ChipTuning Or Chipping

Non Turbo Cars

Heard a boy racer telling his mate the other day "just fitted a chip to my xxxxx car (non turbo) yesterday, and its loads faster!". Well that is just NOT possible.

I asked him how and he didn't know, but said it was about 20mph faster flat out! Now since it takes 4x the power to go twice as fast, that equates to a simply huge power increase! So he was obviously lying...

First of all, a noticeable increase in power is simply not possible with a naturally aspirated car (no turbo) by fitting a "chip" or having it "chipped". As we said in the first few pages engines breath air. If you do not increase this flow somehow it cannot make more power than it already is doing! That chip simply tells the fuel system how much is the CORRECT amount of fuel to add! The manufacturers stock settings are usually optimum for peak power. It also controls the Ignition timing, but again the stock settings will be about perfect for full power. It is only possible to get tiny gains in "drivability" rather than more real power.

t is possible to gain a few percent here and there at different rpm's and throttle plate positions, because the manufacturers tailor the fuel map to give optimum economy, smoothness and low emissions. But these gains are pretty small. They "may" result in better drivability, but definitely not enough extra power to notice!

Turbo Cars

It is possible however to chip a turbo car for more power in many cases. The max boost level is often controlled by the engine management system. So in this case reprogramming, or rather remapping the ECU or chip can bring power increases. Be careful though because the manufacturers set these things as they are often for good reasons - usually reliability!

By allowing the turbo to make higher boost the engine gets more air and therefore can make more power, often considerably more.

DAMPER DINAMICS

KONI Sport and FSD (Frequency Selective Damping)

During a typical mile of travel down the road, the damper will move in (compression) and out (rebound) millions of times. Break that mile into one second of travel, and the number of times the damper moves (stroke) defines the operating frequency (Hertz, Hz). Controlling body roll entering a corner induces relatively few strokes of the damper (low frequency), while chattering over broken pavement at highway speed results in a much higher quantity (high frequency) of very short strokes. Knowing this, damper frequency can also be used to tune handling and ride quality. Vehicle body roll control needed to aid handling occurs at a frequency of around 1Hz. Ride impact harshness is felt when damper frequency reaches approximately 10Hz.

Hit a bump without dampers, and the suspension would continue to bounce up and down uncontrollably like a bobble head doll. The damper's job is to reduce the size and/or speed of the suspension movement, preventing the never-ending bobble head scenario. We've all seen that older car going down a smooth highway with one of the rear tires visibly vibrating up and down very rapidly, which is caused by a worn-out damper that is no longer controlling the movement of the suspension. The lack of damper control allows the suspension to move uncontrolled.

The piston moving back and forth through the oil inside the damper creates the resistance needed to control (dampen) the suspension movement. How much resistance (force) develops for a given movement is determined by internal valves that control the flow of oil. Based on the force, the valves open or close to self adjust to each bump or any vehicle body roll. All dampers do this; but KONI's FSD units add a second valve system that responds to the damper's operating frequency, allowing ride and handling to be tuned more independently than with conventional dampers.

KONI's design theory for tuning dampers uses the compression (in) force to dictate the amount of axle movement and is directly linked to handling like steering response, road holding, etc. The rebound (out) force is used to control body movements (side-to-side body roll and/or pitch fore and aft) and is also directly linked to ride comfort.

KONI's traditional user-adjustable yellow sport dampers most applications have a fixed setting for the compression rate, but allow the user to manually adjust the amount of rebound control to tune the balance between ride comfort and handling. The FSD dampers also have a fixed compression setting, but instead of allowing the user to manually adjust the rebound, the internals of the FSD dampers automatically adjust the rate and shape of the force curve (when plotted on a graph) on the fly, responding immediately to the frequency of the damper’s movement. The unique secondary valve used inside the FSD units is engineered to provide large amounts of force to control vehicle body movement at relatively low frequencies, while generating less force at the higher frequencies that affect ride quality.

