The average downward collisional energy transfer (<ΔEdown>) is obtained for highly vibrationally excited tert‐butyl chloride, both undeuterated and per‐deuterated, with Kr, N2, CO2, and C2H4 bath gases, at ca. 760 K. Data are obtained using the technique of pressure‐dependent very low‐pressure pyrolysis. Reactant internal energies to which the data are sensitive are in the range 200–250 kJ mol−1. For C4H9Cl, the <ΔEdown> values (cm−1) are 255 (Kr), 265 (N2), 440 (CO2), and 585 (C2H4), and for C4D9Cl, 245 (N2), 370 (CO2), and 540 (C2H4). The uncertainties in these values are ca. 20% (40% for Kr); the uncertainties in the deuteration ratios are 10–15%. The value for Kr is in agreement with theoretical predictions of a biased random walk model for internal energy change in monatomic/substrate collisions. The effect of deuteration of <ΔEdown> is also in accord with that predicted by a modification of the theory. Extrapolated highpressure rate coefficients for the thermal decomposition of reactant are 1013.6 exp(‐187 kJ mol−1/RT) s−1 (C4H9Cl) and 1014.2 exp(−196 kJ mol−1/RT) s−1 (C4D9Cl), in accord with other studies and the expected isotope effect.