BrandonSS

iTrader: (1)

Well it happened . At the track with my new 01 SS trying to get a baseline BONE STOCK time. 1st run i missed 3rd b/c I am use to the spec3 clutch in my 2000 SS. So i managed a 13.7@103 b/c it took me a few to get into 3rd damn it.

Second run... launched great, banged 1-2 perfectly, then it happened... it managed to go into 1st instead of 3rd. It felt like I got hit by a missle! The car jolted and jerked bad enough to knock my change holder out of its place in the console... it took me a second to figure out what happened(seemed like a while but probably took me 1-2seconds at most) then I ripped it into neutral and coated the rest of the 1/4. All service lights were on, ABS, check guages, service vehicle, low track, parking brake, EVERYTHING.

I got it to the "pits" and parked it, shut it down, and fired it back up with the hood up. Amazingly, I have NO ticking, knocking, nothing and all my lights are back to normal. I have a intermittent whir noise from the rear of the car but I think it might be the driver tire since I believe after my last run it is down to fiber material... The noise doesnt appear to be coming from the pumpkin area or pass side.

Is there ANY way I made it out of this incodent unscaved??? I just dont see how its possible to go into 1st at 75-80 WOT and be FINE.

Why did the car let me go into 1st anyway?!?! I thought it is supposed to lock out 1st at anything over 20mph. And like I said.. the car is BONE stock, even has CAGS still.

I will be pulling the intake this weekend so I guess I'll go deeper to pull the pushrods... but like I said.. I have no ticking, rattling, nothing... very quiet engine.

Anyone??!

BTW the car has 33k on it now. Never been modded... still bone stock down to the stock air box and paper filter.

Thanks in advance.... what a sick feeling in my stomach after it happened...

OH and what can I do to prevent this crap from happening again. I NEVER had this happen with my other SS.. both have the stock Hurst.

Brandon

*Update* since people keep asking or refering to this since I am selling the SS. I had the local Dealership, Sam Pierce Chevrolet, as well as a small shop "Gary's Automotive" check out the car, engine, everything. There are zero problems. The dealer did find one of the cats to be rattling, but thats been known prior to me owning the car since I have the service records. So I got out lucky this time

x phantom x

iTrader: (14)

.
Ouch ... that's crazy, and you're REALLY lucky if you got out of it okay.

You should probably pull the pushrods and check them to be sure they are all straight. I would personally just buy new ones and toss them in (only ~$90 for a new set of nice chrome-moly ones), just to be on the safe side ... but I'm also somewhat crazy.

Ferocity02

iTrader: (60)

Ouch. From what you said happened, I am guessing something is bent. You dont need to pull the intake. Just pull the valve covers, then rockers, then pushrods. Pull out and clean every rod. Roll them on the flat table to see if they are bent. Then get a straight edge and check more closely. Inspect for small cracks. Check all rockers for cracks and bending. Check top of valves for possible hard rocker to valve contact. Inspect as much of the valves as you can. Check for broken springs.

Good luck!

DocEwww

iTrader: (1)

Without a doubt you have bent pushrods. My didnt tick either for a few days and then it got pretty bad. I ended up having 3 REALLY bent pushrods.

Tom@SpeedInc

iTrader: (5)

Well put it this way, a bent push rod effectively changes the valve events on one or more cylinders, so you would get a erratic vacuum signal at idle. I've missed two shifts (no ticking) went to the dyno and put down 333rwhp.

What saved my motor, when I miss shifted i'd get almost throw into the streering wheel my foot would also get thrown back onto the clutch pedal from the rapid deceloration just as the engine is clearing 6000 rpm. If I powershifted I would have been screwed.

BrandonSS

iTrader: (1)

Yeah... I have NO noise, car idles fine etc.

I am pulling the intake off b/c I am having it painted true fire along with some other things. So while I'm in there I will go ahead and pull the valve covers and rockers to check the pushrods.

GTO... so you have done something similar?

