Adamrotor

This is a crazy idea but I dont know how many are aware of the true redline on the car as I heard and read on the forum its 12k. For safety they made it at 8,500rpm. So I am just repeating what I heard. But When I say true is what can we pull it to really now as how it is, people say 9k passed 9k and etc. Well yesterday I was driving and it was one of those days where I enjoy the car. So I was taking off and the needle didnt stop until it actually hit 10k well now I would of expect it to bounce at 9,500rpm at most but it didnt till 10k so is our rpm gauge go 10k or is it just my imagination playing tricks?

OR all we are doing is free spinning the engine, does the power cought off or not?

Tigster

From what I remember reading they could have had a little higher redline, but the flywheel and clutch can't spin much higher than 10K without alot more manufacturing costs. They also left a 9K redline for the engine life span. The rev limiter should kick in at about 9,500 rpm.

I am sure someone will correct me.

army_rx8

^^nope as far as i know you are correct :D

Tigster

Someone agrees with me for once... YAY! :D

Brice-RX8

Well I have said it before and will again, analog guages are nitorious for being off. Just because the tach it 10k, doesn't mean you are turning 10k probably more like the 9.5k fuel cutoff. I have hit 10k quite a few times, but the fuel cutoff is right there which leads me to believe my tach is off by a couple hundred rpm's up top. Very similar to the speedometer being off a couple mph.

Adamrotor

Thanks guys

legokcen

I know someone on the RX-7 forum that took his '79 RX-7 to 75 mph in second gear. That's about 11,500 rpm if you calculate it! They can go pretty high. The thing that gets them is the clutch/flywheel, but also, at that high of a speed, the eccentric shaft will begin to bend/wobble. At that point, you lose apex seals. If there was some way to put a bearing on the shaft in the middle of the two rotors to keep them and the shaft balanced, the limits of the engine would be how much fuel you could get in/out of it, and the limits of the metal for the seals/rotors. Alas, no way to make a bearing like that. I don't think anyway.

Brice-RX8

I have heard that at the upper rpm limits that the oil and coolant starts to foam and you have to lower the rpms for a while to get the foaming out. I would imagine this is true, but don't know for sure.

rotarygod

There are many things that can happen that high. You will have some warping of the eccentric shaft which may cause bearings to rub, and the rotors to physically contact the side housings. At speeds above 10,000 rpm, you are really risking a clutch or flywheel exploding and sending pieces through your engine bay, hood, floorboard, and your legs! There are ways to build an engine to handle these high rpms but the engine won't do it stock. At least not for very long. besides not being built to handle these rpm's, your ports aren't optimized for this use and neither is your intake or exhaust. You will lose power well below 12,000 rpm. It generally starts falling off after 8500 rpm. It is typically this that dictates the redline. There is no "true redline" as each engine is different. Also, hitting a very high rpm for a split second may not hurt the engine but holding it there may kill it. Sustained rpm's lower than that peak may kill it. This makes it even harder to find a "true redline".

Adamrotor

Well all I know is that the rotary is meant for hi rpm and thats where it gets most of its more and that what it likes for itself. But thanks guys for the heads up.