Down South

I try to hit the limiter at least once on every drive, after proper warm-up of course.

I haven't hit it yet in 3rd or 4th. That should be fun!

Sneaky Pete

Hitting the rev limit once in a while is ok....but making it a habit ain't smart. Surely ur just kidding around right?

BruceP

There is nothing wrong with hitting the limiter, and there is a good engine health-based argument for getting the revs up that high on a regular basis. Exceeding it, now that would be a problem. But that's why there's a limiter.

Topaz330ci

3rd gear is probably the best in my opinion!

Sneaky Pete

Good point Bruce. Over rev in downshift when you mean to up-shift is the killer....I think that is most affectionately called the "Money Shift".

chopperzz

Is it true that it actually changes the piston travel?? I've never heard that before and can't see the theory?

Quadcammer

Whiles its not bad to hit it on occasion, I certainly would not make a habit of banging the car off the limiter regularly.

chopperzzz, the piston travel changes by tiny amounts due to some stretch in the rods at those piston speeds.

The idea is that if you take it too easy, it builds up a carbon ridge in the cylinder, and then when you get on it, the ring catches that ridge and can be damaged.

Not a hugely valid concern in my opinion.

BruceP

Maybe somebody can jog my memory, but I think there was a piece written about this quite recently, maybe in Excellence's series on the M96 engine. There was some kind of metallurgical phenomenon or something... anyway, it didn't argue for bouncing off the limiter per se, but it did argue persuasively for giving the car some serious spur on a regular basis. I've read similar advice in the past. The fact is that the engine's maximum output isn't far south of the redline, so I'm going to assume it's happy there.

Of course, as Sneaky Pete points out, the mechanical overrev or 'type 2' overrev is a whole 'nother story.

ScrnPrntr

My rev limiter counter is on its second time around.

my day is not complete unless i hit it at least twice and my active spoiler is "up"

Pac996

I didn't believe it when I first read about it in a car magazine in the 60's. Try figuring this. The compression cycle has the pressure keeping the cylinder and rings pressed as low as possible. Also figure in the piston is not and exact fit which the rings make up for. So the there is a slight wobble available in piston travel. Anyway when you are hitting the higher revs the travel of the piston is faster thus getting more momentum to get higher in the cylinder fighting the compression cycle.

For a real good one if you want higher revs out of an engine go for a looser fitting piston and make up for it with the rings. Trick is the lower tolerence pistons have the piston travel sticking to a more straight up and down force which eats power slamming the tdc and bottom. Looser pistons allow a slight arc. Yah believe it or not I'm not BSing you on this stuff above.

This one is secret.
I put a Kailua Kona turtle decal on my back winshield for more power
Busted a motor mount when I got back last summer and put it on. You can feel the real power gain
http://www.tikitoes.com/html/4inchstickers.html

rwiii

The "shift indicator" is in place so you don't damage the engine. If you hit it and the light comes on and revs go no higher then it is doing its job. They wouldn't set it to where you would do damage and then the indicator would come on.

DreamCarrera

No need to worry.

You are lucky you have a Guards red car, they love being taken to the rev limiter.

However, as far as the other colors...

DreamCarrera

Does the traction control(caution) light come on when you hit the rev limiter?

Down South

Ask Tippy about the Money Shift...

fhp911

My '84 911 with a higher numerical rear-end ratio would get to the redline in 3rd gear between Turns 8 and 9 at Watkins Glen each lap. I didn't want to upshift into 4th for 1 second and have to downshift for Turn 9, so I would just let the engine speed be checked by the rev limiter.

I did this for YEARS. The car now has 130+K miles on it, of which probably 40K at least are track miles.
The engine has never been out of the car. No valve jobs, rings, zip.

Bumping into the rev limiter didn't hurt the car at all.