How often do you redline your Z? Is it bad for the car?

Mike · 05-24-2014, 08:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by scionide

Redline it away, just don't accidentally go from 3rd down to 2nd while you're redlining =P

On my supercharged 350z, at the drag strip I misshifted the 3-4 into a 3-2 at redline. the tach needle swung all the way around to the 6 oclock position momentarily before I got the clutch back in. Fortunately no damage.

djtodd · 05-24-2014, 10:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mike

On my supercharged 350z, at the drag strip I misshifted the 3-4 into a 3-2 at redline. the tach needle swung all the way around to the 6 oclock position momentarily before I got the clutch back in. Fortunately no damage.

Pucker moment lol

Limeybastard · 05-24-2014, 11:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mike

if redlining it hurt the car, Nissan would have put the redline lower. Mine is reset to 8200 and I shift at the limiter 90% of the time. I have over 16000 track miles on it doing that.

Is 8200 RPM the default value?

JARblue · 05-25-2014, 03:59 AM

No. The stock limiter is set at 7500 RPM.

Jordo! · 05-25-2014, 04:28 AM

You can't beat entropy... all mechanical systems will fail...

An engine's "redline" is essentially the maximum RPM in a given gear where peak torque and power have been surpassed, and now the engine is producing less useful work and and more heat, further contributing to (eventual) mechanical failure.

Running any engine at or beyond redline for long periods of time can kill it in short order -- consider the planned teardowns for dedicated racecars than run the car to its limits all the time.

But, you are not running the car for sustained periods into the red -- you are shifting at or below the (more or less empirically established) redline.

Pick any gear and drive all the time past the line, well into the red for sustained periods, and you will kill the engine; on a related note, run the RPM's high enough (well beyond redline), and you'll break the oil pump.

On that note, if you shift the car at redline frequently, while it will put more wear and tear than never running it hard at all, it would also be a lot less fun if you never ran it up to its limitl. In other words, stop at the limit, don't hang at it for a while or go beyond it.

Will a "babied" car last longer? Sure. Likewise, a machine that never runs also won't break, but it won't produce any any useful work either.

On a well maintained modern engine, you might see well over 250K miles on it; on one that is run hard, but not beyond the established boundaries, maybe 150K.

You'll probably buy a new car before that anyway.

So, in short, beat on the car as you like (within the limits with which it can be logically beaten), do the regular maintenance, and you should be fine.

Limeybastard · 05-25-2014, 11:11 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JARblue

No. The stock limiter is set at 7500 RPM.

Thanks, I went in car and it was set to 7500. I brought it down to 7000

falconfixer · 05-25-2014, 11:39 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Limeybastard

Thanks, I went in car and it was set to 7500. I brought it down to 7000

You brought the shift light down to 7000. You'll still bang it off the limiter at 7500.

Jordo! · 05-25-2014, 12:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Limeybastard

Thanks, I went in car and it was set to 7500. I brought it down to 7000

Quote:

Originally Posted by falconfixer

You brought the shift light down to 7000. You'll still bang it off the limiter at 7500.

^^^ This

I have mine set to 7.8K.

I'll take it on faith that those revving to 8K or a bit higher are not risking the oil pump, but 7.5 is certainly fine.

phunk · 05-25-2014, 05:13 PM

I bang into and bounce off the rev limiter 20+ times a day.

Minato · 05-25-2014, 05:37 PM

I redline after I startup to get the oil flowing and get everything up to operating temp quickly to reduce engine wear.

TheBoomSpoon · 05-25-2014, 05:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Minato

I redline after I startup to get the oil flowing and get everything up to operating temp quickly to reduce engine wear.

I needed a good laugh, thx

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I747 using Tapatalk

MacLean · 05-26-2014, 02:20 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Minato

I redline after I startup to get the oil flowing and get everything up to operating temp quickly to reduce engine wear.

Psch...... I do the same, but in reverse. In takes maybe 2 minutes & I'm good.

Limeybastard · 05-28-2014, 09:52 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by falconfixer

You brought the shift light down to 7000. You'll still bang it off the limiter at 7500.

Indeed, was aware of that bit LOL.

L33T Z34 · 05-29-2014, 02:40 AM

L0L! When u chirp 5th, its hard n0+ 2 do! L0L!

