# First gear at 80 MPH **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [July 20, 2004, 3:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/first-gear-at-80-mph/255934 "2004-07-20T03:08:12Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![bouv](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bc8723/32.png) [@bouv](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bouv)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2004, 3:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/first-gear-at-80-mph/255934/1 "2004-07-20T03:08:12Z")
So let’s say I get in my stick shift car and accellerate up to 80 MPH, using all the gears (this puts me into my 5th and final gear.) Now, I then push in the clutch, shift into first gear, and let the clutch out. The effect on my car? Would the transmission just say “to hell with this!” and fall off? Would the engine just rev REALLY high until it got to a speed it liked? I’ve always wanted to do this, but, naturally, have no desire to ruin my car or possibly kill myself. ---
**Author:** ![bouv](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bc8723/32.png) [@bouv](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bouv)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2004, 3:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/first-gear-at-80-mph/255934/2 "2004-07-20T03:10:03Z")
Whoops! This was meant to be in GQ…mods, little help? :smack: ---
**Author:** ![A2Steve](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/51bf81/32.png) [@A2Steve](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/A2Steve)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2004, 3:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/first-gear-at-80-mph/255934/3 "2004-07-20T03:32:38Z")
A common result is that the engine will indeed rev really high, to the point that the valve springs are not strong enough to close the valves fast enough. The valves can hit the pistons, equalling one new engine needed. Happened to a friend of mine who got first when he wanted third. ---
**Author:** ![simple\_homer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9de0a6/32.png) [@simple\_homer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/simple_homer)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2004, 4:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/first-gear-at-80-mph/255934/4 "2004-07-20T04:17:01Z")
I accidently did what you described a few years ago in a BMW 325i. The clutch broke into about a thousand pieces. I was lucky that it was the clutch that went, if it had held up, it probably would have destroyed the engine. ---
**Author:** ![Gary\_T](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/3ec8ea/32.png) [@Gary\_T](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gary_T)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2004, 4:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/first-gear-at-80-mph/255934/5 "2004-07-20T04:18:38Z")
> [@bouv](#): > > Would the engine just rev REALLY high until it got to a speed it liked? No, it would rev really high and come apart inside. ---
**Author:** ![Rick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/9f8e36/32.png) [@Rick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rick)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2004, 5:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/first-gear-at-80-mph/255934/6 "2004-07-20T05:42:31Z")
Before the engine comes apart, you will have to actually get the car into first gear at 80. A more likely senario is that the transmission will suffer big time trying to match gear speeds of the output shaft and first gear. If you have ever downshifted at a very high speed for the new lower gear (say a 4th to 2nd DS) you will recall that the gear lever was hard to get into the 2nd gear gate. This is because of the difference between the speeds of the gear wheels in the transmission. A 5th to 1st downshift at 80 would probably destroy the syncros, and maybe the bearings inside the gear wheels. And that is before you let the clutch out. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2004, 12:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/first-gear-at-80-mph/255934/7 "2004-07-20T12:26:08Z")
Hm. Haven’t tried it yet, but I _think_ I can accellerate to 80 in first gear. Second gear, for sure. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![gouda](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c77e96/32.png) [@gouda](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gouda)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2004, 1:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/first-gear-at-80-mph/255934/8 "2004-07-20T13:12:05Z")
I agree with **Rick**. You’d have to push _really_ hard to get the shifter into 1st. Even as you try to shift into 1st, your tranny will make such a gawdawful noise that you’d wanna quit trying. If you didn’t quit trying, and did manage to shift into first: what everyone else said. A friend of mine can get upto 65km/h in 1st… 2nd can take him beyond 110km/h. He drives a Suzuki Swift (Maruti Esteem in India) ---
**Author:** ![gouda](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c77e96/32.png) [@gouda](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gouda)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2004, 1:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/first-gear-at-80-mph/255934/9 "2004-07-20T13:23:49Z")
No wait, on further reflection… at 80 km/h in 5th, which I’m assuming would be an overdrive, the engine speed won’t actually be that high, so shifting into 1st won’t be as difficult as I’ve indicated. But yeah, releasing the clutch pedal would result in holy hell for your engine. ---
**Author:** ![Trunk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/87869e/32.png) [@Trunk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trunk)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2004, 1:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/first-gear-at-80-mph/255934/10 "2004-07-20T13:39:31Z")
> [@Johnny L.A.](#): > > Hm. Haven’t tried it yet, but I _think_ I can accellerate to 80 in first gear. Second gear, for sure. 😃 in what vehicle? my second redlines at about 50mph. do you have a Honda? ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2004, 1:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/first-gear-at-80-mph/255934/11 "2004-07-20T13:45:19Z")
> [@](#): > > in what vehicle? do you have a Honda? No, a [Yamaha](http://pw1.netcom.com/~heliboy/r1.jpg). ---
**Author:** ![Trunk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/87869e/32.png) [@Trunk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trunk)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2004, 1:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/first-gear-at-80-mph/255934/12 "2004-07-20T13:48:25Z")
ah! ---
