Recommended Driving RPM's

[rcecale]

I've seen several people here write that thay tend to drive around in the 4000 RPM range, when in their P-Car. Is this pretty common?

I have a B&B 1 in-2 out muffler that really has a nice rumble to it around 3000 RPM and comes pretty close to roaring at 4000. If I were to run at 4000 all the time, people would surely be snapping some necks with their quick look-arounds.

While tooling through town, what is the recommended RPM?

Randy

[masraum]

I drove my 911 between 3000 and 4000 most of the time. At lower speeds I would occasionally let it drop to 2500, but that was about as low as I generally wanted to go. It would comfortably go to 2000, but I prefer the response at higher rpms.

[SpeedracerIndy]

My car has a bursch muffler on it that is very loud above 4000. If I'm driving around in town NOT trying to be noticed, I usually cruise around in the 2000 rpm range. If I don't mind some people noticing me, I will cruise around at 3500 rpm. If I let it get to 4000 and above, it starts getting vey loud though. I usually reserve 4000 rpms and over for areas where I won't look obnoxious. There are plenty of hot rodded 4 bangers with fart pipes running around the area to take care of that. For daily driving where I'm just trying to get where I'm going, I usually shift at 4000 rpms.

P.S. Hows that slick shifting tranny treating you?!? Mine is getting better by the day! It's nice not having to worry about looking like a moron and missing a shift in heavy trafic anymore.

[svandamme]

oh god
not again.....

RANT ON

you drive in the powerband where your car can deliver what you need at that time...

if you're worried about loudness , then i guess you should drive either slow, or change that muffler, maybe do an electric conversion on it, or a Flintstone conversion...or just turn off your engine and coast when ever you reach populated areas...

RANT OFF

[Zeke]

I use all rpm's. I just never stand on the gas at low rpm. I see no need not to even be at 2000 rpm if you're just in steady slow traffic. But, I would never lug the engine.

The Boxster has a real wide range of opperating rpm. It doesn't mind mild acceleration from even 2500. It will lug if you get down to 1500 and want to go anywhere, which I've only done by mistake. (It's sometimes tough to go back and forth between the two shift patterns, I sometimes get lost, LOL)

The S likes 3000 at cruise and 4000 for acceleration. It also likes 6000, which is my typical shift point when sprinting. Remember, this is an old car with unknown engine history, so I'm conservative. And that gives me a tiny bit of a safety margin should I miss a shift, which, thank goodness, I haven't so far.

Stijn, is 7/4 a tough day over there?

[svandamme]

Originally posted by Zeke

Stijn, is 7/4 a tough day over there?

not really , except that mine is still not running cause the bridge was out and i couldn't do the engine drop

other than that , the what revs should i do was done over a month ago... i don't like reruns , even though this one had the DB aspect thrown into it as a bonus...

[Zeke]

Originally posted by svandamme
... i don't like reruns.....

I don't want to hijack the thread and make it a commentary about our BBS, but it does thrive on new members (read, new Pelican customers). Subjects are going to come up over and over. We want to help the new folks out, don't we? That's why I wondered if things weren't too good in your world. Better days ahead.

[svandamme]

sure Zeke, but

let's look at it :

my car has a loud muffler,
should i keep it below 3000 revs when theres people nearby?

is this a technical question?
no

what answer can you give to it?
the Decibel level is different from car to car
and if one is so worried bout the DB's coming out of it's tailpipe
then why does one plug in a load muffler in the first place?
don't say HP gain , cause that's minimal on a 911

[MAS]

My 2.7 seems very happy in 3rd gear around 2,300-2,800 rpm around town. It's reasonably "quiet" and will pull cleanly from the mid 2k range. 2nd gear is OK too around town, but the car gets a bit loud in the 4k rpm+ range.


-MAS

[GettinHeadStuds]

I agree with Zeke...especially with this topic... there is no cut and dry answer, it will always be discussed/brought up.

Randy, check out this thread that I started a few months ago. I guess the concensus of the baord is that these engines are meant to be flogged and flogged hard (after operating temp has been reached).

How to drive a 911?

On a daily basis I drive my car between 3-4k, rarely redline. I'll take it up to red on an on-ramp or on a spirited drive, but around town I see no point redline. Machines break down faster when they are worked harder, Porsche aren't immune to that.

Cheers and happy fourth

[Zeke]

OK, back on topic. I won't say HP gain because I think you're right on that. Loud is relative. I don't have a Bursch, never have, so I'm usless in helping specifically.

Maybe "the reccommended RPM" for around town is too subjective a question for a solid answer. My homemade sport doesn't seem to get louder on a linear basis with PRM and throttle postion. It does have a harmonic resonance at 2500-2800 RPM that will set off car alarms, but it doesn't seem that LOUD. Just a very deep tone is what is doing it.

OTOH, straight pipe Harleys are LOUD at all RPM. Maybe this is how the Bursch works. I think rcecale is try to get a referrence point here about poeple's different exhaust and I think it's a valid question. Jack Olsen has taken to capping off one side of his muffler. I didn't think it was that loud, but I don't live in his neighborhood, another relative factor.

