RMVB - gear after the lights?

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Demonx2

Demonx2

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So I've got a simple question for those experienced with a RMVB in their trans. Years back, with my other car that did not have a RMVB, I would slip the car into neutral after crossing the lights at the big end. This let the RPM fall back naturally to something reasonable and after slowing the car with the brakes a bit, I would pull it back into Drive (3rd gear) and use engine braking to bring the on down in speed.

But now the car I have has a RMVB and I'm about to take it out for the first time. Mine is a Griner valve body and does not have the "clean neutral" down past 3rd gear. Since you can't really reliably and quickky shift it back to neutral after crossing the lights (have a Cheetah shifter), I see no choice but to leave it in 3rd and let the engine bring the car back down in speed. I dont like the idea of high/max rpm with no load on the engine but see no other choice.
Am I thinking about this right - is this what you do?
Thx for the input. It's time for the car to lay down its numbers. I'm sure I'll have quite a bit of tuning and learning what it wants but let's get started!
 
Yes, thats what i do.
But, on my other car i have a forward pattern transbrake body powerglide, that one i can kick into neutral, with the cheetah shifter.
 
My dad started racing in 1978, I started in "big" cars in 2002. We've never shifted to neutral after the finish line and haven't had any issues. I've seen on more than 1 occasion people go for Neutral and put it in Reverse. I never understood why people shift to neutral after crossing the finish line.
 
Depending upon the valve body, some of the manufacturers say not to go back through the gears to get to neutral.
 
Demonx2 said:
I dont like the idea of high/max rpm with no load on the engine but see no other choice.
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This isnt really any kind of problem the split second you let off the gas..... everything is still oiling,,,what could be the problem?? Just leave it in high gear, or you risk real damage.
 
I raced for years with a reverse pattern. Never a problem backing out of the throttle at the end using engine braking as the rpm's come down.
Then A&A Transmissions started making the forward manual valve body.At first they weren't low band apply then they came out with low band apply.I have had both.I really like the forward pattern and yes now I bump it to neutral at the end.Just because I can now.
 
moparstud440 said:
My dad started racing in 1978, I started in "big" cars in 2002. We've never shifted to neutral after the finish line and haven't had any issues. I've seen on more than 1 occasion people go for Neutral and put it in Reverse. I never understood why people shift to neutral after crossing the finish line.
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plug check !
 
Its really a non issue for me....personally, I like having the engine help slow the car down. I have had a RMVB in my trans for quite a few years (over 10 years). Prior to that when I had a forward pattern I would still leave it in high gear to help slow the car down.
 
The main reason for the bump to neutral was to take the stress off aluminum rods. This was told to me by BME. But unless you have a forward pattern VB it’s mot possible. I ran a forward pattern glide trans with a brake in the 67 Super Gas 67 Barracuda in my Avatar. So bumping it up to neutral was not a problem.
 
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You really don’t have a much of a choice with that valve body. Let off at the stripe and let it coast on down.
 
Check out WAB Motorsports on YT. They run a couple Dusters with RMVB and go to neutral right after the lights.
 
Thx for the responses...sounds like I'm seeing this as I thought. To me, this all makes the case for those RMVB's with the 'safe neutral' down past 3rd gear. The Griner valve body I have came with the trans I got with the car (Cope trans) so I'll live with it.

Pistons in general don't particularly appreciate high RPM no load conditions. Not a lot of dev done there. Some may never have an issue but others....

Theres no way I'd try to go from 3rd back to N with this Cheetah shifter. You'd have to be faster than the valve body response and if you mess up, you'll get a view of the windshield up close and personal or maybe the rear end coming around or parts dumping out the bottom of the engine!! No thank you to any of that excitement!!

Thx again guys! And good luck to those heading to the tracks this weekend. My car's maiden voyage will hopefully be tomorrow - see what this heap will do!! (Or maybe what keeps it from making it down the track....????)
20210421_181846.jpg
 
Using a stock console shifter,
I have always thrown it up into Neutral going thru the lights, since I installed the first RMVB back in 1970, and built many more.

What if you lose the engine mid-track, or going thru the lights ?
You could do a few loops, and bounce off stuff, while you're looking for N . !
 
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Demonx2 said:
Thx for the responses...sounds like I'm seeing this as I thought. To me, this all makes the case for those RMVB's with the 'safe neutral' down past 3rd gear. The Griner valve body I have came with the trans I got with the car (Cope trans) so I'll live with it.

Pistons in general don't particularly appreciate high RPM no load conditions. Not a lot of dev done there. Some may never have an issue but others....

Theres no way I'd try to go from 3rd back to N with this Cheetah shifter. You'd have to be faster than the valve body response and if you mess up, you'll get a view of the windshield up close and personal or maybe the rear end coming around or parts dumping out the bottom of the engine!! No thank you to any of that excitement!!

Thx again guys! And good luck to those heading to the tracks this weekend. My car's maiden voyage will hopefully be tomorrow - see what this heap will do!! (Or maybe what keeps it from making it down the track....????) View attachment 1715740642
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Sweet ride. Does ur truck match ur car snd trailer? Kim
 
oldkimmer said:
Sweet ride. Does ur truck match ur car snd trailer? Kim
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Thx Kim. Nothing that fancy! I've had my trailer for about 35 years and had brush painted it red when I got it. This car just so happens to be red so it does somewhat match. I'm blessed to get a company veh with my work so I chose a "red" (it's actually a darker red) truck knowing I would use it to pull this. I'm just an amateur having fun. Haven't raced in 28 years. Kids all grown, educated, and gone so time to get back in the saddle as others would say. So here we go...!!!
 
Good buddy has a clean neutral deal.... its still in body shop jail from his locking it up at the stripe( high 4’s door bracket car).. somehow he goofed up trying to get to neutral....
No thanks
 
I just put a RMVB in the car, and wanted to know if the throttle hung I could get it through the gears to neutral. Shifter has a physical stop neutral to reverse, so no fear of hitting reverse. The shifter is a stock console shifter so it moves back to front all the way to neutral with no stops. You can slam it from all the way back in third to neutral as fast as you can slam it. Was rolling a 5 miles an hour in 3rd and slammed it all the way. Still caught first and drug the tire. No way I’m touching it no matter what. Hit the key and hold on.
 
Only way you can safely shift into neural after a pass is if you a clean neural after high gear. Or you have manual VB with a forward pattern.
 
furrystump said:
I just put a RMVB in the car, and wanted to know if the throttle hung I could get it through the gears to neutral. Shifter has a physical stop neutral to reverse, so no fear of hitting reverse. The shifter is a stock console shifter so it moves back to front all the way to neutral with no stops. You can slam it from all the way back in third to neutral as fast as you can slam it. Was rolling a 5 miles an hour in 3rd and slammed it all the way. Still caught first and drug the tire. No way I’m touching it no matter what. Hit the key and hold on.
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I'm with you...NO WAY I'll ever try to be fast enough to get up to Neutral!! Good you ran that low-speed test and proved it to yourself.
 
Stuck throttle will always be exciting so I try and do my thinking before it happens, I’m just not sure what to expect when you shut down the engine and it stops spinning and the converter doesn’t? Or because pump pressure goes away the clutches release? Something is not going to be happy in there.
 
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