Rev limiter: Did I hurt the stang?

[2002BLKGT]

So I'm driving home from work in Miami to my townhouse in Fort Lauderdale, and this 95 GT pulls up to my bumper. I drop it to 4th, at 75 mph and scoot up to about 85. This idiot does it again, so I do it again. I change lanes to let him pass since he seems to be in a hurry. He pulls ahead of me by about three car lengths and on comes the hazard lights. I ignored them at first, but he kept slowing down and speeding up, typical ricer that happens to be driving a stang. So, I get fed up with it and pull up next to him.

Here's where my issue comes into play. I dropped her from 5th to 3rd at around 72, and took her up to about 85-90, drop to fourth and took it to about 5500 rpm's or a bit higher, then to fifth. I blew his doors off and could barely see him in my rear view when I looked down I was doing around 120-130 so I slowed WAYYYY down. Stupid of me to take it that far, but you guys know what adrenaline can do.


Anyway, it sounded like the car didn't like the 5th to 3rd shift. I bounced off the rev limiter. My question is, could I have hurt something? Since the computer is stock, the rev limiter is intact, so am I paranoid? The car runs fine, no SES light, and no wierd sounds emitting from the engine bay, but I don't run her that hard usually.

- Jake

 

[JonJon]

I think if you don't do it often you're fine. I've bounced off once or twice by accident.

Does anyone know for sure if Ford can see if we hit the limiter? ie, black box logging.

 

[CatmanJJ]

If you don't hit the rev limiter your not tryin hard enough.

 

[WhiteStang98]

seeing as u have stock gears dropping it into 3rd from ~70mph shouldnt even hit the rev limiter but even if u did it really isnt a big deal...the only time hitting the rev limiter is real bad is if you blow through the limiter and over rev ie. redlining 3rd and accidentally missing 4th and putting it back into 2nd.....and one more word of advice, if your gonna down shift from a high gear try to rev match ie. put the clutch in rev to where you think the rpms will go up to on the downshift, then downshift...

Paul

 

[ggarriso]

Here is a strange little story that happened to me.. I was driving about the same speed as you, dropped it from 5th to 3rd just like you and all the sudden BANG my car SHUTS down.. Check Engine light comes on, power steering turns off.. Im coasting...

Pull over, turn the car on.. It hasnt happened since.. Took it into ford they said first.. no codes were read.. then they said they brought in the code "Specialist" and he found the overrev code..
punks..

 

[trinity_gt]

Here's where my issue comes into play. I dropped her from 5th to 3rd at around 72, and took her up to about 85-90, drop to fourth and took it to about 5500 rpm's or a bit higher, then to fifth. I blew his doors off and could barely see him in my rear view when I looked down I was doing around 120-130 so I slowed WAYYYY down. Stupid of me to take it that far, but you guys know what adrenaline can do.

Anyway, it sounded like the car didn't like the 5th to 3rd shift. I bounced off the rev limiter. My question is, could I have hurt something? Since the computer is stock, the rev limiter is intact, so am I paranoid? The car runs fine, no SES light, and no wierd sounds emitting from the engine bay, but I don't run her that hard usually.

- Jake

Here's the thing...the rev limiter in the PCM cannot do anything to protect the engine from being overspun by outside forces. That is, it can cut fuel if you put your foot to the floor and neutral to keep the engine from overspeeding but if you drive the engine at the flywheel by downshifting to too low a gear for the speed, the PCM rev limiter can't help you.

Now...if you downshift to 3rd and find the tach needle bent around the stop, you've likely run over a bunch of shiney parts already and you'd know the answer to your question before you asked it. If the downshift to 3rd resulted in the engine RPM near, but not at the fuel cut RPM, you're likely fine.

 

[GTblack_00]

If you've got a stock longblock then I would say its cool unless you dragged it up past 6500-7000revs

 

[GinoGT]

I've bounced off the limiter a couple of times, just don't let it sit there.

 

[2002BLGT]

Ive had my twisted up to the rev limiter several times from down gearing and from missing a gear , stupid 3650 , and havent had any problems

 

[downsouthman1]

My rev limiter's been too high to test ever since I had my Superchip installed. It's now above 7000 & I dare not ever exceed 6250-6500RPMs.

 

[jeff1414]

you car will be alright. I have done that a few times......

 

[hognutz]

I have hit my rev limiter too many times to count. Like someone said earlier if you hit it under power you should be fine. now if you overreved on a down**** that could be different I have never done that. I hit it in first sometimes just cause the car pull fast to the limiter. or if my tires break lose when I am not expecting it which has happened to me trying to pull out on wet pavement a few time. trying to get in front of a car and get on it a bit to hard.

 

[CatmanJJ]

My rev limiter's been too high to test ever since I had my Superchip installed. It's now above 7000 & I dare not ever exceed 6250-6500RPMs.

I noticed the same thing (I had the micro tuner not the chip), I tested it out on my GT and it went to 6500 rpms, after that I was pissed, didn't want to go any further, I wrote Superchips and they had no advice, my freind had the same tuner I had and his factory rev limiter was still working correctly.

 

[CatmanJJ]

u guys are worried about bumping your rev limiter...check out where Mustang92 launches from...

Stang vs Z06 (right-click save as)

 

[neoclasiccl]

u guys are worried about bumping your rev limiter...check out where Mustang92 launches from...

Stang vs Z06 (right-click save as)

Yep he launches while bouncing off the rev limiter

 

[GinoGT]

But that's because he's Bill. I'd probably blow my engine with my luck if I tried that.

 

[2002BLKGT]

Thanks....

Thanks for the replies guys. I wasn't too worried, but it never hurts to be cautious. Damn I need my gears, a chip, a tune, and a supercharger, oh and a C&L plenum and a Maf sensor, and wheels, and more suspension mods, and ..umm...I'm sure I'll think of something else!

Thanks again!

- Jake. ( The other white meat)

 

[FallenPhoenix]

I've heard that bouncing off the limiter too often can tear up your exhaust system. The guy was talking about a race car with full exhaust but I still think it could apply to a street car.

 

[jas142]

Thats what the rev limiter is in place for, a saftey check so you don't blow your motor. You'll be ok

 

[GinoGT]

I've heard that bouncing off the limiter too often can tear up your exhaust system. The guy was talking about a race car with full exhaust but I still think it could apply to a street car.

That doesn't make any sense, especially for a race car. A pure race car probably doesn't have any cats or mufflers, so it's just a bunch of pipes. Don't see where any problems could come up.