Build With Bolt-On Horsepower, But Proceed With Caution
Whether the speed equipment is old school hardware or electronic in nature, you can be sure it is designed to turn automobile engines into more efficient air pumps. “Because the engine really is an air pump, I tell my customers one of the biggest things they can do is bolt on a different exhaust system,”
Engine Builder Shop Solutions: August 2011
Securing Cam Gears Years ago it came to my attention that the replacement aluminum cam gear used on 4- and 6-cylinder GM inline engines has a tendency to walk off the camshaft. I wanted an easy way to resolve the problem, and here is what I came up with. I grind a notch about 5/16?
Pro Stock Engine Technology
For a gearhead it’s always interesting to look at the upper echelons of motorsports to see what’s ticking under the hood. F1, Sprint Cup, and endurance cars are all fairly engaging from an engine perspective, but nothing tops drag racing for its sheer power, variety and ingenuity. In a single event you have vehicles competing
Tips for Hotter Street & Strip Performance
Long’s HO Enterprises Performance Auto (www.hoenterprisesclassics.com) in Birnamwood, WI, sells hot rod parts, but his once traditional view on performance is changing as he sees his sons working on late-model imported cars with port fuel injection and “coffee can” exhausts. “Yeah, I think it’s all electronics now, but at least they’re car guys” Long points
BluePrint Engines Introduces New Line of Extreme HP Engines
This new line of affordable world-class engines is specially designed for car enthusiasts and drivers looking to step up in power and performance, says company president Shawn Sterling. The new BluePrint ProSeries line is the industry’s first full line of extreme horsepower engines, ranging from 540 hp to 815 hp. The new line includes two
Stroker Strategies for Higher Horsepower
Such strategies are already very popular with those building small block and big block Chevys as well as small block Fords. In the main, it is a cost effective way to deliver what most customers deem as power – that is more low speed torque. Generating extra cubes via a stroker crank is a good
Bolt-on Horsepower: Choosing An Induction System
The induction system feeds the engine air and fuel. So to increase the torque and horsepower output of an engine, the induction system has to provide more air and fuel. That usually means adding an aftermarket performance intake manifold with taller, larger and/or longer runners to increase air flow into the cylinder head ports, bolting
Caburetors and Electronic Fuel Injection Systems
These days just about everyone is looking to new technology to solve their problems. In some cases it makes sense: others, not so much. Take the trusty old carburetor for example: it has been around since the beginning of time (automotive time anyway), and many have predicted its demise, but somehow it keeps coming back
Carroll Shelby Engines to Offer Certified Performance Rebuild Services and Engine Tuning for Ford V8s
Carroll Shelby Engine Co., owned by Carroll Shelby who founded Carroll Shelby International Inc., has expanded its line of services at its Southern California location to include performance tuning and rebuilding of Ford V8 motors. The company also offers a line of complete aluminum 351 Windsor and big block aluminum “FE” motors and parts.
Performance Carburetors
Carburetors persist because they are relatively simple and inexpensive compared to electronic fuel injection (EFI). Most racers and hot rodders are familiar with carburetors and know something about how to install, tune and adjust a carburetor. They may not always do it right, but all they usually need is a screwdriver and a wrench. They
EFI Introduction 101
EFI has become the tool that has unlocked the next level of engine performance. Nowhere is it more evident than in drag racing, where EFI has taken over where the rules permit. Take Joe Dunn’s Pat Musi-powered ’68 Camaro that just rocked the competition with a 6.38 @ 218 mph pass. Its 755 cid big-block
Manufacturer Tech Tip: Carburetor Cleaning Tips From Edelbrock
NEVER clean your EnduraShine or PermaStar parts with solvents or carburetor cleaners of any kind. Use of these cleaners will dull the luster and will remove the coating. Never use solvents or carburetor cleaners when rebuilding your EnduraShine carburetor. Do not use paper towels to wipe or clean your EnduraShine or PermaStar parts. Although Edelbrock
Fueling the Need for Performance Fuel Systems
Consider this – a high 10 second drag car will burn up one gallon of gasoline in 25 seconds or less, but a car that can run a 7 second E.T. will burn the same amount of fuel in half the time. The physics involved with fuel flow to create horsepower is difficult for even
Carburetor Tuning: A/F Mixture, Air/Fuel Equation
Now that the ignition spark timing advance curves are optimized for the blend of reformulated and/or oxygenated gasoline your customers are using we will now show you how we use tools such as a 5-gas exhaust analyzer and wideband Lambda air/fuel (A/F) meter to tune the mixture. The Air/Fuel Mixture A lean fuel mixture can
Intake Manifolds, Fuel Injected Engines, Carburetors
An intake manifold is more than the plumbing that connects the carburetor or throttle body to the ports in the cylinder head. It is an integral part of the induction system that has to match the airflow characteristics of the cylinder head and camshaft, as well as the displacement and rpm range of the engine.
Carburetor Tuning For Performance and Restorations
The modern “square” design of Holley carburetors was popularly introduced during the late 1950s. Because this style of Holley carburetor featured a simple, modular design with interchangeable parts and a great degree of adjustability, it immediately found favor with performance enthusiasts. We’ll use the Holley 4150-series carburetors to illustrate how to select, assemble, adjust and
Performance Notes: Cashing In On Power Adders: Blowers, Turbos, Nitrous
The demand for high performance vehicles has never been stronger. A good indicator is that automakers are turning out more powerful models with each successive new car introduction. Remember when 500 horsepower was a pretty good number for a race motor? Today you can purchase a number of vehicles that eclipse 500hp, from a Z06
Data Acquisition Systems and Engine Controllers
Motorsports in general and Formula One in particular is the leading edge (or bleeding edge, depending on how you look at it) of development of these electronic systems. With carburetors looking more and more like dinosaurs compared to modern electronically controlled engine management systems, engine builders – especially those building performance engines – must become
Performance Marine Engines – Meeting Customer Expectations
Life is a series of compromises. Human relations almost alwaysinvolves compromises of some sort. You want Chinese for dinner,she wants Italian; something has to give. Even if you go yourseparate ways, it’s a compromise and a decision to not dine together. Believe it or not, it’s the same with machinery. Any exercisein design is a
Making A Big Splash In The Marine Market
The average individual that would have owned a performance car in the 1960s, and the baby boomers that did, in many cases no longer have a modern affordable toy they can tweak to their own satisfaction. Serious performance today is often available to only a few with large checking accounts or extra good credit, and