Fun thread - what's the highest RPM's you've

[Ramblin Fever]

ever taken or felt comfortable taking your engine too?

Curious to see what these engines can really do with hearing from others.

I know for a fact I've had mine up to 4,500 rpm's several times, but only when climbing steep grades or pulling the boat. Have never hit or gone over 5k rpm's; and it's normal range is only to 3k rpm's on a daily basis, very very rarely even hitting 3,500 in town.

Now I know for a fact, on my old 3.1L GM Rodeo with 145hp; I'm sure we hit 5k rpm's climbing mountain passes.

Tell me your secrets.

[rodeo02]

Hehee.. I dont remember if I bounced my 2002 off the rev limiter, but I know I did on my SIL's 2003 3.2L 5spd while winding it thru the gears... That baby honked pretty good. Had to for the sake of experimentation. It's near impossible to wreck a modern (stock) engine by over-revving it thanks to rev limiters that either pull spark, fuel or both. The atlas 4.2L in my trailblazer is pretty well protected. It wont rev past 3K in park.

Joel

[surferfletch]

I don't know what the highest I've revved this engine to, but I can tell you when I've done it: trying to pass at fairly high speed on SR 70 heading to the other side of FL. It feels as though the auto tranny downshifts to first when you punch it at highway speed. One of the reasons I prefer stick to auto. It's just not cool winding it out trying to get past someone!

Add: And although I backed off the accelerator, I never felt I was going to damage internals.

[Ramblin Fever]

Originally Posted by surferfletch

One of the reasons I prefer stick to auto. It's just not cool winding it out trying to get past someone!

Add: And although I backed off the accelerator, I never felt I was going to damage internals.

Same here; I still prefer stick to auto. When it comes time to replace this particular rig, I think it'll be a stick, cause it'll most likely have the bigger engine over the '04 Tacoma, and thus will get the family hauling mountain duties.

Agree, when I have backed off, during those times it was for sake of the transmission more so then the engine.

[sollybro]

I live at 1000 feet above sea level, in Hawaii, and I work at sea level. The climb up is, at times, a 15% grade, and people here fly up hill at 55-60MPH.

Well, i CONSISTENTLY am at 4,000 RPM from about 400ft up to my place at 1000ft.

The first 112K miles on this rig were in Wisconsin and Illinois on razor flat roads doing 60MPH.

Does "POWER MODE" help the tranny, or hurt it on my drive up?

Thanks.

~B

[Ramblin Fever]

Originally Posted by sollybro

Does "POWER MODE" help the tranny, or hurt it on my drive up?

Thanks.

~B

Power mode definitely HELPS the tranny on a grade. In fact, push the power mode BEFORE you start to climb, it'll kick in the second it feels it's needed.

When ever I head to the highcountry - 9k-12k feet, I push the Power mode about 1/4 mile BEFORE the first climb, and it stays on the whole time we're in the mountains.

However, if you use power mode, make sure your gear is in DRIVE - OR, if you just have it in DRIVE w/o power mode and your speed drops below 50mph, you CAN shift down to 3rd.

Either way will work, but do NOT go over 55mph in 3rd gear; NOR do I recommend gearing down to 3rd WITH the power mode on - this makes the truck work way too hard, you don't need this at only 1k feet, unless your hauling a heavy trailer.

I have only twice ever used 3rd gear WITH the power mode & that was pulling a heavy trailer at 11k feet with 5 people & 2 big dogs in the truck.

Most important thing, is to make sure after work, that you're driving that truck at least a mile or two on FLAT surface before the big climb - let that transmission circulate and warm up it's fluid a bit before putting it under pressure.

Make sure your air filter is kept clean, so the truck breaths better, and make sure to change your ATF fluid every 15k miles, if you do partial fluid swaps; if you do flushes, do it every 25k miles with your type of driving.

[rodeo02]

Originally Posted by Ramblin Fever

Power mode definitely HELPS the tranny on a grade...

Well.. maybe. All power mode does on the 4L30E is stretch out the gear changes a bit, so the shift points are at higher RPM. I dont know if it boosts line pressure at all, but it might. For a long stretch of inline it wont matter as the trans will not hunt much. Rolling hills + power mode is a good thing. My trailblazer is geared so freaking high (3.42 gears as opposed to the rodeo's 4.10's) that I leave it in 3rd for rolling hills.

Joel

[VinceH]

I've put mine just over 6500rpm, usually once a month when we drive from Seattle to Yakima. Its really impressive, the engine gears down and its almost like there is built up anger in the engine, It goes and sounds like big V8. I have noticed that the truck really likes it just above 4500rmp. That seems to be the power band, it really likes to accelerate and throw you into your seats. I have also had it at 115mph! Handles well........

[amigo-2k]

Automatic: If I put it to the floor with the power button on it will take it to about 500 rpm before redline when it shifts.