually shift through the gears as I accelerate. Haven't noticed any negative side effects yet.
I drive with my car in third around town (30 to 35 MPH) to prevent the tranny from shifting into overdrive. Every once in a while, I'll pull it down into second and accelerate up to the speed limit just to hear the tail pipes roar a bit before going ahead and shifting into third.
Sometime when I turn onto the hightway and want to have little more fun, I pull it down into first and manually shift through the gears as I accelerate. Haven't noticed any negative side effects yet.
Advanced
Joined: Feb 2005
Posts: 77
Likes: 0
From: N. Tonawanda NY
I to have newly rebuilt strit strip trany/2400 stall converter and I frequently shift from 3 to 2nd to slow down and then to 1st. Sounds very nasty. It's great to start in 1st hit 4500 rpm then it 2nd and then 3rd. souldn't be problem unless you shift at 6000 rpm
