73GMCSprint
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Jun 20, 2007
- Messages
- 1,131
- Location
- Southern UT, USA
- Car(s)
- 1973 GMC Sprint, Buick 455/TH400; 1994 Jeep XJ 4.0
If you notice a difference in engine "load" between Park and Neutral, it's probably the computer limiting the revs. Every newer car I've driven lately does that. It has absolutely nothing to do with load. In Park and Neutral, the torque converter is physically disconnected from any gears, the only difference being the aforementioned pawl inserted into a gear to keep the rest of the drivetrain from turning.
My answer to the original question is this: Putting an automatic in Neutral at ANY speed will not do a thing to the engine or transmission (assuming you don't have your foot on the accelerator and rev the engine through the roof). The equivalent with a manual would be pushing in the clutch pedal. As for having an actual reason for doing so, I can't come up with one, other than needing your car to roll freely.
My answer to the original question is this: Putting an automatic in Neutral at ANY speed will not do a thing to the engine or transmission (assuming you don't have your foot on the accelerator and rev the engine through the roof). The equivalent with a manual would be pushing in the clutch pedal. As for having an actual reason for doing so, I can't come up with one, other than needing your car to roll freely.