ElVee · 05-29-2014, 10:50 AM

I don't redline it every day, but I also don't ever shy away from it. I bought the car, I'll enjoy it and the sound it makes. Every few days off a stoplight on a 50+ road I'll tease the limiter a couple times.

It's relatively hard to do damage to our stock 7AT, if not actually impossible without attempting to shift into Reverse or Park while moving. We're probably all going to be more at the mercy of random engine issues or general unavoidable age than we are from issues directly related to beating our 7AT around.

05-25-2014, 03:59 AM	#34 (permalink)
JARblue A True Z Fanatic Join Date: Mar 2011 Location: Austin, TX Age: 43 Posts: 36,450 Drives: 11 Z34, 98 E36 M3 Rep Power: 2684440	No. The stock limiter is set at 7500 RPM. Limeybastard likes this. __________________ 2011 370Z 6MT Sport Gun Metallic \| ARC \| CJM \| Ecutek \| FI \| Fujimura \| R2C \| SPL \| Stillen \| TWM \| Z1 \| ZSpeed \|

05-25-2014, 04:28 AM	#35 (permalink)
Jordo! A True Z Fanatic Join Date: May 2010 Location: nirvana Posts: 6,394 Drives: 2023 NATM Rep Power: 418	You can't beat entropy... all mechanical systems will fail... An engine's "redline" is essentially the maximum RPM in a given gear where peak torque and power have been surpassed, and now the engine is producing less useful work and and more heat, further contributing to (eventual) mechanical failure. Running any engine at or beyond redline for long periods of time can kill it in short order -- consider the planned teardowns for dedicated racecars than run the car to its limits all the time. But, you are not running the car for sustained periods into the red -- you are shifting at or below the (more or less empirically established) redline. Pick any gear and drive all the time past the line, well into the red for sustained periods, and you will kill the engine; on a related note, run the RPM's high enough (well beyond redline), and you'll break the oil pump. On that note, if you shift the car at redline frequently, while it will put more wear and tear than never running it hard at all, it would also be a lot less fun if you never ran it up to its limitl. In other words, stop at the limit, don't hang at it for a while or go beyond it. Will a "babied" car last longer? Sure. Likewise, a machine that never runs also won't break, but it won't produce any any useful work either. On a well maintained modern engine, you might see well over 250K miles on it; on one that is run hard, but not beyond the established boundaries, maybe 150K. You'll probably buy a new car before that anyway. So, in short, beat on the car as you like (within the limits with which it can be logically beaten), do the regular maintenance, and you should be fine. eastwest2300, SouthArk370Z, Hotrodz and 3 others like this. __________________ Enjoy it. Destroy it. Last edited by Jordo!; 05-25-2014 at 04:34 AM.

05-25-2014, 05:13 PM	#39 (permalink)
phunk A True Z Fanatic Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Chicago Posts: 3,668 Drives: 370 Rep Power: 974723	I bang into and bounce off the rev limiter 20+ times a day. JARblue, GaleForce, falconfixer and 3 others like this. __________________ Charles @ CJ Motorsports : Website \| Facebook \| Instagram \| YouTube Home of the 9 second, stock longblock, stock drivetrain 6MT 370z. 9.91 @ 142mph

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05-25-2014, 05:37 PM	#40 (permalink)
Minato Base Member Join Date: May 2013 Location: Ft Collins Posts: 107 Drives: 11 370Z M6 Sports Rep Power: 0	I redline after I startup to get the oil flowing and get everything up to operating temp quickly to reduce engine wear.

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05-29-2014, 10:50 AM	#45 (permalink)
ElVee Track Member Join Date: Mar 2013 Location: Iowa Posts: 750 Drives: 13 370z 7at t+s grey Rep Power: 16	I don't redline it every day, but I also don't ever shy away from it. I bought the car, I'll enjoy it and the sound it makes. Every few days off a stoplight on a 50+ road I'll tease the limiter a couple times. It's relatively hard to do damage to our stock 7AT, if not actually impossible without attempting to shift into Reverse or Park while moving. We're probably all going to be more at the mercy of random engine issues or general unavoidable age than we are from issues directly related to beating our 7AT around.