Just about everyone has run their P-car car up to redline at WOT, so I am wondering just how reliable these engines are. Here are the assumptions:

1.) Engine is properly and gently warmed up to proper operating temperature.
2.) Engine is allowed to be cooled down and shut off for regular oil changes (let's not get into synthetic comparos here, just assume "good" oil is used).
3.) During the test, the engine receives proper cooling and does not overheat.

This WOT test isn’t something that I’m going to try, obviously, but I am considering putting my car on the track, and I plan on keeping the engine in what I feel is the optimum RPM range for a 3.2. That range, by the way, is 4,800-6,500RPM, which produces the most area under the curve for horsepower (88 Carrera).

 

how much gas is in the tank?

 

I don't really know the answer , but begs the question what track would allow you to run like that without running out of track..and besides there are more gains in gearing up rather than running at readline i would imagine.

 

assuming you could pause for infinite amount of fillups...

 

A "dyno" track.

 

ah got it ... I guess you won't be running out of road then :-) I have seen pictures of headers glowing doing this .. it may have been a porsche commercial. I would not want to find out the answer with my car :-)

 

i bet porsche has done some tests along this line.... call em up!

 

Probably more a function of oil cooling capacity, temp at the top of the piston crown and quality of the connecting rods. Then maybe Valve springs.

 

My mate VA911 is contemplating an engine rebuild. Maybe i can persuade him to test this by revving the crap out of (preferrably doing a big burnout) it until something lets go

 

I don't know but these cars did pretty well at 24-hours at LeMans. That Porsche Legends book says that the repair truck carried only tires "because Porsches don't break."

 

Until.. 1) needs gas 2) Oil change 3) Valve adjustment. Lets face it, the aircooled 911 motors really are as close to indestructible as possible. Many folks have logged litterally THOUSANDS to 10s of thousands of "track miles" before 911 motors have failed. As long as you perform regular maintenance, your 911 should be fine "at the optimal RPM range".

 

4,800 to 6,500 rpm is nothing - you can do that for a very long time, as long as the cooling is adequate and the motor is fresh...

 

give me a brick for the gas pedal and your keys and I'll let you know

 

Well, in 1967, you could drive a 911 across most of Europe and THEN win an 84 hour race with it.

Here's the poster
http://www.vpracing.com/Poster_Archives/1960/67031.html

Look up the history of the type R 911.

With a modern motor, I dunno how long you could run it flat out. Longer than you can run yourself... of course, a Porsche cannot do maintenance on itself like your body can.

 

Though not qute the same scope as your question, it may be helpful for data. My friend has a '90 964 that was purchased new and immediately converted to a track car in 1990. The car now has about 30,000 miles of ONLY hard track miles, and it is still fine, and it has not been rebuilt. The car was in a PCA class that did not allow any internal modifications to the engine, so to my knowledge it has not ever been taken apart. I really think you'll find your engine to be fairly durable.