Do you need your engine tuned / modified / upgraded?
Better Performance for your vehicle
The article highlights the main methods of tuning engines, important points to remember when carrying out improvements and gives some general recommendations.
Tuning is the modification of an engine in order to increase its power and efficiency. Upgrading takes place by replacing factory parts, installing new components and improving existing systems.
The engines of modern cars with an ECU are also subjected to chip tuning — adjusting the on-board computer program. This method allows increasing the power of the unit without turbo by 10%, and with turbo — by approximately 40%. But this is another story…
You can achieve the best results of engine boosting only using specialised workshops equipped with professional tools and quality parts/components.
Each car has its own design nuances, so an individual approach to every vehicle is the key to its optimal refinement. Mostly, only more powerful engines need to be improved; in other cases, tuning is not always needed, since it requires high costs and can achieve controversial results.
The main methods of tuning engines
There are two main ways to increase engine power:
• Reduced mass of moving parts
• Installing new items
So, for example, standard engine parts are replaced with lightweight ones (pistons, pulleys, flywheel, etc.), also some mechanical systems replaced by electrical ones. Some car owners (especially drivers of racing cars) remove all attachments from the vehicle in order to reduce weight.
Let’s consider the most common methods of improving the engine in more detail.
Changing the cylinder head
Today there are many options for cylinder heads designed specifically for engine tuning. Their connectors and branch pipes have the same design as standard cylinder heads, so there is no difficulty in installing them.
In addition to special heads, modified models for specific vehicles can be produced. They are cheaper than tuned ones, but they also bring new possibilities for the engine.
Modern cylinder heads with vertical and horizontal vortex increase the air intake velocity and improve the overall air flow characteristics.
Cylinder head porting
The cylinder head bore procedure helps increase the overall engine displacement. The operation to increase the cross-section of the sleeves from the inside is carried out only on a specialised high-precision machine, which allows you to keep their correct geometry.
For ported cylinders, larger pistons are selected, since only the perfect alignment of these parts provides the required level of engine compression.
Engine valve tuning
The engine valves allow air flow in and out. The valve opening time is controlled by the camshaft, and the degree is controlled by the pusher.
Intake valves must be free of sharp corners and “burrs” that impede the passage of air, so these elements must be very carefully polished. It is important that the valves fit tightly and without gaps in the seats.
You can increase the amount of incoming air by expanding the inlets or installing more valves (16, 20, 24, 32, etc.). The latter method is most relevant, since the enlarged holes and large valves reduce the air flow rate at low rpm, which negatively affects the torque.
In addition to increasing the number of valves, special upgraded valve springs are installed.
Replacing the standard camshaft
The camshaft controls the opening and closing of the engine valves. The opening time is set by the cam profile of the shaft.
Unlike conventional camshafts, upgraded cams are taller and wider, which allows the valves to rise higher and stay open for longer. This lets more air / fuel mixture to be supplied.
There are several types of modernised camshafts for moderate, fast and sporty driving:
• Moderate Road Cams: suitable for almost all vehicles, improve throttle response and engine power
• Fast Road Cams: Ideal for high-speed vehicles, increase engine power, but are unstable at idle speed
• Competition Cams: designed for sports cars; effectively increase engine power, but increase fuel consumption, have uneven idling and wear quickly
- Sports camshafts are not suitable for use in urban environments, as they are characterised by maximum efficiency in the area of almost limiting engine speed.
Refinement of the fuel system
To increase engine power, it is very important to increase the amount of fuel / air mixture entering the combustion chamber. This can be done by modifying the car’s fuel system: installing a more efficient pump, a fuel rail with powerful injectors, and improving the fuel regulator. After carrying out these measures, it is usually required to use gasoline with the highest octane number.
Using stroker kits
Many companies produce ready-made kits (pistons, rings, connecting rods, bearings and crankshaft) for mechanical engine tuning. Their use changes the length of the piston stroke, increases the torque and as a result adds 10–15% of the volume to the engine.
All parts of stroker kits are manufactured using advanced sports technologies; therefore they have a greater margin of safety and durability.
Increasing engine compression
There are different ways to increase the compression in the cylinders. One of them is the use of so-called high compression pistons. Usually they are made of aluminium alloy with added silicon, have an enlarged compression ring and a bulge on the bottom.
High-compression pistons create higher pressure than standard pistons, which speeds up the fuel combustion process and increases engine power. During operation, they can withstand very high loads and temperatures, therefore they can be used to equip cars with the most powerful engines. They are treated with special anti-friction coatings to increase durability.
Installing a turbocharger or supercharger
A turbo acts as a turbine and forces to pump more air into the intake manifold and thereby create higher pressure “forced induction”. There are two types: a turbocharger and a supercharger.
The turbocharger will only increase engine power when the required engine speed is reached. The period of time from the start of the engine to this moment is called turbo lag. Adding a turbocharger to a car’s engine will also give you a boost in power of about 30%-40%.
The supercharger starts working immediately, but it consumes about 20% of the engine power. The main advantages are better performance, and in the case of the turbo, better gas mileage. Experts estimate that adding a supercharger to a car’s engine will boost performance by 30%-50% over a comparable car without a supercharged engine.
Installing a straight-through muffler (Straight pipe exhaust system)
A correctly designed and tuned exhaust system can add torque and horsepower across a wide RPM range. To make the exhaust gases easier to separate from an engine with a turbocharger, a muffler is installed without catalysts, with even or no bends. It has the least resistance to gases, and with an integrated approach to tuning the exhaust system, it adds 15–20% to engine power.
Installing an additional radiator
The powerful, redesigned engine experiences extreme loads and temperatures and therefore requires an improved cooling system.
That is why, in order to extend the service life of the engine, it is advisable to install a separate oil cooler and a larger antifreeze radiator.
General recommendations
Tuning costs are practically unlimited, therefore, before proceeding with engine refinement, decide on specific goals.
Before buying spare parts for tuning, be sure to consult with qualified specialists.
Be attentive to the car after tuning, do not neglect the advice of the masters, change the oil in time and undergo diagnostics.
Remember that in some cases replacing the engine is more advisable than tuning!
