Interceptor On its Way?
I was very interested to read
about the "AFM interceptor kit" you have developed in the recent Real World Air/Fuel Ratio Tuning article.
It sounds like it would be perfect addition to the cars that a friend and I are
building. We are currently in the closing stages of building two clubman style
cars (similar to the SR20DET powered Puma you tested a while back). These cars
have been built from scratch as opposed to one of the kits that are available.
This has allowed us to incorporate the features and styling we wanted. The
standard ECU and emissions gear has to be in place (we are using JDM 20V 4A-GE)
to comply with ADRs when we register them. We have always been concerned,
however, with how the standard computer will cope with changes from the original
application. These changes include custom carbon-fibre intake plenum and
trumpets as well as a 4>1 exhaust system. As the cars have been designed and
set-up to spend most of their time on track, optimising the horsepower potential
of the engine at each development stage is important - and something we thought
would have to wait until we had installed programmable ECU's. However with a
(your) AFM interceptor in place we should be able to get the A/F mixtures spot
on.
Julian Kenny
Australia
The interceptor has been
fully tested and you can expect to see it on sale towards the middle of this
year. Stay tuned to AutoSpeed for some real-world activities with the
interceptor - you won't believe what's been done!
Falcon or Magna?
I've been reading your articles for some time and like to keep up to date with
cars. Just a couple of requests... I am looking at getting another car
shortly and wondered if you could test a BA 182kW 5-speed XT sedan (I've
currently got a 5-speed EL GLi, I'm 20 and can't insure a turbo in case your
wondering about the choice!). I've read Motor magazine and they quote 0-100 km/h
in 7.23 and 0-400m in 15.23, however I'm not sure if this auto or
manual. I’m also interested in TJ Magnas (which are much cheaper). Are
the 6G74 194kW engines in Japan much
different to the 163kW Sport? I believe the compression ratio is 10.0 against
9.0. Are these engines easy to source/upgrade? Maybe you could run a story
on the differences or someone’s conversion.
Travis
Quarrell
Australia
Tough choice! The BA is a fresher overall design than the TJ Magna but -
when you consider the cheap availability of the Mitsi - it's a difficult call.
That amazing 7.23-second 0 - 100 time is a manual version of the BA XT - seems
almost too good to be true, doesn't it?! We'll see if we can get a BA XT manual
for our own test.
Re Magna. A more desirable Sport version is easily within your budget and
these - particularly in manual form - are damn quick also. You can also look
into swapping to Ralliart Magna cams, headers, etc - read Michael's Speed Zone . Also,
re Japanese-spec Mitsubishi V6 engine power and specs, check out 2004 Engine Epic - Mitsubishi Engines
Which way to go? We suggest you take some test drives and find what suits
you best.
Bent Eight Performance
I need help. I have a ‘94/’95 Ford 5.0-litre V8 and everybody tells me it is
a waste of time and money putting in an aftermarket chip for better
performance – is this right? What else can I do to get more power?
Bruce
Menere
Australia
Rob Herrod is the man you need to talk to - contact him
at Herrod Motorsport (+61 3 9464 5100) Also, read Rob’s Ford tuning tips at Hints from Herrod
Essential Backing?
Could you please tell me the purpose of a backing plate behind a brake disc?
Is there any gain to be had by removing it?
Sam Q
Australia
The backing plate is there
to protect the disc from damage and to ensure no foreign matter affects braking
performance. Gains in removing it? Well, quite a few club racers take this step
in an attempt to improve brake cooling and reduce weight. We’re not sure how
effective it is.
Competition Toilet!
Our company - PWM Enterprises,
Inc. - has a new product that we are confident your readers will be very
interested in. It is a Racing Tissue Roll Dispenser. Below is a press release
regarding this new product...
Racing Tissue Roll Dispenser
Like opening the bonnet of a racing car, the two safety pins will need to
be removed to replace the roll of tissue. The top and bottom covers are made of
machined aluminium billet and the centre cylinder is handmade with real
carbon-fibre. Makes a great Father's day gift! The cost is US$44.95 with free
shipping in the
U.S. For more
information visit www.pwmenterprises.com
Dianne Beiermann (PWM Enterprises, Inc.)
Electric Boost on its Way?
After reading your article Electric Boost I
took a look at the website for Turbodyne Technologies. It seems they have sold
all rights to the Dynacharger system to Honeywell Intl. (parent company of
Garrett). A quick scan of their news history shows a somewhat tumultuous string
of licensing deals with several OEM turbo manufacturers. Perhaps this is the
first step towards mass marketing of this electric assisted turbo concept. It
looks promising...
Cary Wintle
Australia
The latest news release on
the Turbodyne site was released just after we compiled our article. It's good
that the door to OE has again been opened - the concept is certainly
interesting.
OBDII Scanner Search
I’m a trading mechanic and am
in the process of purchasing an OBDII scanner - but am finding it hard to locate
one. I have looked on your linked sites but notice they are from overseas. Their
pricing is very reasonable - even when you convert to Australian dollars – but
could you help me by telling me where I can get one in
Australia?
Gio Mercia
Australia
Check out www.starrperformance.com.au and
continue to www.efilive.com
VH45 Hard Data
Could you give me the description for the VH45DE motor? Piston diameter, rod
length, stroke, pin diameter, etc...
Ikuya
Negishi
USA
The VH45DE V8 (fitted to Japanese-market Nissan luxury saloons)
uses DOHC, 32-valve breathing and a 10.2:1 compression ratio. Bore and stroke
measure 93mm and 82.7mm respectively. Power is 198kW at 5600 rpm and
there's 394Nm at 4000 rpm. That’s all the info we have on this thumper of
an engine.
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