How can I/we prevent this from happening? I thought the tranny locked out 1st above 20mph.... guess not even though it even says it in the owners manual! I never have had this problem before. Who knows... makes me scared to run WOT now.

slowpoke96z28

iTrader: (2)

there is no lockout for first gear .if your manual says it does then you should be able to sue GM for new pushrods. i think it just says not to tryfirst gear below a certain speed and that reverse is locked out above a cerain speed. i blew up a clutch on my Z28 doing that, and GM replaced everything under warranty. they said the throwout bearing was faulty. go figure. i had no engine damage though

Tom@SpeedInc

iTrader: (5)

How to stop it? You have to figure out your arm positions for each gear for one, a routine of sorts. I like to have my elbow over the passenger side of the center console, need to go away from your bodies natural tendancy to pull left.

Shifter is important, i've vagely been in a few fbodys, some shifters are nice, I like the feel of a Kirban shifter. My GTO has a australian derived shifter that looks similar to a pro 5.0, it has internal springs that bias a 2nd. 3rd. shift, I just move up and it carries the stick to 3rd. gear position. Its not fool proof though.

slowpoke96z28

iTrader: (2)

when i was younger, my dad made me sit in the garage and practice 1-2-3-4 with the car off over and over. its kind of a muscle memory thing, like in any other sport. practice makes perfect. no to shifters will sit in the same spot in different cars also. there will always be a few thousandths difference.

BrandonSS

iTrader: (1)

I have never had this happen before and not a rookie with the Hurst M6. I'm just paranoid about it now. and yeah you guys are right.. it just says a suggestion. I just thought I read it somewhere a looong time ago. I think my old hurst was easier to shift. I never missed a 2-3 shift b/c I trusted it to go there and it did. Damn it.

Maybe I should give the Pro5.0 a shot.

DONAIMIAN

iTrader: (18)

I went back into 1st on the freeway at about the same speed. It hurts.

Ojustracing

iTrader: (4)

I also did it too. But it was on a road course. I was in 4th slowing down, I missed 3rd, had put it into 5th, went to put it back into 3rd and a quck blip of the throttle and it was in first. I Almost spun out but saved it. No engine issue. I took the pushrods out after I got back and they were fine. If I ever get my Video posted I have it on Video Twice!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Later John

Ru2n00n3er

iTrader: (13)

My first time at the track last year I think I missed 4th and put it into 2nd instead. I caught it really quickly, but the car did the same thing, all the lights came on, my car shut off, and I coasted to the end of the track. It took a couple seconds to refire, but since then I've had zero problems. I'v never checked te pushrods, but it's because I haven't had any issues since.

1ScrudeDude

I grabbed 2nd at 88 mph at the track. Locked her up big time.

Happens to us all. I got lucky, no damage as far as I can tell. I did put chromemoly pushrods with my H/C install though...

gator's 99TA

iTrader: (2)

i cant even go 88 mph in my automatic 4L60e....

11 Bravo

iTrader: (3)

I had the exact same thing happen to me once, and it did not hurt the motor. It did snap both rear shocks in half.

bLkWdOw SS

iTrader: (-1)

The same thing happend to me yesterday only i wasnt going 80 , i was going around 40-50 at the most I would say, it still jerked like crazy, Do you think shifting into 1st at that speed could of bend a rod???? Hope not. The car sounds good to me and runs just as strong. But some nice new rods sound good to me anyway.

josh99ta

iTrader: (1)

Not in this car (obviously as it's an auto) but I went into 1st at 70 MPH in my daily driver (Dodge Neon). I guess I got the pedal in soon enough because it's still running fine after many miles. I had just started daily driving a stick when it happened. Man, what a wakeup call. Felt like I got hit head on. Everything flew forward (me included). Looks like you got lucky.

bLkWdOw SS

iTrader: (-1)

Is there anyway we can prevent that from happening?

BLK02Z06

iTrader: (1)

This happened to me about 9 years ago in a '93 LT1 Formula. It was a long night out partying and I was on the highway in 4th doing about 80 mph and decided I would drop third and hit the spray to show off to a couple of friends. Well needless to say I hit 1st gear and the 150 shot hit at wot, the car jumped and jerked all the lights came on in the dash and I had a nitrous backfire in the intake. I lost all power to the car and I had to get the car off to the side of the highway. Well I opened the hood and the backfire had blown the intake tube off, which I put back on and then started the car again. Everything sounded fine no ticking, knocks or anything else, so I started to drive off. Well the car would not go anywhere.. Come to find out I sheared 10 teeth off the ring gear and 6 off the pininon. I had a mechanic go in and check the enginge out and everything internally was fine. This was also my first experience with a 10 bolt rearend blowing... The first of many..