Posted by George on Friday, February 01, 2002 at 8:04AM :
In Reply to: standard operating RPM? red-lines at? posted by brian on Friday, February 01, 2002 at 1:39AM :
I think the 230 engines produced the max horsepower at 3200 or 3600 rpm. So one presumes they will turn that fastt...for how long is another story.
I did drag race a 1950 Plymouth years ago, that has the shorter stroke 218. I routinely ran it to 5000 rpm and it never broke. Still, I think that was playing with fire.
The 230s may be the least able to tolerate high rpm of all the small and big (251 etc) flathead engines. However, I have known people with rebuilt and balanced engines that ran them wide open for hours...not sure what rpm that would have been.
Anyway, I would not cruise over 3000 rpm and I would not exceed 4000 during "rapid" acceleration...but others may offer different recommendations.