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What Improves Engine Performance

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  • 01-09-2022
What Improves Engine Performance

Engine Modifications to Improve Performance

Improving an engine's performance refers to making the vehicle go faster. This upgrade requires more efficient and powerful combustion.

More fuel alone won't do a lot to make the car go faster because combustion requires a delicate combination of air and fuel.

It may be that your engine isn't performing at its peak because of clogs in the system, improper octane in the gasoline, low battery, or old spark plugs.

Now that we have concluded that modifying the car's engine to accept more fuel and air is necessary for performance improvements, we will discuss the five ways you can change your vehicle to do just that.

Be warned that some modifications can void your car's warranty.

 Air Filters

Adding a secondary air filter gives the engine more airflow and contributes to an effective combination of air and fuel. High-quality aftermarket air filters are simple to install and only need dropping into your engine's air box.

Air filters also block impurities and contaminants that may have otherwise negatively affected your performance over time.

Secondary air filters are commonly composed of thin layers of cotton and several layers of thin mesh that catch any impurities that pass by.

They're washable, inexpensive, and reusable performance enhancers because they are of fabric.

 Cold Air Intake Kit

A cold air intake kit is an aftermarket system that affects the temperature of the air, which in turn affects the efficiency of your car. It brings cool air into the internal combustion engine to provide denser than warm air for more dynamic combustion.

Normally, a car will regulate the temperature of the air before such air enters the engine. The vehicle will provide cold air when the engine is warm and warm air when the engine is cold.

However, cold air intake kits create more efficient engine performance because colder air contains more oxygen than warm air. Cold air intake can end up adding between 5 and 20 horsepower.

Cold air intake kits must be installed by professionals that know their way around an engine because installation involves upgrading or replacing elements from the car's existing air intake system.

 Performance Chips

Also known as super chips, performance chips increase the power of the engine and horsepower.

They can be installed to override factory settings. Installation of performance chips involves taking out the factory chip and simply plugging in the former. The chips override these settings by setting new parameters, such as, intaking more air for more combustion and using gas more efficiently.

You can use onboard computers, found in late models of cars, to regulate and control certain settings. These computers regulate and control anti-lock brakes, timing, and the fuel-to-air ratio.

 Superchargers

Superchargers pressurise the air intake above the normal atmospheric level. This allows more air to enter the engine and combine with more fuel to produce more power because the fuel-to-air ratio has increased.

A supercharger is mechanically powered by a chain from the crankshaft or belt, spinning at a rate of 50,000 RPM at least. It revolves at this rate to force air into the combustion chamber and makes more space for more fuel, creating larger combustion capabilities.

Simply bolt a supercharger to the top or side of your engine to install. If everything is properly installed, nearly 50% more horsepower is produced.

Attaching a supercharger to a normal-sized vehicle's engine will make it immediately behave like a more powerful vehicle.

 Weight Reduction

By reducing the weight of your vehicle, it will be faster and more aerodynamic. Weight reduction is the most work-intensive and low-tech solution out of this list because it involves switching out heavy parts with lighter ones.

Available options include ridding a vehicle of extra seats, removing parts of the dashboard, replacing glass windows with plastic or acrylic versions, and replacing traditional brakes with disc brakes.

Streamlined and lighter tires and wheels can also improve your car's speed.

Top ways to increase engine performance

You can increase horsepower and engine performance by following any of the preceding methods. They must be done properly to work correctly and not void your manufacturer's warranty.

 Compression

If you increase your compression, you increase your horsepower. Building compression into an engine productively builds its power. Raising compression and cam selection go hand in hand because they affect working compression and cylinder pressure.

Engine builders can best advise car owners on cam selection and compression. Both must be cooperatively chosen so that you gain power and prevent engine damage.

Beyond 10.0.1, compression has the potential to cause detonation, pre-ignition, pinging, or spark knock. While bumping compression, watch fuel and spark curves to avoid these issues.

 Cylinder head

A good cylinder head swap will grant more power if done correctly. Ensure you make an educated decision by looking at port and valve sizes as well as flow numbers. Bigger doesn't always mean better.