STEERING & SUSPENSION (BALL JOINT)

Description: A ball joint consists of a hardened-steel, bearing stud and socket enclosed in a steel housing. The bearing stud is tapered and threaded and fits into a tapered hole in the steering knuckle. A protective boot prevents dirt from entering the joint assembly. Ball joints are used on the front end of virtually every car and light truck. Vehicles with conventional suspension systems use two ball joints per wheel: an upper and a lower ball joint. Cars with MacPherson strut suspension systems use a lower ball joint and an upper strut bearing rather than an upper ball joint.

Purpose: Ball joints serve as the pivot points between the tires and suspension. Ball joints also support weight. On some vehicles, the ball joints may be used to make wheel alignment settings.

Maintenance Tips/Suggestions: Many cars use “lubed for life” ball joints that can’t be lubricated. Replacement ball joints often come with lubrication fittings. If your car has lubrication fittings, the ball joints should be lubricated at every oil change. Ball joints, along with other suspension components, should be inspected annually along with a complete wheel alignment. The most common vehicle symptoms associated with worn ball joints are wandering, uneven tire wear, and erratic steering. Ball joint inspection methods and specifications vary, so have your vehicle inspected by a qualified service professional.

ource : carcare.org

Ball Joint Replacement

It started as a clicking noise as you backed out of the drive. Just a mild tap through the steering wheel. Sometimes it's not even there. But as the mileage builds over the next few weeks, the click gets bigger. Then it starts to morph into a thump as you go over potholes. A thump that turns into a shimmy. You jack up the front end and shake the wheels side to side--no problem. You shake them up and down. Big problem. There's a half-inch of slop on one wheel, though the other is tight. The diagnosis: You've got a bad ball joint.

NOTHING IS FOREVER

Front suspension parts eventually wear out, but this sudden onset of slop in your ball joint probably means a lubrication failure. But wait! you say. My ball joints are sealed--there's no grease fitting to pump fresh lubricant into. They're Lubed For Life, like it says right here in the owner's manual.

Exactly.

You've just discovered the true life span of a permanently lubed suspension joint. The lubrication finally dries out, water intrudes inside the boot covering the moving parts, and rust and abrasive road dirt turn a ball joint or tie rod end into a loosey-goosey accident waiting to happen. Do not delay in repairing a failing ball joint or tie rod end. When it fails, the wheel involved will try to part company with your vehicle, and not quite succeed in doing so. This will precipitate two unfortunate events: loss of control at some speed, and considerable damage to the rest of the vehicle.

ROAD TO WORLD RALLY CHAMPIONSHIP

Proses untuk mengembalikan event WRC di Indonesia sudah mulai berjalan melalui pertemuan awal antara Bpk. James Tangkudung (Asisten Deputi Pembinaan Prestasi Olahraga) yang mewakili Menegpora RI dengan Mr. Morrie Chandler (President FIA WRC) pada tgl. 11 Juni 2007 di Singapore dengan didampingi oleh Bpk. Irawan Suchayono (Sekjen PP. IMI) ; Bpk. Harris Gondokusumo (Biro Olahraga PP. IMI) & Jeffrey JP (Rally Indonesia Organiser), dimana juga sekaligus Mr. Morrie Chandler menyampaikan undangan kepada Menegpora RI untuk menghadiri penyelenggaraan Rally New Zealand 2007 (WRC round 11) agar dapat diberikan masukan mengenai cara pelaksanaan suatu WRC dengan dampak/multiplier efek terhadap segi ekonomi dan pariwisata dari Negara itu.
Pada pertemuan tersebut President FIA WRC menyampaikan tahapan2 yang harus dilakukan oleh Indonesia adalah :
a. Penyampaian aplikasi sebagai kandidat WRC ditahun 2008 dengan progress WRC di tahun 2009, dimana aplikasi tersebut harus disampaikan oleh PP. IMI dengan mencantumkan jadwal ; lokasi serta penyelenggara dari event (kandidat WRC & WRC) dan kemudian FIA akan memberikan persetujuan sebagai Kandidat WRC yang akan diputuskan oleh World Council and General Assembly of FIA pada rapat akhir tahun.
Dimana pihak PP. IMI bersama-sama Rally Organiser harus aktif untuk menjadi anggota (representatif) dan hadir pada setiap annual meeting dari Working Group ; World Motor Sport Council dan General Assembly dari FIA
b. Melakukan pembayaran Inscription Fee (registered in the FIA calendar) untuk sebesar EURO 103.200 paling lambat tgl. 31 Januari 2008, dimana biaya akan dipergunakan untuk keperluan dari FIA Delegate saat peninjauan event kandidat WRC dan dapat diperpanjang pada tahun berikutnya bila belum memenuhi ketentuan WRC tanpa perlu melakukan pembayaran lagi. Inscription Fee ini diperlukan oleh FIA sebagai jaminan atas keseriusan suatu negara sebagai penyelenggara kandidat WRC, adapun Inscription Fee untuk menjadi WRC adalah sebesar EURO 155.050
c. Apabila Indonesia telah disetujui menjadi salah satu kandidat WRC dari kawasan Asia pada tahun 2008, maka secara terkait akan juga dialokasikan pada jadwal WRC di tahun 2009 dengan ketentuan subject to inspection on year 2008.
(Terlampir jadwal tahun 2008 & tahun 2009)

