Shifting manually at the track?

Texas gn

Member
Joined
Jan 14, 2011
How many of you guys do this? I have always just popped her into drive and let her rip! But some of the guys I work with swear shifting manually is better. Come to think about it, I am already fast that any of them….maybe they are trying to get me to break my car.:eek:
 
i have also thought about this.... my buddies are always like you dont know how to drive etc.. manually shift it let her rip the limiter..im like no i put it on D and just try to break my driver side floor pan with my foot on the gas pedal... BUT i have noticed my trans shifts a bit early at 45-4600 rpm stock longblock psi in the 20's... gotta figure it out..
 
i just looked at my power logger files and mine is shifting at 5553 into second and 5400 rpm into 3rd.....foot to the floor. That was the last run before my tranny died.
 
you got the cam to go up a bit in rpm, i have stock cam. i have no use in going past 5k gotta figure it out... good question though..
 
I always manually shift from 2nd to 3rd...right around 5900-6000 RPMs...if I let it shift by itself car runs slower ET's...but it will all depend on your setup...problem is to do that you really need a tach...
 
the whole point is to shift so that the engine stays in the heart of its power band. if the trans can do that all by itself, then manually shifting isn't going to help.
 
the whole point is to shift so that the engine stays in the heart of its power band. if the trans can do that all by itself, then manually shifting isn't going to help.

I would think that the ET would be more consistent letting the tranny do the work also.
 
I read somewhere that the line pressure is higher when the shifter is in 2nd gear. I always do my burnout and launch the car in 2nd. The tranny shifts automatically from 1st to 2nd, then I watch my tach (aftermarket) and shift it into Drive at around 5700 RPM. By itself it will shift a little early, around 5300 to 5400, so I do it manually from 2nd to 3rd.
 
Shifting at a higher RPM...will make some convertors couple better...at least that's what I've read in the transmission section.
 
I read somewhere that the line pressure is higher when the shifter is in 2nd gear. I always do my burnout and launch the car in 2nd. The tranny shifts automatically from 1st to 2nd, then I watch my tach (aftermarket) and shift it into Drive at around 5700 RPM. By itself it will shift a little early, around 5300 to 5400, so I do it manually from 2nd to 3rd.
This is correct,line pressure gets bumped in manual second.
 
Ever try manually shifting ...From 1st to 2sec ??? Shift happeneds way to quick. 2-3rd no problem. Try 1-2 an let us know how it does
 
I have played with manually shifting and letting the car shift itself. I have a turbo 350 with an adjustable modulator on it. The car went faster manually shifting. This is where it went south. Did my burnout and left the car in 2nd. Took off, saw the shift light on the tach, car shifted right on time, going, bleachers turning to a blur, going faster, shift light comes on, going, going, shift light still on, still on, pop ( huge puff of smoke). I didnt put the car in "D" for that run and I tore the torque converter up. It sounded like a maraca. Lesson learned......trust me!
 
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