port and polish

[sirsloop]

Generally on a near to stock engine the stock ignition system is more than sufficient. When you start getting into nitrous, blowers, and turbos high power ignition systems start to shine (mainy because there is more to burn in the cylinder)

More importantly than an INSANE spark is the correct A/F ratio, and getting as much of it as possible into the cylinder.

The intake takes air from the outside (through the air filter), down to the head through the valves and into the cylinder. There are coolant "holes" through the block, head, intake and TB that connect to the radiator and cool the engine. Some engines like ones in old corvairs were air cooled, but most vehicles these days are are liquid cooled.

[Neo10's]

Ahh I see what your saying. You see I figure if i can find out exactly how the engine works then i can find out what parts do what, and then I can finally make to right choice when I buy performance parts.

Now in the performance department the engine is lacking because its stock is equiped to run as quiet and fuel efficient as possible....right? So if I make It breath better (IE..new intake, exhast and headers) then it will cool the air witch is good....right? Now then I need to upgrade the spark so I can ignight the new cooled vaper mix. Then it will boost HP. Tell me if im getting this at all.


Thanx for your help.

[Sound_Miata]

not quite. with better flow in & out of cylinder chambers, you can increase the amount of air able to enter and exit, more air + more fuel = more power. It is about volum moved. So if you just do an intake, you will see a bit of a gain from more air coming in to the motor, but not a huge gain because the air can't move as fast out as it does in.

Indexing the spark plugs is mostly myth & theory, it might have worked a bit on older 2 valve heads, but on todays 4 valve heads it really does a lot of nothing. At most 1HP which can also be attributed to a variance in the dyno run.

You don't really need to upgrade the spark in most cars, this is another "ricer myth." That is, unless you are running insane quantities of boost or nitrous or something that really makes the stock coils over heat.

-Greer

[sirsloop]

Well indexing is just a freebie, and I hear that it makes your idle smoother?? I dunno, I havent done it myself but if you get really bored you may want to try it out??

[sirsloop]

i have a picture of my new 302 block...if someone has some webspace available to post it drop me a line at jhaesloop@morse.bwauto.com

hopefully it will shed some light to some people about how an engine pieces together

[Neo10's]

So all HP is, is a mixture of fuel and air going through cylendars in which the newly formed fuel fumes are ignited with a spark (or multipule sparks), then in turn pumps the pistons and then all the cranks and pullys start to turn to make your tires move. Is that about right.

Sorry if im sound like an idiot, but I new to engines and must know how they work before I can mod them. Thanx

[sirsloop]

forgot I had fraternity space...heh heh

[Sound_Miata]

ALMOST right Mike
4 Stroke moto (name of stroke in parenthesis)
air and fuel go in (intake), gets compressed (compression), spark (combustion/power), burned mix goes out (exhaust)
this turns the crank, the power steering, ac, water pump, etc are connected to the crank via belts (normally), the crank is connected either in the back or the sides (depending on what wheels they are driving) of the motor to a flywheel, the flywheel hooks up to the transmission, which hooks up to the differential, the differential is what makes the tires move in the right direction (and more advanced ones transfer power away from slipping wheels) so your car goes forward. I highly recommend howstuffworks.com I believe the site is.

-Greer

[sirsloop]

I think you have the basics...

Do you understand the 4 strokes in the 4stroke engine?

Intake
Compression
Power
Exhaust

Intake - the intake valves are pushed open by the cam, and fresh fuel and air are sucked into the cylinder

Compression - The valves close trapping the newly sucked in A/F. The mixture gets compressed up by the piston. If detonation occurs before the spark plug ignited (thats bad) it will happen during this phase and is the main cause of engine destruction.

Power - Valves closed, the spark plug ignited while the piston is somehwere around TDC (top dead center) and the exploding fumes push the piston down with force.

Exhaust - The Exhaust valves are pushed open by the cam and the recently burned fumes are pushed out of the cylinder.

This then repeats.

Thats a 4 stroke engine. Oil is kept under the crank in the oil pan at the bottom of the engine, and pumped up through the lifters (usually) to the top end of the engine lubricating the rockers. 2 stroke engines are oil injected or have oil in the gas, but thats a WHOLE different story.

[sirsloop]

Ya...then there is the driveline...