What exactly is engine braking? (manual tranny)

[PlasticJesus]

I think that the main issue is with large trucks in residential areas. You see signs that say no Engine Braking because semi trucks make a ton of noise when downshifting and that makes the residents unhappy.

Funny you'd be the one to say that. The difference between you Wisconsin folks and the rest of the country is that most of your signs in Wisconsin read "No Engine Braking Except For Emergencies". This makes a lot more sense than simply stating that an engine brake is not to be used, although maybe the rest of the country figures that in an emergency a driver is gonna' do what he wants anyway. Actually, day by day, emergency or not, drivers aren't interested in those signs.

When I was driving over the road, I used to love to come see you Wisconsin folks. It seems that folks actually work up there and they're actually interested in appointment times and what-not.

 

[boyRacer]

Engine braking from a drifting wannabe...

 

[JulesMaximus]

Originally posted by: cavemanmoron

Originally posted by: jumpr
Is it harmful to do it a lot? I'm just getting used to driving manual, and it would help for keeping my speed on hills. Can I do it pretty much whenever?

SURE

shift into 1st gear at 60 mph,on a normal car and you will need to have some extra $$$$.

shift down to 1st gear at 30 mph at the top of a hill,no problem,usually,

Unless you drive like a truck,that 1st gear is meant for 10 mph,
{called "Granny gear" }

read the owners manual?

also the type tranny matters a bit.

My Camaro i can shift down to 2nd at 45 or so
my Chevy Pickup,i cant shift down to 2nd till about 30.

This is because of the lower rear end gear in most trucks. Better for hauling/towing heavy loads.

 

[StageLeft]

Speaking of jake brakes, in NC a few months back I saw a sign that said "no jake brakes". I wasn't sure if it was something like pissing on the side of the road, but figured it probably had to do with some sort of braking technique for truckers

 

[Howard]

Originally posted by: Skoorb
Speaking of jake brakes, in NC a few months back I saw a sign that said "no jake brakes". I wasn't sure if it was something like pissing on the side of the road, but figured it probably had to do with some sort of braking technique for truckers

Just another kind of engine braking.

 

[PlasticJesus]

Speaking of jake brakes, in NC a few months back I saw a sign that said "no jake brakes". I wasn't sure if it was something like pissing on the side of the road, but figured it probably had to do with some sort of braking technique for truckers

Jake brake, Jacobs brake, engine compression brake. Same thing.

Funny you'd mention pissing on the side of the road in NC, though. I got busted for that very thing. The Trooper cited me for "indecent exposure". I asked him how much the fine was going to be and he told me that for me it would be $1100. I was like "Good Christ, how do you come up with $1100?" and he tells me that unfortunately for me, NC fines you $100 per inch.

 

[StageLeft]

Originally posted by: PlasticJesus

Speaking of jake brakes, in NC a few months back I saw a sign that said "no jake brakes". I wasn't sure if it was something like pissing on the side of the road, but figured it probably had to do with some sort of braking technique for truckers

Jake brake, Jacobs brake, engine compression brake. Same thing.

Funny you'd mention pissing on the side of the road in NC, though. I got busted for that very thing. The Trooper cited me for "indecent exposure". I asked him how much the fine was going to be and he told me that for me it would be $1100. I was like "Good Christ, how do you come up with $1100?" and he tells me that unfortunately for me, NC fines you $100 per inch.

Haha I laughed out loud at that one

 

[JC]

Originally posted by: KraziKid

Originally posted by: EyeMWing
I do it in my van. Shift out of auto and into first on steep downgrades.

Truckers do this, in combination with exhaust braking in order to put as little stress on their cruddy drum brakes as possible. Not too many negatives to speak of.

Don't talk out of your ass about truckers. Modern trucks don't use drum's anymore, they use air disk brakes.

Not true, they still use drums. They offer a much greater braking surface than is possible with a disc brake.

 

[imported_Phil]

To make hills easier, use your ebrake..hold it up so it's engaged until you're ready to go, at which point you want to start giving it gas and letting out the clutch while also letting out the ebrake so the car starts moving.

Wow! I totally never thought of that...I'll definitely start using it now.

The way I was taught this by my instructor all those years ago (well, 6...), was to hold your hand on the handbrake (e-brake I guess) on while you got the clutch biting a little (just a little, mind). As soon as the back of the car squats a little, then let go of the handbrake and you should start moving forward.

It's a good technique to learn by, but once you've learnt how to do it properly, you should move to engaging the clutch at the exact same time as letting go of the handbrake. Less wear & tear on the clutch, but isn't the best of ideas for extremely steep hills.

FYI, I live in the UK, in the highest point in the South-East, and I had one clutch go on me after 85,000 miles- the life of the car up to that point.

