How high can I safely rev?

[GSpreeman]

I've been shifting in the 2K-3K range since I got the car. Normally when I'm cruising along I try not to rev the engine past 3K.

This past week I've been getting it up to 3.5K-4K before shifting and it feels great! I want to have fun but don't need a premature trip to the mechanic. Where do you guys shift? When cruising along in say 2nd what is the acceptable rev range before I should shift up or down?

[Matt Holcomb]

GSpreeman,

You'll have to visit your mechanic sooner if you don't visit the upper end of your car's rev range at least five times during a 30-minute drive.

Ironic, eh?


Matt Holcomb
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[eion]

I tend to shift near the redline, or at 5k revs at least. I don't downshift above 3.5k, usually at around 2.5k. The torque seems to really come on at 4k revs, so shifting before it gets there seems like a bit of a waste to me.

[GSpreeman]

Maybe I've been pampering it too much. I don't even know if I've seen 5K yet.

[A Quiet Boom]

Think of it like this, figure out the rpm's a 911 would be turning on average at a decent speed on the autobahn, say 100 mph in top gear, then realize that this is done frequently for long periods of time. Next think of the overall build and design quaility of the 911 and what the intentions where, example how many street cars have dry sump oiling standard? These engines aren't really running below 3000 and the real fun starts at 4000, shifting at 3-4k is like having a thoroughbred and only taking him out for "pony rides". I shift mine below 5k only when noise might be an issue or if I'm just cruising along otherwise it's 5-6.5k quite often I'll redline 1st and 2nd then go straight to 4th or 5th depending on the limit and how fast I want to travel.

[avendlerdp]

Please tell me you are kidding. We are talking about Porsches here. These motors are designed to hit the redline with every shift, every day, year after year... It is a good thing to run the motor up to the higher RPM's every time you drive it. You bought it, use it.

Alex

[CamB]

No maybe. Definitely too much pampering.

The best thing to do is make sure you engine is mechanically well in good shape, then drive it until it is nice and warm (180 deg plus).

THEN SPANK IT TO 6500!

Feels good

Very good

Seriously, as long as the engine is warm, any revs you like. A decent spanking will clean out the carbon, which may be the excuse you need to give to the policeman when he asks why you were going so fast...

(edit) By the way the early cars, especially the 'S', don't run all that well below 3000rpm.

[masraum]

Porsche spent a lot of money on engineers to design an engine that could safely be reved through it's power band. Unless your car has had an aftermarket chip put into the dme you can't reve it any higher than about 6500 rpms the computer stops you there. rev it all of the way until that point, you won't hurt anything. It's what they were designed for. This is not an American v8that lopes along at 1500rpms all day. You will actually harm the motor if you rev it too low. If you read the owner's manual for your '87 you'l see that they actually say the minimum rpms to shift to the next gear are around 2600 (all gears are slightly different)

REv it all the way up, you'll enjoy it, your car will enjoy it, and your car was designed for it.

Don't forget they put the peak of the torque curve at about 4800 and the peak of the hp curve at 5900, it would be poor design to do that if the car was best run at 3Krpm. Porsche doesn't design much that is pooorly designed.

[GSpreeman]

It's 2:53 in the morning and I'm thinking about going out driving now!!!!! Feel like I've just been given a license to have fun!

Thanks everyone!

[Dana_Drury]

Originally posted by GSpreeman

This past week I've been getting it up to 3.5K-4K before shifting and it feels great! I want to have fun but don't need a premature trip to the mechanic. Where do you guys shift? When cruising along in say 2nd what is the acceptable rev range before I should shift up or down?

Shift closer to 6000 RPM's and you will find god in the form of that flat 6 screaming like a monster.

[Rick Lee]

All good advice here. But remember to take it easy until she's at operating temp. I think that's about 140 deg., or just outside the top of the lowest white mark in your oil temp gauge. Until it gets to that point, I shift between 3k-4k. Thereafter I don't shift under 5k and usually go to 6k.

[gr8fl4porsche]

I always shift near redline - thats why I bought a Porsche!

I cruise at 4000 rpm in any gear just so I can be ready to punch it when the time is right, plus it sounds really cool. Even on the highway at 75-85 mph I will still be in 4th.

Always wondered what 5th gear is for??? Redlining in 4th will send you to jail in most states.

[bigchillcar]

Shift when your ears pop...

[gaijinda]

G:

Take all this advise with a grain of salt. You dont want to be bringing your car up to the red-line every shift, every time you take her out.

Firstly, dont lug her. That would be too high a gear, too soon, so the motor bogs down.. Then you dont want to be crusing along in too high a gear and the motor turning too slow.

Shift-points like most things in life are variable. Use your ears. The load you are carrying plus the terrain and traffic patterns will determine shift points. While crusing in traffic - I would not let her fall much below 3200 RPM.

Then again, dont be afraid of the red-line. Porsches are built to rev. But beware - once you get into the higher RPMs, she is going to pull like a freight train. Things start to happen very quickly!

If you need some real world lessons, I live out in Brooklyn, I will be glad to show you..

B

[Randy W]

I would warm the car up by driving it for 5 miles while not lugging it and shifting at about 4K, then I would shift at 5K or higher. If you don't run it up to redline regularly, your valve guides will need replacing sooner, rather than later. 911s run better after the rev limiter is exercised occasionally. As for it wearing out sooner - everything wears out, even us! It's all about how much fun you have along the way.

[Botman]

GSpreeman, here are 5 steps to being comfortable with your shift points.

1. Join the PCA
2. Save up $225.00
3. Sign up for the next DE in your local region
4. Drive your car for 2 days under instruction having the most fun that you have ever had (pants on or off).
5. Learn what your car is all about, and realize that it's comfort level is much higher than yours when it comes to RPMs.

You will truly be amazed at what your car (and you) are capable of.

[emcon5]

How will you know the rev limiter works if you don't bump your head on it from time to time?

Tom

[david914]

What's a Rev Limiter?

(the only Rev Limiter on my car is the one sitting in the driver's seat!)

Seriously, I try not to exceed around 3-3.5K RPM before the oil temp hits the 180 degree mark. After that it's playtime! Mine's touched the 7K mark many times without a glitch, but YMMV.

[Superman]

You're definitely making a mistake, GSpreeman. You're going to hurt your engine more by under-reving it than my over-reving it. The rev limiter will save you.

They say every Porsche ever built is a race car. That's true. Just like an Irish Setter likes to stretch its legs and get a little wind in its face, so too your Porsche likes to run. Find a helmet and get a tech inspection done, and take her to a track, for a treat. You want a real eye-opener, let the driving instructor take her for the first trip on the track, with you in the passenger seat.

I'm serious. Flog her good. She would love you for it. Spend ten minutes hard accelerating and hard decelerating, with rpms constantly in the 4000-6500 range. Make her scream. You'll both feel better. Afterwards, you'll notice she's happier. Whether she smokes a cigarette or not.

[GSpreeman]

I did as the concensus said. Warmed her up and then started revving up to the 4-5K range. For the H*LL of it I just floored it to see how high it would rev and she goes all the way to the end of the tach. Of course I did this just as I noticed there was a cop parked at the red light. I'm sure he is dying to see my little pcar up close.

PS. Forget any questions I had about installing new stereo components. The 3.2 sounds just fine.