TorqueCars take a look at the power plant of a car, the engine and examine the wide range of engine tuning options availble.
Not all engine mods are effective and some need other modifications to work well. We outline each modification option and go into the benefits and weigh up the pros and cons of each.
[description]We look at the best engine tuning modifications and look at the pros and cons, advantages and disadvantages of each performance parts. [/description]
[keywords]engine tuning,engine mods,modified engines,engine performance parts,engine tuning options,best engine mods[/keywords]
When it comes to Turbo tuning you have pretty much unlimited potential and a wide selection of options.
The more power you want from a turbo the greater the amount of heat it will generate and the bigger the stress on the internal components. Read More...
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. Read More...
Remote turbo charger kits
"Remote turbo – local power"
There is a growing trend in the car tuning community of adding a remote turbo to a car.
We take a look at this modification and look at the pros and cons of remote turbos.
A conventional turbo is fitted pretty much on the engine in line with the exhaust header manifold.
A remote turbo is fitted much further down the exhaust than a convention turbo which is typically located in the engine bay.… Read More...
You’ve finished tuning up your engine but you find that at full throttle the engine splutters or stalls. When you get the car on a diagnostic you find that the knock sensor is kicking in to protect the engine.
Engine knock is a condition where the fuel inside the engine ignites prematurely and occurs within an engine running at high compression. (It can also be caused by other factors including low octane/poor quality fuel or hot spots within the engine.) Read More...
Blow off valves and dump valves.
When the throttle is closed (when you lift off the accelerator) in a turbo driven engine there is a build up of pressure as forced air is still coming from the turbo. Lifting off the throttle is a lot like putting a plug in the sink – the flow through is stopped and water would just build up and overflow the sink. Read More...
Camshafts durations and profiles.
"Cam(alot) of power!"
Cam profiles and cam durations.
The cam shaft controls the inlet and outlet ports. A pear shaped lobe on the shaft keeps the valve closed until the pointy bit rotates producing lift and opening the valve. Double overhead cams have separate profiles for inlet and outlet ports and are more tunable than single overhead cams.… Read More...
The heads primary job is the mixing of fuel and air and delivering this to the combustion chamber.
Any turbulence or drag can restrict the air flow into the engine starving you of power. So this TorqueCars article will focus on the intake valves and how they can be improved.
The aim of head tuning is both to maximise the amount of air and fuel that gets into the engine, and to improve the mixture. Read More...
The best spark plugs & HT leads improve performance.
"Lets spark up about engines"
An efficient engine needs a good supply of cold air laden with oxygen.
The correct mixture of fuel and a good spark to ignite the mixture.
The two main components of a plug are:-
1)The ceramic casing which is a good insulator and
2)The electrodes from the central tip and the negative pick up contact which is connected to the engine block.
The advantages of adding an aftermarket intercooler.
"Keeping your cool"
One problem with a Turbo is the close proximity of the cold intake charge with the hot exhaust temperatures within the turbo.
Don't forget that a big air intake heat rise comes from the actual compression of air so even supercharged engine will benefit from an intercooler.
If you have ever felt the nozzle on a tyre pump you will realise that when air is compressed it gains heat.… Read More...
General engine tuning tips
"Tuning Modz"
Engine Tuning an overview.
Engine tuning depends largely on the base engine size and to a large degree depends on the amount of tuning done at the factory. The larger the engine the larger the gains will be.
Each type of engine have different characteristics for example the Honda VTEC is very high revving.
However a large v8 lump provides power in a very lazy manner at low revs.
Adding turbos or superchargers further alter the characteristics of the engine and some modifications will actually cause a loss of power if applied to the wrong engine type.… Read More...
So what exactly is engine knock and how dangerous is it? What causes engine knock and how can it be avoided?
You may notice a knocking or rattling noise from your engine or a sudden loss of power under full throttle.
Immediately back off the throttle and only use low rpm engine speeds until you can get the engine investigated.
The chances are that you are suffering from a condition known as “engine knock”. Read More...
Tuning turbo engines.
"A lot of hot air."
What is a turbo. If you go back to your childhood you probably remember those windmills sold at the seaside. Imagine a windmill with 2 propellers back to back.
As the wind blows the first propeller a shaft turns the second one and it will blow air in your direction.
A turbo contains 2 impellers which are located in the exhaust flow and along the intake path. The exhaust side rotates as the exhaust gases flow and this turns the impeller on the intake effectively sucking in fresh air.… Read More...
