Rev Limiter

NoRice

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How much harm is it to the engine to be bouncing off the limiter in 1st gear? My car is modded with a 522" and a paxton and the revs come up sooo fast in 1st its crazy. I seem to do fine in the other gears and not bouncing it off the limiter. I am thinking maybe I should just short shift it in 1st to keep from hitting the limiter.
 

GR8_ASP

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I would indeed short shift first. It is no advantage to keep it in first as you have the torque to turn the tires over in 2nd as well, with more control.

I hit mine occasionally and do not like the dramatic event. It just happens so damn fast I can't help it. Scares the heck out of the vette crowd though!
 
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NoRice

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I would indeed short shift first. It is no advantage to keep it in first as you have the torque to turn the tires over in 2nd as well, with more control.

I hit mine occasionally and do not like the dramatic event. It just happens so damn fast I can't help it. Scares the heck out of the vette crowd though!

I have been getting more acquainted with my car the last few days and can't keep off the limiter in 1st, so I will probably just shift short for now on. I figure it can't be good for the springs to be hitting the limiter like that, even if they are upgraded.
 

Nader

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Yeah it scared the crap out of me once. Lose power and a huge backfire.
 

Viper X

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Hey No Rice,

Short shifting works pretty well. Yes, these engines get to the rev limiter very fast when modded like our cars are.

Did you up the rev limiter when you had your engine built? Mine is currently set at 6600. I don't normally go there, but 6000 comes up sooooo fast in 1st and 2nd.

This will help a bunch if your tuner can do this for you.

Dan
 

Racer Robbie

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Hitting the rev limiter is very ******* the internal parts of your enging along with the rest of the drivetrain. I would shift from 1st to 2nd at 5000 rpm's and use the engines torque from there on.
 

GR8_ASP

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Hitting the rev limiter is very ******* the internal parts of your enging along with the rest of the drivetrain. I would shift from 1st to 2nd at 5000 rpm's and use the engines torque from there on.

How is it ******* your engine? What parts in particular?
 

SylvanSRT

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i was thinking hitting the rev limiter keeps it from being ******* your engine, thats what it's designed to do(protect the engine)
 

CAS

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It's not a good idea to drive around on the limiter for 5 minutes in first gear, but if you bump into it every once in awhile, it's not going to hurt your engine. The 6200 RPM fuel cutoff/limiter is there for that very reason!
 

MikeR

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It's not a good idea to drive around on the limiter for 5 minutes in first gear, but if you bump into it every once in awhile, it's not going to hurt your engine. The 6200 RPM fuel cutoff/limiter is there for that very reason!

Thats what I always thought. I thought the rev limiter was there so you dont do damage. Seems like theres conflicting info. Regardless, Ive hit mine once or twice in first but try and short shift now.
 
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NoRice

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I am not sure, but valve springs escpecially stock springs are susceptible to damage from hitting the limiter from what I was always told or knew. The springs are not able to withstand the shock they receive when this happens. i could be wrong though. :)
 

Vipermann

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I think hitting the rev limiter can be done a couple of ways ... 1) with the gas pedal on the floor, and 2) by downshifting with the rpms too high ... the fuel cut-off protects you from the first event, so the second event is more dangerous to the valves (being 'floated' down into the pistons -- ouch) ... the stock springs are not strong/hard enough to control the valves at rpms that are higher than for which they were designed (but harder after-market springs put more load on the lifters ... and so it goes)
 

Racer Robbie

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I was always told the rev limiter was there so you do not blow up the engine into chunks of metal. Some rev limiters turn on and off again and again. With the torque of the viper engine I would think that would stress a lot of parts as the slam between full throttle and zero throttle rpms. maybe i am wrong but I do not want to find out.
 
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