"It's the love of the machine that brings you to that place where you're doing those modifications, and it's an understanding of that machine that makes those modifications successful." THIS. THIS ALL DAY LONG.
I like to modify my vehicles but I like to do it in a "as stock as possible" approach. I supercharged my civic and I still have the stock intake and panel filter on there, and all the emissions stuff. I don't want it to be loud as hell or uncomfortable, I just want more power, and I also didn't want to ruin the car so that no one else could operate it. But I completely agree on the "dislike" for repairing modified cars. You have the supporting documentation (most of the time) to repair stock vehicles, but when someone splices in a bunch of junk or rewires a circuit it takes forever to reverse engineer it and figure out what's going on (if at all possible). And pretty often one of their mods is at fault... like a crappy cold air intake skewing MAF sensor readings, customer wants their lean / rich check engine light gone or a hesitation problem, and you have to tell them their intake is causing it, or maybe all the evap stuff they also probably removed. and left dangling because someone on the internet said all emissions stuff is bad for power.
volvo09 lol someone on the internet said so why would they lie? It's the illuminati mechanics trying to control us bro!!!! Like seriously bro wake up bro....Like bro
I work at a hod rod shop so modified vehicles are the regular. But from a professional point of view, i 100 percent see your point. My truck is heavily modified but ive done my research on every upgrade/modification. Like pairing new heads with a cam that will benifit those heads. Dont skimp on price when you modify a vehicle, do your homework on what you want to do and weigh the pros and cons so you have an idea of the outcome
I have a 96 f150 with a 351. Every bit of the drivetrain has been modified. Almost everything is a stock performance part from another ford model. My heads are off a 93 cobra 302 which have bigger valves and higher compression, my 1.7 ratio roller rockers are made by crane cams for ford mustang cobras from 93-95, my cam is from ford racing and so are the lifters, push rods are made by trick flow (very reputable company) my e40d transmission has internals out of a newer 4r100 so its stronger and more reliable, i wanted a limited slip diff so i used a factory ford trac loc lsd out of a ford explore. Its cheap, reliable and super easy to rebuild. I tried to take the best factory parts and i apply them to my specific vehicle. Only down side so far is a small loss in fuel mileage.
Lots of wisdom in this vid. I have a 2010 Speed 3 that's pretty much modded to the level that the next step is building the engine. With all of the mods, running about 30% ethanol blend, and tuned accordingly by one of the biggest names worldwide in Mazdaspeed tuning, I'm at about 380/380 in good weather at the wheels. I followed a strict, vetted out modding path from MSF.org. Things turned out good because there's tons of practical experience/Gurus and I followed their advice. Alternatively, some others have gone in blind and blown engines on the Speed platform very easily because of ignorance. Particularly on the 2nd gen Speed 3 (2010-2013), if you upgrade your downpipe without first getting upgraded HPFP internals to flow more, you will go lean because the stock tune will build a good deal more boost with the DP and basically explode the engine. Mazda's engineers didn't put a lot of extra headroom into the design. Going from 263/280 @ the crank to 380/380 @ the wheels most certainly wouldn't have been possible, either LOL. Anyways, moral of the story: A great forum can literally save you thousands of dollars.
A friend of my modified his Z28 Camaro by adding super charger, cam change and rocker arm change. The problem? Having to go to a Smog referee every time he needs a smog check. In California, any speed equipment needs an E.O. number to show it's approved. You will see tons of modified cars for sale because they can't get it smogged.
I am also a member on a forum called Just Commodores , an Australian based forum for the Australian built GM- Holden Commodore , it's where , apart from ETCG , I have picked some tips , but mainly they got some good advice on CAI , exhausts and tuning ideas to get the best from your Commodore .
I recently picked up a 1999 Chevy Suburban (GMT400) and I'm going to be modifying it to make it a comfortable and capable vehicle for years to come. First on the agenda? New tires (Stock size), fixing all the little issues it has, and stainless steel brake lines.
When it comes to the cold air intake, Mighty Car Mods recently tried it out again on the S2000, and they found out that it made more power than the factory air box. And Jason from Engineering Explained tried a cold air intake on his Integra. He made more power at higher RPM, but also lost torque at the lower RPM. Whether you should install a cold air intake depends on how the factory intake does, but also depends on your driving style. If you drive at lower RPM, then it would be best to stick with the factory intake.
Henrik Nilsen Then again his point of professionals doing this counts. You can't tell if you've lost or made power by just adding something like that in without expensive equipment such as a dyno.
