How tough is this boxer engine?

[pantdino]

Originally Posted by FRSBRZGT86FAN

Seems pretty logical temps go up at high revs, then the fans kick on and then turn off because airflow through the vehicle has already increased

Highly unlikely. The sound you hear is just the engine on what is called "overrun"-- you have lifted off so the engine is being spun by the now decelerating car. This gives different sound

[Cal3000]

Originally Posted by pantdino

This is NOT true. Remember energy increases with the square of velocity.
Your engine might survive a trip above redline and it might not.

Yes, that's kinetic energy.
It would be pretty dumb if engineers designed a product and set an operation point near the failure point. Safety factor are an integral part of any mechanical or electrical design. That being said, there are a lot of people running this car to 8k rpm. Ive done it for a few thousand miles.

[charged86]

Originally Posted by djmm

My wife mentioned to me a couple of times while I was driving that I treated my car badly due to the way I drove.
I drive like normal most of the time but I sometime floor it all of a sudden after driving normally for most of the trip. This is mostly to beat the traffic lights or to prevent some inconsiderate aggressive numnuts from cutting into my lane.

Mind you I don't rev past 7k but for example I drove at 40 mph say at 3krpm, I'd then floor it to past 6k within 2 seconds or so just to get extra speed quickly and then I would drive at "normal" rev again. Sometimes I could hear the engine residual whirl after that short burst and back at lower rev because I released the gas pedal to drop speed gradually.

Would this damage the engine in a long run? I've been reading many comments that the engine is designed to be revved high, if that's the case, what I do here won't really harm the engine as long as I am not doing it when the engine is cold?

I do feel guilty after doing those occasional short burst as I plan to baby and keep the car for a long time.

she should make you a sandwich

[DarkSunrise]

Originally Posted by strat61caster

30k miles and I've slammed into the rev limiter a few times when I had my mind on other things (merging onto the freeway, finding the braking point for turn one at thunderhill).

Haha I hate that feeling when you hit the rev limiter just before the braking point on a track. Just.. a little... further.. <fuel cut>... doh!

[WNDSRFR]

Originally Posted by pantdino

This is NOT true. Remember energy increases with the square of velocity.
Your engine might survive a trip above redline and it might not.

You can't go above redline. It's got a rev limiter. You can hold the throttle to the floor all day and the engine can not go over the rev limit.

[Shady195]

One would be surprised at how reliable any engine can be if properly maintained throughout its life...... Even the ones people say are garbage.

[Ninja14]

Wtf, what is your wife doing out of the kitchen? There's sammiches to be made!

[strat61caster]

Originally Posted by WNDSRFR

You can't go above redline. It's got a rev limiter. You can hold the throttle to the floor all day and the engine can not go over the rev limit.

You can force the engine to exceed redline by downshifting and dumping the clutch, no rev limiter on a production automobile to my knowledge is going to stop that event, mechanical over-rev is a very real phenomenon.

Hopefully that's outside the scope of what the OP was wondering about.

[xRavenFRSx]

Originally Posted by DarkSunrise

Those of us who bring the car to the track are constantly at 5000-7400 RPM for 20-30 minutes at a time, and no issues there.

Just make sure to:

1) Warm the engine up first, and
2) Keep the RPMs under 7400 (redline)

and you shouldn't have any problems.

That's my typical morning drive to work. If I kill it, then its just time for a new engine!