Browsing: The Tech

Quick Test: HKS GT1000 R35 Twin-Turbo System

Considering what tuners across the world have accomplished, the Nissan R35 GT-R may be the greatest mass-production sports car of all time. In stock form, you would need to spend double to find a competitor that could go toe to toe. With the right mix of bolt-on performance parts and a proper tune, 150 or more additional horsepower can be brought online at a price that would fit in every R35 owner’s budget. At the 600-650whp level, the factory turbochargers, engine and transmission are all at the limit in terms of power potential and power handling. For more power, it’s…

Quick Test: AutoMeter Goes Wireless with its AirDrive Gauge System

We’re told that digital is the end-all way of the future, yet the resurgence of paperback books and vinyl records say otherwise. While digital means of consuming information like books and music appear to be taking over, plenty of users show interest in doing things the old fashioned way. In the performance aftermarket, some may question why we still bother with analog-style gauges when there are plenty of digital dash solutions available. In a similar light, why do so many of us prefer manual transmissions when modern DCTs and automatics offer reduced shift times? We simply have more fun driving…

Test & Tune: 2017 Subaru WRX STI | Part:3 Closer to the EJ257’s Limits

There are two questions you should ask yourself before starting any build: how much horsepower do you want, and how long do you want it to last? Although Subaru’s famous EJ-powered WRX STI models exploded into popularity out of rally racing and other motorsports, the flat-four power plant is infamous for self-destructing when squeezed for more power. Skim through the Subaru forums and you’ll find the question on so many STI owners’ minds, “how much horsepower can my EJ257 handle?” The answer is different for everyone, but the general consensus is that the 400-450whp range is when you might want…

Quick Tech: Paint Retouch 101

The cars in the D’Garage don’t spend their days sleeping under the covers, they are daily driven, dyno-tested, and tracked on a regular basis. However, with heavy use comes heavy wear, so the flawless new car shine never lasts long. Sometimes there are factors that you can’t do much about, such as rock chips and small debris flung at you on the freeway, or door and bumper scuffs earned in the grocery store parking lot. Either way, flaws in your paint can stand out like a sore thumb and kill your car’s overall aesthetic. You may even end up having…

Quick Tech: The Ultimate Electric Fan Solution

Popped fuses, smoked relays and melted wires are telltale signs of big current draws. Electric cooling fans have traditionally been the biggest current hogs on any electrical device on an automotive application. Huge startup currents and high continuous currents can often cause fuses to blow, relays to fail and wires to melt in the cooling fan circuit. While undersized relays and wires are often to blame, it is the nature of a brushed motor that creates the issue. Text by Michael Ferrara // Photos by Cameron Parsons Brush, Brush, Brush If you have ever pushed a car from a dead…

Quick Tech: Thermal Barrier Coatings for More Power

What is horsepower? If you are into performance, you may only know that it’s a good thing and it never hurts to have more. If you appreciate the science, you may know that one horsepower is the energy transfer rate required to raise a 550-pound object by one foot every second. It’s often incorrectly stated that “heat is horsepower.” While a false statement on its own, the reality is that the control of the transfer of heat (a form of energy) can be used to produce the type of tire-smoking horsepower that we crave. Employing the latest generation of thermal…

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 a proper break-in procedure to ensure peak performance, minimal oil consumption and a long life. Even if the best parts are used and the proper machining and assembly was executed, an improper break-in can result in some or all of the negative consequences. While there is no universally agreed upon…

Toyota 2JZ Three Ways | Circuit, Drift and Drag: Part 1

Chances are you’ve fallen into watching an episode of Iron Chef. If you haven’t, the format pits visiting chefs against one of the resident Iron Chefs at Kitchen Stadium. Both the visiting and Iron Chef must come up with original recipes around the same theme ingredient. When Club DSPORT was tasked with building a number of Toyota 2JZ engines for different applications, we thought there would be no better way to showcase the versatility of this popular platform. After outlining the origins, strengths and weaknesses of the 2JZ engine platform, we’ll showcase a detailed and complete 2JZ build for circuit,…

