Tweaking
horsepower:
Making
slow cars faster
By
Jeffrey Fazio
Special Sections Writer
Sports
cars and muscle cars are not for everyone. Chances are that if you are
a true horsepower junkie, you own a little hot rod and probably
already know a thing or two about getting more horsepower (hp) from
it.
But
what about the rest?
What about those car buyers whose egos are in check? The ones that
look at a car's gas mileage, cargo space o r price before they would
ever consider its horsepower? Are they to be left sitting at the
bottom of a Penn Street bridge on-ramp hoping for enough power to
merge onto the West Shore Bypass?
The
good news for them is that the tricks for making fast cars faster also
works for their cars.
Chris Rado, a professional import drag racer and owner of World
Motorsports, Muhlenberg Township, pointed out four simple parts to
upgrade to add horsepower to imported vehicles: intake, exhaust, spark
plugs and an ignition box -- all of which can be installed by the
average person with a set of basic tools.
Jeff
Hart, assistant manager in training at Advance Auto Sales, Muhlenberg
Township, expressed a similar plan of attack for the domestic cars,
but added spark plug wires and throttle bodies to the list of
upgrades.
The
first step, Rado explained, is getting more air into the engine. The
simplest and cheapest way to do this is by swapping out a factory air
filter for a freer-flowing element like a K&N air filter. Just by
dropping in a different filter you may gain two to three horsepower.
If
there is a desire for even more gusto, a full intake system can be
purchased. Rado explained that a full intake will replace the original
manufacturer's equipment (OEM) filter, piping and air box, offering as
much as eight additional horsepower.
Once
the amount of air going into the motor is increased, the next step is
getting that air out faster. Rado pointed out the need for upgrading
exhaust systems during the quest for more power.
"A
small increase in exhaust pipe diameter will benefit any import.
Adding just an exhaust tip offers no performance advantage whatsoever
and could possible hurt you (your performance). It also makes your car
sound like a dying lawnmower, which no one likes," Rado said.
"A
full exhaust is key to gaining horsepower," said Hart.
"Even just getting a cat back and you'll see gains."
Hart
went on to explain that a full exhaust includes headers (or manifold),
pipes, catalytic converters and mufflers all the way back to the tips.
A "cat back" exhaust usually includes only the pipes and
muffler after the catalytic converter.
Spark
plugs are another place the average Joe can get some extra muscle from
their cars.
Rado suggested using copper or iridium plugs over the platinum plugs
that manufacturers usually suggest. Copper and iridium are better
conductors of electricity than platinum and will result in a stronger
spark. Rado pointed out that the only real benefit of platinum plugs
is longevity. They last three to four times longer than the copper
equivalent.
Hart
explained that each domestic car responds differently to a variety of
spark plugs, so he recommends experimenting. He said a lot of
American-made cars perform well with the Delco or Autolite plugs.
Rado and Hart both agreed that an ignition box was also a worthwhile
upgrade in the quest for more power. This does require some basic
electrical knowledge to install.
Hart
explained, "The addition of an ignition box, like the MSD 6AL,
gives more voltage to the ignition (bigger spark) which results in the
fuel burning faster giving more horsepower."
When
adding an ignition box and performance spark plugs, Hart also
recommended upgrading the ignition wires on a domestic car. He
expressed that a thicker spark plug wire will provide more spark and
better power.
In
contrast, Rado, warned against the use of aftermarket spark plug wires
on imported cars.
"There is no advantage to aftermarket wires," he said.
"I use the stock Toyota wires on my Celica (his current race car)
that puts out over 1,200 hp and I used the stock Honda wires on my
1,000 hp Integra (his previous race car)."
Hart
added throttle bodies as one last place to look for a bit more
performance. He explained that some cars can benefit from a larger
throttle body. Installing a larger throttle body allows more air to
enter the engine and complements intake system upgrades.
One
last warning Rado offered was in reference to aftermarket pulleys.
Some companies offer lightweight pulleys for quick and easy
horsepower. The idea behind a lightweight pulley is that they reduce
the rotational weight in an engine which allows the engine to spin
faster and easier.
The
problem, Rado elaborated, is that these pulleys replace the harmonic
balancer that is part of the OEM pulley. The harmonic balancer plays a
significant role in balancing the engine.
"They may give you a little horsepower, but at the risk of engine
longevity," Rado added.
In
looking for aftermarket parts for a car, Hart advised, "Look at a
bunch of companies. The most expensive is not necessarily better. A
lot of pricing is off of name brand."
So if your vehicle struggles up a hill while bicyclists muscle past or
the average trick-or-treater crosses the street before you do, realize
there are options for putting more zoom in your broom.
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