Breaking an engine and clutch, because of shifting to wrong gear in downshift 1

[driver789]

Hi,

Right now I'm getting the blame of breaking the cars engine and clutch, because an experienced mechanic was able to hear some noise in the engine, that was very alarming, and apparently indicates sudden boost to high revs, like shifting down to a wrong gear.

I'm wondering how damaging is it to a car engine, if you shift from 4th to 1st gear on a diesel car and then lifting the clutch enough so the revs suddenly hit high? Not sure, if it hit the red or not.

The car has driven 5000+ km, since I last drove it. If I really had damaged the engine and clutch 5000km back, then is it reasonable, that a damaged engine can last that long?

Best Regards,
Driver

 

[PackardV8]

The OPs question is unanswerable. Yes, a 4-1 downshift could damage the engine. No, there'll never be any way to prove it did or did not. The choice of wording hints at spousal disagreement.

Getting WAAY off topic, but in 1969, whilst awaiting delivery of a then-new BMW 2002 TI, I was given a Peugeot 403 as a loaner. It was a wonderful,durable, comfortable stable-handling old sedan, the likes of which the French haven't built since. Anyway, it had a 4-speed column shift. More than once, trying to complete a pass, the engine wound to valve bounce in third gear, the column shift got second gear instead of fourth. The Peugeot didn't have a tachometer, but the overspeed would have been considerable. The wonderful old car survived that abuse and was not making any untoward noise when the BMW finally arrived.

jack vines