LS1x2

iTrader: (11)

th350 reverse manual valve body here. I just bump it once into 2nd gear usually which lets it spin like it's in neutral. I would slap it back into 3rd to engine brake if i was having trouble.

glennster

iTrader: (1)

350 and 400 should be left in gear,its not the oil flow its the overspeeding of the direct drum which goes twice engine rpm when neutraled.Ever seen one come thru the top of the case? I have and its from neutraling at the stripe.powerglide and stick is fine.

NRC-Motorsports

there is really no good reason to put car in neutral,at the end of run,this has been an ongoing debate for over 30 yrs,people used to say it wears the ring,others would say it would heat the breaks if you didnt leave in gear, but the most important reason for not moving stick is safety , some people have on auto,s gone into reverse,and thats not pretty,ive seen 2 cars flip doing that through the years also some times car can stall if all of a sudden its put in nuetral,thats not good either most guys now have power steering and brakes,also nowadays with the loose converts most guys run their still using the brakes to slow dow more than engine,even the stick guys have no reason to push clutch in as there still using the breaks and the engine together, i dont think to many people are appling the brakes that hard that there slowing the engine at such a rate as to hurt the rings, look at taxi cabs that are constant 0-40-0for 1000000,s miles most of them dont have ring problems and they do it day in an day out ,yea some will say you not going to 100+ but they do 100,s of thousands more times just my 2cents

10.5 Dave

iTrader: (5)

When running the Z06 I put it in neutral and blip the throttle after going through the lights.I hit the brakes and slow down then downshift to 3rd and hit the return road.At tracks with a short shutdown I'm on the binders as soon as I go through the lights.I never really put much thought into it I just have always done it this way.

gator's 99TA

iTrader: (2)

in a manual, sure. no problem. in an auto, it would be devistating.

Nine Ball

iTrader: (38)

Thats exactly what I do. Use 5th to slow the car down, its easier on the brakes.

BLK02WS6

iTrader: (2)

The main reason I race in 3rd instead of OD is because I bracket race. Sometimes I need to lift at the end and then possibly get back into it - if I raced it in OD, it would shift into 4th as soon as I lift, then I wouldn't have any response if I got back into it.

unit213

Brakes are cheap and easy to swap out. A clutch isn't. I drop it into neutral and footbrake it.

z28racerlt1

I couldn't have said it better.
Turbo 400 here.
I have been told this by every trans guy I talk to.

Ken

Outlaw

I really disagree with your statement here, yes for a factory car there is little reason to shift into neutral. But saying that there is no reason for a car to get put into neutral after a run really depends on the combo. When you have a race motor you need as little wear on the motor as possible. Allowing the motor/tranny to slow the car down is just going to break parts and wear your combo out fast on an all out race motor. I don’t know many if any all out drag cars that don’t shut the motors off and take the cars out of gear and coast off the track after a run. Now I understand that the combo in question is more then likely not this type of combo.. but to say there is no good reason to do such a thing is a farse if you ask me. Its as simple as this, show me one NHRA pro stock racer who does not kill the car and click it out of gear right after they cross the line. Its all about not hurting parts and if it’s a n2o combo, allowing a good plug read. Just my 2cents..

As for shifting the car into neutral, NHRA mandates at 9.99 or faster for the car to have a reverse lock out on the shifter to prevent this from happening.

Kevin 276

Never, unless you want to put it to its grave quickly.

