Andrew,

well my engine doesn't mind the higher rpm running. At 4500 rpm, its beyond
its torque peak and the hp peak, but it runs and runs and runs. I am not
running that high all the time, but I have when keeping up with fast free
way traffic (notably one hot September trip to San Diego, especially the run
from the grape vine down through LA where, surprisingly, the speed in the
HOV lane was bordering on scary)

I think 10 years of pushing a brick has shown that the old 1800 I4 I have is
quite a strong design.

For another opinion see Frank G's discussion here:

http://www.members.shaw.ca/albell/engine-rpm-swap.html

Alistair

on 7/4/04 10:47 am, Andrew Fox wrote:

>> Can you tell me the source of your statement "...NONE of these engines
>> are designed to run at very high rpm's (4500+) for long periods..."?
>
> Ok, let me clarify: they dont run that fast in the vehicles they were
> intended for.  For example in a Jetta with an I-4 you would be doing 100+
> mph at 4500 rpm.  The only time they realistically hit those rpms in the
> vehicles they were designed for is when you're shifting through the lower
> gears or going fast as hell.  So I can't say for sure that they were not
> designed for running at very high rpms for long periods but they just dont
> do that in the applications they were designed for.  I can't imagine why
> the engineers would have designed these engines to run very fast for long
> periods when they never have to do so in the vehicles they are designed
> for?  My guess is that these newer engines are just so darn bulletproof
> that they can take the beating though.
>
> Andrew