In our Head Start series, we’re giving you the dos and don’ts of choosing aftermarket cylinder heads. Part One covered the don’ts — the most common mistakes people make when cylinder head shopping. Now we’re taking what we’ve learned from those mistakes and assembling some basic tips and guidelines to help you choose your cylinder heads wisely. Again, factors that play a
I’ve heard that late model engines now run much thinner rings than the older production engines. Are these thinner rings just there to improve fuel mileage or is there a power advantage with these new rings? I’m about to rebuild my small-block Ford and I’d be willing to try something newer if it’s better. Thanks
Lateral control is how the rear axle housing is kept in a side-to-side alignment with the chassis as the rear suspension moves through its travel. And it’s more important than you think. Lateral control is essential when installing a traction device on any vehicle with a live rear axle, with the exception of a car with conventional leaf
Compression equals horsepower. The reason is simple: The more you squeeze the air and fuel mixture in the combustion chamber, the more power you can create. In theory, forcing air and fuel in as small a combustion chamber as possible (measured in volume) will yield maximum engine compression and horsepower. There are a number of ways
Consistency is key when tuning a nitrous car. By maintaining consistent nitrous pressure from run to run, you eliminate one variable so you can identify other needed adjustments in your track setup. In this video, Mike from Nitrous Express talks about the new Nitrous Express Hot Water Bottle Bath and how it can help you maintain consistent bottle pressure.
Every car guy has his own way of doing things. That goes for the engineers and marketing guys at big automotive and aftermarket parts manufacturers, too. For example, some fuel pump makers rate their pumps by gallons-per-hour. Others go by pounds-per-hour. Some engines are measured in cubic inches; others are advertised in cubic centimeters. That’s
When Hotchkis Performance talks about suspension, we listen. Hotchkis sent us this primer on updating the suspension on classic 1960s and ‘70s muscle cars to make them handle like a late model. According to Hotchkis, an upgraded suspension is not just a performance advantage, it’s also a safety issue on modified vehicles. The stock suspension—even one
Long-time diesel guys know the benefits of a lift pump. By feeding the injection fuel pump with a steady supply of fuel, a properly operating lift pump assists in maintaining constant fuel pressure even under high loads. That means your engine has all the fuel it needs to make maximum power when you need it the most. In some cases, you can
How do I choose the right cylinder heads for my engine? It’s a simple question but the actual answer is more complicated than you’d think. There are many factors involved in choosing the optimum cylinder heads for a specific application, including: Engine displacement Type of vehicle Intended use Desired compression ratio Gear size Other performance modifications For
[portfolio_slideshow id=48746] In the first part of our Header Theory posts, we dug into the whys and how of header primary tube length. If you recall, Hooker Headers and Reher-Morrison Racing Engines gave us an in-depth look at what the header primary tube does and how to tune it. They also gave us insight into how
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