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How often should we run the car hard?

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Old Aug 4, 2002 | 03:51 AM
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From: Langley
How often should we run the car hard?

I hope its not a stupid question but latley i have been keeping my foot on the gas quite often, I love my rx7 so much dudes i was wondering if i would be doing any harm to running the car to redline in 2, 3, and 4 th gear, only at night time when the temp is cool, i was wondering if there is a guidline to how often to run the car hard to get rid of the carbon build up which can be detremintal to the rotaries health. Am i doing harm to the engine by taking the car to redline? all the time, i have been doing it latley. I basically drive the car only at nightime in the summer. Oh yeah the other thing i have noticed is that the exhaust is very hot, it like burns my the surface my skin if i go near it, I 'am assume its because i been running really rich because with my main cat i still here back fires at high rpm! what can i do to even out the air to fuel mixture? because all i have is a downpipe and a shitty catback exhaust.
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Old Aug 4, 2002 | 04:08 AM
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The RX7 has to run rich otherwise you will be rebuilding the engine if you lean it out. Do you have a O2 meter in your car? If you want to even out your richness all you have to do is add an intake. But once you have more than two modes done I suggest that you get your computer upgraded from Pettit, M2 or any other computer. As for your exhaust the rotory runs very hot so the exhaust will be very hot and thats normal. As far as running the car to redline; I feel that the RX7 is basically a race car and the rotory motor likes to be reved so running it to redline is fine. But just like anything if you use and abuse it then eventually something might break. So be carefull.
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Old Aug 4, 2002 | 05:44 PM
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Old Aug 4, 2002 | 05:58 PM
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I think it should be redlined at least twice a week. It keeps carbon from building up on the rotors.
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Old Aug 4, 2002 | 06:22 PM
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Originally posted by Swamp RX-7
I think it should be redlined at least twice a week. It keeps carbon from building up on the rotors.
on a daily driver car? or a pleasure car? because if you don't drive it many miles, you don't need to redline it twice a week, if it only goes out 2-3 times a week.
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Old Aug 4, 2002 | 06:52 PM
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On a daily driver car
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Old Aug 4, 2002 | 09:47 PM
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i agree with swamp 2-3 times a week on a daily driver is sufficent but some people like to have fun hehe
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Old Aug 4, 2002 | 09:52 PM
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I'd redline it a couple times a week, but at the very least try to spool up the secondary once a day after the engine is properly warmed up. Doesn't mean you have to redline it, just ride out 2nd to 6 or 7k once a day.
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Old Aug 4, 2002 | 09:53 PM
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Redline in 4th!!!! What highway are you driving on, the autobahn???
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Old Aug 4, 2002 | 11:27 PM
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once a week if you daily drive it, once a month if its a weekend car.
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Old Aug 4, 2002 | 11:35 PM
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Redline it every chance you get. Just make sure to allow proper warm up and shut down times....
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Old Aug 5, 2002 | 01:54 AM
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Answer: Every chance you get....

*DING*DING*DING*

We have a winner. The whole reason I got this car. Been nothing but fun so far (aside from expensive). Just be sure to remember the proper warming up and cooling down things and everything will be all good.

Just make sure also keep all your mods updated. Once you get a couple mods make sure to get your ECU updated, once you start adding high performance mods make sure that you keep enough fuel to the engine, and so on. Also always keep maintenence mods ahead of performance.

You cant push too much power out of a car if the baseline power isnt in tact. Work from the ground up, dont skip the fundamentals such as oil changes, clean filters, new hoses, etc. Make sure you have upgraded all of your stock parts to more durable ones, especially parts like air seperation tank, hoses, belts, and so on.

If all is well and you take care of your car. It will be a fully functional love and hate relationship. Love to drive, hate to fork up the dough, but it works out in the end.

Happy redlining.
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Old Aug 5, 2002 | 02:34 AM
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I would like to know if anyone has ever seen a car that blew an engine only because the engine wasn't driven hard. I hear a lot of people saying to redline every so often, but is not driving it hard actually detrimental?