Henrik Nilsen Its important to recognize that the S200 is NA and the skyline they showed with no gains was Turbo. So CAI typically make gains on NA cars and not so much on turbo cars
***** Jason from EE has a clever method where he counts the number of frames in the video from when the rev counter goes from one point to another. Not the most accurate method and is prone to various factors, but a lot cheaper than a dyno.
Completely agree on doing research. I do own a small performance parts company and we make a point to carry and recommend the best possible brands and specific parts. However we make a point to figure out what the customer expects to gain expects to spend and what if any modifications they currently have. On the flip side cost does not always make something better than another brand
Eric i have been watching your videos for years now, i must say the video quality is KILLER!!!! Kindof cool watching your channel evolve over the years. Keep up the good work, and cant wait to see you beast out something.
Eric, I totally agree with your stance on modified vehicles. I have a 92 Volvo 740 which I have modified lightly myself, with the help and knowledge of Volvo forums and owners clubs. The one thing I can say about cone-style air intakes (i dont call them cold-air unless they have an enclosure separating the engine bay from the intake) is that in some cases they will improve throttle response on your vehicle. This is not the case for every car, but I have certainly known some to accelerate a bit more willingly with a more free-flowing filter.
OMG LOVED this video. Loved the MCM name drop and thought the whole video was incredibly relevant and enlightening! Thank you. Ps lol at "there goes your ability to drive over speed bumps" Ha! Thanks Eric
im a L1 9 yr in the biz and this guy is 100% on the money love the vids always learning new stuff from you and others on the you tubes keep it up and thanks
I do a ton of research before I make a change to my 4x4. I also do all the work myself like you said because its not a daily and I like to take responsibility for my work. You actually learn a lot that way.
Eric is spot on. When I added a turbo kit to my 1998 Integra GSR. I knew that car and engine like the back of my hand. I did all the work on it and it never crossed my mind to take it to the dealer. In fact, I trusted no one to work on the car. I still have the dyno results of that thing making 270 wheel HP from stock 180 (I think). Those were the good old days.. I grew out of that, now have a baby on the way and looking for a minivan ;/ That's life...
Cold air intakes are a valuable power increasing modification, but only when the vehicle doesn't already have one and it's done right. And the point of them is not to increase power but to keep from loosing power as the engine bay gets hotter during a run. They don't add any power unless the stock air intake was really bad to start with.
As always awesome video man. This might be bit of a personal query, but as a fan of your contribution and knowledge sharing, I can't imagine who's gonna carry on your ETCG legacy when all your human life transcends beyond this dimension?
I like mods which are an actual engineering improvement upon OEM design. Spherical bearings vs rubber bushings in control arms. Aforementioned steel braided brake lines vs rubber lines. Redesigned strut mounts with replaceable bushings. Things which mainly were not put on the vehicle at the factory due to increased cost.
Spherical bearings result in increased NVH compared to rubber bushings. Se strut mounts use much harder bushes, some use pillowballs. Most of them result in increased NVH. Yes, they last longer, for guys like us, it's great because the car becomes stiffer and more responsive, but also harsher and louder. For the average person, those attributes make the car less comfortable, while the improvements don't usually impress them because they'll never make use of them.
We are in our sixties my husband and I and both our cars are 49 and 47 years old respectively. Driven daily and have been modified with aftermarket fuel systems and computers. Original engines in both, one is a 289 and the other is a 383. The 289 has 95 hp more than the advertised version and the 383 has 90 hp more than the advertised version. Other modifications have been done to obtain these numbers. Also suspension mods have been implemented but not over done. My husband says the new high performance cars i.e. Hellcat, CTS-V's, Mustangs are nice but to do what he has done to our cars would require and engineering degree if it is to be done correctly. The computers on board are very sensitive to changes in hardware upgrades, i.e. cams, exhaust, injectors, ignitions, so forth. The legality of modifications on these new cars with aftermarket products will come into question when fatalities are involved. Like Microsoft, GM, Ford, and Chrysler are heading into that direction of proprietary and intellectual properties and ownership of software. We will keep our old cars until we are in the ground. Both our cars have pass emissions test.
Love the rant Eric you should do it more often! And one mod I wish would go away for good, 24" and 26" wheels on an Escalade. Would make my life a lot easier.
I did a CAI not for power but to clean up the engine bay and allow me to get easier access to other things. It did make it a little louder but getting to shifter cables, slave, starter bolts, and power steering pump hoses became a lot easier!!
