Janusz

I did not take 996 on the track yet (shame, I know) but drive it somewhat hard on the street. When going on the fun rides to some mountain empty roads in my area on the exits from 2-nd gear hairpins I cannot help but hit rev limiter frequently.

Does it happen a lot to to you guys who take it to the track? Do you think it is not healthy for the engine?

By the way just today I just glanced on the rev counter and the needle hit halfway into red, 7500RPM for split second while being cut off. Now I have a choice of taking the turn in 3-rd and be bored, upshift while just about hitting the exit (horror?) or keep on what I am doing so far.

Advice please?

Pac996

Down shifting into hitting rev limiter is worse than powering into it. Blowing a head gasket is the main concern I'd have. Also the best torque and power option for turns is below red line. Then you have options for power up and down. Redline in turns will be acting smoother like power curves that are linear but that just deceptive making turns in red line seem better. At least thats my story and I'm sticking to it.

Shark Attack

let me ask you a question, are you an old chevy 350 guy? I am... Had my share of vettes and yes I bounce off the limiter more than I will ever admit. I feel it is due to the way the Porsche engine pulls all the way to the limit... Where the old chebby 350 would lose substantial power 250 rpm before its whole ( I think) 4500 red line. So you could feel it in the seat of your pants when it was time to pull the next gear. Where these little porsche engines pull all the way to red line and want to blast though it like a jet to the sound barrier.

Shark Attack

Oh.. IMO as long as you are not downshifting and forcing it over the limit I think you are ok.. Thats why the limter is there.....

RF5BPilot

The rev limiter is doing its job.....and yet, learning to get your timing and cues for shifting right so you're shifting close to red line, but without using the limiter -- is still better. If nothing else, you're slower on the track if you wait for your engine to get into the limiter, then shift.

GaryAZ

I's hit it!

nick49

Cornering speed is not relative to what gear you are in or RPMs. It's normal to associate high RPM to high cornering speeds, but they have little to do with each other. Stay in a higher gear and you will find that you will be able to go faster. You won't be bored if you study the turns carefully and pick reference points for braking, initiating a turn, etc. It's easier to learn to be smooth without worrying about a screaming motor at redline. Smoothness will get you thru the turns quickest.

RF5BPilot

nic49 is making a good point. If you're running out of rev's either in the turn or just after the apex, you should have been in a higher gear, anyway.

Janusz

Thanks for interesting comments.
Yes, its hard to sense any power dip just before the redline on this engine.
I will enter these turns in 3-rd now and see what happens. I hate hitting limiter just after apex.

No HTwo O

This is incorrect, and make no sense what-so-ever. The rev limiter does NOT protect the engine on a down shift, nor is a spin situation.

Ubermensch

To answer your question: I rarely if ever bounce off the limiter during DE's.

Nic is right on with his comment in my experience. You should be more concerned with being smooth and fast than what rpm you're at. Entering the turn in a higher gear/lower rpm may actually help you be smoother coming out of the turn by making the throttle less sensitive.

During my last DE my car was running a bit hot so my instructor had me experiment with shifting earlier than I might normally. It was surprising to me that I was essentially just as fast in the higher gears. I was driving more smoothly and the car experienced less wear and tear.

Tom M

Both statements are saying the same thing, although in different ways.

Basically, type 1 over revs are OK (accelerating up to the rev limiter) while type 2 over revs are considered BAD (downshifting and exceeding max allowable revs) and can be catastrophic. The car logs the count of both occurrences.

himself

IMO it is both correct and makes sense. Put another way, mechanically over revving the engine can be catastrophic (think shifting from 140 mph in 5th gear to 2nd gear). Running up to 8200 under gas Is no issue. I do it all the time. Sometimes I just bounce off 8200 on certain straights instead of a short up-shift and then a down-shift

-td

sparks259

how fast are you going on these public roads?
7500, 2nd gear is what 65/70mph?
and then you are accelerating?
sounds pretty irresponsible , if you ask me.
just the thing that does nothing to help the image of what the public has of p-car owners.
save the speed for the track.

Shark Attack

give it a rest. Mr. Brady. You better call the feds.. I heard he cuts the tags off his matteresses and Sings in the shower. (that by the way is actually illeagle..) Bj's are also against the law.. How many Have u turned down?