An LS engine swap usually provides double or triple the displacement of the four or six-cylinder engine it replaces. All other factors being equal, more displacement translates into more torque and horsepower. While a good number of LS swaps are done with junkyard parts on a budget, choosing the right […]
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Engine Tech | O-Ring Measuring and Material
There are numerous small parts on your engine that are always overlooked, and O-rings are definitely on that list. “What can go wrong” is usually the mindset when choosing a small rubber seal; however, choosing the right O-ring for the task is critical. The wrong O-ring could be the cause […]
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Engine Tech | Supertech’s S54 Cylinder Head Spit Shim Solution
Of all the common engine configurations, the inline-six-cylinder design outshines all others in terms of strength and reliability. The reasons are simple. Each and every connecting rod has its dedicated rod journal (no sharing like V6 and V8s), and a total of seven main caps hold the crankshaft in place […]
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Engine Tech | G54B Head Development
Simple answers deliver convenience over accuracy. The simple answer to why Mitsubishi’s 4G54B engine struggled to deliver serious performance while its 4G63 engine shined is usually attributed to the number of valves per cylinder. While this answer is convenient, it’s far from accurate. The number of valves per cylinder is […]
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Engine Tech | Fuel Octane in Relation to Engine Knock and How to Avoid it
What you feed your engine determines its ultimate performance. The nutritional performance needs of an engine are influenced by a number of factors. Some of these most important factors include an engine’s compression ratio, rpm potential and the boost pressure of the forced-induction system. Engines that run higher compression ratios […]
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Engine Tech | Material Hardness Testing
It’s a little-known fact that the “end bug” at the end of every story ever written in DSPORT is the tip of a hardness tester. Specifically, the shape follows the indenter used for Rockwell C testing. We came up with the name Hard Media to describe the audience and goal […]
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Instagram Question | E85? Nitrous Oxide? Or both?
RE: NX Nitrous Oxide Plate for FR-S/BRZ I’m looking for more power. E85? Nitrous Oxide? Or both? Can I do this on stock internals or is it too much for the stock internals to handle? Instagram Question from @Busa_badger_pg DSPORT Issue #213 DSPORT Answer Switching over from pump gas (which […]
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Performance Tech | Compression Ratio 101 Part:2
Opinions are like assholes and everyone has one. Look on a forum, blog, Instagram or YouTube account and you can find a number of “engine builders” sharing their thoughts and feelings on the best compression ratio for a particular engine or application. If you take away anything more than the […]
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Performance Tech | Compression Ratio 101 Part:1
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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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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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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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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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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Engine Tech | Boxer, Inline, or V?
We all love making power. Most people know a lot about their engines, from its displacement and configuration, to its benefits and shortcomings. However, many don’t look outside of their engine bays to see what other types of configurations are out there. There are various types of engines that convert […]
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Engine Tech | Air Flow Bottlenecks
In the manufacturing of an issue of DSPORT Magazine, the speed and capabilities of the bindery at our printer represents the bottleneck. You can get faster presses to print more pages and forms per hour, and you can get more automation and labor to box and package the final magazines. […]
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