That part about doing your homework/research is so true. I'm a mod on a car forum, and i see a lot of people wanting the info spoonfed to them. I see that attitude on the forum's FB page, too. It's sad that so many are too lazy to actually do the research necessary before doing what they want to do. A lot of the regulars, myself included, tell them in many different ways to do the research.
one of the things that get me is the people that call ALL aftermarket air intakes "cold air" intakes. Because there are 2 types, the TRUE cold air intakes that go down behind the bumper and the SHORT-RAM intakes that get there air from the engine bay.
This discussion reminds me of the "DPO" or "Dreaded Previous Owner" of antique vehicles that my fellow car guys and I sometimes end up cursing while working on our cars. LOL Nice topic!
I agree 100% with what Eric says in this video. I live in France so sadly I can't share it with my friends, since most don't understand English as much as I do. But I would like to, since lots of people out there do not understand that every modification done to their car in order to improve it should be backed up by knowledge, facts and at least a bit of understanding of why each stock component was built this way. Else like Eric said you can easily waste a whole lot of money without reaching the expected results. I liked the part where he mentioned trade offs. People also tend to forget that too. Some guys just throw stiffer aftermarket coilovers and think their car handles better than stock because it's lower and has less body roll. The thing is, and I've realized it over time, there's actually lots of work and parts involved in order to make a car really handle better than it did out of the factory. Same goes for engine modifications; sure you can get more power out of anything but what about actually putting this power to the ground ? What about making good power/torque across the rev rang ? What about gear ratios ? I could go on for hours on this. I am no expert though, just a young guy trying to figure out how to get the best out of his car. I'll just add a word on aftermarket intakes. I bought a SRI from Injen knowing I would not get any actual hp or torque gain. Why did I get it then ? Because it makes VTEC sound better/louder than with the stock airbox. And I love it. Sometimes, improving the driving experience is worth spending a few hundred bucks, even though there is no performance gain. :)
I modified a 2001 Integra GS literally with every bolt on possible. DC sports ceramic 4-2-1 header, fuel rail, wires, plugs, cat, Greddy EVO Full Catback, Skunk2 coilovers (for lowering), AEM V2 cold air intake, you name it i had it. HOWEVER prior to doing any of it i bought nearly a half a dozen Honda books from people who were experts at modification, spent 2+ years on TeamIntegra.Net... AND some of the books had even tested the products vs. competitors in the same line. In the end, i drove the car for many years this way and loved it dearly. It was beautiful and i was attached to it because i had done the work myself and built a bond with it. It made you feel like you were going 150mph doing 85-90... cornered like it was on rails and sounded deep and growly (for a 4cyl). Ultimately, i out grew it and ended up trading it for 1500 on my '13 328i sport. I miss it.. but i spent A PILE of money i never expected to get out. Build what you want... but do it for you. No one else will ever appreciate (or pay you for) the extra 'love' you put in.
I used to work at a dealer, and a big thing the electrical/driveability techs got came in as warranty claims on newer cars but a lot of time they ended up being related to some type of aftermarket mod, and they always seemed to be conflicting with the security or other computers, and a lot of time the answer was to remove said mod in order for the vehicle to work right.
I tried the Civic Si route (both were model year 2000) and they were both stolen before I had them for six months. As much as I loved them, the whole thing just made me never want to get a "performance car" again, because they're too easy to pick out and steal. I have a relative beater now (2001 Saab Viggen convertible) and it was the "performance" car in the Saab line. The best part of it is that nobody knows how almost scary-fast the car is and they won't even think twice when they look at it.
35 viewers are Honda Civic owners who don't like you hating their super baller mad cold air intake, D16Y8 with a B15 head, D21 crank, Husavarna pulley and Kitchen Aid blender 'making like 500hp easy'
+TinPinFTW Husavarna pully made my day! In defense of civics their great to start out with because of all the interchangeable parts. When my clutch went out I replaced my trans with a later model that had a shorter final drive and it made a considerable difference.
+uncreativename I'm not a Honda fan at all, but good on ya, using stock parts for a performance upgrade(shorter gearing)...lol it probably feels like 25hp to ya.been there in the Vw world, they had tons of different ratio boxes for mk1/2.
So apparently Subaru fan boys are better? With your ridiculous mud flaps, huge cannon exhaust, lowered absurdly to the point where it can't go off-road and sticker bombing. Smh picking on the smaller guy (Hondas). My e46 m3 would kick any Subaru's ass
The advantage of the Internet is that there are forums for just about *every* car out there now. You no longer have to be lucky to find that *one guy* in your state who knows how to modify your obscure make/model -- you just do a Google search, and you're connected to a *bunch* of people all over the world who own that very same vehicle and can relate their experiences.
