I run a Dynamite 15T 550 motor (a little longer and provides more torque than the 15T 540 motor) and tried running with a 20T pinion. I felt that it started to run a little hot after about 30-40 mins of running at full throttle for most of the time. (Couldn't comfortably hold my finger on the motor for more than 5 seconds.)
Went back down to the stock 18T pinion and I can drive the car for longer before it starts to feel too hot.
Obviously there are other factors, such as the size of the tires, the terrain, the ambient temperature that can affect motor temperature so go ahead and experiment but just keep an eye on motor temps. You can use the "5-second touch test" but an IR thermometer is a better way to monitor temps. They're relatively inexpensive at hardware stores (US$20 or less). Use the thermometer for your first few runs and you'll get a sense for how the motor responds to various terrains and running conditions.