there have been alot of questions about turbos so i thought i'd bring up my own. since turbos put out so much power over stock, how do you know if the stock transmission can handle it? also i read about needing a way to read the air/fuel ratio in the engine to prevent running lean, but the A/F meter is nothing but an oxygen sensor. so why do you buy one where most cars come with at least one that gives you a check engine signal when the mixture is off.

finally, do all cars with automatic transmissions come with a stock trans cooler? if they don't how do they keep cool then?

oh yea, one more! what do you have to do to "tune" a turbo? wouldn't the car tune itself just like you would on any other mod?

oh shoot, one more! ok some people say that they get better power on their stock vehicle if they use higher octane fuel, is that true and why?

aight i'm O-U-T.

 

The best thing I can suggest to you, is research. Go to your local library and check out books on Engine building and Turbo's.

The stock tranny is not the weak point in our cars. Korea is the USA's testing ground as they tend to get the cars first and modify them first. They have a 500+ HP Tibby. 5th gear is a little weak if I remember right. If you are talking about the autotragic slushbox..then yes, it cannot handle much more than 200 HP to the wheels, it would have to be beefed up.

The AF meter Displays if you run rich or lean. Your Check Engine Light (CEL) is just an "idot light", it will only come on in cases of DIRE emergency...the AF should warn you something is funky long before then. The AF just hooks up to your stock O2 sensor. More sensative O2 sensors are available for $$$. Besides...when the CEL comes on are you running rich or lean? The CEL doesn't tell you which, an AF meter would.

You can add a tranny cooler, to the best of my knowledge, they do not come stock.

You Tune the turbo by retarding the engine timing to prevent detonation, and by adjusting the air fuel mixture, and by adjusting the level of boost.

The Stock ECU can hand minor mods and make the adjustments, but with Forced induction, you are cramming so much more air in than the stock injectors can handle...so you need to and a fuel injector or replace the stock injectors with larger units. Either way, the ECU doesn't know you have a 5th injector or larger injectors...so you need to TUNE the car to reach maximum performance and reliablility.

On a stock Hyundai, you will not get any more power out of High octane fuel. Ask them why they think so...*grin* Octane is simply a rating of the gas's ability to ignite. The lower the octane rating, the easier it ignites. So higher octane fuel is actually harder to start burning. This is good in the case of forced induction or nitrous, but in a 100% stock car, it has no benefit.

 

That's good to know because my old car was a Ford Probe (don't laugh...okay a little one) and I tried to install a more powerful engine when the last one blew but my mechanic told me I couldn't because it would "twist" my tranny.

What about that "Spitfire Octane Boost"? Does that do anything or is it a waste of money?

 

Everything that I have heard...when trying to use it with a stock engine...waste...

 

To be honest, even with my turbocharged motor, I have yet to see or feel a gain from any off the shelf Octane boost. I can feel the differece between 92 pump gas and 87 Pump gas, but 87 on Octane boost does not equal 92 gas. 92 gas with octane boost does not appear to gain me any Power, or reduce detnotaion.

Keep in mind, on a stock engine, unless you have retuned your ECU, you don't need higher octane fuels. Our ECU's are tuned to work on 87 pump gas. With proper ECU retuning a hp or two can be gained using higher octane fuels, but Unless you have a SAFC or the equivlant...don't bother.

 

I tryed some octane booster out, I noticed it when I was going about 90, you'll accelerate a very very small amout faster when your at high speeds. Fuel Injector cleaner has helped my automatic not be as "jumpy" when switching gears, use it every 2,000-3,000 or so.

 

Just wondering...do you have any data to back this claim? Butt dyno's are fairly inaccurate. I'd lay money that if I added octane boost/premium gas to your car without you knowing it, you would not notice any difference.

Octane is a rating of how easy it is to start burning. Higher Octane fuel actually is HARDER to start burning than low octane fuel. It does NOT add power. All higher octane gasoline can do is reduce/elimate detonation. Thus the ECU would not retard the timing so much, which would give you percieved power...but it was power you were missing from your engine to begin with.

On a properly running beta engine, higher octane fuel will not product any more power. Regardless of gear selection, speed, sunspots, the earths magnetic field, or what day of the week it is. wink.gif

 

why do they same add octane boost when your using Nitrous?

 

Because Nitrous breaks down into Oxygen (and nitrogen compounds) in the combustion chamber. Anytime you have increased oxygen, you lower effective octane (the rating of what is IN your combustion chamber).

So adding an octane boost product and/or using higher octane fuel will prevent detnotation with forced induction, Nitrous, or hella compression rations (12:1 or higher)