Manually Shifting a Auto Trans - Good or Bad?

[89Suburban]

You know I run the 700r4. There are two places where sometimes I shift the trans by hand.

First is coming across the town bridge @ 55-60 mph with the boat on the back, there is a long downhill with a light at the bottom I have to stop at. Usually I slow down ahead of time and ride the brakes easy. But many times I got people up my ass and I try not to disturb traffic flow too bad to get into the left turn lane, so sometimes I will down **** into 3rd from overdrive at around 50-45 mph to help with braking, and then from 3rd to 2nd at 35 mph. I do not rev the engine high, I baby this motor and run no higher than 2500 rpm in my guesstimation. It does not feel like I am hurting anything, and it helps braking greatly. There is no problem with the brakes, they will grab, I just like to help them out in certain situations, just a habit from driving tractor trailers I guess.

Anyway, after that stop I make a left turn and have to pull a long hill, speed limit is 25. If there is traffic in front of me turning too, I will shift into 2nd so I don't have to worry about kicking a gear down by foot, as usually the traffic in front of me will make some turns onto side streets and slow down. I can control the truck better in that situation. If nobody is in front of me at that light, I will leave it in drive and she will roll right up the hill in 3rd gear running around 30 mph.

My question is am I hurting the trans doing shifting it by hand? I am not a speed shifter, racer, I drive very casually.

Unless some asshat throws a newspaper through my window.


Any thoughts?

 

[HotRodPC]

Not hurting a thing. If anything, probably protecting the trans and keeping the heat down letting it stay in a lower gear a bit longer meaning less strain and that equates to less heat.

What you refer to shifting my hand, is manual shifting an auto trans. I thought your shifter was broke and you were getting under the truck to shift it. I've done that before for about 10 days when I put my Th350 in my 64 GMC from a Muncie M22 and didn't yet have a shifter. Didn't have a high stall yet either, and I needed it with that motor and it would creep a little in D when I'd put it in D. E brake on real tight of course.

 

[89Suburban]

I thought your shifter was broke and you were getting under the truck to shift it.

I don't remember saying anything like that. I do have some play in the linkage I want to get rid of, and something happened to the column shifter, like a spring broke or something. You know how you pull it back to you, then shift up or down? That towards you motion, it just flops back and forth like a limp d.....

Something else that needs fixed....

Hell, I would cut a hole in the floor and tie a broom stick to it if that were the case, for my lazy ass.

 

[HotRodPC]

You're little spring in the column at the shift stick has fallen out or broke is all that is.

I was referring to when I read the title of the thread.

 

[oneluckypops]

Not hurting a thing. If anything, probably protecting the trans and keeping the heat down letting it stay in a lower gear a bit longer meaning less strain and that equates to less heat.

What you refer to shifting my hand, is manual shifting an auto trans. I thought your shifter was broke and you were getting under the truck to shift it. I've done that before for about 10 days when I put my Th350 in my 64 GMC from a Muncie M22 and didn't yet have a shifter. Didn't have a high stall yet either, and I needed it with that motor and it would creep a little in D when I'd put it in D. E brake on real tight of course.

Actually yes it does kind of hurt the transmission IF NOT PROPERLY manually shifted. If someone (not nessicarly 89S) was to down shift the transmission while converter is locked, they can actually damage the pump slide, and or the input shaft. BUT in 89S case it sounds like he has letting off of it which should have it already unlocked.

OH YEA BTW 89S WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING PULLING THE BOAT IN OD? Hasnt anyone ever told you that you NEVER tow in OD with a 700R4? No matter how light the boat is, i assure you its not light enough. run it in 3rd and let the Transmission be an automatic. It aint no freight shaker

 

[89Suburban]

You're little spring in the column at the shift stick has fallen out or broke is all that is.

I was referring to when I read the title of the thread.

Ahh, maybe I should adjust that.

 

[89Suburban]

Actually yes it does kind of hurt the transmission IF NOT PROPERLY manually shifted. If someone (not nessicarly 89S) was to down shift the transmission while converter is locked, they can actually damage the pump slide, and or the input shaft. BUT in 89S case it sounds like he has letting off of it which should have it already unlocked.

OH YEA BTW 89S WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING PULLING THE BOAT IN OD? Hasnt anyone ever told you that you NEVER tow in OD with a 700R4? No matter how light the boat is, i assure you its not light enough. run it in 3rd and let the Transmission be an automatic. It aint no freight shaker

No, I never heard that until today, from both you and Jim. Fak. I aint gonna use it any more with the boat on. There should be a big banner on the front of this website telling people that, I had no idea.

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Also I don't think my converter is locking up, I can't feel it. Will they lock up if the shifter is in 3rd? How do I diagnose that?

 

[Swims350]

used to bang gears all the time in the monte carlo with it's shift kit and hurst v matic 2 shifter.

my 88 has the same stupid shifter problem I hate that limp shifter crap. I thought about giving it 3 viagras everytime we go to drive it LOL

 

[89Suburban]

Just remember I usually talk like a sailor, so be warned, lol...

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