ARTICLE: How to Modify / Tune your car

[viper]

Hey GTO,

Really excellent article and very well listed.

Viper

[austere_sly]

A good comprehensive write up GTO. I think it was long awaited, even though I don't plan to go for modifications, but still its a very interesting read.

[captainsokhi]

WOW
Great Article......
Thanks to GTO, Ananthkamath, chetanhanda, Ford Rocam, mclaren1885, nextlevel350z, psycho, rdkarthik, sideways & v1p3r...
this is surely gonna help many of us here....

[viper]

Originally Posted by GTO

3. Removing the revv-limiter:[list]A fairly simple modification which any ECU specialist can implement in a very short time. Your cars manufacturer-set rpm limits will be raised but you also need to check if your engine internals can take the additional stress. It wont lead to a power increase with all engines; yet can be a useful tool in improving lap times (holding a gear longer) and acceleration (one less up shift for 0 - 100). Approximate cost = Rs.3,500 upward.

7. Valve angling:

• A multi-angle valve job can lead to noticeable street performance gains by improving the head flow. Note that this is a highly precision-oriented task. Approximate cost = Rs.3,500 upward.

8. Over-boring / Stroker kits:

• Over-boring is increasing the CC (cubic capacity) by changing the piston size and stroke of the engine. Pistons, connecting rods and the crankshaft will need to be replaced. Simply put, bigger engine size = more power. For e.g. a 1.3 liter can be overbored to 1.5 liters in capacity. Approximate cost = Rs.12000 upward.

Hi GTO,

Rev- Limiter Removal - Would like to mention that rev-limiter removal is not a simple but complicated procedure. The 2 safest and most commonly used methods would be 1> Remap & 2> Stand Alone. Both of the above require to be done by a competant tuner only.Also the price range mentioned is incorrect.

With ref to Valve Angling - This is another highly specialised procedure and involves opening of the cylinder head and replacement of head gasket. Most often done along with head porting/polishing. Cost again incorrect as the costs fo the other procedures & parts to be added as well.

Stroker Kits - Whilst the explanation in theory is correct once again there is a lot more to it. Firstly you do not get stroker kits for our Indian cars unless they are running the same engine abroad. Next the cost for a full kit will be in excess of approx Rs75-80,000/- onwards. These kits are not available commonly here and mainly used by racers. Very rarely do street cars in India use the same.

Please note that all costs mentioned above as well as in your article are indicative only and will vary from vendor to vendor and supplier to supplier.

The above points are my opinion and others are welcome to correct me if wrong.

Viper

[Psycho]

Originally Posted by viper

Rev- Limiter Removal - Would like to mention that rev-limiter removal is not a simple but complicated procedure. The 2 safest and most commonly used methods would be 1> Remap & 2> Stand Alone. Both of the above require to be done by a competant tuner only.Also the price range mentioned is incorrect.

I can gaurantee that you do not need any of the above to do that on most of the cars and can be done for that price range quite easily.

Originally Posted by viper

With ref to Valve Angling - This is another highly specialised procedure and involves opening of the cylinder head and replacement of head gasket. Most often done along with head porting/polishing. Cost again incorrect as the costs fo the other procedures & parts to be added as well.

Yes it has been mentioned as a part of the stage 2 where porting and polishing has been mentioned and yes the rates can vary depending on the application. But the rates have taken more as a range / indicative value rather than the total cost.

Originally Posted by viper

Stroker Kits - Whilst the explanation in theory is correct once again there is a lot more to it. Firstly you do not get stroker kits for our Indian cars unless they are running the same engine abroad. Next the cost for a full kit will be in excess of approx Rs75-80,000/- onwards. These kits are not available commonly here and mainly used by racers. Very rarely do street cars in India use the same.

Do realise that the cost is a starting cost for Overboring and yes Stroker kits are expensive. But a couple of Indian cars can be stroked without the need of importing parts at all. Do personally know of enough people with stroked engines around done locally.

Originally Posted by viper

Please note that all costs mentioned above as well as in your article are indicative only and will vary from vendor to vendor and supplier to supplier.

Yes that can be true.

[viper]

Originally Posted by Psycho

I can gaurantee that you do not need any of the above to do that on most of the cars and can be done for that price range quite easily.

Hi,

In that case I stand corrected.

Also wish to add that my inputs are based on the scene in Mumbai alone.

