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what do we know about serious engine tuning?

5K views 138 replies 24 participants last post by  MWF 
#1 ·
I just get this feeling that many eople in the uk dont really have the indepth knoweledge when it come to engine tuning, most opt to put a big exhaust, a K&N filter and some go faster stripes!

I mean look at matheus, this guy is no fool, he is quite clued up on engine tuning, often the level of techno babble confuses me too, and im sure in brazil those 500bhp 8v golfs and astras speak for themselves.

Well im glad that more some people have now decided to take engine tuning to a new level, just take a look at the powerfull contraption Rbell is making, that thing looks like it going to produce some serious power but with good reliability as well, and not running silly boost level.

I am aware that EDS have also made good strides in making bolt on BHP increases, while you cant knock it power to £££'s i do feel it relies too much on boost, the phase 4, what does that run at 1.85 bar or somthing?? thats seriously high, especially to run on the std turbo or a hybrid, as most dont appear to go for a turbo that is able to take it.

I was seriously impressed by a few engine conversions

http://www.nissanperformancemag.com/august01/louis.shtml

http://www.se-r.net/car_info/project_cars/searl_tate/index.html

Im sure the C20let has just the same potential as the sr20det engine, i mean they get some silly power out of 8v gold engines so im sure we can get more that 350bhp out of a let, especially now we have steel rods, uprated bearings and other high spec parts.
 
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#2 ·
theres a couple who know what to do, but cant finance it. it all comes down to money in the end and with the state of our roads and the flak taken for driving a powerful car in this country its hardly surprising not many do go nuts.
if you mean in terms of traders and performance outlets or whatever, again, theres a few small companies i know who will give you any bhp you ask them to...but why bother?
also, you do know theres a lot of rally engine specialists who churn out dozens of reliable high powered motors every year in this country.
i think you aint been looking hard enough TBH
 
#3 ·
I just get this feeling that many eople in the uk dont really have the indepth knoweledge when it come to engine tuning, most opt to put a big exhaust, a K&N filter and some go faster stripes!
Maybe, but then again pick up a copy of Street Machine or Custom Car and you'll find a huge UK scene or clued up car tuners. I would say the real problem is the price of fuel and insurance.
 
#4 ·
im talking about from the enthusiast point not race or rally teams, britian is regarded as one of the main centres or engineering excellence, look how many motorsport team we have, from rally to f1!

but the average enthusiast and companies who cater for enthusiats dont appear to be much invlved in hardcore tuning.

some waste it on usless tuning concepts. Look at american tuning market, yeah we can make fun of them saying how their cars only go in a straught line and not handle around corners, but their engine tuning is quite advanced like the japs.

I doubt if cost is the issue, people have the money, In max power and such magazines you see boy racers spend 10-30k on a little saxos, novas escorts with more neons and stripes that a 50's diner with jukebox! so if cost was the issue then we would not be seeing money being spent of peipes of fiberglass and neon leds.
 
#6 ·
ummm no i disagree there. you are focusing on the companies who produce tat because there is a demand there from the drivers who cant afford engine work or simply dont have a clue. companies supply the products that are in demand and the real specialists are smaller as a result of smaller demand.
go out and talk to JRE, swindon, QED, SBD all of whom produce race or rally engines and cars and they can build you an XE which will day in, day out hit over 260bhp with full driveability. these people produce cars that win on an international level.
stop bringing the boy racing tuners into the equation, they are not tuners, they are shops.
 
#8 ·
Yep i agree with Mr 16v there.

It`s what people want, if you look in Max crap you will ALWAYS find the "graphics" cars with LOADS of money spent on them.

There is NO secret to having a fast car, if i had the money i`d make a NA XE with 300bhp because i could afford it, also you get looked down upon in this country if you have a fast car and ***SHOCK HORROR*** drive it fast!.

Americans are gonna have better tuning because they have MASSIVE engines and fuel is that cheap they don`t care less!.

Just last week i went to a Carb specialist and the knoweledge he had was UNREAL, i spent about an hour talking to that guy about 45 DCOE`s and timing etc etc etc, go to the right people and you will get the right knowelegde.

Mart.
 
#9 ·
Most of the boy racers make there cars look and sound faster because the stupid insurance costs mean they can only afford a 1 litre!!.

Technically any well casted engine can be made silly fast.

1.Gas flow, skim, and port a head, with larger valves.
2.Overbore the block say +60 = 2058.
3.Decent dished pistons.
4.Lightend and balanced rods, flywheel, crank & add a CMStrap.
5.Get a set of race/custom cams.
6.Find the largest turbo you can find, along with the largest intercooler.
7.Big ass injectors
8.3-2-1 Manifold, and decent through flow exhaust.
9.Decent race spec clutch

Once you've got the mortgage you might even have money left over to build it!!

Then get a quote from an insurance company!lmao lmao
 
#16 ·
well i see your points but the let has much more potential than people realise, EDS have taken it a big step forward, but they mainly realy pn higher boost to get power rather than a different grade turbo, ie a bigger unit, maybe change to the injection system TB's, management, uprated internals, cams, flowed head, and i dont mean a polished one, but a head that actually increase torque and power and gives alround increase through the rev range. even in finland they get some seruios power out of these units.
 
#18 ·
lmao

Seriouse engine tuning??

