FA20, the flat rotary

[re-animator]

i think redlining every day is kind of excessive, but on the other hand what is the point of a high revving little boxer if it never goes above 5k? find a happy medium. I usually get above 6k a couple times a week, obviously only when the car is warm.

[VoltsFRS2013]

Originally Posted by ermax

I spun a bearing on my 2013 (11/2012) at 86K miles. Oil level was to the top dot and was changed 4000 miles prior with 5w30. When it blew I was doing a pull to redline in 4th on the interstate. Leading up to that I had been driving it like a normal person so the oil temps weren't high at all. On tear down I was actually impressed with how little carbon buildup there was. Looks like the dual injection really does work. A little blast with some carb cleaner and it was like a mirror. Didn't have to use a brush or anything. I don't needlessly redline just for the hell of it but I do drive it hard and it sees redline at least 10 times a day. When I am cruising I keep the revs low though.

I've never bought into the whole drive it like you stole it or else it will not like to be driven like it's stolen concept.

The DI seal issue was related to detonation on high transients. That was fixed with software a long time ago. If you don't have the the fix then redlining is actually not a good idea. That is exactly the scenario that was causing the detonation and blowing seals. My DI seals looked fine but I'm changing them anyways while I have it all apart.

I've been a bit confused about the whole DI seal thing. What is the date of the production of your car? Mine is around when they started popping out the 10 Series cars.

Defo wanna get my ECU flashed and updated if i'm eligible.

[Lantanafrs2]

Originally Posted by VoltsFRS2013

I've been a bit confused about the whole DI seal thing. What is the date of the production of your car? Mine is around when they started popping out the 10 Series cars.

Defo wanna get my ECU flashed and updated if i'm eligible.

Your car should've been updated by dealer already if they've done any service on it.

[ermax]

Originally Posted by VoltsFRS2013

I've been a bit confused about the whole DI seal thing. What is the date of the production of your car? Mine is around when they started popping out the 10 Series cars.



Defo wanna get my ECU flashed and updated if i'm eligible.

I have a 2013 with a manufacturing date of 11/2012. I got the car used with 83k miles and it still had the very first flash on it. I got a Tactrix the first week of ownership and updated to B01C. I’m not so sure they bother flashing unless they are working on a problem that requires a flash. For example the irregular idle. If you went in for that you would have gotten a flash. I’m sure it depends on the dealer and/or tech that working on it.

[VoltsFRS2013]

Originally Posted by ermax

I have a 2013 with a manufacturing date of 11/2012. I got the car used with 83k miles and it still had the very first flash on it. I got a Tactrix the first week of ownership and updated to B01C. I’m not so sure they bother flashing unless they are working on a problem that requires a flash. For example the irregular idle. If you went in for that you would have gotten a flash. I’m sure it depends on the dealer and/or tech that working on it.

Makes sense. Thats pretty early production, did your track the car or straight daily?


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[ermax]

Originally Posted by VoltsFRS2013

Makes sense. Thats pretty early production, did your track the car or straight daily?


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Haven’t had the car long at all so I only managed to make it to one autox. The previous owner put tires on it that are significantly worse than the OEM tires so I don’t plan on doing any more autoxs until I get better tires. I don’t plan on doing enough events to warrant a dedicated set of wheels/tires.

[Capt Spaulding]

I seldom to never visit the redline. From the dyno graphs I've seen supported by my carefully calibrated butt dyno, the engine is running short of breath by 6800 - 7000 and the torque curve has been dropping off since 6500. The torque curve is flatish from 5000 to 6500, even more so if you're tuned/modded slightly. In shifts you lose about 1000 rpm on upshifts so running above 7000 seems to me to be self defeating.

During my racing ventures my rule of thumb was to shift at the hp peak or just below and try to drop the revs back to near the torque peak or just below and let torque accelerate the (in my case) motorcycle. The only time I'd flirt with the redline was if an upshift would 1) cost time because an approaching braking point or 2) the engine wouldn't pull the next higher gear. On bikes the final drive was easily adjusted for each track so the only reason to run into the land diminishing returns was usually #1.

Of course, if one just enjoys flogging the motor and listening to her scream for mercy, that's something else.

[Yoshoobaroo]

Originally Posted by Capt Spaulding

The only time I'd flirt with the redline was if an upshift would 1) cost time because an approaching braking point or 2) the engine wouldn't pull the next higher gear.

Of course, if one just enjoys flogging the motor and listening to her scream for mercy, that's something else.

Correct, shifting at 7000 makes sense from a power delivery point, but like you said, sometimes you just want to hear her scream.

That and some autocross tracks will have you flirt with the redline to stay in second.

[churchx]

For "generic rule of thumb" such shifting is not correct, at least if max acceleration/performance/"power delivery" is wished. Simply because of gearing on most cars/most gearboxes even if it's past "peak of torque", if you think of gearing too, then in lower gear that lesser torque till redline still is more torque at wheels vs even if higher number at engine crank but at higher gear.
Then again, it's fine to not redline when daily driving, as in most cases one won't need full acceleration like on eg. track. Often even 1/3rd is sufficient to get with traffic. But if goal was to get max performance, max acceleration .. see above. Redline each, and only thing that can hurt performance, if one lets rpm cut-off mess up things.