Nitrous has many names, the most popular is NoS which is actually a brand. Dinitrous Monoxide is the chemical name but for the purpose of this article we shall refer to it as nitrous. We will explore how it works and the various setup options available and see what this does for performance. We understand that [...]

A fast gear change is an essential in any form of competitive driving. One of the easiest modifications to allow you to achieve this is a quick shift gear change kit. We look at what a quick shift gear kit does and how it will help to improve your car. A gear stick is pretty much [...]

What is an aerofoil and spoiler and what does it do? Well, an airplane wing pushes the plane up by using the Coinda effect and the Bernoulli paradox. Air keeps travelling in the same direction after deflection, fast moving air creates low pressure. When the air over the wing is going faster than that underneath [...]

A boost controller will increase the amount of power you get from your turbo. The boost controller will alter the exhaust gases flow into the turbo allowing the turbo to spin at a faster rate. Standard boost control in most production cars can only be describes as crude. In order to keep costs down manufacturers [...]

The driveshaft takes the power from the engine and takes this to the rear diff where it is transferred to the wheels. The driveshaft rotates at a fair rate and will to some extent act like a flywheel, resisting change in the rotational speed. A carbon fibre driveshaft has the following benefits. It is much lighter than [...]

One of the best value modifications has to be an engine swap. Tuning a small engine will only ever give small returns for your investment. There is a plentiful supply of engines from your local breakers or salvage yards and with most makes and models can be a simple modification. When doing an engine swap you [...]

A supercharger compresses the intake air effectively forcing more air into the engine. More air means you have more oxygen and when this is matched to more fuel you will benefit from more power. There are a number of benefits to superchargers compared to turbos, but there are also some drawbacks. We aim to provide [...]

There is an ever increasing array of fuel on offer. With the addition of a whole plethora of additives the motorist can be left wondering what is the best for his car. Which octane is best and should you use additives? Are all brands of fuel the same? The quick answer is that all fuels and [...]

In a turbo engine the pressures build up as air is compressed and forced into the engine. The turbo is driven by the exhaust gases so the faster the engine goes the more air you get forced into the engine. This is fine until you lift off the accelerator. You engine speed does not instantly [...]

The spark is quite literally the life of the engine. A good strong spark makes the difference between thorough combustion and a misfire. Spark plug technology has come a long way over the last few years. First we will look back at the “good old days”.  The components of a spark plug are primarily the tip, the [...]

You may have noticed that your car feels much more powerful on cold mornings than it does in the middle of summer.  This is due to the effects of air temperature.  It is a simple fact that cold air carriers are more oxygen and warmer air. An intake vent will help to address this problem, and [...]

Due to the need for doors and windows in a car the whole body is subject to flexing.  For just commuting or the daily drive around town this is not a problem.  However when driving near the limits or on the track, the flexing can seriously reduce your cornering ability. A strut brace is the solution [...]

It is surprising how much difference a tire can make to the handling of a car.  Motor sports teams select a tire for the prevailing conditions of the track so have a range of wet weather dry weather and of roads tires with various stud profiles and patterns. Normal drivers however have to opt for [...]

The job of the intake valves is to control the flow of air and fuel into the engine, and then released exhaust gases after combustion.  The intake valves have quite a hard life due to the rapid opening and closing, and have a big impact on the performance of the engine.  The intake valve is [...]

The clutch is responsible for engaging and disengaging the engine from the drivetrain.  The clutch comprises of a spring mechanism, and a friction surface.  When the two friction surfaces are engaged the power from the engine is transmitted through the transmission to the wheels. Thinking of the trick where you pull the tablecloth from a table and [...]

Think of an engine as a series of metal components moving at great speed changing direction frequently.  The faster the speed of the engine the greater the vibration and forces encountered.  There is a limit to how fast and engine can goes safely, and manufacturers set this red line and include a Rev limiter. Disruptions within [...]

We all know that cold Air carries more oxygen that warmer air. You may have noticed that when air is compressed it gets warmer. If you feel the connecting hose on the footpump as you put air into the tire you would notice that a substantial amount of heat can be generated. [...]

Many drivers overlook the importance of the gear ratio in their tuning project.  The manufacturers spend a great deal of time matching each individual gear ratio and final drive ratio to the power bands of the engine.  Car tuners should do likewise.  Years ago manufacturers used to provide an overdrive gear which effectively changed the final [...]

 The camshaft is located at the top of the engine and looks like a metal bar with egg shaped lobes on it.  The shape and size of the lobe determines the amount of time that the heads valves are open, and the amount they are open. The valves allow the mixture of fuel and air into [...]

To increase the power of an engine you can increase the cylinder capacity.  The best way to increase the cylinder capacity of an engine is by physically making each cylinder a larger diameter.  Firstly sit down and do your research.  You need to check that you can get a gasket, piston with rings and other components [...]