Did an 82 Tercel have a rev limiter? Side discussion, does anyone know how a rev limiter works in a non computer controlled car?
Either it had one, or it could have been valve float like @Mustangman said. Honestly, itās been too long, I didnāt know anything about cars when I drove it, and finding esoterica like that on the internet isnāt easy!
Either way, it got very unhappy and started bucking around when I wound the engine too high, and I quickly learned to listen to the pitch so I wouldnāt do it again!
I was hoping someone would chime in on how a rev limiter would work on a non electronically controlled car. I was just curious. Iāve never considered it really. Can be done through the distributor somehowā¦maybe, or ignition control moduleā¦?
Bet you could do it with an oil pressure switch. When oil pressure gets to a given level it closes the switch, which sends a signal to turn off the fuel pump.
I agree and I insisted that both my kids learn and pass their Driverās Tests on a stick.
They both live in the city and drive automatics now but back in college when my cute little girl needed to borrow a friendās Jeep and he made the mistake of saying, āIād love to but girls canāt drive a stickā.
Her response was basically, āWell slide over Waldo and Iāll show you how itās done!ā 
Never underestimate a woman, her driving ability or her aim.
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My old V8 Jeep CJ, Iād let cute girls drive it whether they knew how to or not. I recall one girl revving it over 2k rpm and dumping the clutch from a standstill. We all laughed and had a good time. Iām glad (and a little surprised in hindsight) the driveshaft stayed put.
2k rpm isnāt much, depending on the vehicle. But I donāt think I went over 4K rpm in that Jeepā¦ever. Felt like we were going to do a wheel stand. But she was cute and u joints are cheap. 
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Truer words were never spoken. 
I learned to drive on a standard transmission (thatās a manual transmission for you Nubiesā¦) I got my Learnerās Permit the day I turned 16 and took my Driverās test a week later (that was the earliest I could get scheduled). This was all in 1966. I lived just outside Albany, NY, and had to go to Albany for the road test. The Road Test in Albany was very specific and the map below shows the route every tester took the testee on to demonstrate their mastery of driving. The traffic lights had all been synchronized specifically for the Road Test. Back then, the written test even asked for the hand signals used in case your vehicle did not come equipped with directionals.
Since so many more vehicles came equipped with manual transmissions, the test included demonstrating stopping a vehicle on a hill and starting up again without rolling backwards.
The test started at location A, the tester would have you start out when the light at intersection B was Green. The tester is checking how safely you pull out into traffic. The tester would then direct you to turn Left at the light (B).
But the time you got to B, the light would have turned Red. Testing your smooth stopping and use of the directional.
The road B-C is a 4-lane road and the tester would direct you to turn Right at the light (C). Testing your ability to change lanes safely (use mirrors, etcā¦).
By the time you get to the light (C), it is now Red. Again testing your stopping and direction use. The street C to D is a small hill and of course, the light at D is now Red. Now, the āTerrorā part of the test, the tester instructs you to apply the Parking Brake, put the vehicle in Neutral, and remove your feet from the brake and clutch petals. Yes, even if you were driving an automatic, you had to do thisā¦
The tester would instruct you get the vehicle moving again after the light turns Green without rolling back.
Now, I have learned that some āold-handsā who have driven manual transmissions for years do not know how to do thisā¦ Those of you who know how to do this can appreciate it; you depress the clutch and put the car in 1st gear, and when itās safe to go, you start slipping the clutch (youāll feel the car torque a bit), and then release the parking brake. The hill was steep enough that if you did not apply a bit of gas when you release the parking brake even with an automatic, the car might creep back a bit.
Depending on the amount of creep, determined the loss of points or even failure.
Assuming you have not rolled into the vehicle behind you, you take a right at intersection (E), then you will Parallel Park, then proceed to (G) and perform a 3-point turn (K-Turn).
And then it was a simple matter to get back; to intersections E, H, I, and stop back at A.
