Is Your Car Ready to Hit the Street Racing Scene…? Part V
Now that we’ve got the looks department covered it’s about time we give your car the performance to go with its looks. Now there are tons of great additions that we could add to make your car handle better and go faster.
You could start by making your car go on a diet. Notice how fat people can’t run as quickly as toned ones? Well, the same holds true for your car. Get lightweight parts. Consult with a professional on this point since you don’ want to take out vital parts just to lighten things up a bit. Take out unnecessary parts that only weigh your car down. If possible, do everything in carbon fiber because not only do these look smashing, they are also only a fraction of the weight of its full metal counterparts.
Then comes the really performance parts. Hey, have fun while you do this why don’t you. You could start by purchasing a cold air intake. Squeezing more power out of your engine is not as difficult or as expensive a task as you might think. Performance chips, performance exhausts, and sport air filters are all easy to install parts that can help your car achieve greater horsepower and torque without sacrificing fuel economy. In addition, a cold air intake can go a long way toward helping your engine perform better without costing you a mint to install. Let’s examine why a cold air intake just might be the enhancement your car could use to achieve a greater level of performance.
So, just how does a cold air intake work? I am glad that you asked! A cold air intake is designed to decrease the temperature of the air entering your car to take full advantage of your engine’s power. Colder, denser air acts like “food” for your engine, giving it the extra amount of power that it needs to perform optimally.
Are there other benefits of a cold air intake? Yes, namely two: a cold air intake enhances the look of your vehicle’s engine bay and it produces an awesome sounding “throaty” intake noise. The intake noise is what tells everyone that your car is not some ordinary stock car; instead you are making a statement that the noise coming from underneath your car’s hood matches the power and performance that they will see on the street.
Depending on the manufacturer you select, your new cold air intake is available in an assortment of colors including red, blue, silver, and chrome. Let’s just say that the colors developed are meant to draw maximum attention to your engine bay when you pop the hood for everyone to see.
Then you could get better spark plugs. The average motorist often underestimates the power and importance of a spark plug.
Spark plugs must deliver a high voltage spark within milliseconds in order to ignite the air and fuel mixture inside a vehicle’s engine. This process provides the power a vehicle needs to operate.
Old or worn spark plugs can disrupt this process and diminish the amount of power that is generated. According to AAA, old or dirty spark plugs can reduce fuel economy by up to 30 percent.
To keep vehicles running their best, motorists should replace spark plugs according to the intervals outlined in their vehicle’s owner manual. This will not only help drivers see a difference in vehicle performance, but also could save them money at the gas pump.
But of course, when you really want to add acceleration one thing really stands out… turbo. Turbos provide enhanced fuel economy and performance. A turbo is a basic “air pump” that pushes a volume of air into the engine, which increases the power output. This turbo is driven by a turbine in the exhaust system, connected by a direct shaft to an impeller in the intake system. The more exhaust that flows, the more air is pumped into the engine. In most automotive and some other applications, a wastegate is provided which opens as intake system pressure is raised to a preset level by the turbo. This device prevents an overboost from damaging the engine.
As the turbo pumps and compresses air into the engine, the temperature rises in the engine. To help to reduce this temperature and keep the turbo efficient, many manufacturers have been adding intercoolers. An intercooler is a radiator for air, and is usually in front of the main radiator. Another step some turbos use to help add to the life of the unit is water-cooling. This is done by connecting the turbo to the coolant system. By doing this, the turbo operating temperature is limited to the temperature of the cooling system. This also protects the bearing assembly from excessive exhaust temperature.
Turbos can operate at very high RPMs, depending on the vehicle, make and model. It is very important to keep the oil supply entering the turbo full and clean to ensure proper lubrication. If the oil supply drops too low or becomes contaminated with debris, it is highly likely that the turbo unit may become damaged.
One of the most common causes for turbo failure is a lack of lubrication, or abrasive material in the oil supply. Failure can also occur from heavy particles that enter the air stream from the intake. To minimize this type of failure, always check your air filter and ducting to make sure it is clean and functioning normally. Another type of turbo failure can be caused by objects from within the engine leaving through the exhaust system. This could consist of carbon, broken engine parts, bolts, nuts, rust, etc.
There are tons of tips and parts more to come but I’m running out of time as it is so keep watching this space for more juicy tidbits on how to make your ride completely ready for the streets.
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