Max revs for a 1.9 DG?

[Chunksta]

Guys,

Being very new to the flat four, I'm always concerned about overdoing it in the ol girl. Someone said to me the other day that you shouldn't rev over 3000 rpm else you'll blow the sides out.

Were they pulling my leg??

Doesn't say anything in the handbook about that? Am I being a numpty?

[DuaneEddy]

If you look at the speedo - there are little red lines on it to (recommend) - tell you when to change gear.
Mine is fitted with a rev limiting distributor rotor - I have only had it cut in once - i think it is about 5400 rpm

[CJH]

That's a good question - I've been wondering the same thing.

I've got a DG with a 4-speed gearbox, and according to this table it will be doing 3500rpm at 65mph (with standard wheels and tyres). Mine sits happily at this speed, and would go faster, but it does sound rather loud beyond that. I was surprised when I found out that even 70mph would be less than 3800rpm - that's not high high revs by modern petrol engine standards I think. The rev limiter in the rotor arm is set to 5400rpm - if it would get there that would be 100mph in top gear!

[Aidan]

anywhere between 2 and 4 thousand is fine, they'll rev to 5400 but you'll never rev it that far, it does sound busy at 3500

[pionte]

Ive always raised eye brows when I comment that mine is happier sitting at 80 mph ( sat nav verified ) on the motorways , as this is considered to be revving the engine to high, I dont have a rev counter but always estimated the revs to be between 4-4.5 k rpm. well within the safe working speed of the engine.

I have 25 years plus experience in the Motor trade and have driven most things, its quite easy to get a 'feel' for a vehicle and and what revs the engine is happy at... get 2 identical vans and they may well feel different, a lot of it comes down to how they where run in right back at the beginning. There are 2 different schools of thought about this, some say gently gently , where others say build it up to full revs quite quickly.

Everyone knows their van better than anyone else.... so listen to how yours sounds and feels, it will let you know if its not happy. 5400 rpm is the safe max speed , it was designed to be able to do this. My motor bike would rev to 15000 rpm but I wouldnt keep it there all day long just as I wouldnt hold 5400 rpm in the van for long, if ever ... there is bugger all power up that high so no point.

[CJH]

This chart was in a brochure I found amongst the paperwork with my van.

They didn't bother to show the figures beyond 5000rpm, but interestingly the maximum power is reached at around 4700rpm, which would correspond to around 87mph in top. The torque has tailed right off by then though.

At 65mph (3500rpm) it's making 50kW (~68bhp, 88% of its peak) and 135Nm (~100lb.ft, 96% of its peak).

Note that the blurb says it "can be driven at 81mph and over when necessary". Must have been translated from the original German - they'd never be allowed to say that in the UK nowadays!

[pionte]

great post CJH

That explains why mine feels happiest at the higher speed, needing less throttle , as soon as I drop below 70 mph I have to almost floor the throttle to maintain speed.

[Chunksta]

Brilliant post CJH

Thanks guys, great to hear peoples perspective on how you load up or rev the engine. This aspect always worries me. Expensive if she goes bang!

Only had her 9 months and do respect her.

Interesting to hear these engines can run high and reach 80 odd too.

[CovKid]

Interesting subject this. Anyone who has heard my Caravelle fly past them will know that I rev it quite a bit - in fact a LOT. I think theres something to be said for how its been driven from new as that seems to dictate a fair bit. When I bought mine it had a very young engine in it and I swapped the stock silencer for a Kawasaki one and removed the rev limiter. It seems to love it and never complains. Sounds like a Ferrari and really shifts when its warm.

Theres also a lot to be said for how you were taught to drive. Nowadays few instructors seem to bother teaching drivers how to change down but I much prefer the "right gear at all times" philosophy and I'm amazed at how often I leave hatchbacks standing by nifty gear changes and staying in one gear that little bit longer. Its a case of finding the sweet spot I think. Today I moved up to 195 70 15 tyres and its sorted my previously pointless 1st gear and helped in top gear too - seems to match the box better.

That said, it'll eat petrol driving like that all the time so perhaps this is all academic anyway.

[Oldjets]

I've always thought mine sounds happiest stopped, with the kettle on.

[AdrianC]

Someone said to me the other day that you shouldn't rev over 3000 rpm else you'll blow the sides out.

Were they pulling my leg??

That's one way to put it...

The tacho on our DJ has a solid green area between 2k & 4k, then hatched green to 4400. The hatched red area starts at 5200 to 5400, then solid red. Driving it, I try not to let it drop much below 2k - it just doesn't really feel happy below.