
From a diesel perspective, anything that isn’t turbocharged is a waste of time from a tuning point of view. Similarly, anything that isn’t using electronically managed direct injection is a pointless tuning proposal so we are somewhat limited to modern Turbo Diesels.
Get rid of those two ointment bound flies and things get more interesting
How to add a turbo to a non turbo car.
The basic reason for forced induction (turbo or supercharger) is not to increase compression or the maximum pressure in an engine cylinder, it is to increase volumetric efficiency (the efficiency of the engine at drawing in air) although forced induction is the most effective method of upping compression.
In computer games we just tick a box, and within seconds our car is fully turbocharged and running much faster. In the real world things are very different.
Electric water pumps
In a performance engine you should never underestimate the need for adequate cooling.
All water cooled cars work on the principle of water being pumped around the engine and then to a radiator where it releases the heat.
Most water pumps are mechanical and run off the crank.
Chip Tuning – better engine management.
The days of fiddling around in the engine bay with a spanner to make the car go faster are numbered.
Modern engine computers (ECU’s) take over many of the controls of all aspects of engine management from timing to fuelling and more.
This actually means you get better power, a cleaner burn and more reliable engine but it does not mean the end of tuning.
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