 

[Pepsi90919]

Originally posted by: crab

Originally posted by: KraziKid

Originally posted by: crab

Originally posted by: KraziKid

Originally posted by: EyeMWing
I do it in my van. Shift out of auto and into first on steep downgrades.

Truckers do this, in combination with exhaust braking in order to put as little stress on their cruddy drum brakes as possible. Not too many negatives to speak of.

Don't talk out of your ass about truckers. Modern trucks don't use drum's anymore, they use air brakes.

lol...so how does air stop it again?

Now you are talking like an idiot. It works like a hydraulic brake, except the way the pressure is created is by air and not brake fluid.

Indeed it does, but that sure as hell wasnt the way you made it sound. Is it disc, drum, etc? If you feel the need to be so defensive and start calling people names, maybe you shouldn't be so short winded and clarify yourself because for a second there, YOU sounded like the idiot.

you sounded like an idiot because you asked how air stopped it.

 

[AgaBoogaBoo]

I didn't read the thread, so I don't know if this is useful, probably isn't at all, but I learned really how much braking the engine can do when I was stopping at a light to see it turn green so I downshifted into fourth instead of second gear. Man, I got freaked, but it kind of felt good hearing the engine at a high rpm , hehe. Anyway, I was in fifth I think doing 40 or so and then I was planning to go into 4th gear but got into 2nd, so then rpm's shot up to I think around 5000 or 6000, not sure exactly what rpm, but then it was brought down.

 

[cavemanmoron]

Originally posted by: JulesMaximus

Originally posted by: cavemanmoron

Originally posted by: jumpr
Is it harmful to do it a lot? I'm just getting used to driving manual, and it would help for keeping my speed on hills. Can I do it pretty much whenever?

SURE

shift into 1st gear at 60 mph,on a normal car and you will need to have some extra $$$$.

shift down to 1st gear at 30 mph at the top of a hill,no problem,usually,

Unless you drive like a truck,that 1st gear is meant for 10 mph,
{called "Granny gear" }

read the owners manual?

also the type tranny matters a bit.

My Camaro i can shift down to 2nd at 45 or so
my Chevy Pickup,i cant shift down to 2nd till about 30.

This is because of the lower rear end gear in most trucks. Better for hauling/towing heavy loads.

Sorry but the rear end ratio on my Camaro is 3.50,and the rear end ratio in my p/u is 3.42.

the

tranny/transmission

is whats different.
the first gear ratio in my Camaro tranny is a bit higher than in my truck,
also my truck has a 5th gear overdrive,and the 67 Camaro is a 4 speed muncie.

The air brakes questions,air brakes work on "current" trucks,
like those built in about the last 35 years basically;by having heavy duty springs,that apply the brake
pads,when the air is released,by pushing on the brake pedal.
These were called "safety" brakes a long time ago.

If you are driving a vehicle with air brakes,on the old style setup,and the air compressor stopped working,like if a belt broke,etc,you had little chance of stopping the vehicle,as the air pushed on the brake pads.

The newer style,weather drum or disc,when you lose air pressure,the brakes automatically apply,because of the spring pressure,and stop the vehicle,normally the air pressure is lost slowly,and you have a warning light/loud alarm in the cab,to warn you to pull over.
Sometimes an air line to a trailer will burst,and the trailer brakes come on fully,and then its a dangerous/scary stop for the truck driver.Its still safer than having no brakes due to no air.

The railroad was using safety brakes for years before the trucking industry was mandated to.

 

[crab]

Originally posted by: Pepsi90919

Originally posted by: crab

Originally posted by: KraziKid

Originally posted by: crab

Originally posted by: KraziKid

Originally posted by: EyeMWing
I do it in my van. Shift out of auto and into first on steep downgrades.

Truckers do this, in combination with exhaust braking in order to put as little stress on their cruddy drum brakes as possible. Not too many negatives to speak of.

Don't talk out of your ass about truckers. Modern trucks don't use drum's anymore, they use air brakes.

lol...so how does air stop it again?

Now you are talking like an idiot. It works like a hydraulic brake, except the way the pressure is created is by air and not brake fluid.

Indeed it does, but that sure as hell wasnt the way you made it sound. Is it disc, drum, etc? If you feel the need to be so defensive and start calling people names, maybe you shouldn't be so short winded and clarify yourself because for a second there, YOU sounded like the idiot.

you sounded like an idiot because you asked how air stopped it.

It was sarcastic more than anything...i know exactly how they work. He said "modern trucks don't use drums anymore, they use airbrakes"... Okay, great...so wheres the rest of it? There IS a such thing as pneumatic drum brakes.