6:12 This I've learned as well. You wanna improve your vehicle? It's going to cost you. Car makers are trying to keep costs down so they go with "best bang for the buck". You CAN buy aftermarket parts that perform much better than stock parts (coilovers of quality is a good example) but it also comes at a cost to the car. Increased wear on suspension parts and a stiffer ride. Always, always do good research and planning before modifying your car. And expect it to cost a lot. If not, there's not point in doing it.
Regarding "bolt-ons don't add power" I know what Eric is trying to say but I want to add my thoughts (which he might agree with). This statement is absolutely true for most cars especially Hondas (mainly pre K series, sorry Honda guys) but is less true for boosted applications or some larger CID motors. For ex a bolt on turbo supra or a bolt on supercharged cobra or even a Ls series . For these examples bolt-Ons make relatively large gains compared to other cars especially when combined with a tune. Bolt-ons are foundational for giant HP gains. So when you want to make 600whp+ say goodbye to your stock exhaust or plastic intake (for most cars). Love the show Eric , I can't wait for more upgrades
ETCG1 you have to read this...... Eric I have to agree with you for the most part. I know there are alot of people that wont agree but as a former mechanic Ive seen some pretty stupid stuff. I saw a teenager on his early 3rd gen Z28 350 TBI put fuel booster in his washer fluid bottle and take those hose that went to his wiper sprayer and put it directly into his Throttle bottle. He thought when he uses his sprayer it would dump all that fuel in and give him tons of more power. Which all it did was make black smoke and run to rich. LOL He actually came in for an unrelated issue I think brakes or front suspension Neat idea in theory I guess but it was one of those slap your forehead kind of moments. I think for noobs the best way is join a forum that is specifically for that car that they are working on. Im on several and help many people out. Same as some of my videos on TH-cam Great vid
as a fellow mechanic, that like my cars and loves my motorcycles, I really leave my powertrain alone. Like you said there is very little room for major improvement (apart from an engine build). I show my love of my vehicles by setting aside time on weekends to properly take time and really maintain them. I know my motorcycles coolant is good for 3 years, but I'll change it sooner, and plugs and valve clearance. I want to continue enjoying my vehicles. I do however make most of them a little louder than stock lol.
+InDaJeep4x4 Not a mechanic - looking for advice. Just bought a new Moto Guzzi; have done the initial 1500km service per the manual (oil, trans fluid, valve gap etc, done at the dealership ). According to the owners manual, the next oil change/service is at 10,000kms. Between now and next November, I'm not sure if I will reach that milage interval next year. My plan was to have the next scheduled service (oil change, valve gap, etc.) sometime next fall, before winter storage, or at the service interval, whichever comes first. My concern is that if I don't follow the manual to the letter, and perform the work at 6,000kms, it may harm the bike. What are your thoughts - with thanks in advance.
I dont really know a lot about moto guzzi in particular ( I was a technician at a Victory,Suzuki,Yamaha dealer) and it's best to store the vehicle over winter period if not used with fresh oil, new filter. Changing it sooner will never be a bad thing, The valve clearance check can wait util its scheduled time. Also consider a fuel stabilizer (especially if your fuel contains any ethanol) while stored, store with a full tank(this prevents corrosion from forming inside of tank, very common on motorcycles). Transmission fluid should be ok over winter time as it should not be contaminated (such as the small amount of unburnt fuel that will end up in engine oil.). Also a good idea to start engine once a week and let run until warm, this will keep oil on engine cylinder walls as well as prevent battery from discharging and extend its service life.
+InDaJeep4x4 See! - this is one of the things that is GREAT about this channel: a guy like me, who hasn't got a clue, can ask what I'm sure professionals would call a simple, stupid, idiotic, question - and there's no snark. No attitudes or call outs or insults. Just guys like me getting clear information and help from guys who know what they are doing. InDaJeep4X4 - Thank you. I would have never thought of separating routine oil changes from gapping the valves per scheduled maintenance. FWIW, I have a Battery Tender Jr. plugged into the bike. And I will run till warm over the winter months, store it with a full tank and make sure there is the correct amount of fuel stabilizer in the tank. And i'll run it while stored - I love the Guzzi sound. Cheers - M
I'll say that I slapped a cheap cone filter on my 2005 Ford Focus and it made a difference. Maybe not in horsepower, but the throttle response of the car was definitely better and it also sounded better. I think the main reason for this is that the stock airbox is designed for PZEV and is very restrictive.
So very true. Obviously he has actually worked as a tech. Some mods can make a difference though. Mainly on turbo only vehicles. Other than that i feel is a rebuild of the engine. Great video for the average personal use !