Laporan hasil kunjungan dan proses persiapan selanjutnya dalam bentuk proposal rencana kerja & anggaran biaya tahun 2008 s/d tahun 2010 telah disampaikan kepada Pemerintah melalui Menteri Pemuda & Olahraga RI dan Ikatan Motor Indonesia (PP. IMI) serta juga organisasi yang baru terbentuk yaitu Indonesia World Motorsport (IWM).

Tahapan berikutnya adalah melakukan kunjungan kerja ke Rally New Zealand 2007 pada tgl. 30 Agustus s/d 2 September mendatang sesuai undangan dari Mr. Morrie Chandler (President FIA WRC), dimana Menegpora telah menunjuk Bpk. James Bpk. James Tangkudung (Asisten Deputi Pembinaan Prestasi Olahraga) untuk mewakili guna melakukan pembahasan lebih lanjut untuk persiapan & koordinasi langkah berikutnya serta melakukan study banding sebagai persiapan dari rencana penyelenggaraan kembali WRC di Indonesia.
Rombongan yang akan berangkat mendampingi Deputy Menegpora adalah Bpk. Harris Gondokusumo (Ka. Biro Dept. Olahraga PP. IMI) dan Jeffrey JP (Rally Indonesia Organiser)

Persyaratan serta kondisi yang terjadi pada penyelenggaraan WRC adalah :
1. Negara yang menjadi kandidat WRC harus terlebih dahulu melaksanakan event yang berstatus FIA Regional Championship (di Indonesia adalah FIA APRC)
2. Jumlah negara penyelenggara untuk WRC mulai tahun 2009 akan menjadi sebanyak 12 putaran, dimana 6 negara sebagai penyelenggara tetap dan 6 negara akan dirotasi secara bergantian

Informasi selanjutnya selama kunjungan kerja delegasi WRC Indonesia dan partisipasi Indonesia Rally Team – Subhan Aksa/Hade Mboi akan kami sampaikan secara bertahap sampai dengan akhir penyelenggaraan Rally New Zealand 2007 (WRC round 11)

Kami sangat menghargai atas dukungan dari rekan-rekan media melalui peliputan yang diberikan dan hal tersebut sangatlah penting untuk dapat membantu sosialisasi proses pencapaian penyelenggaraan event WRC di Indonesia, dimana segala kritikan dan saran juga sangat kami butuhkan guna percepatan proses serta demi kemajuan Olahraga Otomotif cabang Rally di Indonesia.
Akhir kata apabila terjadi kekurangan dan kesalahan baik yang disengaja maupun tidak disengaja, sebelumnya kami memohon maaf serta kami sangat mengharapkan untuk dapat bekerjasama lebih erat lagi untuk bersama-sama memberikan kontribusi kepada Negara tercinta Indonesia melalui event-event Internasional (APRC & WRC) yang akan datang. Terima kasih atas perhatian serta liputannya dan sampai jumpa di GUDANG GARAM INTERNATIONAL RALLY INDONESIA 2007 putaran 3 di Makassar, Sulawesi Selatan pada tgl. 7 s/d 9 September mendatang.

