I have an 89 wagon stick shift and I like to show off sometimes and shift at high RPM's. What can I do to prevent myself from killing my transmission and engine?

Define "high RPMs."

Short bursts up to the red line are one thing, but sustained high RPMs are another and could cause real problems. What you're doing is more likely to prematurely wear out the motor/transmission mounts and suspension components.

There's really not much to gained in terms of power/acceleration by winding a naturally aspirated B230F beyond 3-3.5K RPMs anyway.

Sorry about the definition problem. High RPM for my car is like 4,000 and thats when I shift if I go too high. Regularly I shift when the light comes on, but sometimes when I am in a hurry or race I shift higher. They are not sustained for more than a second ever.

For that, you should be alright. When my '91 needs some excerising, I'd hit 5+k before shifting. Matching rpm's into the next gear is good for the clutch/synchros, though, along with regular fluid changes.

-- Kane
--
Blossom II -'91 745Ti/M46 ... Bubbles -'74 144GL/BW35 ... Buttercup -'86 245GL/AW70
The Wayback Machine -'64 P220/M40 ... The ParaBox -'90 745GL/AW70

Quit trying to show off and you won't have to worry about it.

Sounds reasonable.

Or do what I did.

I like shifting manually, so I bought a 740 with a...

MANUAL SHIFTER!
--
'73 142, '75 242, '75 245, '80 245, '86 244, '87 745T