ECU tuning is the tie that binds an engine’s performance together. Gone are the days of jetting and synchronizing carburetors, replaced instead with modern handheld tuning devices and laptops. With numerous options available ranging from a simple reflash blackbox up to infinitely adjustable fuel and ignition mapping software, tuning solutions […]
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Fuel Systems – Quench Your Engine’s Thirst | Bolt-On Basics
Your average internal combustion engine may sound smooth and composed from the outside, yet the internals work constantly to generate a series of explosions that set metal components into motion at a high rate of speed. Sure, an engine must be tough in order to produce hundreds or even thousands […]
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Forced Induction – Boost for Max Power | Bolt-On Basics
When it comes to increasing your vehicle’s power output, forced-induction systems are the pinnacle of bolt-on performance. Out of all the bolt-on modifications available for today’s popular vehicles, forced-induction kits can offer the greatest gains in horsepower and torque. High-quality turbocharger or supercharger kits can bump power output by 40- […]
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Cooling Systems – Less Heat for Longer Life and More Power | Bolt-On Basics
Heat is a killer. It boils fluids, starts fires, melts and warps important components. There’s no sign of frictionless engines arriving any time soon, so until then, we’re stuck with the byproduct of friction that is heat. Given that cars are filled with moving parts, electrical currents and combusting materials, […]
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Suspension – Upgrades to Enhance Handling Performance | Bolt-On Basics
Racecar drivers that double as engineers will almost always excel in competition. However, the backseat-driver-equivalent of engineers that claim to be racecar drivers are the worst. These types that love to chase setup adjustments down to the molecular level, they treasure logged data and long debates about spring rates, chassis […]
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Brakes – The Science of Stopping | Bolt-On Basics
Making more horsepower and going fast is both fun and rewarding; however, there’s really no point to any of it if you cannot stop quickly and safely. While most factory braking systems prove adequate for the daily commute, going to the track or even spirited driving through the canyons could […]
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Wheels – Fashion and Function | Bolt-On Basics
Like eye-catching shoes, wheels make an automotive fashion statement with practical application when properly selected. Wheels are arguably the first thing that people notice about a car. They can be practical, sporty, casual or formal. The reality is wheels make more than a fashion statement, they can influence the acceleration, […]
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Tires – Get a Grip, Don’t Slip | Bolt-On Basics
It’s surprising how little is understood about tires. Just look at the number of cars with tires worn down to the belts lining up at your local tire shop when the first rain of the season begins to arrive. What’s worse is that some people think tires are just chunks […]
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Subaru EJ257 Bottom-end Breakdown
When Magnus Ohlaker (head machinist and engine assembler at Club DSPORT’s Engine Development Facility) was asked “what is your favorite aftermarket engine?”, we never expected Magnus to say the Subaru EJ257. Later, we learned it was because Magnus had assembled over 400 of these engines while working at Cosworth Engineering. […]
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Pulstar with PlasmaCore Spark Plugs
Human cognition is a mind-blowing phenomenon that’s capable of incredible processes like abstract thinking, high-level computation and lightning-fast heuristics. Even though the list of amazingly complex procedures the human brain can process is long, there are still simple things that are completely incomprehensible. The dollar figure of the national debt, […]
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HKS FA20 Camshafts | Tested To Get You the Real Numbers
Smooth versus lumpy idle. Instant off idle response or lazy low end. Asthmatic high-RPM performance or a screamer to redline. When it comes to the personality traits of an engine, the control of the valve events is the primary influence of the engine’s behavior. For about the first 100 years […]
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Innovate Multifunction Digital Gauges | Get Connected With Your Engine Vitals
How can you make $100-million disappear into thin air? If you go the NASA route in 1998, you fire a probe into space to float out to who-knows-where. Years of hard work and thousands of calculations went into the development of the Mars Surveyor ’98 program. However, a simple mismatch […]
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Exhaust Systems – Uncorking Your Engine’s Potential | Bolt-On Basics
If your car were an orchestra and the engine the conductor, the exhaust system would be made up of horned instruments. Sure the band could play without the brass, but the melody would be off and it’ll sound like crap. When it comes to understanding how aftermarket exhaust systems work, […]
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Quick Tech: Polyurethane Bushings Put To The Test
Many of the most performance-enhancing parts of a car are also the most inconspicuous. When looking in an engine bay, high performance pistons or camshafts hide behind the veil of the engine block and valve covers, wearing no badge on the surface of the power these parts help produce. The […]
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Quick Test: AEM Electronics X-series Wideband UEGO
Testing the Response Time of Popular Wideband Controllers For about a year, AEM electronics has wanted us to get the word out about its X-Series Wideband UEGO AFR sensor controller and gauge. This new series is promoted as being the world’s “fastest responding wideband” in independent testing. AEM Electronics asked […]
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