Muffler Mobiles and the Muffler Shops that Made Them

Meineke Muffler Mobile Art Car

I run into this muffler art car on Jalopnik last night and where there is one muffler car there is another.

This "Muffler mobile" was created by Joe, Scott, and Steve Minghelli, family owners of two Meineke muffler shops in Southern New Jersey. They started out by creating art from used mufflers laying around like muffler men, muffler dogs, muffler waffle irons and then one day got serious and made the Muffler mobile. They started out with a Datsun truck and stripped it down to its frame. Then they rebuilt the frame from exhaust tubing welded to the Datsun and then covered it with sixteen gauge steel panels to create the distinctive muffler shape. I guess if a muffler shop is serious enough about their muffler business to build a muffler art car, then they might be a good shop get your muffler replaced.

So here is the complete set of muffler shops around the country you might want to check out next time your car needs a new muffler. I wonder if these cars need to get smogged every hear?

Kelly's Pimp My Muffler Art Car via

Muffler Hut Pink Muffler Mobile via

Steve's Muffler Mobile via

Keith's Muffler Shop Art Car via

Seeburg Muffler Art Car via

Muffler Art Car via

5 Star Mosaic Muffler Art Car via

Cams Or Camshaft

Wild or "race" cams are just not suitable for a road car. They do not allow you to drive smoothly in say 4th gear in town because they make your engine run "lumpy" at low revs! And you will have an uneven idle like a bike engine.

They "CAN" give some performance benefit at higher revs though, but only if the rest of your engine and induction system and exhaust are also modified to take advantage! If not, the extra valve o "overlap" makes them sensitive to exhaust back pressure and your car may well be slower! Valve overlap happens when your engines inlet valve opens whilst the exhaust valve is still open. This aids airflow at high engine rpms.

On the other hand, if you have just spent a fortune building a "big valve" race engine with lightened and balanced internals etc it would be stupid to fit a standard camshaft, as most of your hard work would be wasted! Like everything in life it has to be a balance. So its best to know what you are looking for and plan for that! Its no use just putting a few go faster bits on your car and hoping! That does not just apply to camshafts but to the complete engine. All the bits need to be matched and work together! You must have a plan before you start.

Cams types can be described (very general guide) :

a) Stock - smooth, long lasting, good emissions, good economy, good low down power for smooth easy driving in traffic. The main manufacturers are not stupid! Think carefully before you decide on a "race" cam. Power falls away at higher RPM's.

b) Towing, mild, or whatever - these will give good economy and will work much like the manufacturers stock cams. Standard lift and duration Usually expected top give more torque than stock ones at low RPMs Smooth tick over.

c) Fast road camshaft - Usually works OK with stock head/valves and a good free flow exhaust system, and bigger better multi carbs. These will give a higher RPM peak power than stock and usually at the expense of some low down power. Remember that low down power is where you spend the most time in a road car. Usually a touch more lift and duration (about 260 / 270 degrees) Slightly lumpy idle in some cases. Gas flowed head and bigger valves helps if you can afford to do it, but generally not essential.

d) Sport Cam / Very fast road - Not a sensible choice for road use, unless the car is also a race car and you can suffer a bit! Very lumpy idle on some engines, not smooth or powerful at lower 25 percent of RPM range. Peak power typically 1000 RPM higher than stock camshaft, big valves, ported head, free flow exhaust, multi carb or big throttle body, needed really to take advantage. Probably 20 percent more peak power than stock cam would give if the engine is as described. Lots of overlap, so high emissions likely. free flowing exhaust essential. 280 to 290 degrees, usually more than stock lift.

c) Race... Speaks for itself. in a road car far too much! To work, you need to have a totally "built" motor, with strong bits to stand much higher RPM than stock. And good head, big valves, open big bore exhaust (loud) and good free flowing induction system. High compression ratio needed as there is less time to "trap" the gasses. Much power! At high rpm only. Think "Bike engine"!

d) Turbo or Nitrous Cams - These have stock (ish) intake timing, but less overlap, and high lift long duration exhaust timing, to get rid of all the extra gasses.