Back then (1966) the tester still told you if you pasted or failed and if you passed, the tester certified your Learnerās Permit as a Driverās License until your real license arrived in the mail. I drove away from the test site a Happy Licensed Driverā¦
A few years later, when my younger brother took the test, he had to wait in the mail for the results. I guess some folks who failed caused trouble and getting the results in the mail precluded a tester being punched outā¦
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Electronic engine governors, also known as RPM or rev limiters were mounted in series with the primary ignition circuit and would ground out the primary current to the distributor when engine RPMs exceed a preset limit, preventing the spark plugs from firing. They were mounted on the wheel well and they looked a lot like a voltage regulator but were clearly marked.
They were preset to cutout at 5,800 RPM on the 428 Cobra Jet and 6,150 RPM on the 351 and 429 Boss engines. Ford did not fool around, they got really tired of their big engines suffering āRPM related issuesā¦ā including the whole engine getting loose due to the oil breaking down due to the high heat, spun/scored bearings, ring failure, thrown pistons, camshaft failure, swallowed valves, and onā¦
Funny thing though, even back then, there were faux rev limiters available in the aftermarket that would fool mechanics when the cars were brought in for warranty service.
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Mom only had manual transmissions from 1970-2009 when her back more than anything told her shfting gears was no longer comfortable. Sheād been wanting a car with even better mpg and more features so she bought a 2010 Prius but still went for the phantom cllutch pedal for several months afterwards. She could shift by ear and could run with the semiās at 70mph while still averaging 40mpg in her Mazda,
My brother has 3 manual transmissions in his fleet (GTi,Legacy Wagon,87 Mazda B2000) with the family Toyota Sequoia being the lone automatic. Heās going to teach the kids to drive stick probably with the Legacy since itās doubtful heāll let the kids anywhere near that GTI.
My 34 year old daughter was 11 when she first drove my stick shift Toyota pickup. We were camping on a dry lake bed when she asked if she could take the truck for a drive. Perfect place to learn, nothing to run into. I handed her the keys and off she went, having never before been in the driverās seat. Surprisingly no stalls, no over reving, no issues at all. For years she had been paying attention to how itās done while riding with me. She bought her first car at 16, a manual transmission Prizm and a couple manual transmission cars after that.
In Minnesota, also 1966, some exam stations the on road test was performed on city streets, some had closed courses. No on hill starts. One thing they did was a panic stop. Driving along the examiner would simply yell stop to see how you reacted. I bought a car with an automatic, 1960 Dodge Dart, to avoid taking the exam with my parents stick shift.
Six years later the branch of the military I was in decided everyone should have a military drivers license. The road test was in stick shift AMC wagons, there was a hill start test. I used the slip the clutch without parking braking , examiner said the correct way was to set the parking brake, then go to gas releasing the parking brake and clutch simultaneously. I still have not used that method.
Two of my three vehicles are stick shift.
When I traveled outside the US a few years ago it was clear that elsewhere in the world there are a lot more manual cars available than there are in the US. They seemed to be the norm. People I know in the US who have wanted to buy a stick shift car have had to go to great lengths to find what they wanted. Another thing I noticed is that some of the car models available here as gasoline only are available with diesel elsewhere (I know the US emissions laws are a contributing factor with this).
ā¦ and elsewhere in the world more people drive cars that are far smaller than is the norm in the US.
Similarly, overseas there are far fewer cars equipped with air-conditioning.
Essentially, manyāperhaps mostāconsumers in other countries are interested in far less luxurious vehicles than most US buyers want.
I learned how to drive with my Dadās 60ās something Beetle. Thatās the best car to learn how to work a clutch. I could start and drive to town and back without ever using the clutch.
just seen this, thought it was cool so I am posting it. click on the link and then click on the picture for video.
sorry just noticed the curse in the title. not sure if it can be removed and keep the link working.
This used to be seen around Olympia WA but i havenāt seen it for a couple years now. but was posted a couple times on reddit. Thereās more than one car related reddit that starts with the same curse word.
A friend had an early 70s VW Westfalia van, in ā73 drove it from Ogden Utah to Wyoming via Idaho on a fishing trip. That VW required constant downshifting in an attempt to maintain the speed limit on even a slight incline. Can not imagine towing anything.
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