You might consider hedging your bets a bit with a rev limiter. There are other influences on this rather than RPMs and so on.
If the heads (and valve springs) are 87 then odds are the valve train may not take what you want to throw at it. End result is major engine damage.
I’ve been into 350s of this era and at times have found some valve springs to be weak and especially so if the engine has suffered overheating in the past. Some of the springs could be compressed partially with a thumb. If a thumb can squash it down imagine what 7 or 8k RPMs is going to do. Probably chuck the valve keepers out and drop the valve into a cylinder.
No don’t worry, I’m looking to limit the power a lot, I’m looking to get it around 4500 just so I don’t break the engine again. I’m not a racer and I’m just looking to be able to drive this thing places and have some fun, I don’t really ever want it reaching 5k again haha. Last one blew a head gasket and had valve float because it hit then limit of my tach and then kept running.
Is your Firebird automatic or manual transmission? If you accidentally shift a manual from 5th to 2nd at 70 mph and engage the clutch it could very easily mechanically over-rev and blow the engine regardless of the electronic rev limiter turning off the ignition.
Muncie m20 1960 something I think 67 but I could be wrong manual 4 speed. The reason I want it I just had a mishap last time and last time I drove it, it just really wanted to go to redline and I’d rather not have it happen again just in case the gas pedal sticks again or I mess something up.
I have one car where the throttle shaft hung up and scared the bejeezus out of me. Even with dual springs, they weren’t strong enough to pull it back. Unless you’ve been through this, it’s hard to understand how disconcerting it is to have a runaway situation. I now have some really strong springs on there despite having resolved the initial problem. I also have electronic ignition that can be limited. I can fully understand your desire to make sure it doesn’t happen again…
Isn’t it rather hilarious @TwinTurbo …in a bad way…when something gets away from you rpm wise… The panic and the delay to remember…oh yeah, I have an ignition key…I can shut her down.
Sometimes that delay between the rpm’s going skyward and your recollection that the key will shut it down …is short…other times the message seems to get to your brain by parcel post.
I’ve lived both scenarios…so many times…and I always smile at the end after re-realizing “the key man…the key” ! haha
Yeah, when you have a screaming big block spinning the back wheels fishtailing and just trying to maintain control without wrapping it around a tree. It took a bit to regain my wits and bring it back under control. The road wasn’t the only thing with streak marks…
I have also seen people my SIL for one that lose brake’s for whatever reason and freeze not knowing what to do not thinking about the hand brake right next to them.
Every heavy truck built after a certain date was required to have 2 return springs, each capable of returning the throttle by itself. I had a broken right leg from playing football that needed several operations and had a steel rod running down inside the bone. That leg never regained its original strength and it was hard for me to hold the pedal to the floor all night.
As long as I had a steady tractor, I just unhooked one of the speings, hut when that company closed , the next company I worked for you had a different tractor every trip, sometimes 3 or 4 a night. My solution was to carry two lengths of broom handle each about 20 " long with a hose clamp around them and a nut driver in my bag. At the start of the trip I would adjust it to the length between the depressed throttle and the bottom of the dash. Once on the interstate, when I got in high gear all I had to do was steer. THe engines were governed for 2100 rpm so if you needed to stop in a real hurry the easiest way was to brake and clutch at the same time.
I was far from the only driver to do something like this. The guys that drove for Consolidated Freightways, once the largest trucking company in the US, had a tool thet called a bud bar that was used to release the 5th wheel to uncouple from the tractor that was perfect for this.
Tes I was pretty good at snatching it out, but if it was a real emergency you just braked and clutched at the same time Automatics were just about unheard of in freight companytrucks when I retired.
The only time I had a problem was just before I retired. They had added a few tractors with cruise control to the fleet and I wasted a lot og time grabbing for my stick before I remembered it wasn’t there.
When I switched from manual to automatic transmissions in my cars after 20 years, I frequently reached for the stick. It was there, just connected to an automatic gear box. Thumped my foot on the floor, too.
Actually, I told a terminal manager who saw the broomsticks with a hose clamp p what it was when he saw it in my bag. A Canadian Cruise control. The trucking company I had worked longest for was Canadian.
He didn’t care how I did it as long as I got his freight for Western NY to him by 6 am so it could be reloaded and out for delivery each day. If I arrived after 6, he had 6 city frivers being paid with nothing to do until I got there.
Chrysler actually introduced the first real cruise control in 1958. It was manufactured by the Perfect Circle Co. (The folks who probably made your piston rings).
. when I drive a A/T my left foot is “pushing” the clutch and right hand reaching for the shift lever.
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I used to have the same problem with my wife’s car when she had one with the shifter between the seat’s it got so bad when she was with me she would grab my hand as soon as I put it in gear so I could not shift no more her present cac has the shifter on the steering column so I don’t have that problem.
