Think I hit the Rev Limiter 2.3 DOHC Duratec

[TallPaul]

Took first gear out to 6000 rpm today, which is the higest reading on the factory tach. Just before I shifted it felt like the power cut out.

Also, does anyone know the redline on this engine: 2001 Duratec 2.3L DOHC 16-Valve 4-banger.

 

[greystone]

Wouldn't worry. The factory rev limiter is well below the redline.

 

[morris]

is it possibly the gauge showed a higher RPM than the engine really hit?

 

[01rangerxl]

No worries, it's impossible to do damage this way on the OBD II ones.

Redline should be about 6250 RPM for the 2.3 (Lima and Duratec), 2.5, and 3.0. It was lower for the OHV 4.0, and I can't remember what it was on the SOHC 4.0. I think my 1995 OHV Explorer was around 5000 RPM...I remember it had an actual red area on the tach whereas most Rangers do not.

One time in high school, I had my 2001 2.5L manual on a patch of ice in an empty parking lot. I dumped the clutch to see what would happen. The engine screamed up to 6250 and was bouncing off the limiter. Never had any problems as a result. This truck saw the 97 MPH speed limiter more than a couple times too.

One of my friends did have a pre-OBDII 1993 2.3L manual that apparently did not have a rev limiter. This truck's valves floated at least once...which happens at 7000+ RPM on the Lima. Again, no problems.

I can't seem to hit the rev limiter in my automatic truck. Sometimes it will shift as high as 5500-6000 RPM if you really get on it, but it won't go past that and actually hit the rev limiter without shifting first. It's pretty easy to do on the manual transmission trucks.

 

[tommygunn]

Won't cause any damage but don't make it a hobby, lol

 

[Artem]

Originally Posted By: tommygunn
Won't cause any damage but don't make it a hobby, lol


Why not? I constantly bounced off the rev limited in my 2007 Civic Si for 115,000 miles and the block was perfectly fine. The car was also tuned and was revving to 8,800rpm daily (the factory redline is @ 8,000rpm)

I also follow the same practice with my wife's Scion tC. almost 100k on that engine as well and it hasn't blown up.

Originally Posted By: greystone
Wouldn't worry. The factory rev limiter is well below the redline.


You worded that terribly. The factory rev limit IS the redline on the tach.

That being said, the engine has actually rev much higher then the factory SAFE rev limit. The rev limit is there for a reason.

 

[simple_gifts]

An annoying property of this engine is that when you back off the throttle at very high rpms (>4000) the ECM doesn't not slow the engine down at the rate you would expect. The rate of RPM reduction is very slow, and is somewhat disconcerting.

This is my experience with my 2006 and I've seen posts about it on another forum.

 

[TallPaul]

I would think the tach is pretty accurate. I occasionally run it up to nearly 6000 in first gear for fun. Today I kept my foot into it right to 6000, perhaps it went a tad past. I just remember shifting when I saw 6000 and felt the power drop just before I disengaged the clutch. I'll say this much, it was a blast hitting second gear, really lurched that truck good, better than ever before. My son was with me and said we were going about 40 mph when I shifted, we figured it went into second gear at about 3500 rpm, which is a very good place to go in if you want to be quick.

I guess I am not so much worried, just want confirmation that is the rev limiter, and as for redline, assume it is at least 6000 since the tach does not show one.

Now the Aerostar (1992) has the old Vulcan 3.0 pushrod engine and an auto tranny. I have many times matted the pedal in first gear and had that thing run up to 5700 rpm.

 

[dave1251]

I would not worry I have to almost red-line the 2.0 in wife's Focus merging onto the freeway. Often I have to go from 10to75MPH in the length of the ramp. But I do recommend letting the engine warm up before attempting.

 

[SwampSurvivor]

The 2.0 duratec redlines at 6500 according to the tach. Never had it above 5000 ... never had a need to.

My XJ is limited to 4500 with the auto trans. Gotta say, the 4.0 at 4500RPM is a cool sound!

 

[mpvue]

awesome. all 4bangers should be run to redline.

I remember years ago I bought a used '86 GTI from a really OCD anal-retentive guy.
after the test drive, I said 'I think I hit the limiter?, it cut out (I never had a car with a rev limiter before)
he's like 'WHAT?!?!!! I've NEVER done that!!!!'

he wasn't really enjoying the car

I bought it and redlined it regularly after that...

 

[TallPaul]

Originally Posted By: Miller88
The 2.0 duratec redlines at 6500 according to the tach. Never had it above 5000 ... never had a need to.
Oh man, I'd be itching to run it up to at least 6000 every now and then.

 

[sciphi]

No worries. I've bounced both of our cars off the rev limiter before. Although both of them make zero power up that high, so there's not much point.

The AT in the Fit will let the engine bounce off the rev limiter until the cows come home when in Sport mode and using the paddle shifters (yes, our $18k autotragic econobox has paddle shifters from the factory). It doesn't force a shift, just does its best impression of a manual. It's one of the best AT's I've driven, when one knows how to operate it.

 

[SLCraig]

There is zero problems hitting the rev limiter. I am living proof. My 96 Saturn was one of my favorite cars to drive on my work commute and I hit the rev limiter countless times passing on secondary highways in that car, never once had any trouble with the engine. Oil consumption got better as time went on in my ownership. It's also good for the exhaust system to see some spirited driving periodically. Rev limiters are conservative and they are there to prevent any damage.

 

[BrianWC]

I regularly hit the rev limit in my Si and even in my Fit before it. The new Si even has something equivalent to sequential shift lights and I still sometimes bounce off the rev limiter b/c it just comes up so fast.

 

[TFB1]

Originally Posted By: 01rangerxl

One of my friends did have a pre-OBDII 1993 2.3L manual that apparently did not have a rev limiter. This truck's valves floated at least once...which happens at 7000+ RPM on the Lima. Again, no problems.



AFAIK all the OBD-I Fords hit fuel cutoff at 6250, my '87 2.3 Stang & 2.3 Turbo Birds could all hit it easily... Something like the lo-po 5.0 or even a stock HO 5.0 would barely rev to 6K due to valve float, don't remember ever hitting the fuel cut in one of those...

When I installed the freshly rebuilt Trick Flow headed 5.0 in my T-Bird, I bounced it off the 6250 limiter before I got a half mile from home... That sucker will rev quicker than the 2.3 Turbo engines...

 

[Vikas]

Some rev limiters are pretty violent i.e. very hard cut-off rather than the soft cut-off. 2000 Maxima is like that. It is easy to hit the cut-off if you are not watching in 1st or 2nd.

 

[lexus114]

Personally I really dont see any need to red line a motor. Like someone already mentioned, your not getting any more power up there anyway. So what`s the point? Am I missing something here?

 

[TallPaul]

This Duratec 2.3L seems to pull very strong right up to 6000. My 2.3 is rated 135 HP @ 5050 RPM and 153 lb-ft @ 3750 RPM, so you can see that coming into second gear at 3500 rpm is about as low as you would want to go for quick acceleration. Also with the power peak at 5050, there should be plenty of power up to 6000 before the power drops off.

My 4.9L inline six F150 never saw 4000 as the power band ended below that. Each engine is different.

This was the first time in my life I ever hit a rev limiter in my vehicle or while riding with someone else.

 

[mechtech2]

Originally Posted By: morris
is it possibly the gauge showed a higher RPM than the engine really hit?


Probably not.
But, the tach can read lower than real RPMs if you accelerate hard in first. There is a dampening/lag that can read 200 RPM or so low under those conditions.