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6,500 RPM Red-Line?

Dibbons

Dibbons

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This tachometer shown on a 1971 Barracuda for sale has me mystified, a yellow band from 5,000 to 6,500 before it turns red.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/1971-Plymo...g:ot8AAOSwbjpd7kVw&LH_ItemCondition=3000|2500

red line.jpg
 
Red is no - no land. Don't forget this car had 7 engine choices. And some were stick shift cars. 5k for the 383, somewhere around 6k for the 340...8 grand...uh no.
 
Was it on a Canada car? Could be a rarely heard about, even more rarely seen METRIC tach.
Sorry, couldn't help myself, I have no clue. I thought they were all the same but maybe they changed up the color bands during the later years?
 
I would think that a 6500 red line would have to be for a hemi, or a 340. But i don't think either ever had a factory rev limit that high.

Or somebody re-faced it.
 
I think I've seen others like that when I've been browsing cars for sale
 
My red Charger pulls hard to 6500 (not stock) but will throw the water pump belt occasionally with stock OEM pulleys. If I shift at 6200 all is good, belt remains intact and can do it all day. Sometimes I do.....
 
My 440 was plenty happy shifting at 6500, but I had Wiseco's (WAY lighter) and a .501" Cam with stock heads, rods, crank, rockers, etc. Those heave stock cast pistons were just looking to exit the block.
 
My Hemi would pull to way over my shift light,
set at 5800rpm.
I figure it this way,do I want to end up tearing
something up or enjoy driving it instead.
 
My 440 would pull to 6500 too, but I found that short-shifting, it was faster, even with a .590 purple shaft. I ended up shifting at 5900, and going just as fast. Mine has 2295 trw, but I think it will like the Ross I bought for it next better.
 
Last edited:
Yep. My 440+6bbl demands that I let it spin up to 6,200.
Shift light set at 5,800 rev limiter set at 6,200.
I blame the purple stripe 292/.509 (suspected) cam, and credit the CompCams springs and hydraulic lifters for letting it do so, flawlessly.
One day the chassis dyno will tell the tale
6bbl warmed over vs stock HP 440 4bbl is night and day difference.
When the outboard carbs open...wow!
 
yellow means "caution"

red means "no"
 
6PKRTSE said:
My red Charger pulls hard to 6500 (not stock) but will throw the water pump belt occasionally with stock OEM pulleys. If I shift at 6200 all is good, belt remains intact and can do it all day. Sometimes I do.....
Click to expand...

Probably an alignment issue.
 
Back then any hipo engine would turn 65 of course most where done pulling before that. I attribute that to the 260 Sonoco gas we had, better than racing gas today, $.34 a gallon. My max wedge liked 6800, went over 8000 a couple times when I missed a shift. Those MT rods held good. 1977 and Still in it.
 
I use 5500 as rule of thumb for my stock or nearly stock 318 and 360 engines, but they see 6K or close to it occasionally.
 
Don't know if it is correct or anything, but a little testors model paint and you can change the colors to what you want.
 
Those tachometers where about as accurate as a sun dial on a cloudy day
 
BSB67 said:
Probably an alignment issue.
Click to expand...

All factory 50 year old parts. Same parts that have been on the car for the 29 years I have owned it. I just shift a little earlier.
 
6PKRTSE said:
All factory 50 year old parts. Same parts that have been on the car for the 29 years I have owned it. I just shift a little earlier.
Click to expand...

Still could be an alignment issue unless you have the factory original water pump and alternator, and even that is still a maybe. I've had a belt come off a couple of times. Realigned and never again. 7000 regularly, 8000 on occasion.

Your results are your results. The point is the pulleys are not a limiting factor for belts come off.
 
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