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The Basics of Performance Upgrades

June 13th, 2006

It’s every guys dream to have his car, truck or SUV go faster than the next. The problem is, there are no real good roadmaps for every car, and a lot of money can be wasted chasing a few extra horsepower.

Let’s look at a few common upgrades that can gain you some horsepower and earn you some respect on the road. The first upgrade that can make the most difference and make your car sound awesome is the exhaust system. Many aftermarket manufacturers are producing bolt-on exhaust systems, which can help free up 5 – 20 HP depending on how restrictive your factory exhaust is. Most systems replace the pipes and mufflers from the catalytic converter back. These are commonly called Cat-Back Systems and can be had for a price of $250 – $750 depending on materials used. Stainless steel pipes will cost you more, but will last a lot longer than plain steel. If you plan on keeping your car more than 50,000 miles or live in a state that uses salt on the roads during the winter, I would suggest stainless steel. I personally like the sound of Flowmaster Mufflers as well as Borla… your taste may vary.

The next most common way to free up some horsepower is a performance air filter. By helping your engine breath better, the air filter will help you get more air and fuel into the cylinder and thus make more power. Be aware that most aftermarket filters will require some kind of cleaning and maintenance to work properly. K&N is my favorite brand and has been around the scene for a long time.



Life expectancy of turbo engine

June 9th, 2006

Question:

I am looking to buy a new car and have narrowed it down to 3. The Mazda3s Grand Touring, the GTI 2.0t, and the Honda Civic si. My last two car’s were tried and true Corolla’s. Both lasted longer than I would have expected (about 300,000) – but I want a change.

I’ve always steered clear of Turbo’d engines thinking that they either burn out over time, or burn the engine up just by their nature. But in all honesty all I know is the concept, and not the actual detail. With the high miles that I intend to put on a car in a short amount of time, should I discount the GTI due to the inevitable failure, or extra maintenance that may be involved in keeping it going?

–Jordan

Answer:

I think you have a valid concern about turbo charged engines, especially if you are looking to put on 300,000 miles. I would discount the GTI unless the extra performance outweighs the additional maintenance, that would be a personal decision.

If you do decide to go with the GTI, here are a few things to help it last longer… The bearings of the turbo charger are typically cooled with engine oil, so changing your oil at recommended intervals is very important, also letting the engine cool down before shutting it off, will allow the oil to cool some and not break down in the turbo and turn to sludge. I would also use synthetic oil in any engine, but especially in a turbo charged one.



Cracked Piston Replacement

May 11th, 2006

Question:
It’s a lovely site and easy to understand for people who are not mechanically inclined. My garageman said one of the pistons is cracked and therefore he must change all the pistons. Is that true? Why not just change the one that’s cracked?

Thank you,
Mrs. A

Answer:
It is general practice to change all the pistons at once. If one piston is cracked, there is a good chance the others will crack in short time. When replacing the piston, the cylinder walls sometime need to be remachined, and at least honed, to allow the new rings to seat. It is important for the rings to seat properly or your engine will not have good compression and may burn oil. The labor to replace one piston or all of them is not much more, and the pistons are generally purchased in sets, so his advice to replace all pistons is good.

Kevin



Valve Seal Replacement

May 5th, 2006

Question:

There’s a good chance I have to replace my valve seals on my ’98 Jeep GC – 5.9 since I am using up 5 qts of oil in about 4-5 mos, no leaks nor smoke except at start-up. How much damage am I causing by not repairing it ASAP ?

How much does a repair like this cost ? Am I better off going to a dealership or a private mechanic ? Everyone knows dealerships will charge an arm and a leg and your 1st born.

Thanks for taking the time to answer.

Regards,

Tom

Answer:

As long as you keep the oil level up, I would not be too worried about the damage being done to the engine. You may be wearing out the spark plugs a little sooner due to having to burn that oil and the deposits left on the plug. I would estimate between 4 and 8 hours of labor depending on how involved it is to get to the seals. If it is an overhead cam engine, expect a little more time, but I believe the 5.9 is a V-8 with the camshaft in the block. The seals themselves are usually very cheap and the expense of the job is mostly in the labor.

Good Luck,

Kevin



Bent Valves and How to Diagnose

April 7th, 2006

Question:

Hey Kevin,
I have a 1990 mitsubishi ecl. 2.0l l4 turbo ic fi.
Would the car start and or idle if the valves were
bent.

Thankyou,
Pam

Answer:

It is possible for the valves to be bent and the engine still run. It probably would not run very strong, but it could run and idle. The best way to check for bent valves, would be to have your mechanic run a compression test and see if there is air leaking past the valves. If the valves are bent, the mechanic will be able to hear air leaking into the exhaust or intake, depending on which valves are bent.

Kevin Schappell



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