Maximum engine RPM manufact. Spec. L- 16

[p3hawk]

I can't find limit in my Datsun book, the search sends me to a different forum, can anybody assist .

 

Thanks ahead of time, p3hawk

[banzai510(hainz)]

Till it cuts out.

Why?

Who cares.

 

to me 7k if possible.

Its just a L16. Why worry.  your 40your old distributors will go out of time before it hits that mark anyways

[shacks510]

Rev up until a rod comes out the block, then back off 200RPM.

[datzenmike]

6,000 the tach turns yellow and 6,500 it turns red on my L20B so same on the L16*.

 

 

Take your RPM X stroke in inches divide by 6 to get piston speed in feet per minute. Should not exceed 4,000.  (this is a theoretical limit placed on quality stock parts in good shape, proper balance and  clearances, adequate lubrication and cooling. Beyond this metal parts start to stretch, if they can, or fracture.) For 40 year old 80K miles engines I would lower this limit.

 

Red line on an L20B would be 7,000RPM. The rods and pistons have to accelerate and decelerated from stop to stop through 3.388" exactly 116.6 times a second.

 

*For an L16 it would be just over 8,250. The rods and pistons have to accelerate and decelerated from stop to stop through 2.903" exactly 137.5 times a second. 

[p3hawk]

Thank you Datsun Mike, I threw a rod/bearing on my J-13 eng. bought the L-16, had it modified, and now runs great. 

 

p3hawk

[datzenmike]

The J13 is a good little engine doesn't make oodles of power but this is likely why they last so long. It only has 3 main bearings supporting the crank, the L 16 has 5.

 

 

All L engines sound like they are revved to the heavens and are going to blow apart. No way. I was coming through the mountains once on a really long up hill. I was in third sitting at 5k for 20 minutes. I pushed down on the pedal but it was already floored! It was in average good shape, but with lots of miles on it,  lots of oil and water in it, not over heating. Never missed a beat.

[DanielC]

I cannot remember if a 1970 Datsun something or other that had a tachometer was a 510, or a 240Z, but I do remember the tachometer in that vehicle has a yellow zone from 6,500 to 7,000.

If the car I saw was a 240Z, it has basically the same internal engine components as a L-16, but with two extra cylinders, and because of the longer crankshaft, a six cylinder has more torsional vibration. 

Early L-16 engines had 8 MM connecting rod bolts.  Later ones had 9MM connection rod bolts.

I would check which rod bolts my L-16 has, before I would use the engine to run at RPM's higher than 6.000 on a regular basis.

 

Not to "one up" DatzenMike, but in the 1970's I used to tow a two horse trailer with a 521.  I was coming down the Columbia gorge, when the wind really wanted to go up the gorge.  I left Walla Walla, Wa, and I forget if I filled the tank again in Biggs junction, or The Dalles, but I was running at 5,000 RPM for an hour or two, in second gear, and burned gas at 11 miles per gallon in a 521, with a  L-16.

[datzenmike]

They are a tough engine. I was empty, '78 KC with L20B but if this was when I was converting to 4x4 and had the Toyota SAS then, and the truck weighed about 3,400. If I shifted to 4th I would slow down again so third all the way.

[Stoffregen Motorsports]

The stock, blueprinted L16 in a SCCA ITC car with a good header and lots of fine tuning only makes power to about 6K. No point in turning it any higher.

 

If it's modified with cam and intake, power can be higher in the RPM range.

 

A $10K SCCA GT4 L16 can take revs to about 9K, but not for long.

[scooter]

My stock l20b redlined at 7000 but didn't really pull after 6500. My lz23 pulls till 7500 but it's running out of breath turning it any faster, it's happy between 4000 and seven thousand

[q-tip]

Run it up till the valves float then grab another gear.

 

It all depends on you can what kind of rpm you can get out if an engine, robello got the L16's on the bre cars to spin almost 10k.

 

My dual cam KA hits the limiter at 7250, I would imagine an L motor could hit 7k without destroying its self.

[datzenmike]

Not much point on a stock L engine. They run out of steam and perform better in the next gear. When the pull starts to let off....time to grab another gear. This is not to say they can't easily be improved on, but after 4,500 it just starts screaming and screaming and isn't accelerating the car.

[scooter]

Peak torque on a stock L series is around 3600.. So you wanna Rev up so you at least hit peak torque in the next gear or better, or else your boggin

[datzenmike]

3,600 is about right but a good engine will have a broad torque range and although the peak point is 3,600 it may be making very close to that on either side.

 

Here's a dyno sheet listed as a very stock very tired L18...

 

 

As you can see it makes 85 at 3,500 but 80 from 2,100 through 4,500.

[scooter]

66 wheel horsepower... Poor thing

[datzenmike]

I imagine this is RWHP and definitely not the inflated gross rating of 40 years ago. A good stock L16 would be in the mid 70s.low 80s.

[racerx]

Kingrat or Datzenmike, 

 

I always knew the HP on stock Datsun was much lower than 96 hp as advertised. This is why it's not a good idea to put headers, lucky to get like 5 horses.

[banzai510(hainz)]

5 hp at 7K rpm maybe!!!!!!!!!

[datzenmike]

Face it, exhaust wants OUT and it goes by itself, doesn't need much help. The stock L16 cast iron header does a very good job and it's hard to improve on. A few hp above 5K? Who drive above 5K?? and for how long??????

 

If you have multi-carbs and some cam and head work/compression and a 'stroker' engine maybe, but it would be the last thing on the list I would waste money on

[G-Duax]

I imagine this is RWHP and definitely not the inflated gross rating of 40 years ago.

 

No shit sherlock.

Factory HP was not rated at the rear wheel........

 

You are goddamn wrong old man.

Claiming you are 22 on some forums just shows how full of bull shit you are.