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  1. Join Date
    Feb 2010
    Posts
    12
    #1
    http://auto.howstuffworks.com/question395.htm


    [SIZE=3]Any car that you buy today from a normal automobile manufacturer has a number of compromises built into it. These compromises are caused by several factors: [/SIZE]
    • [SIZE=3]The attempt to fit the car into a certain price range [/SIZE]
    • [SIZE=3]The need* to meet emissions standards [/SIZE]
    • [SIZE=3]The desire to provide maximum life and reliability

      [/SIZE]
    [SIZE=3]These compromises often give you lots of room for improvement in terms of performance! There are many different ways to create more horsepower from a stock engine. Here are several examples (generally in order from least to most difficult/expensive): [/SIZE]
    [SIZE=3][/SIZE]
    [SIZE=3]*Change your computer chip. Sometime*s, but certainly not always, you can change a car's performance by changing the ROM chip in the engine control unit (ECU). You usually buy these chips from aftermarket performance dealers. It is valuable to read an independent review of the chip you are contemplating, because some chips are all hype and no performance.[/SIZE]
    [SIZE=3][/SIZE]
    [SIZE=3]Let air come in more easily. As a piston moves down in the intake stroke, air resistance can rob power from the engine. Some newer cars are using polished intake manifolds to eliminate air resistance there. Bigger air filters and reduced intake piping can also improve air flow.[/SIZE]
    [SIZE=3][/SIZE]
    [SIZE=3]*Let exhaust exit more easily. If air resistance or back-pressure makes it hard for exhaust to exit a cylinder, it robs the engine of power. If the exhaust pipe is too small or the muffler has a lot of air resistance then this can cause back-pressure. High-performance exhaust systems use headers, big tail pipes and free-flowing mufflers to eliminate back-pressure in the exhaust system. [/SIZE]
    [SIZE=3][/SIZE]
    [SIZE=3]Change the heads and cams. Many stock engines have one intake valve and one exhaust valve. Buying a new head that has four valves per cylinder will dramatically improve airflow in and out of the engine and this can improve power. Using performance cams can also make a big difference.* * [/SIZE]
    • [SIZE=3]Stuff more into each cylinder - If you can cram more air (and therefore fuel) into a cylinder of a given size, you can get more power from the cylinder (in the same way that you would by increasing the size of the cylinder). Turbo chargers and super chargers pressurize the incoming air to effectively cram more air into a cylinder. Many manufacturers make aftermarket turbos and super chargers for many different cars.[/SIZE]

    • [SIZE=3]Cool the incoming air - Compressing air raises its temperature. You would like to have the coolest air possible in the cylinder because the hotter the air is the less it will expand when combustion takes place. Therefore many turbo charged and super charged cars have an intercooler. An intercooler is a special radiator through which the compressed air passes to cool it off before it enters the cylinder.[/SIZE]

    • [SIZE=3]Make everything lighter - Lightweight parts help the engine perform better. Each time a piston changes direction it uses up energy to stop the travel in one direction and start it in another. The lighter the piston, the less energy it takes. Lighter parts also allow the engine to rev faster, giving it more horsepower.[/SIZE]
    • [SIZE=3]Increase the compression ratio - Higher compression ratios produce more power, up to a point. The more you compress the air/fuel mixture, however, the more likely it is to spontaneously burst into flame (prior to the spark plug igniting it). Higher octane gasolines prevent this sort of early combustion. That is why high-performance cars generally need high octane gasoline - their engines are using higher compression ratios to get more power.[/SIZE]
    • [SIZE=3]Increase displacement - More displacement means more power because you can burn more gas during each revolution of the engine. You can increase displacement by making the cylinders bigger.[/SIZE]

    Last edited by ghosthunter; February 17th, 2010 at 12:06 PM.

  2. Join Date
    Oct 2002
    Posts
    29,354
    #2
    [SIZE="3"]Moderator's Note:

    Unless you personally wrote that article above, I suggest you post the link of where you found the article.
    [/SIZE]

  3. Join Date
    Feb 2010
    Posts
    12
    #3

  4. Join Date
    Aug 2004
    Posts
    22,705
    #4
    Chip+Intake+Exhaust+Cams+Port&Polish+High-Compression Pistons+Rods

    Total Cost: around 170-200k pesos. Add 20k more if you change the cylinder head.

    -

    Turbo:

    Total Cost: around 150k+ pesos.

    -

    If you go secondhand with the mods listed on that site, it'll still cost nearly 100k. A secondhand turbo installation (with computer chip) will still cost way under 100k.

    Ang pagbalik ng comeback...

  5. Join Date
    Dec 2007
    Posts
    1,906
    #5
    Or you could go the engine-swap route...for Toyotas, Hondas, Mitsubishis and Nissans, this is a very common option. It's not uncommon to see Toyota engines swapped into Daihatsus either (Toyota basically owns Daihatsu anyway).

    By far, Toyota seems to have the advantage in terms of cheap engine swaps. Honda engine swaps are usually pricier like-for-like.

    The beauty of engine swaps is, depending on the engine, they may already have high-RPM/high-compression NA characteristics or some sort of forced induction (turbo or supercharging) already included. A lot of 1980s and 1990s cars also have some provision for an engine swap already.

    High-revving NA engines commonly swapped in are the following:
    Honda B16A, K20A, B18C, H22A, D15B
    Toyota 4A-GE 20-valve "black top"
    Nissan SR16VE (rare AFAIK)
    Mazda B6/-ZE (seen this installed in a Kia Pride)
    Mitsubishi 4G92-MIVEC

    Forced-induction engines commonly swapped in are the following:
    Mitsubishi 4G63T
    Toyota 4E-FTE, 3S-GTE, 1JZ-GTE, 2JZ-GTE (all turbo), 4A-GZE (supercharged)
    Nissan SR20DET, RB26DETT

    Correct me if I'm wrong
    Last edited by Type 100; February 17th, 2010 at 12:05 PM.

  6. Join Date
    Apr 2009
    Posts
    1,902
    #6
    Lessening restrictions in the intake-exhaust path could also tap some few sleeping horses.

    (ie IHE mods, cylinder porting/polishing)

    Two cents...

  7. Join Date
    Mar 2009
    Posts
    994
    #7
    I usually do the basic . . . like installing a CAI. Adds at least 5 horses. Port & polish is also affordable. Just make sure that your mechanic knows what he's doing.

    Then I make it a point to follow all my cars' maintenance schedules.


  8. #8
    Niky: why didn't you go the FI route

  9. Join Date
    Dec 2007
    Posts
    1,961
    #9
    Forced induction motors, Especially Diesel water/alcohol injection is hard to beat on adding HP.

  10. Join Date
    Aug 2004
    Posts
    22,705
    #10
    Quote Originally Posted by ILuvDetailing View Post
    Niky: why didn't you go the FI route
    I'm scared of turbos.

    With all the mods described, your average 1.6 will go from about 105-115 hp to about 160-170 hp. (if you're lucky enough to own a 1.6 that you can buy high compression pistons for).

    With a turbo, that 1.6 can hit 200 hp or more, with twice the torque... and it's possible to blow it up in half the time.

    I'd love a turbo, but I like the car the way it is. My next car might be a turbocharged one... but it'll be a factory turbo unit, not aftermarket.

    Ang pagbalik ng comeback...

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Ways to increase HP