Dear Perry,
I have some questions about RCR "DPE-962X" 8500 RPM -1500HP engine. Now, hang on! I might sound like a curmdgeon upon first reading, but rest assured: I am not. These are questions I do not have the answers to.
I have been re-reading the November 2003 issue of "Hot Rod" magazine, in which they describe both the technical specifications and the development of the engine Ford put into their 2004 Ford GT supercar. Here is a link to that article:
Ford GT - Aluminum Supercharged 5.4L V-8 - Overview - Hot Rod Magazine
Ford met their performance targets for the Ford GT engine of at least 500 horsepower and 500 pounds-feet of torque.
Ford GT Engine and Transmission Cutaway
While Ford was reaching those performance goals, they also developed the engine to be as reliable as any of their other motors. That way, they could warranty the engine, just like any other (so says the article).
To meet Ford's own standards of reliability, they tested the Ford GT engine rigorously. According to the article, to make sure that the exhaust headers would not crack, Ford put the engine on a dynamometer and ran it, under full load, and at wide open throttle (WOT), for 150 hours straight.
Ford GT Engine on Dynamometer
To prove that the entire engine was reliable, Ford mounted the engine on a dynamometer and ran it between the engine's point where it produces peak torque and the point where it produces peak horsepower, for 300 hours, straight. The 300-hour test is supposed to simulate 150,000 miles of road use. The Ford GT engines passed those tests.
Could your engine pass those tests?
Would you even want your engine to pass Ford's engine reliability tests?
What standards of engine reliability are you aiming for? What levels of reliability would you accept? Are those two standards different in any way?
Again, I do not know the answers to these questions. I read the article, thought of you, and I ask.
Thanks,
Bassanio et Portia.