Sometimes when I am mergind onto the highway, I like to pull the shifter down into 'D' and accelerate that way until about 65 or so then put it back into 'OD'.

Is shifting into 'OD' at high RPM's with little to no load bad or is it a function of RPM's alone?

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1989 Chevrolet Camaro IROC-Z
L98 - 350c.i. TPI, rebuilt 700R4 auto w/shift kit, Dual catalyst Monza PaceSetter Cat-Back, SLP 1 5/8 Coated Headers, 3.23 Posi rear, Hypertech chip with 160stat, MSD 6A, Under-Drive pulleys, AFPR, K&N's, !Air Box w/ Ram Air, moddified MAF, !TB Coolant, Spohn Dual Cat SubFrame Connectors, Alarm, Keyless entry, remote starter, 92 Z28 AeroWing, Brand New Paint (6/21/01)

Future: ZZ4 TPI w/EGR, T56, 3.42 or 3.73, Spohn strut tower brace and LCA's, Accell 24# injectors

1989 Chevrolet Celebrity Eurosport <--DEAD AS OF 9/20/01
2.8 MPFI, no mods
225,000 miles and still ticking!

More info and pics on my webpage:http://go.to/iroc-z

AOL IMer: GPA 0point0

 

No problem.

 

OK...

The reason why I asked is becasue I read somewhere that OD isthe first gear to go. Further, it can and will go under high torque situations.

 

You specifically asked if it was OK to manually shift at a higher speed into the OD position.

I did failure analysis on 700's a few years ago and to my surprise I found that the Forwards, 2-4 Band and 3-4 Clutches were all equally as likely to fail in a unit, possibly in combination with each other. I would have assumed it was the 3/4's but this was in units used in all types of driving and vehicles, not just Hi Po stuff.

In many cases this can be traced back to the same cause and that is primarily Throttle Valve problems in the VB causing pressure rise problems. This is one of the reasons I so strongly recommend the TransGo Shift Kit or Reprogramming Kit as they both include a new Throttle Valve and redisigned TV System. IMHO, it doesn't matter how you drive it if you don't fix this problem (and others) inherent in the 700 design.