Wouldn't do it too often...but it is there for a reason...to prevent the damage your worried about. So don't worry.

 

HopkintonMA is correct; the rev limiter only works when up-shifting.

Hitting the wrong gear down-shifting (like 5th to 2nd, when you ment 4th) at a high rate of speed, say 85 mph, and you're looking at an engine rebuild.

 

[QUOTE]Originally posted by NJHB
[B]How do you run agaist the rev limiter?

 

i hit the rev limiter pretty regularly... (maybe every other day or so). most often in first gear- i find that i am so focused on the road that i often glance down at the tach too late-
i assume that its not much different than just taking your foot off of the gas at high rpms...

 

If you are not hitting the rev limiter regularly, you are not having enough fun. I expect to ping it nearly every time I go full blast. I would probably only sit on it at an autox to avoid going into 3rd gear.

For practice, find a convenient on ramp; accelerate briskly into second gear, and attempt to go a legal 65 in 2nd. You will find yourself bouncing against the limiter at about 62.
Become comfortable here, and you will approach enlightenment.

The rev limiter is your friend, not an enemy to be feared.

(Mind you, I also spend a lot of time at 30 mph in 6th, working on gas milage in traffic).

-dB

 

You have to accelerate slowly in 2nd in order to hit 65.

 

Yeah, I hit the limiter a few times on the longer curves in the mountains near here. I never thought I was harming the engine. There was no "brick wall", either. It just didn't go any faster. I'd back off a couple hundred revs to keep the electronics happy, and motor on. I talked to a guy who had a '00 with 15K+ miles, all sorts of mods, and NEVER hit the limiter, never drove it HARD, and obviously never experienced PURE BLISS. I may only have 1425 miles on my '01, but they are all SERIOUS FUN miles.

 

Actually even tho the rev limiter is there to protect the engine, the way its implemented is fundamentally flawed. The rev limiter should work by cutting spark on the engine. But honda implements the revlimiter by cutting fuel. This creates a lean situation that is unhealthy for any engine but especially those that are boosted. I wish honda would have used the spark-cut method. MSD ignition kits can perform that kind of rev cut.

 

[QUOTE]Originally posted by dbrower
[B]If you are not hitting the rev limiter regularly, you are not having enough fun.