Optimizing an engine’s compression ratio for the type of fuel and the boost levels (forced induction applications) that will be used can result in additional power, increased torque and improved fuel economy. As you may already be aware of, some engines are optimized from the factory to run on higher-octane […]
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Performance Tech | CAN-Bus 101
If you are old enough to have used computers before the invention of the USB port, you probably really appreciate USB. Before USB, hooking up any external device to your computer required the assignment of a hexadecimal address to a serial port or parallel port that needed to have unique […]
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THERMOCURE | Cooling System Rust Remover
While the general public is pretty good about sticking to a regular schedule for oil and oil filter changes on their vehicle, the same cannot be said for cooling system maintenance. Depending on the vehicle, its usage and the type of coolant being used, the maintenance interval for the cooling […]
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LSPI: Low-Speed Pre-Ignition
For every action, there is going to be a reaction. Over the past few years, automakers have taken action to develop turbocharged gasoline direct-injection (TGDI) engines to deliver a previously unachievable balance of specific output (horsepower-per-liter) and fuel economy. Today, a 2.0-liter, 4-cylinder TGDI engine can put out the horsepower […]
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Project A+ | B-Series All-Motor Build | Optimizing the Original Performance VTEC
Nothing beats boost. A big enough turbo at high enough boost pressure delivers big power numbers regardless of how well the engine and performance combination were put together. If you take away this ultimate power adder, you better know your shit if you want to make power. Nearly 20 years […]
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Rotary vs Piston
The Wankel Rotary engine: Mazda’s most prized offering is also the source of hundreds of hilarious internet memes. During a time where internal combustion piston engines were the primary technology used in vehicles, Mazda decided to develop a competing technology. In the early ‘70s, the Rotary engine powered nearly every […]
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Variable Compression Engines | Are Boosted Variable Compression Engines the New Way to Go?
“For every action, there’s going to be a reaction. And if the repercussions of the reaction are worse than the benefits of the action, you are going to get screwed.” In automotive engineering, balancing between power and efficiency is crucial. One of the factors that can affect an engine’s power […]
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Quick Tech: Limiting Belt Slip Can Add Big Power
When you consider that a belt-driven supercharger might need 80 or 100 horsepower to compress enough air to allow your engine to make 600 flywheel horsepower, it’s not surprising that the 6-rib belts used to drive the supercharger may experience some slippage. The amount of slippage is dependent upon the […]
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Quick Tech: Getting Your Car Ready for a Track Day
Imagine standing at the cargo door of an airplane 13,000 feet in the air. You brace yourself as you are about to make your first solo skydive. You feel the rush of adrenaline sweep through and the last thing you want running through your mind is whether your parachute is […]
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Quick Tech: The Ins and Outs of Copper Head Gaskets
Why copper? With the increasing availability of high-performance, multi-layer-steel (MLS) head gaskets, one might question why anyone would want to use something different. While MLS head gaskets might make sense on the majority of high-performance engine builds, copper head gaskets still have a place. Today, many Top Fuel engines and […]
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EMS | Part:1 Everything You Need to Know About Your Sensors
Overkill or insufficient. When it comes to selecting the standalone solution for your racecar, it’s really easy to spend too much on an Engine Management System (EMS) that does more than you actually need. For those that have tons of disposable income, that’s probably not a major concern. Just buy […]
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Quick Tech: Performance Engine Break-In the Right Way
High oil consumption, excessive smoke through the exhaust, high blow-by, lower than expected power output and increased oil contamination are just some of the possible results of an improper engine break-in or run-in. While production engines in new vehicles are already “broken-in” at the factory, any high-performance “built” engine requires […]
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Quick Tech | Bearings: Part 1
Friction is a parasite that consumes energy and craps heat. When you allow friction to go unchecked, it will waste your power, burn your fuel and cook your parts. On the contrary, employing a friction reduction strategy delivers significant benefits. Reducing friction reduces waste and reduces heat. Less waste and […]
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Quick Tech | Automotive Relays
It’s the current that kills you. Currents above 10 milliamps can induce muscle contractions so strong that the victim cannot let go of the wire that’s shocking them. At 20 milliamps, breathing can become labored, while 75 milliamps can cause breathing to cease. At 100 milliamps, ventricular fibrillation of the […]
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Engine Tech | Fuel Flow Bottlenecks
In the previous issue of DSPORT, we addressed all of the possible air flow restrictions that could be serving as bottlenecks. However, simply eliminating all of the airflow bottlenecks only completes half the job. For peak performance and reliability, fuel flow needs to be optimized as well. Too much air […]
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