| CHEAP TUNING TIPS |
| 1 COLD AIR INDUCTION |
| Use a pipe to feed cold air from the front of the car to the air filter. Cooler air is more dense and so the engine will be effectively breathing more air. This equals more power. |
| 2 COLD AIR BOX DESIGN |
| If you have built an air box, to force feed the engine with air from the front of the car, make sure that on EFI engines it is an open-ended unit. If not the varying pressure at different speeds will create fuel metering problems. A sealed box can be used on engines fitted with DCOE type carbs as they are self compensating for pressure variations. |
| 3 BLACK PAINT |
| Anything which radiates heat to the air does so more efficiently if it's black. Water radiators, intercoolers, engine and gearbox oil coolers, samps and differentials will all stay cooler if painted a good, solid black. |
| 4 HEAT SHIELDING |
| Exhaust heat can damage paint and wiring. Scraps of stainless steel can be used to form heat shields. You can also use aluminium, but you should make a sandwich of it, with high temperature insulation in the midlle. |
| 5 READING PLUGS |
| Changing any aspect of engine breathing may affect fuel mixtures. After a hard run check the colour and condition of the spark plugs for a guide to what's happening inside the engine. You're looking for a light brown colour around the electrode. If it's black you are running too rich, white and the mixture is lean. Even pros equipped with engine dynos and digital exhaust gas analysers still read spark plugs. |
| 6 AIR FLOW METER |
| In a electronic fuel injected (EFI) car the air flow meter may be strangling air flow to the engine. You can check by connecting a vacuum gauge to the plumbing, locating it straight after the meter. A substantial pressure drop means flow is restricted. |
| 7 THROTTLE BUTTERFLY OPENING |
| Linkages wear and cables stretch, so every now and then check to see that when your foot is mashed to the floor the throttle butterfly is fully open. Adjust as necessary. |
| 8 SOUND INSULATION |
| One area in which cars of the '90s have really progressed is in cutting NVH - that's noise,vibration and harshness.You can update your machine in these areas by fitting sound insulation. Borrow a sound level meter to locate the car's noisiest areas - it's cheaper than sticking insulation all over the place. |
| 9 TIMING MARKS |
| An old but good tip. Paint the timing marks with brightly coloured nail polish so that they can be easily seen with the timing light. Nail polish is more durable than other substances. |
| 10 WHEEL ALIGNMENT |
| Not all people who perform wheel alignment are exactly talented at it. If possible go to someone who sets up race cars, or a professional company and get an alignment specifically aimed at improved handling. The difference on the road can be amazing. |
| 11 OIL COOLER MOUNTING |
| If there's no room to locate an oil cooler directly in the air flow, place the cooler so that there is an area of low pressure behind it. A wheel well on most cars is a good example. As the car moves air is drawn through the cooler. |
| 12 SYNTHETIC OIL |
| Synthetic oil has a longer life and retains its lubricating and cooling properties better under hight temperatures and pressures than mineral oils. Synthetic oils are more expensive but worth the extra cost. |
| 13 "EFI" ENRICHMENT |
| When running an EFI car, slight fuel enrichment can be obtained by using a switch to substitute a different resistance value across the temperature sensor leads. This fools the computer into thinking the engine is running cold. The system then increases the fuelling to compensate. |
| 14 UPRATING LIGHTS |
| Seeing where you're going at night is important - especially in a car with increased performance. Higher rated bulbs or inserts are a cost-effective way of doing this. Note, however, if you uprate the wattage by a substantial amount you may need a new wiring harness or relay. |
| 15 CHECK YOUR SHOCKS |
| The simplest test is to get out of your car and push down sharply on each fender, in turn. The car should bounce once, setting down quickly. Extensive bouncing is a sure sign of a weak shock in that corner. |
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