A good intake velocity coupled with compatible exhaust scavenging will provide good torque. Huge valves and ports are unnecessary to achieve that.

On the other hand, if you want good overlap and nice flow-through momentum, you will want a camshaft profile that works with the size and number of cylinder heads.

 Dual-plane manifold

A dual-plane intake manifold offers low to mid-range torque at high rpm. You want torque to transition smoothly to horsepower at wide-open throttle. This smooth transition is impossible with a single-plane intake manifold.

Dual plane manifolds allow the engine to breathe at high rpm, which means greater torque numbers during higher horsepower and acceleration.

It is the dual-plane manifold's high ceilings that deliver horsepower, and long intake runners that provide torque.

 Found-bonus power

Engine power is lost to internal friction, components that consume power just to move, and heat energy. That explains why engines produce more power than they deliver.

You can free up power and reduce friction in many ways. Some of those ways pertain to low-friction components, such as roller rocker arms and tappet camshafts.

Other components that can reduce friction and free up power include a dual-roller timing set, greater bearing clearances, greater piston-to-cylinder wall clearances, greater valve-to-guide clearances, low tension piston rings, needle-bearing cam sprocket, and windage tray.

Be aware that liberal clearances such as low-tension piston rings will sacrifice the durability of your components. Tire inflation, tire sizing, and wheel sizing are factors in drag and inefficient power.

Depending on the ambient temperature, take your tire's inflation to its limits because temperature directly affects pressure. The greater your car's contact patch is, the more power it takes to move the said car. 

 Fuel line right-sizing

High-performance engines require fuel, and plenty of it. Think of fuel lines as drawing liquid through a straw.

You're not, for example, going to get 450 horsepower from a fuel line that is 5/16 inches. The minimum fuel line size for most applications should be 3/8 inches, or 7/16 inches, when horsepower rises above 500hp.

 Ignition

Car maintenance should include ignition systems because they cause misfires and check-engine lights when left unchecked. Spark plugs must also be changed periodically, opting for the best high-performance ignition parts, such as platinum tip spark plugs, coils, and ignition wires. Precise ignition operation creates power.

Misfired mean lost power, increased tailpipe emissions, and wasted fuel. High-energy ignition systems create precise ignition operation, which in turn creates great power.

Ignition timing is another power dynamic of value. Too much can damage your engine, but with a professional that can dial in ignition and fuel maps, you can have electronic engine control get you power without doing any damage to your engine.

Too much and too little jet size can lead to power loss. Increasing your jet one size at a time is suggested by experts, starting with primary jets and then secondaries. Start going backwards one jet size at a time if you start to lose power.

It is always better to go richer than leaner. You can determine the course of action with a spark plug reading after a wide-open throttle shutdown. In-line fuel filters will not hinder fuel supply, so you can remove a carburettor if you are running one with a fuel line screen at the fuel bowl.

 Larger throttle body and injectors

Large and high-performance throttle bodies deliver more horsepower. You can gain up to 20 more horsepower and comparable torque, depending on your type of engine. 

However, having a throttle body that is too large leads to more loss of power than gain. You have to research your engine and which large throttle body is well-suited to that particular type of engine. 

A larger throttle requires higher-flow fuel injectors. The size of the injector and throttle body is proportional. You should take your car to a dyno tuner so that they can tune your throttle body, injector upgrades, and adjust your fuel and spark curves.

 Synthetic lubricants

Synthetic lubricants reduce friction, which helps engines live longer. They create lubrication between moving parts better than conventional oils do because they don't break down in high temperatures or high-stress situations.

Some synthetic oils are engineered to efficiently pump at low temperatures, protect against deposits, and high-temperature stability. They offer extreme temperature protection and high performance in cold weather.

 Velocity stack

Velocity stacks are trumpet-shaped decides that can fit in the air entry of a fuel injector, carburettor, or engine's intake system to improve airflow.

A velocity stack reduces induction turbulence and increases horsepower.


There are many benefits of having an engine refurbished If you live in Northallerton or North Yorkshire, you and are looking for ways to improve your car performance you can contact us today.

Engine Reconditioning Northallerton