POWER SHIFTING

[turbomangt]

I have heard this mentioned before. I can't believe this doesn't harm the trans. True? or the clutch for that matter. Gary

[Cal Cruzer]

It is very hard on the drivetrain. You only want to do this in the heat of the race.

[COP TZER]

any sort of "race" shifting is hard on the tranny. Power shifting is hard on the tranny because it is similar to dropping the clutch in every gear if you think about it.
However, i would venture to say that not powershifting down the quarter will cause a gain of a couple 10ths of a seconds.
And as any strip racer knows those tenths could be the difference between a low 14 and a high 13!!!

[GLH_TC 16V]

The gears can take the abuse as they are hardened, it is the CV shafts, transmission case and the synchros that take the beating. The clutch should hold provided you aren't putting monsterous amounts of torque through it.

I agree with the 2 previous posts... do it only when racing (or if the race is really close and you need that extra edge), and don't do it often. It is worth about a tenth of a second per shift in the 1/4.

If you want to practice power shifting, do it in the winter on an icy or snowy surface. I learned in an empty parking lot in the middle of winter, held the gas at a constant 3500RPM and power shifted 1-4. The benefit of this is, a) you are always spinning the tires so no load on the tranny, b) 3500RPM isn't going blow the motor on a missed shift, c) not as intimidating power shifting at 5MPH vs. 60MPH

[COP TZER]

good suggestion for how to learn the technique GLH TC 16V. On a side note, some cars run better using different types of shifting; whether it be power shifting, quick shifting, double clutching etc...