For some reason, I don't think so.
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Old Aug 5, 2002 | 08:47 AM
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ok then.. I have a question, when I do run her hard I always shift at 7-7.5k. Is it ok if I nail 8k while womping on V8s? I am going to have a streetported motor with special 2 or 3mm seals. That is after I break her in also.. haha
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Old Aug 5, 2002 | 08:55 AM
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you know, just because our cars can scream a red-line all others dream of, doe not mean that you should hit it in a race against a v8. really though, have you seen dyno charts? if so, you should know that the power drops off drastically after 7200~rpm. shift earlier, and cleaner acceleration along with faster times will be seen....works for me...
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Old Aug 5, 2002 | 09:17 AM
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Originally posted by BrianK
I would like to know if anyone has ever seen a car that blew an engine only because the engine wasn't driven hard. I hear a lot of people saying to redline every so often, but is not driving it hard actually detrimental?

For some reason, I don't think so.
Yes, but also those are people who get tunable aftermarket ECU's and think they can tune it without a dyno and/or the proper tuning knowledge.

Most people that I've seen here that have blown apex seals are almost always running PFC, Haltechs, etc, the tunable ECU's. Most failures I've seen on stock ECU's are coolant seals which isn't necessarily going to happen from just redlining the car.
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Old Aug 5, 2002 | 09:30 AM
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Never seen an engine blow because of NOT redlining it. However, I've take apart engine that have CARBON LOCKED because they didn't redline it...which requires pulling the engine apart to fix
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Old Aug 5, 2002 | 09:41 AM
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Originally posted by R Xplicit
you know, just because our cars can scream a red-line all others dream of, doe not mean that you should hit it in a race against a v8. really though, have you seen dyno charts? if so, you should know that the power drops off drastically after 7200~rpm. shift earlier, and cleaner acceleration along with faster times will be seen....works for me...
ah thanks! You should see the V8s here in alabama.. tons of vettes (mostly Z06's, not many C5s.. weird eh?) lots or camaros (all models), and lots of WS6 Trans Am. Here all I can really race are domestics.. most i find are parked though

Is the power curve/drop different if im non-seq with race ported motor?
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Old Aug 5, 2002 | 11:12 AM
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rex need exerzise to run good and healty
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Old Aug 5, 2002 | 11:16 AM
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and lots of oil changes one every 2k-2.5k should be good.. 10k for fuel filter.. better to be early than late
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Old Aug 5, 2002 | 12:26 PM
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when i drive my car.. i rev my rpm to 5-6.5 RPM to make some firework for people following to close.... i don't drive hard at all though.
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Old Aug 5, 2002 | 04:32 PM
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rynberg's Avatar
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Originally posted by neoamd


ah thanks! You should see the V8s here in alabama.. tons of vettes (mostly Z06's, not many C5s.. weird eh?) lots or camaros (all models), and lots of WS6 Trans Am. Here all I can really race are domestics.. most i find are parked though

Is the power curve/drop different if im non-seq with race ported motor?
If you are street-ported, your power curve will extend higher in the rpm band. You will have to dyno to see when your power starts rolling off.

I agree with RXplicit, on a stock car, shifting at 7500 rpm makes the car accelerate faster. At least, it seems too. Of course, most mods tend to raise or extend the high-end power, so for most of us this is not true anymore.

EDIT: BTW, my car is a daily driver and I drive it pretty easy during the commute. Maybe 1 4000 rpm 3-4 lbs boost kick but other than that, pretty soft. I do go pleasure driving 2-3 times a week and I usually go WOT atleast a couple of times, sometimes redlining it (usually in 3rd, love those entrance ramps).
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Old Aug 5, 2002 | 04:43 PM
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Ah thanks man.

FstFD3SPOWER - sure you dont drive her hard..
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Old Aug 5, 2002 | 07:27 PM
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I just tab da gas
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