Questions Automatic Trans

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Oct 21, 2019 | 12:45 PM

Winston456

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Joined: Sep 2019

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Questions Automatic Trans

Hello,

Just got owner of my first american vehicle, 1974 ford f100, 390, c6 trans, 2wd. Me beeing from the netherlands and always have driven manual tranmission vehicles I have a couple of questions about driving an automatic tranmission.

I know you can manually upshift from 1st to 2nd and 'drive'. But is it also possible to downshift from 'drive' to 2nd and 1st?

Can you shift from drive to neutral while driving, and shift from neutral to drive while driving? Will this harm the tranmission?

Thank you all in advance!

Kind regards,

Winston

Oct 21, 2019 | 01:56 PM

the_hetz

Tuned

Joined: Mar 2004

Posts: 412

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Quote:

Originally Posted by Winston456

You can do the above with no immediate ill effects, but I would avoid shifting between neutral and drive when moving entirely, especially at higher speeds.

Oct 21, 2019 | 02:29 PM

ford390gashog

Fleet Owner

Joined: Jan 2004

Posts: 26,007

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From: Brentwood,CA

These trucks are not sports cars, I don't see any real benefit to trying to manually shift them. Going from neutral to drive while moving will just cause pressure spikes and eventually blow a piston seal. Why would you want to do any of this?

Oct 21, 2019 | 08:30 PM

RalphXL

Tuned

Joined: Nov 2015

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With the right shift kit you will be able to hold the trans in the gear of your choosing. You can adjust shift firmness too.

Jess

Oct 21, 2019 | 10:11 PM

mark-guiver

Mountain Pass

Joined: Oct 2017

Posts: 213

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From: Maysville, Ky

I upshift and downshift between D,2,1 and 1,2,D on a daily basis, and have done it this way for the past 24 years. I have a pretty tight shift kit and other than draining and replacing the trans. fluid a couple of times, have had no ill effects whatever. I live in the mountains and use the gears to hold my speed without using the brakes all the time. You can do damage to the transmission shifting into neutral and back into Drive, as was mentioned in the post above. I also do the same thing with my Bronco (C4) and various Fords and Jeeps we own/owned. With your C6 you can shift into 2 to take off from a stop and it acts like a manual trans does taking off in a higher gear to avoid spinning the tires on ice, then upshift to D once you get moving. Enjoy your new truck.
Mark.

Oct 22, 2019 | 04:11 AM

77&79F250

Moderator & parts slinger

Joined: Feb 2007

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From: S/W Missouri, Polk county

Sounds like mark-guiver drives it just like the owners manual says too. See page 60 and 61.

Oct 22, 2019 | 01:42 PM

tlrtucker

Tuned

Joined: Aug 2015

Posts: 474

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Quote:

Originally Posted by Winston456

... is it also possible to downshift from 'drive' to 2nd and 1st?

Yes, just like with a manual, watch your rpm's. Down shifting at too high an rpm can damage things just like with a manual.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Winston456

Can you shift from drive to neutral while driving, and shift from neutral to drive while driving? Will this harm the tranmission?

Yes, again, just like with a manual. DO NOT be on the throttle when you shift back into Drive. You'll see guys on TV and on YouTube revving a car in neutral and dumping it into Drive to do burn outs, but that's an excellent way to destroy expensive transmissions.

I've done both for years, if you're smart and paying attention it won't harm anything. But there is no "need" to do any of this. To state the obvious, never do any of this with Reverse. NEVER shift into, or out of, reverse while moving. Ever.