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. Read More...
Tuning the cars engine for better MPG means reducing power.
"Tuning for Stingy people"
Tuning for better MPG.
Tuning for economy. With the rising price of fuel one question TorqueCars frequently gets asked is how can a car be tuned for maximum economy. Short of getting the family to push the car everywhere there is a little that can be done to improve fuel economy.… Read More...
Let’s take a look at ways to tune a car engine and what exactly we mean by engine tuning.
First up we have to accept that there are many different types of engines.
We can only cover generic theory in this article on how to tune a car and suggest if you want more specific advice you sign up to our car forums where our helpful and friendly members will assist you further. Read More...
Boost controllers
The turbo is driven by the exhaust gases and the faster the exhaust flows the quicker the turbo spins and more air gets forced in to the engine.
If too much air is forced into the engine then it will run lean. This causes an intermittent loss of power and you also risk putting too much pressure on the engine with a surge of power. Read More...
Back in the good old days – the task of timing the ignition spark was performed by the distributor. The greater the RPM, the more the timing would advance.
This did a reasonable job but for the most effective power you would need to vary the timing to a greater degree than a fixed ratio advance curve. The electronic ignition system was borne. Read More...
The valves are like the doorways into the engine and control the flow of the intake air and fuel and then after combustion they control the exit of the exhaust gases.
As you can guess the valve springs work incredibly hard, and as you increase the power of your engine the valve choice is vital.
TorqueCars will now take a look at the many considerations taken into account when selecting valve springs. Read More...
The main areas for engine balancing.
"A balanced article."
We all know what happens when a wheel is fitted to a car without being balanced.
At low speeds you do not notice it but at higher speeds noticeable vibrations start to appear.
Inside an engine the rotational speeds typically reach 6-7000 rpm and, the higher the speed, the more critical it is to ensure that vibrations do not occur.… Read More...
Superchargers offer the promise of substantial power gains with very few drawbacks. So lets look at the growing popularity of supercharger kits and see what its all about.
A supercharger is quite simply an air compressor which helps push more air into an engine. These are driven by a belt from the engine effectively creating pull on the engine sapping up to 30% of the engines power. Read More...
The inlet and outlet ports on the engine block are usually larger than those of the manifolds that connect to them.
This allows for scope in the manufacturing process to allow for mismatched alignment.
Generally the engine ports are larger in the upstream flow direction avoiding turbulance but power gains can be made by matching these up. Read More...
Engine swaps and transplants.
"Insane engine swaps"
A popular modification with Torquecars members involves a complete engine swap and remains one of the most cost effective modifications you can do.
As long as there is sufficient space in the engine bay any engine can be made to work in any car although in most cases the work involved is prohibitive to say the least.
In an ambitious project you would have to strip the car to a shell and create custom drive train, create a custom gearbox and make a one off loom to cope along with a totally new engine computer.… Read More...
You can increase the power of an engine by increasing its capacity. This is a fairly involved process and requires a good deal of research and preparation. Unless you want to have to retrace your steps and go a different route midway in to the job.
Some of TorqueCars.com members have had their engines rebored ,and this does seem a good way to increase power. However there are a few things we should take into account. Read More...
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. Read More...
Both work on the same principle they blow air into the engine under pressure. Both have a turbine which spins up depending on the engine speed and the higher the revs the greater the volume of air is forced into the engine. But there are some major differences between the two and which is best for your project? Read More...
Lets look at the job of the coil in the spark system and see what it does.
Just as a power transformer converts mains 240 volts into a usable 9 volts for your charger or appliance a coil will increase the voltage.
A car battery/alternator will produce a paltry 12volts, certainly not enough to jump an air gap and create a spark.
An ignition coil raises the voltage in some installations between 20 and up to 40,000 volts and this allows the creation of a spark which can jump the air gap between the plugs. Read More...
Careful selection of your internal engine tuning modifications can lift your engine from a purring kitten into a roaring lion!
While it is tempting to throw in every modification you can, it’s worth noting that not all mods work well together. This is something we cover in our articles as we steer you to the right decision on mods for your car. Read More...
When putting more power through an engine you need to ensure that every part will perform at its optimum.
One of the motorsports favourite techniques to improve the durability of an engine is a process know as cryogenic treatments.
As you can guess from the use of the word Cryo – it involves the cooling and heating of the engine block to temper the metal changing its structure. Read More...
