How often do you hit the rev limiter? - 986 Forum - The Community for Porsche Boxster & Cayman Owners

epapp · 09-17-2014, 12:22 PM

I'm curious, because I do a lot. Mostly first and second gear. 'Drive it like you stole it' quantification poll

Giller · 09-17-2014, 12:26 PM

Where's the "My wife made me buy a tiptronic so I can't hit the limit because the car takes over!!" voting button??

BoxsterSteve · 09-17-2014, 01:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Giller

Where's the "My wife made me buy a tiptronic so I can't hit the limit because the car takes over!!" voting button??

Manual mode, fella. You'll touch the top of the tach then.

Joe B · 09-17-2014, 01:41 PM

Never! Doesn't do the engine a bit of good. I often take it to 5-6,000 RPMs though. If I really stole it, I wouldn't want to draw that much attention anyway

!

Topless · 09-17-2014, 02:03 PM

Sometimes, but I tend to say bad words because I think it is lousy technique. My target shift point is 6k unless I am on a long straight road in upper gears. Then I want every RPM. Banging the rev limit probably doesn't do much harm but it is certainly not "fast" either because we are effectively stalling the motor momentarily.

Harm usually comes during a downshift in the heat of battle and zinging the throttle too far to match revs. If stretched rod bolts don't get you, cavitation of the oil pickup and subsequent oil starvation will. I suspect most BSR race car motors are damaged or killed during over-rev downshifts... especially after a long left hand banked sweeper when most of the oil is in the right front head instead of the pan.

thstone · 09-17-2014, 02:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Topless

I suspect most BSR race car motors are damaged or killed during over-rev downshifts... especially after a long left hand banked sweeper when most of the oil is in the right front head instead of the pan.

jpc763 · 09-17-2014, 03:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Joe B

Never! Doesn't do the engine a bit of good. I often take it to 5-6,000 RPMs though. If I really stole it, I wouldn't want to draw that much attention anyway

!

That is where I shift, 5k - 6k.

When just driving (fast of course), what rev do you keep it at? I usually shift until I have the RPMs around 3k.

John

epapp · 09-17-2014, 12:29 PM

I apologize for that, but I can't edit the poll now...I guess you have to settle for the last option...

BoxsterSteve · 09-17-2014, 01:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by epapp

I'm curious, because I do a lot. Mostly first and second gear.

Yeah, I stole it ...

At least once while it's out on a run, but only when fully warm.
I'd hate for Porsche to have wasted red paint like that if the tach needle wasn't supposed to touch it...
Redline, though, not limiter. Apparently Type II over revs can stretch rod bolts.

epapp · 09-17-2014, 01:57 PM

I like to think of it like this: it doesnt do the engine THAT MANY bits of bad, compared to how many bits of good it does ME; its got the revlimiter for a reason.

And the rev limiter/redline are the same...at least to me. Type 1 revvs will hit redline (which is the rev limiter) and be completely safe to the internals (minus the extra wear of 6500rpm versus Joe's 6000rpm...can't be THAT much more wear, its not like I keep it at redline for seconds on end).

AND, if my engine fails because I 'revved it too much', I will be infinitely less mad than if my engine were to blow up from the damn IMSB.

**end justification of driving my car like a mad man**

thstone · 09-17-2014, 01:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by epapp

**end justification of driving my car like a mad man**

No justification needed. Owning a Porsche explains everything.

kk2002s · 09-17-2014, 05:29 PM

Never. I voted never not because it's a Porsche...
It's because even with a 7200 redline, just going to the 6000s puts me way past any speed limit and I can't see where I'm actually getting anymore out of the engine. The only reason to go redline is so the shift down keeps you at max HP/torque
BUT you really can't do that on 99.9% of public roads
Race track yes
Even my usual 4-5000 shift point has me leaving the red light crowd way back until I hit the next red light. Then they pull up around me and shake their heads

"It's just a Boxster - Mid-life crisis guy"

Though the other day I was back roading and at the corner was a group of cyclist waiting for stragglers
I went by mildly in first - no reaction. I took second up to 6k, glanced in the mirror(I'm so Vein) and all their heads snapped around to look and take in the glorious sound

thstone · 09-17-2014, 01:58 PM

I hit it almost daily.

Its therapy. Its a mechanical Mozart. Its good for my soul.

epapp · 09-17-2014, 01:59 PM

Not to mention with the new cheapo ebay exhaust. I've got to admit the drone sucks, but the redline sound is like....explosive..literally

epapp · 09-17-2014, 02:10 PM

0 type two overrevvs for this guy

epapp · 09-17-2014, 02:42 PM

I believe my engine loves to go past 6000, her and I had a heart to heart last night

I mainly hit it because:

-higher RPMs make me go faster, there is lots of power at 6400
-I normally build up the rpms slowly to 3-4000 and then nail it, and the rev limiter isnt far from the 'normal' cruising rpm of 3-4k (other cars slow my 0mph start sometimes)
-I'm accelerating in a long straight line from 0 mph
-if I didn't hit it, I would be "granny shifting, not double clutching like I should"

I think most people would say they hit 6000 at least sometimes, and how different is 6000 from 6500 in terms of extra stress/wear? Plus, isn't OVERrevving going past 6500?? I don't venture into that territory, only because my ECU wont let me

PorscheBound · 09-17-2014, 02:49 PM

To lazy to read all the posts so sorry if this was already said. Are we talking red line or rev limiter? Hitting the rev limiter on a daily basis is pretty much saying you don't know how to drive your car. If we are talking taking it to red line then I take it there every time it is out. But I can probably count on one hand how many times I have bounced the rev limiter.

Edit: OP rev limiter isn't red line.

epapp · 09-17-2014, 02:56 PM

6500 is where the red line starts in my '99. 6500 is when the engine bounces off of rev limiter as well...I think. I guess I never look at the tach when hitting the rev limiter

I agree it isn't 'racing style' to hit the rev limiter; you are wasting tons of time with no extra speed, but its cool...I'm not trying to get the best time of the day when accelerating onto the freeway

PorscheBound · 09-17-2014, 03:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by epapp

6500 is where the red line starts in my '99. 6500 is when the engine bounces off of rev limiter as well...I think. I guess I never look at the tach when hitting the rev limiter

I agree it isn't 'racing style' to hit the rev limiter; you are wasting tons of time with no extra speed, but its cool...I'm not trying to get the best time of the day when accelerating onto the freeway

Not understanding where the coolness comes in. Not trying to bicker here I just simply see absolutley no point in intentionally taking your car to the point of bouncing it off the rev limiter. There isnt one single pro to that. And again just stating my opinion, if I see someone bouncing the rev limiter I laugh and think they just started driving stick.

flaps10 · 09-17-2014, 03:35 PM

I'm not finding anything constructive above 6,000 rpm and the gear ratio spacing puts me in a plenty meaty spot so I shift there.

I didn't click "never, it's a porsche why would someone hurt it like that?" because I'm quite sure the engine can take the revs, nor am I worried about offending my car.

I'm old and learned to drive vehicles before rev limiters existed. I personally find the na-na-na sound annoying, but that's just my opinion. I was on a "toys for tots" motorcycle ride last December and some guy on a Hayabusa thought he was the shiz because he kept sucking in the clutch and hammering that limiter.