4 Important Things You Should Know About Car Tuning

4 Important Things You Should Know About Car Tuning
What is car tuning?
Car tuning is one of those words that you hear a lot these days with the growth of the motorsport industry. In this article, we will explain all aspects of this subject to you.

Definition of tuning science
A set of changes or modifications that are made to a car to increase its driving capabilities is called tuning. This industry has a very long history, to the extent that many automakers have added such a section to their collection and offer some of their products with special extensions. Consider these examples:

BMW: M-POWER

Mercedes-Benz: AMG

Toyota: TRD edition

Audi: Rs edition

Nissan: NISMO
…
So, as you can see, the manufacturing companies themselves have official subcategories for tuning their products. In addition to official subsidiaries, there are also companies that do not focus on a specific brand but operate officially, and perhaps the most famous name known to all of us Iranians is the Mansouri brand.

History of tuning in Iran
What we know about tuning today. (This article examines the topic of car tuning for city cars, not racing cars; because in the discussion of racing cars, the branch of activity also affects the way the car is tuned. For example, a car that is set up for a drag race has different settings than a car that is set up for a rally race.) Perhaps the most honest reason for the popularity of external enhancement and then engine enhancement is the presence of the 206 Type 5 car in the Iranian market.

This car, which was available in the Iranian market since 2003, caused a big wave in the discussion of external, audio, and engine enhancement and equipment. However, the unprecedented acceptance of young people and the lack of attractive hatchback cars (in the global market, this class is known as HOT HACH, of which Volkswagen is one of the undisputed kings) caused a huge amount of decorative accessories for it to be available on the market at once. Here, it may not be a bad idea to mention that at that time, the 206 was considered one of the most up-to-date cars of the Peugeot company, which was gradually being replaced by the 207.

It is worth mentioning that the irregular tuning exhibitions held at that time, the penetration of the Internet and the creation of the 206 class in automobile racing have not been without effect in the recognition of this profitable field.

Engine tuning methods
The aim of strengthening the engine is, without exception, to obtain more power for specific purposes such as increasing acceleration or increasing top speed, and at the same time, performing spectacular performances such as Soft Cut OFF or Back Fire. In the following, we will briefly refer to these methods and hope to have guided you to achieve the best result.

The methods described below assume that our hypothetical engine size remains constant. Please note that the most important part of boosting or tuning, especially a car engine, is your mechanic or tuner and their experience. For this reason, in addition to the quality of the parts used, his expertise in assembling the engine is one of the most important points in this field. It is better to do some research on the work history of the person in question before going to him. In addition, some of the points mentioned below.

This may not be approved by all experts. (For example, some prefer using a piston with a higher compression ratio rather than grinding the cylinder head to achieve the desired compression ratio.)

1.1. Strengthening the engine’s air intake system
a) Installing an intake kit with a sports air filter
b) Oversize the throttle valve or replacing it with a larger throttle valve
c) Using a modified air manifold
d) Using intake air compression systems (supercharging) such as a turbocharger or supercharger kit
e) Using a NOS or water methanol kit
f) Strengthening the intercooler (especially for turbo engines)

Intake tuning
(From right to left): Installing an upgraded intercooler / capsule and NOS kit / oversized throttle valve
2.1. Modifying or strengthening the cylinder head
a) Porting and polishing the cylinder head
b) Floor grinding
c) Modifying the valve seat angle
d) Using a valve stem with higher lift
e) Using oversized valves
Cylinder head tuning
View before and after porting and polishing operations
3.1. Strengthening engine components
a) Using a piston with higher compression [the cheapest method in this section]
b) Increasing engine volume using a stroker kit (including replacing the crankshaft, connecting rods, and piston) [significant cost due to the use of aftermarket parts]
c) Strengthening the oil pump

High compression piston tuning

NFU sugar-headed piston used to increase the compression of the TU5 engine

4.1. Exhaust system reinforcement
A) Catalyst removal
B) Exhaust manifold removal and header replacement
C) Using a larger diameter center and rear source (replacing the center and aftermarket muffler)
D) Using a charge pipe and downpipe for turbo engines

Exhaust tuning
Image description from right to left: Downpipe (for turbo cars) / Muffler (reinforced rear source) / Aspirated engine headers

Gearbox reinforcement and update
Gearbox reinforcement and update
Gearbox coordination should be done in accordance with the increase in engine power. Two points are considered in this section:

Using reinforced discs and plates to withstand higher torque
Gearbox tuning (gearbox ratios) to achieve the specified goal, here the type of use of the car (top speed or initial acceleration) is very influential in how the gearbox is tuned.
Strengthening the axles (increasing the car’s power without modifying or strengthening the axles will cause them to fail in the shortest possible time.)
Suspension System Strengthening
The most important issue in the discussion of body strengthening, including the discussion of the suspension system to control body roll

ing. One of the reasons why lowering the height has gained many fans today is to maintain balance (stability) in corners.

If your car’s engine has a lot of power but there is no change in the suspension system, the car will understeer or oversteer in corners. Understeer or understeer means that you have turned the steering wheel but the car is moving in its previous direction! And oversteer means that the rear of the car is so to speak out of control or goes off.

Due to the high cost of tuning, it is not common in Iran to use height adjustment kits in sports cars, and alternative methods are used:

a) Shortening the springs

b) Fitting the shock absorbers (correcting the height of the shell)

c) Reinforced sway bars

d) Installing a stress bar

e) Modifying the rear axle of the car (for greater stability)

Tuning and Ramping
The last and most important point for tuning a car is to match the aftermarket parts used with the ECU (computer) of a car. For example, you have now strengthened a car and installed a complete exhaust system and changed the camshaft, but is your car’s computer aware of these changes?! No. Your car’s computer still thinks based on the same engine that was adjusted at the factory!

Did you know that by using high-compression pistons, correcting the ignition angle is inevitable? Did you know that after installing headers, your car’s fuel-air ratio will be disrupted, and in addition to increasing fuel consumption, engine efficiency will also decrease?!

So at the end of the tuning discussion, we will mention two issues:

If your car has modifications up to Stage 2 (the addition of high-flow systems such as turbocharging and supercharging) that the factory ECU does not support, you should install an adjustable ECU. But if the modifications are limited to increasing compression, aftermarket camshafts, and intake and exhaust systems, with the same factory ECU you can get significant results with a wideband ramp (Stage 1 ramp).

Wishing the country’s tuning industry increasing success…

Frequently asked questions from readers about tuning and boosting

  1. What should we do to tune and boost the Pars Tu5 engine?

The TU5 engine is one of the most popular engines in the country, and many aftermarket accessories have been prepared for this engine. We suggest you see the article Pars Tu5 Ramp. We briefly discussed this.

  1. Can the Shahin car be boosted?

Due to the low supply and engine limitations, not many aftermarket accessories have been produced for the Shahin car so far, and on the other hand, this engine does not have much potential for boosting. We recommend needle spark plugs for turbo and wire sport engines and downpipes (if produced). But the best and cheapest method is the Shahin Ramp, which we suggest you read the relevant article.

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