ETCG1 I was considering larger sway bars, front and rear, and a billet Watt's link and billet LCAs for my '02 Crown Victoria LX to help with the car's boat-like handling. The mods are significantly more expensive than OE replacements, but are said to help reduce the car's boat-like tendencies and allow for smoother and faster recovery over uneven surfaces or corner transitions. They are, by definition, "bolt on performance", but with tons of positive feedback around the 'net and built by trusted companies here in the US, you wouldn't consider that a total waste of money, would you? I'll be doing them while replacing my worn out original shocks with Bilstein units and leaky air springs with brand new Arnott HD units as well. I know you can't make a car whose frame design debuted the same year as your Fairmont, but I do think it can be improved just a bit.
EXACTLY Eric those modding their cars do not do the research, or spend the money on the quality proven hardware upgrades and as you said and I quote "Have No Idea What They Are Doing" Well put sir. I see the same thing at my office when I get end users that mod their computers and darn it isn't working like it used to and I have to make all kinds of additional changes in order to make their mods work or remove the mods altogether. People be it cars or computers Do Your Research first then spend the money on the better equipment.
I only began using nodded parts when the stock stuff started to break and the dealer charged an arm and a leg. It's best just to stick with mild tweaks that don't massively change things in regard to engine mechanics/electronics and some other stuff if you still want to take your sled back to a dealer.
I've done quite a few aftermarket parts, but they all replace the original with good quality made in the USA parts! I've got poly bushings allover everything, nice poly engine mounts, stiffer sway bars, but they do not modify the location of original parts. I've had my vehicle go in to service (because I had lack of time), the technician would have no issue working on my car because the modifications are actual useful ones that don't change anything. You never take the sway bar off the car honestly, but if you did it's in the original location using original bolt holes etc. I do have one modification, HID lights (yes I know, a touchy subject). I got projector lamps and bulbs from a company I very much trust, it's legal in my state, and the only modification that might affect a mechanic is that the ballasts are now attached to the top of the headlight housing. They would need to be removed to get the headlights out. Even the power that powers the ballasts (a cable I made myself) I attached to the battery cable so that you don't even know it's there. I also do have a K&N air filter, but not for the reason you'd think. The factory airbox draws air from the inner fender, and it's located about 6 inches above the ground. The manual actually states that if you drive through water deeper than 6 inches you'll suck water into the turbo and the motor and seize it. Because I live somewhere that floods fairly often I got the K&N filter so that the air is now coming from a good 24 inches above the ground. Basically water would pour in the cabin before the engine was taking in water now. Some might think it's a silly reason, and it very well could be, but it makes me feel better if I absolutely have to drive through a 4 inch deep area of water.
On any vehicle, the first mods I would consider would focus on the parts that are expected to wear and perform a critical mechanical or safety function.Tires and brakes would be my starting point. Next I would look at items that were specifically safety related, such as mirrors and auxiliary lighting. OEM parts that seemed to degrade unusuallly fast would be my next priority. I try to use direct replacement parts - bolt-in replacements, made of better materials by known major manufacturers.
I really like this discussion, I've modified my 95 Integra with some suspension parts and an exhaust system for the sound. I've been burned before for not doing my research like purchasing a coilover set with too high of a spring rate and it makes the car unbearable on long trips but overall i modified it to perform better while auto crossing and its much better at that but its no longer a multi use every day car. I know whats gone where and I rarely let others work on it
When I bought my Fiesta ST, it was a very easy decision to stay on the reserve, so to speak. Did the Cobb thing up to the end of what they offered. I now feed it the right fuel, and call it a day. I know that I'm going to sacrifice very minimal gains vs various and sundry fuckery available in a complete DIY run, but that's ok.
From working in the auto industry for over thirty years, I can honestly say that when it comes to building a car, the one consistent thing is guys with no plan just throwing parts at a car and praying that it will work.
I like engineering explained's video explaining the difference between cold air and stock. He goes a lot more into the maths on the subject. Not that I don't like MCM but I just like the deeper explanation.
I've seen the mighty Car mods episode you mentioned about the no gain intake system, I've also seen they're latest intake test and on the Honda S2000 they used it actually made a substantial gain, they tried the standard air box and filter and it made a figure they then took the filter out of the factory air box and the car made the same power took the factory air box off and replaced it with a cold air intake and it make I think around a 10hp gain, so it's down to the car it depends if that's where the restriction is to make the car meet emissions an noise levels and so on
with the intake, it actually helped me when there was flooding and i had to go through massive puddles. having the intake up near the engine was of course worse for performance but while people were getting hydrolocked i was cruisin through lol
EricTheCarGuy Just for instance, on a turbo car like mine, I installed a Cold Air Intake, Catless Downpipe, and Front Mount Intercooler, and without a tune I went from 161whp to 198whp 37whp gain from bolt on's. And then with a tune I went from 192whp to 245whp. I never go to the dealer unless its related to something I did not do. So it is not always a waste.
