Engine "Braking".......Does it hurt the motor ???
 

Recently put a three speed automatic in without clean neutral feature........is the "drag" on the motor damaging the engine leaving it in third gear at the finish line and allowing the engine to slow the car down ????

the Turbo Action website says on a reverse pattern 3 speed turbo 350 that there is no engine braking in second gear......is that every turbo 350 or just a feature of Turbo action transmissions ????

Re: Engine "Braking".......Does it hurt the motor ???
 

My opinion is engine braking, primarily on an OEM piston rod, will elongate the big eng of the rod which causes the bearing to pinch the crank pin at the parting line of the rod. Bearing failure is a result.

Re: Engine "Braking".......Does it hurt the motor ???
 

My gut says no, but I think Jeff is correct on the rod being loaded more. If your engine is running 7,000+ rpm, then you let off the gas, vaccum in the intake system goes through the roof. Intake runs high vaccum, not much air if any is compressed during compression stroke and the net load on the rod may be greater than at the top of exhaust stroke when rod is slowing down the piston. You would have to look at cylinder pressure traces to make sure though.

But to answer Rusty's original question, we've done it both ways with our stockers, and both ways seem to work ok

Re: Engine "Braking".......Does it hurt the motor ???
 

You dont see much engine failure in nascar and they are basically doing the same thing.

Allen lambert

Re: Engine "Braking".......Does it hurt the motor ???
 

What about an aluminum rod small block that runs 8,100-8,400rpm past the lights with a TH400 with a trans brake ?

Click the engine in high gear or lift and leave the engine running? How much engine braking do you think there would be with a transbrake TH400 when you lift?

Re: Engine "Braking".......Does it hurt the motor ???
 

All I know is most if not all the Comp guys click the engine off @ the strip...I've always put my cars out of gear after the strip.

Re: Engine "Braking".......Does it hurt the motor ???
 

Your car a stick car or an automatic? Is it a transbrake trans if automatic?

Re: Engine "Braking".......Does it hurt the motor ???
 

one ,a drag race engine is set up for quarter mile ,most drag pans are designed for acceleration and on decel the oil is pushed forward,(some have trap doors not allow oil to collect forward of the pick up) but still can not collect all the oil starving the pick up,now i get mine in neutral once over the line and let the engine idle down,even when i ran the five speed clutched it at the line.,neutral let the engine idle down,why run the engine harder than it needs to by deceling from 7000 on down risking a dry sump
2 cents gmonde

Re: Engine "Braking".......Does it hurt the motor ???
 

However, NASCAR engines run rotating components, heavier oil weights, less spring pressure and smaller cams. Jeff Lee, Chris Hill and GMonda covered many of the issues. Engines with aluminum rods are more suceptible to damage than steel rod engines.

My recommendation is to click the engine "off" and not "Engine Brake"; you are not driving a Diesel truck.

Re: Engine "Braking".......Does it hurt the motor ???
 

See post #6, What about a small block that run 8,100-8,400rpm past the lights with aluminum rods and a TH400 automatic that is a transbrake so it is a reverse valve body so you cant put it in Neutral

Re: Engine "Braking".......Does it hurt the motor ???
 

Use a Precision Performance Products Kwik-Shift-1, ProHydro shifter with the safety neutral shifter
(P/N 408) The shift pattern is P N/R 1 2 3 N, reverse is neutral position with trans-brake engaged.

http://www.precisionperformance.com/power1.htm

http://www.precisionperformance.com/faq.htm#faq8

Re: Engine "Braking".......Does it hurt the motor ???
 

Is there too much engine braking with a transbrake that doesnt use a front band? Would that sort of transbrake do any harm? Its a Hughes/JW style and doesnt use a front band

Re: Engine "Braking".......Does it hurt the motor ???
 

If engine braking is suposed to be so bad, I wonder what kind of damage all of the top end womp womping is doing?

Re: Engine "Braking".......Does it hurt the motor ???
 

I think the main issue is making sure the oil sump stays covered during decel is the main issue, wheather you click it at the finish line or just let off the gas.

Re: Engine "Braking".......Does it hurt the motor ???
 

What about the lubrication circuits in an automatic trans, rolling 100+ mph with no lube supplied by the pump when you click the engine off?

I put my TH-400 in 2nd range at the stripe (no braking) and let the engine idle. Someone scared me out of taking it to neutral as I always had done previously.

I don't like the engine braking, because free load rpms are always bad, in my opinion.

