lt1 hawk

iTrader: (2)

Ok, this may sound like the most ignorant question in the world... but that's because, I am new to working on cars (never have, and still haven't, but thats why I bought a camaro) and well,,,, I am ignorant. Ok, I bought a 95 LT1, with VERY low milage (40550 when I bought it, now 43K) and I am also newer to driving stick. I have done some things that may make some of you salty old stick drivers cringe, but I have done things like down shift, and instead of going into 3, I went into 1st, like an idiot, so it makes a funny noise and rattles the hell out of my shifter. Will things like this ruin it? I mean other than about shake my hand off and run the RPMs up to 4 or 5, I don't think it is doing any damage. Any advice, other than stop sucking?
And as a side note because I have always wondered... what would happen if you shot for 5th gear at 45 MPH and threw it into reverse instead? I am thinking a really bad day and a VERY expensive trip to the shop. Is it possible? I am sorry if I sound like an ignorant tool....

Revelation Z28

iTrader: (10)

well you could've screwed up a U joint, the torque arm, or something else on a downshift like that. ovverrev the engine would make the valvetrain chatter like hell.

lt1 hawk

iTrader: (2)

ok, if I screwed up one of those things, would I notice a performance difference? I have not noticed anything since I bought the car. The closest I have gotten is sometimes it does not want to drop into 1ST from park. If I f----d up one of those things, am I going to be dropping a lot of cash to get it fixed?

Revelation Z28

iTrader: (10)

from park? you mean neutral. there isnt park on the M6.

if you did overrev, you would notice some noise coming from the engine, and a little performance decrease. bad U joints will cause a vibration decelerating, or accelerating. if you havent noticed anything since doing it then youre lucky. but you may have bent a pushrod slightly.

what was your speed when you went into 1st? how high did the RPM jump up? because if it went as high to 5500-6000rpm then id be weary of the valvetrain. did you revmatch when downshifting? or let the clutch drag the engine up.

v8hunter

iTrader: (2)

Another idea would be a tranny mount gone bad???

lt1 hawk

iTrader: (2)

ok, I don't think anything is f----d up. I will check with my buddy who has been working on f bodies for a couple of years. If he doesn't know, his buddy back in NC will know. The question is, other than stop doing it, will it cause any real damage.
To answer another question, yes I was in neutral, and it did not want to slide into 1ST, and I backed the shifter out and tried with a little more elbow grease, and it reluctantly slid in.
To another question.... when I dropped into 1ST, I was going 30 MPH or so. The RPMs went up to 4 or 5 (if that). I pray to god that it is not a bent pushrod, because a buddy of mine just went through that, and I do not feel like dealing with that one.

lt1 hawk

iTrader: (2)

oh yeah... I meant to say and forgot... there does not seem to be any performance difference in the vehicle. I know what a bent push rod sounds like, my buddy's LS1 had that problem, so I doubt it is that. However, it does seem to perform a little better (lower RPMs at higher speeds) early in the morning when I drive to work. In the evening though, it does not perform as well.

Hoss Ghoul

iTrader: (2)

It's probably fine. Just take it easy and shift slowly being sure to rev-match on up and downshifts as best you can while you're learning.

I would imagine you have a rev-limiter so unless you were bouncing it off of it you didn't over-rev the engine and hurt it, certainly not from 30mph and at the RPM's you described.

Generally if you are at too high of an engine speed it will be difficult/impossible to get the shifter into an inappropriate gear and you'll get some buzzing/vibrations as the synchros refuse to match up.