I'm starting to read and find that quite a few track "veterans" have mis-shifted and blown their motors. Is this something that is inevitable with tracking?

Aside from "not sucking" and "learning how to drive" are there some things that can be done to help avoid this error? I haven't blown my motor yet, but I've definitely mis-shifted.

 

i dont think there has been a poll on this topic. some people do it and some people never do it... some people miss the shift and save it with a quick clutch foot


there are methods that help against such as proper hand position for each up shift and downshift. im sure proper sleep the night before an event can also help lower the chance of it happening
i instructed a 70 year old in a s2k a few weeks ago, he had bad hand position and also when he missed the shift his clutch foot let it zing for a few seconds instead of an instant lol.. 9500-10k revs - ap2 motor with stock valve train

 

I think hand position definitely has an impact. I tend to keep my hands in a position in which an accidental downshift would be fairly hard to pull off as I'd be moving my hand in an unnatural way.

For instance a typical 3-4 shift. I have my hand on the left side of the knob and upside down instead of just holding it normal and trying to pull straight down. I do the same thing for 5-6. 1-2 I hold it normal. I pretty much keep my hand between the knob and the direction of the gears I don't want to go to.

Make sense?

 

Hand position is probably the most common fault in mis-shifts. A lot of people hold the shifter like a lever. They should hold it with the palm of their hands placed right on top of the shift knob. If you down shift from 5th to 4th grabbing the shifter like a lever you are more likely to shift into 2nd since your hand will naturally pull the shifter closer to you.

 

i've misshifted but didn't blow my engine.. my tranny is a different story.

 

Let me save everyone a lot of time and hassle.


Shift with your wrist. Not your entire arm. Your wrist won't continue to force the car into gear when you screw the shift up, it will just pop out and disengage, saving you your tranny and motor.


I always get a kick out of people who BAM BAM BOOM BOOM PEWPEW on the gear level. Don't be that guy. These cars are not hard to shift quickly in, we're spoiled with probably the best 6 speed gearbox feel in the world.

 

Ameer, you have an exceptionally strong wrist it seems

 

DAMN STRAIGHT

 

This ^^^ +1

Only time I ever had problems with mis-shifts was during lateral loads. A few years back, I had to live in the UK for work. I had to re-learn how to shift with my left hand when I was driving there. A colleague taught me the above method, as that is commonly how new drivers are taught over there. I use this technique on track all the time, especially if I have to shift coming out of a corner where lateral loads are still high. This technique works great.

Also, +1 to shifting with the wrist. There is no benefit for slamming gears.

 

Not a "veteran" by any stretch but it happens! I consider my shifting pretty decent, this happened on my ~15th track day and it's the only I've done it on the track so far..

http://www.youtube.c...h?v=txZ2JabyI3k

Luckily no engine or tranny damage of any kind..