Engine operating backwards....

[Veriest1]

My cousin ran across this earlier and was wondering if it was true.

http://forum.miata.net/vb/showthread.php?t=143294

Basically, if a driver spins then ends up sliding backwards and doesn't "put both feet in" will the force from the rear wheels being pushed backwards while the car is in a forward gear cause damage to the drivetrain?

To me it would seem this would be determined by how fast the car is traveling and distance traveled, tire compound, drivetrain loss, and engine output as to whether enough force would be applied to stop the engine then start turning it backwards. If there is enough force to spin the engine backwards will it actually hurt anything?

[Florida240sx]

If the engine was spinning backwards I don't think any harm would be done.But the force it had to overcome to allow it to spin backwards is a different story.

[proto_moose]

depends on the clutch....it would probably just slip and stall