Italian Tuneups: What's the longest you've run your engine at high RPM?

[meep]

3 speed Subaru automatic was like 4200 at 70. All day. The 1.8 was well balanced and aside from the alarming pitch it was fine.

2 spd Chevy power glide was 3000 rpm at 55 mph. That’s a lot of spinning v8 at cruise. Higher at 65.

like ctechbob, miatas spin high on the interstate. holding 80+ for several hours kept the revs up. It didn’t care, and with the top down you couldn’t hear it….

 

[Shel_B]

2013 Camry. Around 4k rpm for about 6 miles. Occasional spurt to 5.5K.

Did you break anything? What gear were you in? Did you notice any change in the engine's performance afterward? Do you drive like that frequently?

 

[Skippy722]

There's no way beating on a car can be good for it. Don't do it.

Idk, our van always has a smoother idle after I get done driving it

 

[xgmad]

Did you break anything? What gear were you in? Did you notice any change in the engine's performance afterward? Do you drive like that frequently?

You wont break anything, If you want peace of mind put some injector cleaner, upper cylinder lubricant, or a cup of 2 stroke oil in the gas and let it rip. I have a 2013 camry and let it rip 5k on it daily

 

[dogememe]

Well, when I had my 77 Suburban 3/4ton with a 3-speed auto... it didn't have a tach but I regularly drove it faster than it should have gone with that 350 screaming at who knows what RPM. The speedometer was pegged.

Alternately, I (theoretically, on private property, in Mexico, if you know what I mean, haha) have had my four-cylinder Escape at about 100 (up a hill with my foot on the floor for about 30 mins. The grade wasn't so steep but it was steep enough it couldn't even manage its 105-ish top speed. On a super hot 100+ day with the AC on.

 

[UncleDave]

In my boats

- I ran my 406/6.6L at 5500 RM for an hour between Havasu Springs and Laughlin Nevada.
I ran my 505 CI/8.3L V10 ilmor 710 at 5200 for half an hour from Marina Del Rey to Avalon bay Catalina.

Skip to 1:25 and watch for a bit to get an idea of the sustained output. 3:13 to 4: 30 is another short burst.

We were prop testing that day.

 

[Cdn17Sport6MT]

I get concerned re ring ridge... When an engine is not regularly spun-up, the max travel of the pistons and specifically piston rings is not as high (or as low) along the respective cylinder bores
.. and when you DO spin it up, the rings can crack... when hitting the ridge. At least that's the theory. Not sure though that a moderately worn engine actually generates much of a ridge in any case...

 

[vavavroom]

I get concerned re ring ridge... When an engine is not regularly spun-up, the max travel of the pistons and specifically piston rings is not as high (or as low) along the respective cylinder bores
.. and when you DO spin it up, the rings can crack... when hitting the ridge. At least that's the theory. Not sure though that a moderately worn engine actually generates much of a ridge in any case...

This used to be a problem with granny-driven cars that ended up in some boy racers' hands. The rods stretch at high RPM's and if there's a ridge from only low RPM driving then that would cause destruction. On modern engines cylinder wear is minimal. You can see cross hatching still after 100k or more miles. I doubt (m)any modern engines will develop a ridge in the cylinder wall if driven remotely reasonably.

 

[Nick1994]

I had a 97’ Camry and drove it to Montana, it saw some long mountain passes floored.

I swear, after that 1 week 3,000 mile road trip, it had more power.

 

[02SE]

I found the rev-limiter in 6th.

 

[Shel_B]

I found the rev-limiter in 6th.

Where is that road!?

 

[ls1mike]

Laughs in 1989 GMC Sierra 1 ton. 454, 4.10 gears, 3 speed non lock up converter. 60 was 3200 RPM.
Towing lookout pass 4200 RPM (which was about it for the big block) on the floor towing a 1995 Fleetwood Prowler 5th wheel. 10 miles at 40 mph and Vantage in 102ish degree heat. 11 miles of 4 to 7 percent grades 4200 RPM to go about 45 mph. When I got rid of that truck it had 180,000 miles on it. A lot of it towing as the previous owner full time RVed with it.