NRC-Motorsports

again pro stock cars are sticks, and have parachutes to help slow them down and there shifter pop into nuetral when they hit them,secondly youve never heard of anyone going into neutral or park with an Nhra approved shifter??even just in the pits ,ive worked at race tracks on and off for the last 25 years belive me its been done,never discount the human factor[thats why hair dryers have stickers on them that say do not use while taking a bath/shower,] thirdly most of these guys have stock shifters, that was my point these are not for the most part all out race cars, and i grew up with 4000lb drum brake cars running 9,s and the last thing you wanted was to rely on your brakes to stop car,nowadays cars have better brakes and what have you ,but you will not hurt an engine leaving it in gear,like you said for your plug reading thats how it can be done ,but again for the majority there is no reason to put the car in nuetral,or move the shifter upstairs, im looking at the saftey factor your statement on breaking part useing engine to slow car down??? if your in high and your on the brakes the car is slowing down pretty evenly,of coarse if its stick and you down shift [ie a normal 4 speed type,going 4 to 3rd or 4th to 2nd]well there we go you mechanicaly just picked up the revs on your engine, you and i can agree to dis agree lol, but i try to look at everything from a safety point first.and i have seen the havoc done first hand from those doing it ,either by accidently hitting the shifter or on purpose, bob

Outlaw

From your 1st statment you dont seem to say it matters what tranny is in the car, so a pro stock car is a stick, in your 1st post you dont seem to say it matters what tranny a person is running. Say what you want, putting my car in neutral at the end of my pass saves parts, killing the motor saves parts. You said there was no good reason for a car to do that, my point is that is not a valid statement. I understand that most cars on here are not full off race cars but wording things the way you did is saying that’s the way it is for all cars, and you know what, that’s just not true in my world. Im no newbie to the drag racing world and I like to think that I have some sort of clue on what to do and what not to do. I am just speaking from a high end full off race car side. With a full tilt race motor, you shut them off on the big end and remove the tranny from a loaded gear. No matter what tranny or motor combo.

racer88

Neutral right after I pull all the way through 4th in my M6

glennster

iTrader: (1)

If you want to click off at the stripe,who cares? I ran glides for years and always clicked off but if you think its so common actually go down to the big end and sit there and watch the cars go thru,many let the motor slow the car down THEN click off after they get to maybe 50 MPH or so.I used to talk about stretched rods and wearing out rings but from building motors and trans. for years I think it makes no difference. Ask circle guys,they go in and out of the throttle all night.This is my opinion so it dosent mean I'm right. Just don't neutral a 350/400 or maybe it goes

Savageite

Man I'm a little worried now. i have a M6 and I have always just kept it in 4th. after the traps. Maybe now I'll just throw it in neutral to be save.

NRC-Motorsports

what i said was that" there really is no good reason to put car in nuetral and that this has been an on going debate for 30 yrs",ok let me rephrase this for you ,i should have put that even though in as long as drag racing has been around no one has really said putting a car in nuetral is good or bad for an engine[again i know this could start another debate,but i dont think all engine builders will agree or disagree with each other on this],But my post was more about the safety factor of someone moving the shifter,[esp. in an automatic car]and opening themselves up for a safety issue,because like i stated ive seen 2 cars go on the roof because the drivers tried to put car in nuetral and wound up in reverse or park[by thier own addmission]it can happen! bob

you feel it saves your engine,ive run many cars also through the last 30yrs including a 3400lb quick 8 car for 2yrs in the high 7,s low 8.s[it was an auto car] and stopped putting cars in nuetral back in the 70,s[as it was also a discussion back then and the engine guy felt it might save ring /bearing wear also]when one day i made 20+ low 10 sec. passes on a drum brake, stick,3900lb car,and finaly ran out of track,due to brake fade.Since then ,i leave all my cars in gear,and I have not had any ring,bearing,or rod problems due to leaving car in gear.nor have i run off a short track [ lol]
this debate will go on long as long as there is drag racing ,Maybe we need some engine builders to start a thread on the pro,s and cons of what they feel does or doesn,t happens to an engine under these conditions

Tom the roofer

iTrader: (9)

I agree, If I neutraled my tranny after the run I would be on the beach at PRP. Last year I had 4.30 gears and stock brakes and I could barely make the the last turn around exit even with the tranny in gear. This year I have 4.86 gears and Strange race brakes and I stop easily letting the motor slow me down. I would not attempt to stop with brakes alone. This is with a measley 135 + trap speed. I have a power glide too.

Now, If I were at Norwalk or another track that had a 1/2 mile shut down I may reconsider.

Saftey 1st