Oh I forgot about "Beep, beep, m-c-o transmission shop. I had them change a clutch on my Mustang (factory four speed top loader on a 302) and it lasted less than a year. They repaired it under warranty and that only lasted less than a year (no, not racing or heavy lead footed driving). I took it to a local hot rod shop and they put in a Centerforce clutch for half the cost of "Beep beep m-c-o and it was a lot smoother too.
I've had highly modified cars and even more stock original vehicles. When I have problems that I can't handle myself, I always end up taking the vehicles to specialized auto repair shops as the dealerships around here cannot think outside of the box. As an example, (I posted a problem on Eric The Car Guy forum recently) and the dealer had the vehicle for 3 days and said they couldn't duplicate the problem. The problem happens every frickin day!
No joke, i gained over 30 whp from a cold air intake kit and a good dyno tune. not sure if the gains came from the new air filter or just a good tune, but i'm happy.
Good information you share with us. I have been around a long time and seen a lot of worse than useless modifications. More's law states"if a little is good, to much is just rite". Carefully thought out modifications can make some useful improvements. Example-your chassis stiffener mods on the fairmont. Make the care handle a little bit better but slow down the acceleration and decrease fuel mileage(added weight). Ok, you know that and are happy with the small trade off for a stiffer car body. I have done engine swaps etc. Usually, it works out ok but was it cheaper/better than trading up to the car you could have bought with the improvements already there? NO, usually its better to trade up. A long time ago hot rod magazine said" put on good radial tires and good shocks(struts now a days) and QUIT. more than that is not likely to help.
I'll keep the CAI rant short. But its effectiveness is *application and vehicle specific.* It's performance is also contingent on the design and quality of the aftermarket manufacturers part. That being said, the better performing CAI systems typically function like stock intake systems and use preexisting scoups, tubes, and snorkels. Just saying. Gas mileage typically boosts on properly optimized systems; however, drivers typically drive their vehicles *harder* after the modification, thus decreasing gas mileage to an extent.
The cold air intake thing is all about the 'induction' noise more than HP. That's why I don't bother with one. I drive a vvtli corolla similar to VTEC operation and all the fanboys have them. Such an honest video everything u said is true. Often the money u spend on mods cud be spent on buying a better car with more HP from factory and with better handling characteristics. 4x4 + turbo is the best combo IMHO.
Listen to Eric, he is one of the wise men. But here's a question, Is it better to modify your car, or modify your driver to achieve top results? ie, should you spend say $300 on car mods or $300 on advanced driver training The answer is easy, but can YOU get it right?
Casey Stoner just throw $300 at the ocean it'll have the same effect!!! All you need is a filler tube fuel filter because the DOT put crap in the gas pumps to screw with our cars! It's only 12 easy payments of 59.99 Plus shipping and handling....lmao
Wanted something different. Always liked the MKIII Supra but didn't like the 7M engine because of BHG issues. So I got one with just that problem for basically scrap price and less than 100k miles for $600 Welded in some 1/4 " steel plates and a 350 / 700R4 headers and sidepipes. Driveshaft is a one off made by a local reputable machine shop. 4 wheel disk brakes, independent suspension, 3.73 limited slip. YaHoo! VT247
My truck is a tbi. On average even with my hot air intake my manifold intake temps drop 20-30 degrees inside the manifold on heavy acceleration. But that's because it sort of uses the venturi effect but mostly has to do with fuel atomization taking heat out of the air. I have a phenolic spacer which does not transfer heat to the throttle body which helps in the effect also. If I had a proper cold air intake to the fender well because I do use my truck like a truck I would see probably in excess of 40 degree temp drops. It all comes down to how well insulated the air system is. Say you have a plastic intake system. You'll see colder intake temps because it does not absorb the ambient heat generated by the engine as much. Now if you heat wrap it like I do everything including my rad hoses(so sue me) I see less heat in the engine bay and by doing that you get colder intake temps. If you properly set up a cold air system to can gain possibly around 10-15 crank hp. The reason it works is because the colder the air is the more dense it is meaning you can burn more fuel which means making more power. now I've also tuned my tbi truck to stupid timing levels. 41 degrees total advance and running 93 this seems to be ok to a point. Don't smash me. I know stock pre 96 heads don't flow that great.
