Does the Z06 have a fuel cutoff for accidental downshifts pass redline?

[OutlawDon]

Stupid me was having fun with a Chevelle on the road a few days ago. Tried going into 3rd, but in the heat of battle, I must have grabbed the shift knob too tight and slammed it into 1st at 70mph plus! Clutch in and into neutral immediately, but ego busted.

Anyway, car seems to be running fine and strong, no codes, and no ticking or noise I can hear from the engine. Do you think I did any damage and anything I should check out? Also, would the car cut fuel off and pull the power in this situation? I saw the tach jump way pass 7K rpms and I cringed! I am sure it went way higher, but that's all it could show on the tach. Guessing I was at 70mph, 1st gear would have been around 9K rpms.

Any advice or moral support?

[dwjZ06]

Don,

It sounds like you got lucky! As you can see it can be done! Now how many times can you pull that off? That's the big question. Hey everyone has missed a gear before right? You got moral support here. Good luck. Don

[MiamiCowboy]

Rev limiter works as you progress up through the gears and will momentarily interrupt the engine to protect over revs. However, it DOES NOT protect the engine from over rev on down shifts since it is a mechanical/gear induced event. Sounds like you dodged the bullet this time.

[Racer Z]

Yes the fuel is cutoff once the valve meets the piston!


But seriously it appears you got lucky and it didn't grenade. And you are not the first or last person that this has happened to so do not be so hard on yourself.

[HeadHunter]

Have not done it in the vette, but with the GMM Ripshift in my GTO, have done the 4-2....same as you really fast clutch work and lots o luck saved me. Plenty of moral support from here.

As others have said, rev limiters and such work on the way up, screw up the down shift and you have that pesky mechanical link to blow stuff up.

[ZO6 AL-X]

Since it's still running, it looks like you're okay. But, you can't get away with doing this many times.

[mick]

The Northern Rays Car Club was racing at Gingerman Raceway in Southhaven Michigan in '03 and speculated that excessive engine braking (or down shifting too deep) sending the rpm's over red line may have caused this '01 to go kerplooey.

So the moral support is: At least yours is runnin'!

[Racer Z]

Originally Posted by mick

The Northern Rays Car Club was racing at Gingerman Raceway in Southhaven Michigan in '03 and speculated that excessive engine braking (or down shifting too deep) sending the rpm's over red line may have caused this '01 to go kerplooey.

So the moral support is: At least yours is runnin'!

Did it catch on fire too?

[ZO6 AL-X]

I second that... looks like fire.

[MikesZ06]

I think the biggest danger in our cars when we miss a gear and over-rev is bending a push rod. It may not even show up that much initially unless you dyno it and see a loss of power.
Eventually you will feel it....

Mike

[MislMan]

I second Mikes thought on bent push rods. I would give serious thought to pulling each of the push rods out and rolling them across a flat piece of glass to ensure they are straight. The car will idle and run fine with bent push rods but the power will be down since you don't get as much lift from the "slightly" shorter (bent) rod. Maybe give some thought to some aftermarket valve springs.

Later ... Larry S.

[junior]

I went from 3rd to 2nd instead of fourth at about 80 and rising. I got away with it, too. You're not the first. I think it can be a $10K missed shift if you get it just wrong. I decided to improve on my concentration and use all of that wasted engine grenade cash to compress this air charge a little bit.