So, come on, let's make this a 3 page thread on RPM and noise. Once done, it can be the definative disertaiton on the subject and we can refer all further questions back to here.

BTW, I like to drive at the resonance point. I think that's where things involving pipe length, size and backpressure are either completely in synch, or completely opposed. And double that RPM should be near another 'sweet' spot, or dead spot, depending on how my theory pans out.

Put that in your MFI and ingest it.

My RANT OFF

[Emission]

Mine likes 3000+ rpm... so I try to keep it there.

Below 3000, my turbo doesn't like to spool, and the engine doesn't seem happy. Unfortunately, anything less than 80 mph on the highway is below 3000 rpm in 4th...

[RoninLB]

generally you don't want to work the engine under 3k in 4th or 5th. generally you don't to Wear the engine over 4k. generally you want to cruse in 4th or 5th between 3.2k and 3.8k for best CHT, EGT, and oil temps.. this is mho.

[rcecale]

Originally posted by svandamme
sure Zeke, but

let's look at it :

my car has a loud muffler,
should i keep it below 3000 revs when theres people nearby?

is this a technical question?
no

Riiiight....all posts in this section are supposed to be "technical questions"...gotcha!

So what was the technical content of this post? "My car was not running and it's still not running....so I washed it and took some pictures"...which, btw, happen to be the same exact pics you posted in this thread. (On the very same day, even.....talk about a "Repeat" violation!!! )

Please....gimme a break....how 'bout we just post and let post and forget about all this ranting...we can get enough of that over in the Off-Topic section. Milt summed up my question very well, I was merely trying to get a reference point...I could really care less about "being too loud for pedestrians"...as long as I'm within the confines of the law, that is. But thanks for your input...thanks for everyone's input!

Have a motivatingly happy 4th!

Randy

[araine901]

My experianc is tha Bursh Mufflers sound pretty stockish up to 4K then they scream like a banchee. As far as what RPM to drive in it all depends on your car and conditions. I just drive where my car likes it. Hills I drive higher rpm than flats or down hills.

[svandamme]

Originally posted by rcecale
Riiiight....all posts in this section are supposed to be "technical questions"...gotcha!

So what was the technical content of this post? "My car was not running and it's still not running....so I washed it and took some pictures"...which, btw, happen to be the same exact pics you posted in this thread. (On the very same day, even.....talk about a "Repeat" violation!!! )

Please....gimme a break....how 'bout we just post and let post and forget about all this ranting...we can get enough of that over in the Off-Topic section. Milt summed up my question very well, I was merely trying to get a reference point...I could really care less about "being too loud for pedestrians"...as long as I'm within the confines of the law, that is. But thanks for your input...thanks for everyone's input!

Have a motivatingly happy 4th!

Randy

that's nice , but i didn't ask any questions in those threads
and didn't expect an answer from it

my point was that it's a question that can't be answered at all

[rcecale]

Originally posted by svandamme
my point was that it's a question that can't be answered at all

Stijn, it seems to me that there were several answers to this post. Were they black and white, definitive answers? No, I suppose not. But there was certainly information to be shared. Seems the only person who DIDN'T have an answer was you.

Anyway, I got the information that I was looking for, so to me, this thread was worth starting. Thanks to everyone for their replies. And Stijn, thanks to you also. Your responses bumped this thread back to the top a few times, putting it back in the "spotlight", rather than letting it drift back to page 2. I really appreciate your assistance! Hope you get your engine running soon, buddy...really!

And CD, the tranny is working like a champ! I've got over 700 miles on it since putting it back on the road, and have not a single problem with shifting....neither up nor down. Hope your enjoying the same results!

Randy

[Allenk]

Sorry but after a few beers this seems like a smelly pile of c+=P. Who cars how loud the dang car is? If you think it seems too loud ,change the exhaust. After working 3 years on my car you bet I'll be sure people see"hear me" driving down main street- regarless of rmp, speed or looks. We'll spend weeks on exhaust DB/ philosophical issues when the site is meant to deal with real tech isssues. I've just stepped down from my soap box.

[Adam]

LOL!

I tend to keep the 2.7 on the boil, myself - around 3k rpm or higher, whenever possible for throttle response and acceleration. It's a weekender, so damn the fuel costs!

[RoninLB]

Originally posted by Allenk
If you think it seems too loud ,change the exhaust.

people see"hear me" driving down main street-

the site is meant to deal with real tech isssues.

soap box.

Maybe if being tooo loud wasn't the issue.. maybe it should be about how symphonic the exhaust should sound, I'm serious. High dbs are definately needed to follow many frequencies, especially as you go 30+yrs old.. that's hard hearing system facts. In Beethoven's 9th I always liked the drummer. I think many pros could explain his tech quality. So if volume is good enough for Beethoven's tech expertise then I gotta figure it's good enough for me. So I figure that the sweetest tunes from my exhaust will enable my volume to be socially acceptable.. you know, just like Beethoven. My Monty is being tuned right now by e-cams and carbs. on the slight overlap CIS cam the Monty was boring. But now the volume got a real nice tuning.. Bethoven would be proud of me. and fwiw, screw the non-believers.

and about your soap box.. party heaty