There are LOTS of aftermarket Camshaft manufacturers to choose from. Companies such as:

Kent, Piper, Crower, Holbay, MTS, ISKY, MAHLE, Comp Cams, Crane, Edelbrock, Erson, H.O., Indian Adventures, Iskandarian, Lunati, Speed-Pro, Summit, Ultradyne, Systrand , Schrick Camshafts, Wolverine, Lazer Cams to name just a few!

2012 Ford Fiesta RS Turbo

ime for this office to once again help Ford spec-out its upcoming Fiesta Turbo.

say "upcoming" because The Big Blue Oval has been teasing web punks with a "Turbo Kit" in its buyer surveys forever ... and proudly shows "Turbo Kit" as the #1 most-popular option ... so the Fiesta Turbo is a done deal for 2012 according to an internet rumor I just started.

he spec for the 2011 normally-aspirated Fiesta looks to be set, complete with smart packaging, back-to-the-80s curb weight, and That 70s Show funky colors. It looks like Job 1's alternative to a clutch & stick is a slick sequential-gear dual clutch tranny, but tragically with -0- manual intervention options except Ford's patented "You Really Shouldn't Have Asked" ViolentDownShift™ "L" low gear choice.

o manual control of Ford's self-proclaimed "Advanced Six-Speed Transmission" might be fine in a modern-day Crown Vic, but it will not do in a car that is already on its way to placing Ford on the Gotta Have It Podium with a generation of paddle-slapping-happy Gran Turismo racers.

ord: If you're going to go to the trouble of blowing a Fiesta, don't blow it by sticking non-stick-shifters with no gear selection control.

his car needs paddle shifters.

ight for up. Left for down.

nd a Forward for upshift/Backward for downshift center tunnel stick to resort to once we future Fiesta Turbo drivers realize we're not stuck inside a narrow F1 tub with no room to move anything but fingers and therefore not really in need of something gimmicky like paddle shifters.

udging by the once-upon-a-time Focus SVT, the balance of the spec on your hotted-up Fiesta should be right-on.

robably some nice 17-inch wheels shod with 45-series rubber and maybe a suspension nip and tuck here and there.

ith luck, someone will tone down the garish silver center stack trim on the normally-aspirated model and try something a little classier.

ou're going to need royally-righteous purple and tangy orange paint options on the 2012 Fiesta Turbo, too, because let's face it, Ford, you're the new Anti-Toyota.

ou are the anti-boring, with 240 hp Escapes, 365 hp Taurus SHOs, and 412 hp 5.0 Mustang GTs.

ou are the anti-beige, with Grabber Blue and Lime Squeeze already on your palette.

our most recent corporate walk of shame is already years behind you.

herefore, thou shalt cut loose and celebrate the end of this dismal world recession (another internet rumor I've started) with a tight, blown, paddle-shifted urban brawler wearing the orange of the fiery sunset of our discontent and the purple of the dawn of a new age.

Thou shalt call these new cloaks "Orange Sunset" and "Purple Dawn

Thou shalt make these cloaks to be metallic and put them on the 2012 Fiesta RS Turbo, pricing everything under 21k with a paddle-shifted dual clutch tranny and no obligation to purchase an increasingly-useless factory-installed GPS.

am the Car Czar (sorry about all that "Thou shalt" stuff ... sometimes I get to thinking I'm more powerful than I actually am), and I'm here to help.

**

Tuning LPG Or Propane

The short answer here is that LPG or Propane fuel has a higher detonation limit so makes a better fuel for tuning than pump petroleum does.

It allows either more turbo boost, or higher compression ratios, or more nitrous to be used before detonation of fuel stops play!

In short, if you want power its a great idea!

copyright : tuning.wanadoo.co.uk