TDC: An Important Tuning Position That Should Not be Overlooked
It’s the classic rhetorical question: “How high is up?” Luckily, finding Top Dead Center (TDC) in an engine is far less taxing from a theoretical standpoint. TDC refers to the […]
Building Custom Exhaust Systems: It’s the Little Things That Count
Many exhaust systems are basically plug and play—line up the pipes, clamp ‘em together, and everything more or less fits. But what if you have an oddball combination or a […]
Ignition Timing 101: Vacuum Advance vs. Mechanical Advance
What’s the difference between vacuum advance and mechanical advance? Why do you need ignition advance in the first place? And can you really use vacuum advance in boosted applications? While […]
Ask Away! with Jeff Smith: How Much Oversize is Too Much When Custom-Setting Piston Ring Gap?
I have a 4.030 small block Chevy with 1/16 inch rings. I have a 4.125 inch bore ring set that I’ll never use. Can I use the larger rings and […]
3 Reasons to Upgrade to Tubular Control Arms
You hear about tubular control arms a lot these days when talking about performance suspension systems. But is all the buzz really warranted? Are tubular control arms really worth your […]
Cleveland Show: Adding Nearly 100 HP to a Free-Breathing Ford 351C
Try this experiment: Mention four-valve (4V) Ford to a few fellow enthusiasts and see what discussion pops up. Oh, how quickly people forget! Time was when you mentioned 4V, people […]
Little Man: Single-Plane vs. Dual-Plane Intake Manifold Test on a Carbureted 4.8L LS
The great thing about being an LS enthusiast is you don’t have to worry yourself with the petty problems that plagued the lesser Gen. I small blocks, right? Case in […]
iRacing 101: The Ins and Outs of iRacing
What’s a racer with an itchy accelerator foot to do when they can’t be at the track? Do what thousands of your fellow competitors do and go iRacing. iRacing is […]
Timing is Everything: How Initial, Mechanical, and Vacuum Advance Work Together to Make Power
Everyone knows the classic four-stroke engine cycle: intake, compression, combustion, exhaust. While all four play a part in performance, it’s the combustion step that relies on the critical sequence of […]
Ask Away! With Jeff Smith: Improving a G-Body Monte Carlo’s Handling and Stance
I have a 1988 Monte Carlo. I want to improve the stance and handling, and perhaps even do something to improve braking. I don’t want to build a race car […]