mods don't actually 'add' hp right?

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Old Sep 12, 2003 | 02:11 PM
  #1  
BEETROOT's Avatar
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From: Chandler, Arizona
mods don't actually 'add' hp right?

All the mods I am looking at say that the add horsepower. I was thinking about it, and they don't actually 'add' horsepower do they? An intake doesn't make your engine more powerful, it just takes a restriction off of it so that it performs at closer to 100%. I mean that 5 horsepower was there to begin with, it was just being kind of held back by a restrictive intake right? The only things that would actually add horsepower would be a forced induction, or maybe you could count pullies too.

Just a technicality I know...but its been bugging me.
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Old Sep 12, 2003 | 02:13 PM
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///M POWER
 
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um yea they do
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Old Sep 12, 2003 | 02:27 PM
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Your right about the stock parts being restrictive, like headers and the stock air box. However mods do add horsepower to the engine that wasn't there before.
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Old Sep 12, 2003 | 02:45 PM
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Old Sep 12, 2003 | 02:57 PM
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I think the correct term would be "freeing up" more horsepower.
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Old Sep 12, 2003 | 03:37 PM
  #6  
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yes it frees up more hp but yes havn't really thought about this
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Old Sep 12, 2003 | 03:38 PM
  #7  
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you think too much

But yea i understand what ya saying
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Old Sep 12, 2003 | 03:52 PM
  #8  
1killercls's Avatar
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Originally posted by civic4982
I think the correct term would be "freeing up" more horsepower.
Indeed.
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Old Sep 12, 2003 | 04:05 PM
  #9  
phrocker's Avatar
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I agree. My 1st Gen has 500 ponies just waiting to be "freed up".

You're playing with semantics. When selling a product, the most terse explanation is the best. With that said, you are still addineg horsepower. Chaptorial said it best, I think.
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Old Sep 12, 2003 | 04:59 PM
  #10  
chef chris's Avatar
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Originally posted by civic4982
I think the correct term would be "freeing up" more horsepower.
True.

Engine producing 300 HP at factory...

Engine stuck in car & hooked up to transmission...exhaust...intake...etc.

Engine now only producing 250 HP...due to 'restraint' of power incurred by friction/restriction.

But, I am master of the obvious tonight so no flaming...
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Old Sep 12, 2003 | 05:21 PM
  #11  
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Once you start Boosting or sprayin... you are adding real HP!
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Old Sep 12, 2003 | 05:38 PM
  #12  
chef chris's Avatar
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Originally posted by Nashua_Night_Hawk
Once you start Boosting or sprayin... you are adding real HP!
Now, that would be the only time you actually ADD horsepower...

Very True.
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Old Sep 12, 2003 | 06:04 PM
  #13  
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In other word, a NA engine has specific output that is mainly based on how many cubic ft of air/sec the engine consumes. Now since there are restrictions, the so called Volumetric efficiency is less than 100% the closer you are to 100 % the better. In some case you can achieve >100% V.E. by using resonance intake like ours. This is the case also, in NA racing engine (15,000 rpms F1 engines).

Now if you are boosting or spraying, it is basically, how PSI (or bar) you are boosting that counts. If you are at 2 bars, basically you are doubling the cubic ft of air/sec the engine consumes. However, since the compressed air is heated (Thermodynamics law), the less efficient is the production of real HP output of the engine. Some more energy is wasted as heat.

This is a simplistic explanation.

Nashua
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Old Sep 12, 2003 | 07:14 PM
  #14  
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damn Beetroot got some time on your hands?
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Old Sep 12, 2003 | 07:40 PM
  #15  
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Nash got it right... you arn't 'freeing' horsepower, you are making the motor more efficient. However, mods like the pulley & flywheel 'free' horsepower. Mods like enlarged TB's, custom intake manifolds etc. 'make' horsepower as you are changing the profile of the motor.
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Old Sep 12, 2003 | 09:26 PM
  #16  
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yea the basic bolt on just free up the air flow, make the engine breath better
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Old Sep 15, 2003 | 08:59 AM
  #17  
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Yeehaw
 
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Originally posted by gdubb
damn Beetroot got some time on your hands?

I am a sad and lonely man.
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Old Sep 15, 2003 | 09:17 AM
  #18  
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Actually, there are mods that reduce the parasitic power loss such as:
the Mugen cooling system upgrades, lighter wheels and tires, lighter oil, tranny mods etc.

or those that add HP such as Headers, intake, NOS, etc.

The factory TypeS has 260HP at the flywheel. When you add headers and such, the HP will rise from 260.

Now with the other mods, the net HP you end up with is a result of power transfer, heat friction, weight reduction mods that reduce the total lost of that 260HP.

A lot of folks neglect the later as they want to claim a higher HP for their car or just don't understand these other mods.

In my case, most of my mods are the later. I only have one mod that actually increases HP, the Icebox. All others are tires, wheels, oil and cooling mods.

With just the tires and wheels I was beating guys with H/I/E mods with a best time of 14.65 in the 1/4. And beating other "faster" cars as well.

So don't neglect those parasitic HP reducing mods.

Ruf
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Old Sep 15, 2003 | 02:14 PM
  #19  
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i think the only things that add horse are NOS, superchargers and turbos
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Old Sep 15, 2003 | 07:07 PM
  #20  
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Old Sep 15, 2003 | 08:48 PM
  #21  
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yea i guess so it doesnt matter as long as u push on that throttle and git get up and moving id doesnt matter
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Old Sep 15, 2003 | 09:11 PM
  #22  
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Originally posted by thealliance15
i think the only things that add horse are NOS, superchargers and turbos
don't forget about actually building a motor.
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