**Author:** ![Bambi\_Hassenpfeffer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Bambi\_Hassenpfeffer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bambi_Hassenpfeffer)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2004, 2:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/first-gear-at-80-mph/255934/13 "2004-07-20T14:02:23Z")
> [@Trunk](#): > > in what vehicle? > > my second redlines at about 50mph. > > do you have a Honda? The [car](http://www.se-r.net/about/sentra_se-r/specs.html) I just sold would redline (at 7500 RPM) at 70 mph in 2nd, and around 100 in 3rd, so it’s not impossible for a factory stock car to do it. A bike isn’t at all surprising, though. I miss that car. No one ever suspects the Sentra. ---
**Author:** ![peritrochoid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c68b51/32.png) [@peritrochoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/peritrochoid)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2004, 3:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/first-gear-at-80-mph/255934/14 "2004-07-20T15:47:59Z")
A Honda S2000 _might_ do 80 in first gear, with it’s 9000+/- RPM redline. Mazda’s RX-8 would be perfectly content a bit above redline and could probably do the shift to first at 80 MPH without a problem. Any other car, and you’ll be causing some serious internal damage, like **GaryT** indicated. ---
**Author:** ![gouda](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c77e96/32.png) [@gouda](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gouda)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2004, 5:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/first-gear-at-80-mph/255934/15 "2004-07-20T17:21:21Z")
:smack: MPH, not KPH I’ll let myself out… ---
**Author:** ![badmana](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@badmana](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/badmana)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2004, 7:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/first-gear-at-80-mph/255934/16 "2004-07-20T19:14:50Z")
No, a high rev limit does not translate into a higher speed per gear. My Matrix red lines at 8300 rpm (although I can hit ~8450 before the limiter kicks in) and I max out officially at ~64 km/h in first, and ~105 in second. Dropping to first would be hard. I have a video at home that shows a RSX-S driver (a teenager) red lining his 1-2-3-4 shifts…except in his excitment, he shifted into 3rd from red lining 4th. The tach passed an (estimated) 12000 rpm (the RSX has a 8000 rpm red line IIRC). Very bad. I’ve seen pictures of pistons being shot through the engine block. ---
**Author:** ![peritrochoid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c68b51/32.png) [@peritrochoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/peritrochoid)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2004, 7:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/first-gear-at-80-mph/255934/17 "2004-07-20T19:48:32Z")
> [@badmana](#): > > No, a high rev limit does not translate into a higher speed per gear. My Matrix red lines at 8300 rpm (although I can hit ~8450 before the limiter kicks in) and I max out officially at ~64 km/h in first, and ~105 in second. > > Dropping to first would be hard. I have a video at home that shows a RSX-S driver (a teenager) red lining his 1-2-3-4 shifts…except in his excitment, he shifted into 3rd from red lining 4th. The tach passed an (estimated) 12000 rpm (the RSX has a 8000 rpm red line IIRC). > > Very bad. I’ve seen pictures of pistons being shot through the engine block. Yes and no. The high rev limit could very well mean a higher speed (in forward motion) per gear … it all depends on the power of the engine and the internal gearing and final drive ratios which will vary from manufacturer to manufacturer. I mention the RX-8 because of its Wankel rotary engine, which, while it would shorten the eventual life expectancy, an accidental overrev to 11000 RPM + is not going to destroy it like it would a piston engine (the clutch and flywheel may be a different story). So, assuming you could get it into 1st gear at all at 80 MPH, it could most likely withstand it. ---
**Author:** ![xash](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/c6cbf5/32.png) [@xash](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/xash)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2004, 8:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/first-gear-at-80-mph/255934/18 "2004-07-20T20:53:41Z")
Let me _clutch_ this thread and _shift_ it to GQ gear. _hyuk hyuk_ - **xash** General Questions Moderator yes, i know, but it’s 2 a.m. here and there’s nothing on tv ---
**Author:** ![Pushkin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ee59a6/32.png) [@Pushkin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pushkin)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2004, 9:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/first-gear-at-80-mph/255934/19 "2004-07-20T21:37:49Z")
Well I’ve put my Mum’s old hatchback into 3rd instead of 1st moving off and stalled on my driving test, but that had a strange feel to the gearbox. How can _anyone_ go from 5th to 1st 😕 ---
**Author:** ![badmana](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@badmana](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/badmana)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2004, 10:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/first-gear-at-80-mph/255934/20 "2004-07-20T22:31:06Z")
> [@peritrochoid](#): > > Yes and no. The high rev limit could very well mean a higher speed (in forward motion) per gear … it all depends on the power of the engine and the internal gearing and final drive ratios which will vary from manufacturer to manufacturer. > > I mention the RX-8 because of its Wankel rotary engine, which, while it would shorten the eventual life expectancy, an accidental overrev to 11000 RPM + is not going to destroy it like it would a piston engine (the clutch and flywheel may be a different story). So, assuming you could get it into 1st gear at all at 80 MPH, it could most likely withstand it. I don’t know about the RX8 but you also mentioned the S2000. AFAIK, it seems first and second gear and designed to reach ~35 mph and ~63 mph. I’ve only heard of one car personally (I believe a Nissan Spec V) that required a 3rd shift to make it past the 62 mph mark (rather strange and makes the 0-60 numbers much higher than they should be). Do you have any cites of any factory stock (and road legal) vehicle that has a first gear ratio low enough to reach over 50 mph in first? (That would be cool…and bikes don’t count 😃 ). > [@](#): > > How can anyone go from 5th to 1st Shifting to first well above the limit is very very very difficult if not impossible. I can rev match and shift into first at a max speed of 50-ish km/h only because my engine can’t rev past 6000 rpm out of gear (I’ve tried). If you tried while at 80 mph I suspect you simply couldn’t make the shift. You can shift into 2nd or 3rd at much higher RPMs than the engine can spin at though. I wouldn’t recommend that though 😃 [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/first-gear-at-80-mph/255934.md?page=2)