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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Headlight Restoration Product Showcase
In order to fairly evaluate these headlight restoration products, we’ve sourced headlights from our Local Pick Your Part salvage yard to serve as test samples. These headlights are from 1994-1997 Honda Accords and feature similar wear, pitting, oxidation and UV damage. Each product will be tested on a portion of […]
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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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Monitoring Engine Vitals 101: Are You in the Data Loop?
Every vehicle on the road has gauges. From entry-level compact cars to ultra high performance vehicles, monitoring the most basic to the most complex engine and chassis vitals is essential. Typical gauges cover basic information such as fuel level, coolant temperature range, and engine and vehicle speed. High-performance vehicles go […]
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Engine Cooling System 101: Keepin it Cool
Enthusiasts purchase aftermarket performance products for two main reasons: 1) to make the vehicle perform better and/or 2) to improve the vehicle’s toughness and reliability. For some enthusiasts, it’s all about performance; for others, reliability is the key. However, the vast majority of tuners address both performance and reliability in […]
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Engine Lubrication 101: Controlling the Flow
The human body can’t live without blood. Blood delivers oxygen, nutrients and other essential substances to the body and its organs. Similarly, oil serves an essential role in the performance and operation of the engine. Oil is responsible for lubricating, cooling and removing contaminants for nearly all moving parts. However, […]
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Wraps, Coatings & Treatments | Getting the Extra Edge
Sometimes using the best parts made of the highest quality materials isn’t enough. Fortunately, specialized coatings and treatments can be used to increase performance and reliability from your engine and the components it contains. These new technologies not only allow additional power and torque to be produced but also increase […]
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Exhaust 101: Moving Up By Moving Out
Turbo exhaust manifolds, headers, downpipes and cat-back exhaust systems are all designed to increase performance by improving the exhaust flow out of the engine. On “all-motor” applications, the proper header and cat-back exhaust can reduce pumping loss, increase scavenging and improve cylinder filling to maximize volumetric efficiency, torque and power. […]
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Intake Manifold 101: Ensuring the Cylinders are Working Their Best
Every cylinder in your engine is a member of the same team. The goal of this team is to make maximum power. When every member of the team is putting forth an equal effort, the engine runs smoother, stronger and more reliably than ever before. When one or more cylinders […]
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The Automotive Valvetrain and How It Works
“Nobody gets in or out unless I say so,” said the camshaft to the valves. The valves represent the doors into and out of the cylinders of the engine. How wide these doors are opened, for how long they’re open and when they open and close are all dictated by […]
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