Re: Engine "Braking".......Does it hurt the motor ???
 

dave----is the no engine braking in second gear a special built in feature or does that exist in every 400 ???

read the engine braking section on the Turbo Action website and let me know what you think.......it gives a list of transmissions and whether or not they have engine braking.....is that for all transmissions or just turbo action ????

Re: Engine "Braking".......Does it hurt the motor ???
 

Scene lots of nice cars torn up playing with the shifter at the traps!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Chip

Re: Engine "Braking".......Does it hurt the motor ???
 

...and the reason why I recommend the Precision Performance Products Shifter...a very nice feature to have the ability to shiftl to Neutral after high gear. I wished they had the same feature for other transmission makes.

Re: Engine "Braking".......Does it hurt the motor ???
 

So i guess the main question would be

With a TH400 that uses a Transbrake and no front band, would that harm the engine lifting in high gear past the lights and getting on the brakes to slow it down with the ignition and fuel still on??

Re: Engine "Braking".......Does it hurt the motor ???
 

My car is an auto...rev. valve body no brake. Thing is my valve body had no drag in 1st or 2nd gear so i can just shift it up to neutral.

Re: Engine "Braking".......Does it hurt the motor ???
 

I really don't know the ins and outs, that is for my transmission guru.
But, he scared me out of moving the selector to neutral, for a reason I can't remember, but 2nd range is clean.
Pretty standard TH-400 with rollerized gear train, good sprag, good drum, Coan standard brake valve body.

The Griner trans brake is the Cadillac, and features a clean neutral.

Re: Engine "Braking".......Does it hurt the motor ???
 

Dave----I don't think all of these guys realize that the ability to go from high gear straight to neutral would not be in the shifter---it would be in the valve body----regardless what the shifter specs or manufacturer are. Thanks again.

Re: Engine "Braking".......Does it hurt the motor ???
 

We know and understand that.

When using for example say a TH400 brake, You have to remove the front band so there should be no engine braking, right?

So with an ATI, JW or Hughes std brake, not a clean Neutral, Will it harm the engine or anything to leave it in third gear and start slowing down on the cars brakes?

Will this hurt the engine or anything else?

Re: Engine "Braking".......Does it hurt the motor ???
 

Exactly. It sounds from some of the input that in a turbo 350 reverse valve body that 2nd gear does not have engine braking......is that what I am hearing ???? I also understand that taking it all the way to neutral back through 1st and 2nd triples the rpms of the third gear clutch pack........take it out at 5000 and go all the way to neutral=15000 rpms=not a good thing to do.

Re: Engine "Braking".......Does it hurt the motor ???
 

Yup! I was thinking the same thing..

Re: Engine "Braking".......Does it hurt the motor ???
 

With all of 13 passes with an auto. trans coan turbo 350 with clean neutral option, the shift to nuetral with the correct shifter in one click forward not back down thru the gears. After running a stick for over 20 years,@ finish line, push in clutch and kill motor, pretty simple however my first few passes in my new car with the auto I had a little trouble getting it in clean nuetral and killing engine, just a timing thing no problem with trans. I can tell you hearing the motor pulling down in gear @9800 is not for me, as to whether this will hurt the engine I can't say for sure but I'm quite sure it doesn't help it! Iagree with a couple other posts on this that if you can shut if off, WHY not? Just my rookie opinion. Joe Buchanan

Re: Engine "Braking".......Does it hurt the motor ???
 

the 350 turbo that I have is as good as it gets. It dose not have engine brake in 1st or 2nd gear. Going tru the pits if ya let off the gas the car acts as though it's in neutral.

Re: Engine "Braking".......Does it hurt the motor ???
 

Watch the oil pressure in the shutdown, your pump might go dry depending on your pan, etc...if its stable, you should be fine letting it pull down in high gear. If it drops significantly (close to zero), click the motor and gradually get to neutral. Without engine braking in second gear, i think it will continue to act as though it's in high gear until you unload it in neutral.

Re: Engine "Braking".......Does it hurt the motor ???
 

Nobody said they were gonna take it from 3rd to first.

P-R-N-1-2-3 ////// We are saying leaving it in third gear and lifting off the throttle, is there an issue there when using a TH400 with a transbrake which requires a bleed hole in the direct drum and removal of the front band

Re: Engine "Braking".......Does it hurt the motor ???
 

I need to re-phasewhat i said

With a TH400 when a transbrake is installed you remove the front band, when you go past the lights @ 8,000rpm is the pull down {engine braking} gonna hurt the engine or is it enough to make a difference? If it is harmfull @ 8,000rpm what is best too do?

I dont really want to go with that clean Nuetral brake but,,,,,,