How To: Tuning Wastegate Actuators for Twin-Turbo Duty

There is nothing more frustrating than being part of a two-man team where you are doing more than half the work. When subtle hints don’t get the lazy half up to speed, the end result can be a very vocal argument. Each of the turbos on a twin-turbo engine feel the same way. When the work is unbalanced between the two turbos, you may even hear the turbos arguing (in the form of compressor surge). Fortunately, twin-turbo engines that utilize actuator-type integral wastegates (with adjustable rods) can be “synched” to provide similar wastegate performance from each turbo. After outlining the…

Find Your Center | An Intro to Suspension Geometries

Just like with a turbo upgrade, you can’t expect to bolt on new suspension hardware and realize gains right out of the gate. Obtaining peak performance requires adjustments, tuning and an understanding of how the pieces work in conjunction with each other. Perfecting a suspension system is a daunting task, as it is arguably the most complicated system of any performance vehicle. Most typically focus on stiffer dampers, springs and sway bars when upgrading the suspension. Although these upgrades usually improve handling, the effectiveness of the system also depends on the lengths, angles and linking points of the suspension system.…

Quick Test: GoPro Hero5 Black and Karma Grip

Quick Test: GoPro Hero5 Black and Karma Grip Over the course of a decade, GoPro went from being the single dominating action video camera in the industry to a drop in a pond filled with countless other options. The world-famous company has since steadily introduced updated models on a regular basis, a must-do in order to stay ahead of the many competitors entering the market. Now, we find ourselves with GoPro’s latest iteration, the Hero5. The new model sports updated hardware and interface, rolled into market alongside the Karma Grip gimbal in an attempt to lasso users into the GoPro…

Milwaukee’s M12 102 x 77 Infrared Camera | Ten Reasons Why You Need a One

In the automotive world, heat creates a ticking time bomb. Different vehicle components demand target temperatures for ideal performance, but you’ll run into trouble quick if things get too hot. In the search for performance, items like cooling components and tires must be closely monitored to create an ideal setup. Although tools like infrared temperature guns provide vital information, they only deliver tiny snippets of a bigger picture. This is where infrared cameras and thermal imagers come in, offering users the ability to view temperature differences of an entire area on a digital screen. We received Milwaukee’s M12 102 x…

2017 Subaru WRX STI Exhaust Shootout

Exhaust systems serve as one of the most important upgrade decisions you’ll make for your car. This hardware determines in part how your car will look, sound and perform. It makes a statement on what type of enthusiast you are, as car owners look for different benefits and characteristics. But how do you determine which exhaust best fits your needs? We decided to do the dirty work for you, as we selected 12 currently available exhaust systems for the 2015+ Subaru WRX and STI, and thoroughly evaluated their sound, appearance, build quality and performance on our D’Garage 2017 Subaru WRX…

Test & Tune: 2017 Subaru WRX STI | Part:2 More Flow and Fuel

Since the VAB Subaru WRX came to the market for the 2015 model year (check out DSPORT Issue #137) this platform has proven a favorite in the segment, especially by its loyal fanatics. DSPORT’s sales director Al Rhee recently joined this fraternity of loyalists when he purchased this 2017 WRX STI as his new daily driven family taxi. The beauty of this machine lay in the details, including its turbocharged EJ257 engine, all-wheel driveline and the VAB’s improved chassis stiffness (compared to the previous generation chassis). Text by Richard Fong // Photos by Joe Singleton and Cameron Parsons // Testing…

Head Torque Plate Solutions | Save Valves and Improve Efficiency in High-Power Applications

Bent or warped valves and reduced engine efficiency have plagued our 1,300+whp RB26DETT engine ever since we pushed beyond the 1,000whp mark a few years ago. For the longest time, we chalked up the bent or warped valves to extreme temps and the rigors of life at 600 horsepower per liter. Thanks to new discoveries made in our Club DSPORT engine development center we’ve not only isolated the true cause of these issues, but also have discovered a solution to eliminate the issue at this power level. To see if your engine can benefit from this solution, we will first…

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