Viper

[mclaren1885]

Originally Posted by viper

Hi GTO,

Rev- Limiter Removal - Would like to mention that rev-limiter removal is not a simple but complicated procedure.

Everything is a complicated procedure in modifying a car. Also removing the rev limiter is not as complicated as you have made it out to be (last I remember somebody did it for me in about 15mins). Certainly the guy who does it has to know his stuff, just like the guy who has to port/polish your head (I mean the cars head) or setup a piggyback or a standalone.

The advantage of removing a rev limiter is plenty. One, it allows one to stick onto longer in each gear. For eg my friends baleno now revs all the way upto 7100 (same as a Vtec?) from the stock 6500. Though, your car must be producing power during those extended revs if not it will only slow you down. In case of certain race spec engines if the rev limiter is a fuel cut off then accidentally hitting the limiter would cut the fuel off for a fraction of a second which could be detrimental to the engine and be hazardous too. So, certain people also use it as a additional precautionary measure.

Also, if one has a performance cam installed that can make your rev higher the simplest and easiest way to harness this is by taking off the rev limiter. If taken good care and not overdone it could prove to be a good mod.

PS: Keshav thanks a ton for confirming.

[viper]

Originally Posted by mclaren1885

Everything is a complicated procedure in modifying a car. Also removing the rev limiter is not as complicated as you have made it out to be (last I remember somebody did it for me in about 15mins). Certainly the guy who does it has to know his stuff, just like the guy who has to port/polish your head (I mean the cars head) or setup a piggyback or a standalone.

Hi,

If I understand correctly are you trying to say that my rev-limit can be taken upto say 8000 or 8500 rpm where the original limit was 6500rpm without a stand alone or remap in 15 mins.(eg Honda Vtec, Baleno, Accent, getz, Swift)

I am not talking about rev cheaters and bumping the limit up by 500 rpm. If we are on the same wave length then I have no shame in acknowledging that to the best of my knowledge there is no one in Mumbai who knows how to do this or offers it as a service.

Viper

[speedmiester]

Thanks GTO and everyone involved in starting this thread.
Really appreciate the time and effort spent on this.
One of the best informative thread on T-BHP.

[mclaren1885]

Originally Posted by viper

Hi,

If I understand correctly are you trying to say that my rev-limit can be taken upto say 8000 or 8500 rpm where the original limit was 6500rpm without a stand alone or remap in 15 mins.(eg Honda Vtec, Baleno, Accent, getz, Swift)

I drove a friends baleno on track a few months back. I remember taking it to clearly 7100 rpm before I shifted as it looked like dropping power. He tells me that it could rev slightly more. Though I haven't had a chance to try afterwards. Also, a friends esteem doesn't have the revlimiter at all. And yes, he is still running on the OE ECU (rather was). I have seen him rev to 8000 but it is important to produce power at that RPM and also not lean out. So it would be better to say rev for an additional 500-800 rpm to be on the safer side and not more.

We tried that on my zen actually, but since the E-III ECU's are different the limiter kicked in at 20, 40, 60, 80 kmph. This was like one day before burnout. Least to say, we did play a good prank with v1p3r saying he would clock India's slowest 1/4 mile timing in a zen. He actually fell for it and was cursing us for trying the mod. Actually in 15 mins we got back to the stock value. The relief on his face was worthy a watch.

Jiggy, almost all E-II ECU's for zen, esteems, baleno's are the easiest one to tinker with. Send me a ECU if you wish. Could get it done for you to see the benefits.

[viper]

Originally Posted by mclaren1885

Jiggy, almost all E-II ECU's for zen, esteems, baleno's are the easiest one to tinker with. Send me a ECU if you wish. Could get it done for you to see the benefits.

Hi,

Thanks a lot. Will surely take you up on the offer in the ear future..

Viper

[BUSA]

Thanks alot GTO for compling the info, it was surely a ver interesting read.

Thanks Mclaren, V1p3r, RDKartik, Ananthkamath, chetanhanda, Ford Rocam, nextlevel350z, psycho, sideways and the others for giving the info.

[gigy]

This is the cream of all thats in from Teambhp. good writeup GTO
and thanks for all our members who made this happen

[razor4077]

Great read. Very informative.
Hopefully this will be an evolving document, with more modifications getting described and explained.

Thx to those who contributed!

[kkr2k2]

this is the best thread i have come across, the thread gives/leads to the inform that is wanted by all the guys who say "yeh dil mange more"