DSPORT Issue #267 Text by Michael Ferrara No matter how new you are to the performance market, chances are you know something about engine swaps. Old hot-rodders swapped small block Chevy (SBC) engines in place of Ford flatheads beginning in the late 1950s. This trend continued for the next 40 years […]
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Tech Series | Nitrous Basics and Beyond: Pt. 1
DSPORT Issue #251 Text by Michael Ferrara Dollar for dollar, there isn’t another “power adder” that can deliver the power increases of a nitrous-oxide system. In the early days of the import performance movement, hidden “dry” single nozzle nitrous kits were the reason why a few cars were killing it at […]
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Fuel Tech | A Fuel for Your Lovin’: Part 1
DSPORT Issue #226 Text By Michael Ferrara One size never fits all and there is no one that is perfect for every application. When we visit a gas station, we usually have three or four different fuel options for the spark-ignited, internal combustion engine in our vehicle. When we choose […]
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Quick Tech | Sleeving Gives New Life
2JZ, RB26, 4G63, B-series, SR20 and now even K-series and 4B11 are becoming harder and harder to find. Until a few years ago, finding good used core engines or cheap Japanese import engines was relatively easy. If you didn’t have luck locating one, purchasing a new block from the dealership […]
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Turbo Tech | Xona Rotor XR Green GT-R V2 Turbo
The R35 GT-R is Nissan’s most capable and impressive vehicle to date. Nissan teamed an exceptional engine with a capable dual-clutch transaxle and tied everything together with arguably the world’s best AWD torque management system. While Nissan never designed the vehicle to be a record-setting drag and top-speed machine, owners, […]
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Quick Tech | Fuel Efficiency Tips and Tricks
We are looking forward to the promise of having an average gas price over $6 per gallon in the next two weeks right now in California. Sanctions on the importation of Russian oil is pushing crude prices through the roof. While Californians are hit the hardest, residents of all 50 […]
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Engine Tech | Catalytic Converters
Every car enthusiast loves the sound of an engine starting. We all look forward to starting the combustion process so we can hear that sweet sound from our engine – but not the way I experienced it. Roughly two months ago, I got in my car to get to DSPORT so […]
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Engine Tech | Choosing the Right Head Studs
Today’s import-performance engines are generating more power per cylinder than ever before. On the street or at the track, it is not uncommon for these engines to be modified to generate four to six times the original horsepower output. There are now four-cylinder engines generating over 1,500 horsepower while six-cylinder […]
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Quick Tech | RB26 Cylinder Head and Valvetrain Survival Guide: Part 1
While the recent influx of RB-powered GT-Rs has caused a flood of RB engine builds, DSPORT has been developing the RB26 engine for the past 20 years. While others are relying upon an abundance of misinformation on the internet, we know what works and what doesn’t and we’ve been the […]
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Engine Tech | Dumb Ways to Die…for your Engine
You finally get back your valve cover from the powder coater with the sick new finish that sets off your engine compartment. Days later, your engine has spun a rod bearing and needs to be rebuilt. Can these seemingly unrelated events be connected? Can a simple cosmetic upgrade kill an […]
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Engine Tech | Maximizing 10th Gen Civic Si Performance
All Honda Civics are happier turbocharged and the import performance aftermarket figured this out back in the mid ‘90s when a DRAG turbo kit was king. It took Honda nine generations of the Civic to finally concede that Boost is Best! Today, the 10th-generation Civic relies upon the efficient and […]
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Quick Tech | Drive-By-Wire Throttle Systems
Drive-by-wire (DBW) throttle is a technology that is hated by some and praised by others. Purists often claim that DBW throttle bodies disconnect the driver from the engine. They argue that throttle response is slower than a cable throttle and that the OEM uses DBW throttle bodies to limit the […]
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Quick Tech | SAFR Paint Remover
Often times, the simplest tasks could be the cause of extreme issues. Something as simple as removing some old paint using a traditional paint stripper could cause serious damage to humans when methylene chloride fumes are inhaled. After more than 64 horrific cases since 1980, something had to be done […]
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Quick Tech | Piston Skirt Abradable Powder Coating
While you might’ve had the time of your life rocking out at an AC/DC concert, your engine won’t be having the time of its life if its pistons are rocking excessively. While all pistons exhibit some amount of “rock,” modified engines are more likely to have a more significant “rocking” […]
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Quick Tech | Stainless Steel Brake Lines
Saving $10 or $20 on a part or two may not sound like a big deal. However, if you could save an average of $10 on 20 different parts then that adds up to $200. Now, if you could save that $200 on 500,000 occasions, you would save 100 million […]
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