Hi Gang, I have a '78 308 GTS carb car. I have changed the timing belts with much reading from all of you. I did the tesioners at the same time and followed the tensioning in the GT4 shop manual on how to do this. The car is running fine but I am nervous. I was telling a friend the other day that I took it up to close to 7000rpm and it sounded so cool! He said I was crazy for taking a 28 year old car up that high. So I got to thinking.... Is it ok to rev the engine, even if it is this old? If not, what should I be concerned about or look into so that I can take it up this high while shifting. Any rpm guidance would be helpful. Thanks, RJay
If the T-belt and tensioner bearing are properly installed and everything is torque properly and assuming you have propper oil preassure and compresion is good without detonation you should be ok to take it up to 7k rpm under load. Mike
Assuming everything is in good order...why not? That is what these engines were designed to do. Nobody knows exactly when a certain part in the motor will fail. It may fail tomorrow or in 20k miles. I would much rather something break on my while I'm wringing it out than for it to break while putting around at 2500 rpm (tire failures are another story). "The best time to change a part, is the day before it fails"
I agree with the other responses. One quick note, I don't hesitate to take my '59 and '66 Abarth's with 4 cylinder engines to 8K whenever it is possible! Go for it and enjoy the "music". David
Engine wear is exponential... the more you rev it, the quicker it will wear and stress itself towards failure. However, if all is otherwise healthy, a 308 engine can rev to beyond 8000rpm regularly without worry. If you have points ignition, you should check them every ~1500 miles, if you rev it hard. Things like lower cam drive bearings and water pumps, can be provoked into early retirement if you start using an engine really hard, that has been used sedately for a long time previously.
Good advice all - that's what I was looking for...and definately what I was hoping to hear! I realize that the stresses go up exponentially and I don't want to stand on it all time, it's just,....well......so darned cool when she revs. She actually sounds like a Ferrari. Thanks, Rjay
Engines blow on overrun, not at redline (usually!). Be careful when you downshift at high revs to keep the revs up after the shift; maximum stress comes from sloppy downshifting. Other than that, you'll keep the motor cleaner by revving it out from time to time. City type stop and go kills these things over time. Ken
Agreed. There is one turn where i have tried upshifting to 4th to then go to the uphill or leaving her in 3rd and rev to nearly 8k, brake, then back on gas for the uphill. Until i can take more speed into the uphill, leaving her in 3rd for the downhill/brake/uphill is faster. For now the car is too slow if i take it to 4th for the uphill as i can not carry enough speed to get the rpm up high enough to have the grunt to get her uphill fast
