On turbocharged engines, it’s been said, “If you want more power, you need to be willing to sacrifice some boost response.” Today, that’s actually seldom true. While you may be among the two-percent that have the best response turbocharger and turbo manifold for your engine combination, chances are that your […]
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Engine Tech 201: Bottom End | Pistons, Rods, Cranks, Bearings and Sleeves
It’s been said that “You have to start from the bottom, if you want to get to the top.” The same can be said about building a top-performing engine. One needs to start building up the bottom end if they wish to realize top-level performance. Whereas turbochargers, superchargers, camshafts and […]
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Turbonetics TNX | Using Efficiency to Produce Reliable Power
THE FACT THAT NASCAR’S SUCCESS TRUMPS ALL OTHER forms of motorsports in the United States proves that the concept of performance from efficiency still hasn’t fully caught on. Even with its steel tube frame and purpose- built chassis, the behemoth of a NASCAR Sprint Cup car weighs in at over […]
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How To: Five Ways to Build a Bulletproof Engine Block
What is bulletproofing? In terms of high-performance engines, bulletproofing refers to increasing the power handling capacity of an engine beyond the desired power level. Depending on the design of the engine and the magnitude of the power handling increase desired, the bulletproofing process will vary. The parts and processes needed […]
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Suspension 201: High-Performance Coilovers
BOOKS HAVE BEEN WRITTEN ILLUSTRATING THE MATH, SCIENCE and design of suspension systems. In the case of coil-over suspension systems, buyers must consider price, application, construction and adjustment capabilities when selecting the best coil-over system for their vehicle. If the objective is to simply achieve a decent ride on a […]
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Shock Tuning 101: Dyno your Dampers for Optimized Handling
Like the elegantly simple yet intriguingly complex rubik’s cube, setting up automotive suspension is a bit of a mystery that’s difficult to decipher. When analyzing an original 3x3x3 Rubik’s cube, there are a daunting 43,252,003,274,489,856,000 combinations in which you can orient the little squares. Even with over 43 quintillion combinations, […]
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Quick Tech: Staged Filter Tech
EVERY YEAR, WE TAKE OUR 36-FOOT SPORTFISHER named “No Deadlines” to seek out bluefin and yellowfin tuna. Traveling 120 miles south from Huntington Harbour, California, we end up in Mexican waters more than 70 miles away from land. The last thing we want is a problem with the engines. While […]
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MAX OUT: E85 VS C85
SO YOU’VE ALREADY MADE the conversion from pump gas to E85 on your forced induction car and you love it. For less than the price of pump gas, E85 allows you to run race gas levels of boost for maximum performance. On top of that, turbo response and midrange torque […]
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Quick Tech: NX Nitrous Plate FR-S/BRZ
ACCORDING TO ONE FRIEND, “SHE’S SMART, SEXY AND LOW-MAINTENANCE.” According to another, “She’s evil. She’ll break your heart and your bank account.” Ask a group of performance enthusiasts about their opinion on nitrous-oxide injection and you’re likely to hear two very different stories. Some opinions can easily be dismissed as […]
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A Stiffer Chassis? Vehicle Torsional Rigidity Explained
When a new generation of a vehicle is released you will always hear “The new chassis is XX-percent stiffer.” Instead of saying “That’s impressive,” the more common response is to simply think “So what?” While 99-percent of automotive buyers understand the advantage of more power, nearly the same percentage wouldn’t […]
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How LED Technology has Modernized Automotive Lighting | All of the Lights
What do ultra-thin televisions, energy-saving light bulbs and your buddy’s new tactical flashlight have in common? They’re all likely powered by LEDs. LEDs, or light-emitting diodes, have been around for many years now. Originally used in infrared applications and as indicator lights in electronic devices, early LEDs suffered from low […]
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Boost vs. Compression: Benefits of High Boost Levels and High Compression Ratios
One-thousand horsepower, four-cylinder engines are today’s reality in import drag racing. This reality includes the leading-edge forced induction and engine-management technologies that make power production the easy part of building a racecar. Today’s performance engines are running at higher boost pressure levels and higher compression ratios than ever before. Understanding […]
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How to Properly Tune your ECU for Power, Efficiency, and Reliability
Before the advent of plug-and-play engine management systems, affordable UEGO sensors, and open-source reflash programs, the number of engine management “tuners” were limited. Before plug-and-play, a stand-alone system required hours for proper installation of the flying-lead harness. The complexity of the install deterred many from learning the skills necessary for […]
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Clearing Up Your Headlight Restoration Concerns
Cloudy and hazy headlight lenses make your car look like it’s suffering from a terrible case of cataracts. Not only do they look weathered, they also reduce the amount of light being projected and potentially impede the ability to see as well at night. This was hardly an issue prior […]
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Fuel 101: Race Gas, Octane, and Alternative Fuels Explained
What you feed your engine determines it’s ultimate performance. The nutritional performance needs of an engine are influenced by a number of factors. Some of the most important factors include compression ratio, rpm potential and boost pressure (on forced induction applications). Engines that run higher compression ratios (above 10:1), operate […]
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