Truck preformed the same no matter what you did to it.

 

[Accent Abuser]

Unfortunately I can't stay above 3500 rpm for long as the engine will happily push past 100mph. I'm constantly banging off the redline (7000 rpm) on the highway when passing or merging however. Engine doesn't even care. I think one time I was going down a steep hill and my brakes were getting pretty worn so I gave them some help by engine braking in manual mode, that held it at about 4500 rpm for around 30 seconds.

So long as the oil is full and in good shape, the engine is fully warmed up, and there is no preexisting mechanical problem you should be fine revving it to the moon and back.

 

[Jetronic]

I was thinking about those "Italian Tuneups" and giving the ol' Camry a high rpm run tomorrow as I've a long trip to make on some wide-open, low-traveled roads. What have you done in this regard, and have you noticed any improvements in performance when done exercising your "steed?"

The best I've ever done was about 3,500rpm in top gear (abt 100mph) for a few minutes.

45 minutes wide open, over 6000 rpm in 5th. Ran out of road then. In a car.

A couple minutes at 12000 rpm on a bike.

 

[Snagglefoot]

I’ve towed a 7,000 lb trailer on the TransCanada highway at 3500 rpm for 8 hours with a Chevy 6.0. Over 220,000 miles on that engine now. I used 5w30 synthetic oil at that time. That’s a piece of cake for that LS engine.

 

[Trav]

7-12K rpm for 5 hours at night only stopping for gas and a smoke every 250 km, most cruising at 7500-8000 (200-220 kmh) on my CBR 1100XX.
I drove my 200D W123 the same route foot to the floor the whole distance many times. Never any issues.

 

[4WD]

I’ve towed a 7,000 lb trailer on the TransCanada highway at 3500 rpm for 8 hours with a Chevy 6.0. Over 220,000 miles on that engine now. I used 5w30 synthetic oil at that time. That’s a piece of cake for that LS engine.

Perspectives are amazing … I could hear a guy at work … “Honey - you hear that engine screaming” … as he proceeds to tell her they have this awesome DMax Denali 4WD on the lot and it will sell quickly

 

[4WD]

Laughs in 1989 GMC Sierra 1 ton. 454, 4.10 gears, 3 speed non lock up converter. 60 was 3200 RPM.
Towing lookout pass 4200 RPM (which was about it for the big block) on the floor towing a 1995 Fleetwood Prowler 5th wheel. 10 miles at 40 mph and Vantage in 102ish degree heat. 11 miles of 4 to 7 percent grades 4200 RPM to go about 45 mph. When I got rid of that truck it had 180,000 miles on it. A lot of it towing as the previous owner full time RVed with it.

Truck preformed the same no matter what you did to it.

My friend towed a big sea cat with those … cubes = torque and not much else. It would cook any ATF but
Mobil 1 synthetic … Back then, half my check to split the gas for that boat and 454

 

[DriveHard]

I sat around the 5000 rpm mark for nearly 700 miles on the Guzzi just two days ago. She ran smooth as could be, and could push more...returning 50 mpg on two tanks.

Then as @UncleDave stated, I run my boat at full throttle for up to 45-60 minutes at a time.

But to answer your question...
I do a high RPM cycle on my cars twice a year. I find it funny you guys are talking about exceeding the speed limit, but really with any modern car you can select the gear you want to run in. I would fix the car in a gear that was pretty much the speed limit, and run between 1000-1500 rpm below redline. I would do this for about 10 miles. Then for a mile, I would go full throttle to redline, then fully off the pedal to create high vacuum conditions until I was about 2000 rpm below redline. Repeat that cycle for a mile or so. Then click it back to top gear and let it cool down for 10 miles or so. I've never had an engine that burned oil (leaked yes) in my nearly 30 years of operating road going vehicles.

 

[Passport1]

the ECU adjusting your engine into limp mode

As an older fellow I find that term amusing.