Can I damage by engine (22re) by shifting into say 4low and 2nd to use the engine brake as i go down a hill?

I was told growing up that an engine can take it and you cannot over rev your engine useing it to brake with. However there are a few hills that i have tried this on and i usualy chicken out when my RPM's get over 4500. They just keep going up and the little 22re just can't slow me down.

(Engine braking used to work great when i drove a suburban with a 454. Put it in 4 low and no matter how steep the hill was it would stay under 3k rps. Is this related to the size of the engine?)

 

On road/ off road? Low range is as useful going downhill as uphill. I would NOT put my truck in 4 LO 2nd gear on road to engine brake. I think you should be stopped to engage 4 LO.

Yes, you can overrev the engine by engine braking, keep the speed in check with the brakes. Yes, engine displacement has a lot to do with it. The 22RE only uses a third of the volume of air as your 454cu Chevy to compress and slow you down.

 

Thanks. Yeah 4lo is off road and i usualy start from a stop.

I sometimes try to go down long hills on road in 1st, but even slight slopes will over rev.... Looks like somebody lied to me

 

Perhaps they meant with the 454. It might be really hard to over rev those using compression braking.

 

Between the higher compression and 8 cyl instead of 4 cyl there is a difference there. As far as going into 4lo, under 5mph w/ the clutch is what I do. I think it tells you all about shifting the T-case on the visor.

 

I use engine braking all the time off road......

There are many situations (extreme downhills, mostly) where it is unsafe to use brakes alone. You need the combination of engine braking and regular brakes to stay in control

 

It shouldn't hurt the engine. It might put some more wear on the clutch.

 

as long as you arent slipping the clutch (which you shouldnt be) there is no extra wear on the clutch...its just like normal street driving

 

agreed, tranny would take the brunt of the abuse, but these little buggers seem to be indestructable.

 

I just broke mine last week (the tranny)

It didnt agree with my new centerforce clutch and a 6000 RPM clutch dump

 

One no-no is 4low, neutral and getting up to high speeds (such as coasting down a big hill) - the resulting internal rotational velocities of components can cause big problems.

 

as long as your engine can take it then the engine braking is what i prefer, But remember if you do it ALOT brakes cost less than a new engine