Spun off track backward in gear

[CDub]

Spun off track backward while in gear

In streets of willow a couple of months ago and again in last week's autoX, I swapped ends going off track backward while it was still in gear. It killed the engine and the check engine light went on. It went off after I restarted the engine for the second time and everything was/is back to normal.

Although there is no damage to the car, I know it is hard on the drive train. I'd like to know how it'll affect the engine, tranny and clutch. What are the potential parts that'd get damaged.

Why didn't I disengage the clutch? It all happen in a split second and I couldn't react fast enough.

 

[Hrant]

I feel your pain ..........

Did that on my first track event back 1999 with a full 360 while passing another car off line carrying too much speed ......... Just like you didn't react quick enough. Light came on as well.

Since then, I have added some 22 more track events and some 25,000 miles, same clutch and gears, and have not seen any discernable effects.

HTH

 

[CDub]

Thanks for the reassurance! Whatever I did to the car, she was making unhappy noises before the engine dies, to let me know that she was mad at what I did.

Mine were both 180s so that the car was actually travelling backward for a few feet.

 

[ncdogdoc]

The thing to worry about is exhaust inversion and the problems with breathing all that bad stuff. Usually only a problem if it continues for more than a couple of revolutions, AFAIK.

 

[KulSecHskY]

would that make your engine spin backwards too or would the clutch slip before that happened?

is it possible the tires just locked up and nothing rotated backwards? or is that what happened and you are just worried about the stress on the drivetrain from that?

 

[Arata]

If the engine is turning in reverse direction so is the oil pump.