Another point people don't understand is thst when you try and up the power in your car it can turn into a very expensive ordeal because their is a chain of parts in the drive train that people do not think about like the driveshaft, differential, transmission which can fail when faced up to more horsepower than they were made to Handle. and that can turn into an expensive proposition.
+ThatOneGuy 7 I had a guy who blew his motor in his 08 Mustang GT because he had a supercharger put it and never had the underside beefed. those engines can only handle up to 450hp and he prolly went higher and blew a piston.
cia can add power but as mentioned its usually marginal gains at best. what a lot of people don't understand is, on modern cars almost everything that gets changed needs to be tuned to extract the most hp from the modification. a lot of times (as etcg mentioned) there are no gains and you can actually lose power. almost every part that has gone on my race car has been researched extensively or has been a requirement of another mod.
I have bought a "cold air intake" for my car, but the reason is not for "cold air", my car is a 2003 Crown Victoria, and the factory intake piping runs in right angles made to make the car quieter, and provide easier access to the oil filler cap (EASIER access..) The cold air intake I got, even though the filter itself is in the SAME SPOT, the tubing to the throttle body was curved and twisted unnecessarily compared to the STRAIGHT one of the K&N intake. I also went to the extent of going for a couple dyno runs (the place by me had a discount on dyno runs) and I proved a small gain over the factory system. NO WHERE NEAR the 30hp claims, but a consistent 8 maybe 9hp gain over factory. Some mods are ACTUALLY what they say but like ETCG1 Said, do your research for YOUR CAR. For me, everyone on the forums agreed that there was a performance gain, and in the case of THIS VEHICLE there was... but all cars differ, and you need to see what works for YOUR vehicle.
I put an ebay "CAI" on my crappy car. It probably makes absolutely no difference in real power, but I actually like how it sounds now and it was a fun little project to do and get me started on working on cars. I still use the stock airbox pipe that comes from the front bumper to feed cold air to the air filter, so it really isn't absolute trash but I don't expect any difference in performance or fuel economy, I just did it for fun and to learn it was dirt cheap (like 25 bucks) and that is what I was happy to see you mention in this video. I didn't blow 100 dollars on an ebay turbo kit with zero benefits, I made my car sound better and I now have a washable and reusable filter for 25 bucks. That can't be that bad can it?
completely agreed. most of these mods as cold air intakes are juvenile. for example BMW has been doing factory cold air intakes for decades. they are heavily engineered cars. and dumb kids go and install intakes on them thinking they're upgrading their cars when in reality they've just spent $500 to make their car worse. of course this is the same for all makes I'm sure.
90% of bmw people who put bigger intakes on do it for the sound. Bmw goes out of its way to quiet down engines and exhausts to near nothing because they are a “luxury brand”.
Great video - a lot of truth dropped here. The only power upgrades that are worth it cost a lot of money e.g. forced induction or engine swaps. On the other hand, suspension and brake upgrades often make a big difference.
I particularly enjoy the dyno snippets hawked by the aftermarket that show things like a 5 hp gain...that occurs above 5000 rpm. Anyone remember the "less restrictive" air filter demo apparatus that used to sit on parts counters and featured the floating ping pong balls? You'd put a stock filter over the blower fan's intake and the blower exhaust would float the ball *this* high over the outlet. Then, you'd put in the "less restrictive" aftermarket performance element and the ball would float higher on the column of air. This apparently "translated" into the manufacturer not knowing how much air the engine they designed and built requires. And they sell (successfully) market this stuff to people whose vehicles take them back and forth to work.
+scott_larson Consider that they build one engine to serve every possible market, e.g. in the US that means the same engine has to work reliably in Texas and California. But in Texas you have much better gas. So it IS possible to do things to your to make it better, but then you can't fill up in CA anymore. Though who would want to go there anyway?
+Joe Dijeaux I never said it wasn't possible...it's just amusing what they offer up as "proof" of an improvement. Rather than saying, "a 5-10 hp gain at an rpm you'll never use in practical applications because you'll get arrested", they instead say "5-10 more hp", as if those "huge gains" are across the board and will be noticeable. I'm always vehicle shopping and looking for deals, and "modded" vehicles are just worth less to me because if the owner has bought into the hype and installed a cold air intake or performance filter....it makes me wonder what other ideas or concepts they've adopted in regards to normal repairs and maintenance. Everybody needs a hobby, but....
Wow. Spot on. You are discribing me and my first car. I learned on that car. I knew "which bolt not to touch", specifically a motor mount bolt that I cross threaded and broke the head off of so there was only one bolt left. Yes I did it, guilty, im and idiot, lesson learned. And I drove that car on one right motor mount bolt, tightening it every time id check the oil since it had a tendency to shake loose, for another year until it died for another reason that was not worth repair. LOL Goood times. But now i know the importance of not forcing things in there and if something wont go in, to stop and figure out why. I owe alot to that old POS Chrysler.
