How bad is it to burnout or push a car really hard?

I know it's bad for the tires but im talking the driveterain, engine, axles, and all of that. I have been pushing my car exessivly hard lately and I just wanted to know exactly how bad it is. Well for one thing the car I use is not even built for racing ( ford taurus) so I assume I am going to end up with a blown engine or tranny before I know it. Just wondering what should be some limits in terms of how far you can push a car safely.

  RB Trucking

anyone gonna answer?

  RB Trucking

depends what you're doing to it ..... burnouts wear out your tyres obviously. Continually dropping the clutch is a sure way to break something in the drivetrain .... clutch, shafts etc...

  windsonian

be careful, ford tauruses (tauri?) are known to blow engines & trannies without being abused... :laughing:

  dodger65

LOL....Yes, it is spelled Taurus' (I believe).....or pronounced Tauri, same as everything else ending in 'us'...I think most people will still probably ony say Tauruses though...Bit like 'Focuses' Grrrr

Anyways RB....Depending on hoe long you've had the car, you'll probably be aware of how far it can be pushed, just remember that continuously thrashing any car will wear mechanical componants out quicker than if you drive sensibly. I'm not familiar with the Tuarus, given where I reside, but if it's fitted with a timing belt rather than a timing chain, I'd advise you change it at more regular intevals!

  Cliffy

Continually running any car at high rpms will result in accelerated cylinder wear, which means your car will start burning oil sooner, and get that nasty blue smoke coming out the back. Even changing the oil & filter more frequently than recommended won't make that problem go away. Also, running a car harder makes it easier to overheat (duhhh) and puts more strain on the radiator.

Also, don't run it hard just after startups. That is the worst time for engine wear, and running a car hard then is almost as cruel to it as driving with no oil. I stay below 3000 rpm until at least my temperature gauge has jumped up to it's normal position, but I usually keep it below 3000 all the time for minimal engine wear.

So generally, I'd say it's not a teriffic idea, but there's nothing wrong with having a bit of fun on occasion...

  hondaman

not in my town burnout EVERYWHERE!
here (http://truckworld.com/Shows-Events/99-bloomsburg/burnout.html) you see is a regular event in my town!
oh and if you do want to burnout, do it in the grass,(reduces friction) :mrgreen:

  Racer14

I am not sure if it has a timing belt or timing chain. Is there any way to tell?

  RB Trucking

Chains are noisier and last longer.

  hondaman

I dont think that chains are louder, I am pretty sure that you wouldn't be able to tell the difference from sound alone, It all depends on the motor.

  jarvisx2000

Oh yes, they are more noticeable. We're not talking about like tractor noisy, but there is a definite ticking noise that accompanies a chain.

  hondaman

I was unaware of that, I have never heard the chain make any sort of noise in my buick. Maybe because its an older motor is begger and louder you cant hear the chain ticking? what newer cars have a chain instead of a belt? I know my honda has a belt.

  jarvisx2000

Well, it's not noticeable to anyone not listening for it, and if the engine is louder then it's not noticeable at all...and it's not so much of a newer car thing so much as a preference among manufacturers. Belts are cheaper, and quieter (although that doesn't make much difference) and chains are more durable.

A lot of GMs, if not all of them, use chains. All Japanese cars I think use belts, and maybe Ford and Chrysler use chains too? I'm not sure about that.

  hondaman

There is simply no way of knowing for sure what may happen to your vehicle, it may thrive on that sort of treatment and never offer you a single tick of trouble, then again you may never get it to start again. A vehicle will adapt to a style of use in many cases and will give good service while seeming to be hard treated. In the same way some elderly gentleman will buy a machine and drive it according to all the rules and regs and maintain it perfectly, upon selling it to a young gent who thinks he is getting a deal on a heart pounder, when he stomps on the petal the metal flies everywhere except down the road in one piece. So the only sure info would be to make sure it has enough of all the fluids, lots of pad on the breaks, clean windshield, and a good sense of when it is enough.

  jackslap

What do you mean by abusing? I dont think that a Taurus will do burn outs, but if its a manual tranny then popping the clutch is bad for it. But if you mean your just driving it fast then thats not bad for it, if cars are driven like your driving Miss Daisy and babied around then theyll become slow and weak.

  FordFromHell351

^^However, driving them like you're trying to win at Sebring isn't a good idea either...

  hondaman

are you saying cars grow muscles? :doh:

  dodger65

Have you ever bought a car that was babied around by some old couple and was just pampered waaayyy to much? It was really slow right? Well, thats because no one has let all the ponies loose. I remember when I got a 1988 Chrysler LeBaron Turbo. The people I got it from had just babied it around town and said "We have never gotten it above 80mph." Is was so slow. Once I got it, I started putting premium unleaded fuel in it, and full synthetic oil. Every day I would take it up on the highway and get it moving to about 100mph and then let out of it. After I had put about 1,000 miles on it, It was a little rocket man. I never had a problem with that car. I do it with all my cars. Whats bad for them is when you do it when they arent warmed up or you dont have the proper oil in them or you havent changed it for a while.

  FordFromHell351

that's waaaay to scientific for me, man... :hi:

  dodger65

I had a Taurus! Neutral dropped the crap out of that thing...Broke the trans. Your best bet is just rally it to death. It's heavy enough to stick to the ground on hills. Fun to jump cause it turns and what-not.

  Mavrick

When you "Neutral dropped the crap" out of any car, built for racing or not you are gonna wreck the tranny.

  jarvisx2000

This is why I love my bmw....It takes whatever I give it and begs for more no matter how much it's taking already.

  Juhosaphat

Is your bmw an automatic?

  jarvisx2000

Hell no, a bmw with an automatic is like paper without a pen or pencil. Pretty much useless.

5 speed is the only way to go in a bmw ;) :thumbs:

  Juhosaphat

I love my bmw aswell. Shes a 5 spd of course. Its got over 150k miles though so im not too hard on her though i do go speedy racer on occasion. Shes fantastic in the corners i haul ass;)