28 July 2011

Increasing Engine Performance

The truth is, speed is about how much you want to spend. People with big incomes and racers with sponsors can afford to build 10-second cars. Performance modifications are frequently called "upgrades",  its the performance is what is being upgraded. Often you will have to give up some of the other practical aspects, like the smooth, reliable, and economical operation that modern cars are famous of.

So it is the best to have plan for your project, even if you do not have all the money to do everything right away. Perhaps the best compromise is a car that is fast enough to race when you feel like it, but still practical to drive to work every day. Many upgrades, such as a four-branch manifold, cat-back system, and induction kit give "free" horsepower, meaning the only downside is more engine noise. These mods are also relatively inexpensive for any modifier. When you get into nitrous, turbos, and superchargers, you will be spending more money, and also getting into more risk of engine damage. Camshafts and cylinder head work will reduce your car's low-speed driveability and frequently also hurt your fuel economy. Generally, any mods designed to increase power at high revs will lose at bot end. Sometimes you can't have everything.

Many mods work best only when combined with other upgrades. For example, fitting a high-performance ignition coil and HT leads to your otherwise stock engine will look nice, but probably won't add any power. These bits are designed to provide ultra-high voltage to overcome high cylinder pressure created by high-compression, turbocharging or supercharging. At the normal pressures created by your stock engine, your old gakky-looking ignition components were plenty adequate. Unless of course, they were knackered anyway, in which case, go ahead.

So it is more than just whether or not the parts fit. It is also important to make sure that the upgrades are appropriate to your engine, and to your plans for it. Fitting a de-cat pipe or cat-back exhaust system will surely get a performance increase, maybe even one that you can feel in the seat of your pants. 

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