It'ss like erm,,

Best left to, " also, you do know theres a lot of rally engine specialists who churn out dozens of reliable high powered motors every year in this country".

:p

Reliability for most here,,,,

must = more than a metting :confused:

If you see:D

V8 small block (GM of course), are cheap and last mucho.

I have an expensive reliable 4.21"x4.21" V8 Pontiac slug putting out 200 bhp (factory figures).

Frankly I don't belive the figure:D

DOUGAL
 
#21 ·
Aston Wilson said:
Look at american tuning market, yeah we can make fun of them saying how their cars only go in a straught line and not handle around corners, but their engine tuning is quite advanced like the japs.
i wouldnt call american tuning advanced at all. power increases to them just boils down to the biggest V8 that they can squeeze under the "hood"

japs, definately.
 
#22 ·
That was what i was trying to show, they don't really make mechanical engine mods, they find a 'ready made' grunty engine and put it in a body, add an easy Nos kit, Job done. Fast car, cheap money.
This is not serious engine tuning!
Look at the Jun Supra, that is a grunty engine to start with!. They done most of the stuff i listed above, all be it more refined etc, then put it back together and they've got 1000bhp!!

Put a LET in place of the Jun spec, and you get a highly tuned LET, plough the same money as they have, and it'll come out a beast.
 
#23 ·
what usa have given the tuning world - big cappacity multi cylinder engines, big carbs, superchargers

what japan have given the tuning world - turbos, variable valve timing, small capacity large ouput engines, styling the rest of the world copies.

what uk has given tuning world - neon washer jets, cossie cone filters. (ok so maybe luxury saloons and small good handling sports cars)
 
#24 ·
USA has low octane unleaded.

UK does not.

GM small block V8s are MOST common = cheap due to volume type stuff.

Get a lola V8/10 no need to tune to much then?

Serious engine tuning?

Can I have a funny engine please:D

DOUGAL
 
#25 ·
Yeah.. I agree with Aston Wilson.. But here in Brazil, we have a really surprising when look the European engines tuned, example C20XE of SBD with 290hp N/A. But in some points, we don't understand you europeans. Example, you have a C20Let with 204hp @ 5.600rpm and 0,8kg/cm² of pressure. You put a phase 4 example, you lowering the CR and put 1.8kg/cm² of pressure, big intercooler, and make 350hp @ 5.600rpm. Ok, lets think now, put high duration cams in this same engine, like 288 inlet and 282 exhaust(low cross), good work in the head, big turbine(.80). With the same pressure, you can make 450hp @ 7.200rpm(example), then, why use "only turbo" for make power? In engine you have a lot of "topics" for work, in turbo and n/a area, with you work together, you can get a lot of power from the engine. Its the Brazilian formule in VW engines here. Here have so less thecnology than there, here we don't know work so fine in fuel injection like you, but we have others ways for use. And we have alcohol like fuel, its help.
My friend have a Volkswagen Gol 2.0 8V engine, with side-flow head and Weber 40 carb, turbo with 2kg/cm², 276 cam, and 380hp, he uses this car in road(more in weekend for fun). Now, you think, C20Let, with modern fuel injection, 16V Cosworth projected head, make less power than VW 8V carb engine?
I think, somes look for more power, and somes look for less power, but i talk in the same desire, high power. I know the C20NE, C20XE, C20Let have a lot of future for tunning, and i will spend my money in my engine because i believe in this. Here in Brazil is so cheap for tunning VW, but i know the VW have less future than C20.
About american cars, i lived in USA, and i like so much muscle cars(look my nickname, the 428 is because the Ford Cobrajet 428pol engine of Mustang Mach 1, 1969), but its only for American Dreams, in USA roads and highways, so cheap gas... and burn tires a lot of time. And don't care about handle, grip..is only for Drag. But here in Brazil or there in Europe, a 4 cilynder engine with serious tunning, can runs over a so big V8 engine, in roads, drag and principal in handle.
You put 500hp in a Muscle car you can make 0-60mph in 5,5 seconds and 13s 1/4. You put 500hp in MK2 Astra you can do it in 3,5s and 10s 1/4. Top speed for muscle of 230km/h, and in Astra 290km/h+.
 
#26 ·
Wow you get all the best stereotypical myths on the Internet.

Firstly American tuning is in no way as prehistroic as people think, they just have different fundementals behind what they consider performance. The small block Chevy is just the American equivilent of our Pinto, it's old popular technology but doesn't not represent the cream of the crop. The comments about petrol consumption and American v8's make me laugh, how many people actually think a 500bhp 2.0 turbo uses less fuel then a 500bhp v8? Laws of thermodynamics anybody? The recent American V8s get just as much power per litre than our fourpots and with fuel injection are just as effcient.

Everyone rants on about the Japanese tuning market, consider this. It costs tens of thousands to get 1000bhp from a Skyline engine, it will be laggy and generally hard to drive. For a tenth of that price you can buy a brand new big block V8 and a supercharger and have 1000bhp in a more drivable form. It wont be using anymore fuel and will be a lot more reliable. Spend a little more and you go for Aluminium block, heads and intake and be laughing as it will weigh no more than the 6pot and hairdryers.

Also lets not forget the real ace in the pack, the Rover V8. Weighs less than a Minis A-series lump and can be made to give huge power on a cheap budget.
 
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