I have no Tach in my car so I can't really tell when I'm reaching the red line.

 

I wonder I anyone can tell me how fast I dare do in each gear?

 

1979 EA71 with 5speed manual. No mods.

 

Cheers.

 

Dirk.

If you're trying to push the limits, you should invest in an aftermarket tach setup so you know for sure. Otherwise, it's been my experience with the myriad of older cars that I've owned that the engine is screaming and the body is shaking, and the stick is vibrating, long before red-line.

if you are stuck and wheels a spinning, your speedo shows pegged but you can be at redline, so speed is not an indicator sometimes.

Good point, my statement referred to regular driving down the street, not wheeling or stuck in the mud or anything like that.

No cam belt, nothing to worry.

Just pedal to the floor as long as you like until the rev could not raise anymore, that is what I drive my EA71.

No cam belt, nothing to worry.

Just pedal to the floor as long as you like until the rev could not raise anymore, that is what I drive my EA71.

 

Thats not far from the truth for me too. About 50mph in second, 65mph in Third and 80mph in fourth.

 

Does this sound about right?

"Just pedal to the floor as long as you like until the rev could not raise anymore, that is what I drive my EA71.:grin:"

 

Come on, what's it turn? Those pushrods should turn 5000 rpm, huh?

 

Doug

If Wikipedia is to be believed then max horse power (67bhp) is at 5200rpm. (68bhp at 4800rpm for later models)

 

But I'm not sure what this means. Presumably max rpm would be higher than this?

Max Rpm would be higher but that doesn't mean your getting the most power at the max rpm.

"Max Rpm would be higher but that doesn't mean your getting the most power at the max rpm."

 

But...one reason to over rev the cams a little is for the shift recovery point. To recover in the next gear at peak torque if you can.

 

Doug

Install an aftermarket tach ASAP

ok here is what you do.

 

-warm up the engine.

 

-press the throttle.

 

-keep pressing it until the motor doesn't rev any higher.

 

this is valve float. don't ever do this again.

 

if you are anywhere near there then you're reving to much. redline is about 6k on these engines. you're nutty putty to go near there though. I did and now the motor is pooched.

Damn, the 5 speeds are so much better.

 

In my 80 Brat 4 speed its 3500 (give or take) for 55 MPH and 3900 for 60 or so. I dont ever go past about 62 or 63 as I am really leaning into the throttle, but I can get pretty good gas mileage at 55.

 

I took my Engine up to 5,100 RPMs in second gear after I installed my tach... it likes to crap out at around 4,400, I figure the valves are probably floating at 5,000 as my engine is pretty old...

 

-Daniel

Damn, the 5 speeds are so much better.

 

In my 80 Brat 4 speed its 3500 (give or take) for 55 MPH and 3900 for 60 or so. I dont ever go past about 62 or 63 as I am really leaning into the throttle, but I can get pretty good gas mileage at 55.

 

I took my Engine up to 5,100 RPMs in second gear after I installed my tach... it likes to crap out at around 4,400, I figure the valves are probably floating at 5,000 as my engine is pretty old...

 

-Daniel

 

that sounds wrong. there is a tuning issue with you engine. it's not valve float.

 

my old engine wouldn't hit valve float until over 7k rpm. (yes i did it. and yes the engine is blown. but not because of that specific instance)

 

tune your carb and adjust your valve lash.

This is where I sit on the highway. This was on one of my many weekly trips across Michigan last year. I didn't keep it at 75 or so the whole way, but the tach wasn't too high, and I got better than 30 MPG the whole time. This is in an ALL original 1979 Brat, (4 speed of course)

 

 

 

You bloody legend! This is just the kind of info I was looking for. Plus I finaly know the official max rpm. 6000!

 

Right then. To the shops for a tach gauge.

 

Thanks man!

 

Dirk

I don't know what kind of car you have, but in 1988 when I got my license, I had a 79 Brat DL. I went to the junk yard and found the instrument cluster out of a 79 Brat GL (the GL cluster has tach included, instead of just a HUGE speedo). It plugged right in, and the wire for the tach was already there.

 

Maybe that's an option for you, I don't know.

Cool idea! Its a 79 dl sedan. I'll keep a lookout for one. Where does the tack sender live?

Best I can remember, it is in with the cluster of wires, I think there are 2 sets. You can't plug it in wrong.

Jonv23 is right there are two sets of wires (with plugs or sockets to match up with the instrument cluster). One of these plugs has a separate wire with a female spade connector. You simply plug the yellow wire/male connector from the back of the cluster into this. Could not be easier.

 

I sourced my instrument cluster from the US and changed the speedo to kilometres, as finding a cluster with a tach in Australia would be practically impossible!

Is the DL/GL setup not the same there? Or are there no GL's?

I think 25 in 1st, 45 to 2nd gear, 65 in 3rd and to the end of the speedo in 4th which really means about 80.

 

But for mileage you'd want to shift about 10 or more mph earlier than that.

Is the DL/GL setup not the same there? Or are there no GL's?

 

In Australia (cannot comment for NZed) only the coupe and hardtop came with the dual instrument cluster. They were designated GL or GFT for the hardtop. Our 4WD models were always DL's.