I wish it was as easy as steel internals and raising the limiter

You get to a point at which the piston cannot accererate quick enough to cope with the revs.

This can result in worn skirts on the piston and eventual engine failure due to the stress of the engine not coping.

I wouldn't rev it past 7.5k IMO with all the right internals with an 88mm crank.

Most motorsport engines rev at 20+ m/s piston speed

Formula 1 engines run at 25+ m/s


At 10'000 rpm a zetec would be around 29 m/s

Even 8'00rpm gives 23.46 m/s

7'500rpm gives 22 m/s

You decide