It's not that there's no additional power available anymore, it's just that it will cost you a lot of money (in parts, dyno tuning, engine rebuilding and fuel). Take for instance the Ford 2.0L Duratec engine (which is actually a Mazda engine block), which they used in the Ford Focus from 2001 until present. Ford's version produced 143hp. That exact same engine block is used in the Ford Fiesta ST GRC (Global RallyCross) which cranks out 550-600hp, they just use forged internals and one hell of a big turbo. But at the same time you increase power and fuel consumption, you decrease engine life and reliability. The engines in most GRC vehicles are rebuilt after every event, because they have a lot of money and a team of technicians that allow them to do so.
I do mods by attritian now. If a part wears out or brakes, I'll drop in something nice. I used to mod a 240sx or a 95 civic, because parts were wearing out. I've actually gained gas mileage...probably because something wasn't working right to begin with. I actually changed out a part in a car because I wanted to hear the engine more. Yeah, I was that ignorant guy too.
fordwindsor351 Not garbage if, like Eric said, it's well engineered, installed correctly the computer gets re-mapped, fuel injectors up-sized, MAF or MAP sensor upgraded and exhaust sized to accommodate, you can see 15-20HP gains. Did one on a 07 Sentra SER Spec V and gained 18HP on the dyno. Of course that CAI ended costing 10 times the price due to new injectors, aftermarket MAF and finding the right plugs.
Many claims are highly exaggerated, it was and is a BS claim to gain HP. Its all for looks and an audible difference, in the few makes and models that have a restricted air flow, adding one of the kits isn't going to gain HP alone.
fordwindsor351 I had a 2000 F-150 with the 5.4 engine and a K&N cold air intake. The only increase it did was provide louder weird noises from the throttle body and vacuum system of the engine. It was on the truck when I bought it as a clean new truck trade, and the cost to return back to the GOOD factory airbox cost more than the K&N system did. Total waste of time and money. Now the Magnaflow dual exhaust - who cares... it sounded great!
This video needs to be posted on EVERY fucking car forum.
Amen to that bro! The problem though is the people who should benefit the most from this are the least likely to realize this video is about them.
Schrodingers Box true that.
"It's the love of the machine that brings you to that place where you're doing those modifications, and it's an understanding of that machine that makes those modifications successful."
THIS. THIS ALL DAY LONG.
So ur saying my 98 civic with lambo doors, sticker flames, a 5ft spoiler, body kit and neon lights doesn make my car go fast? Darn!!!
kidzero1943 Just choked on my beer best comment so far.
kidzero1943 You made my day man
kidzero1943 You left out the "Folgers Coffee Can" on your exhaust tip. (aka, Fart-Can-Exhaust)
kidzero1943 you could push it across the line or uh tow it lol
learn2Tune I planned on winning with hopes and dreams.
I like to modify my vehicles but I like to do it in a "as stock as possible" approach. I supercharged my civic and I still have the stock intake and panel filter on there, and all the emissions stuff. I don't want it to be loud as hell or uncomfortable, I just want more power, and I also didn't want to ruin the car so that no one else could operate it. But I completely agree on the "dislike" for repairing modified cars. You have the supporting documentation (most of the time) to repair stock vehicles, but when someone splices in a bunch of junk or rewires a circuit it takes forever to reverse engineer it and figure out what's going on (if at all possible). And pretty often one of their mods is at fault... like a crappy cold air intake skewing MAF sensor readings, customer wants their lean / rich check engine light gone or a hesitation problem, and you have to tell them their intake is causing it, or maybe all the evap stuff they also probably removed. and left dangling because someone on the internet said all emissions stuff is bad for power.
volvo09 lol someone on the internet said so why would they lie? It's the illuminati mechanics trying to control us bro!!!! Like seriously bro wake up bro....Like bro
Did i just hear eric say Mighty Car Mods? AWESOME!!!! if you guys have not checked them out jet, i strongly suggest you to do so!!
I put neon lights on my 50cc scooter, do I need a blow off valve?
+oddball0045
You might need some blinker fluid.
+Jerkwad152 But make sure it's the high performance kind though. Don't wanna blow the welds on your intake
Skip the blow off valve altogether with a kilonewton mega thrust laser cannon on the back. Instant bolt on power!!!
So Im thinking of dropping a Briggs and Stratton lawnmower engine in my wife's 2000 hyundai accent..... I think I can double the horsepower.... Lol!
John Thornton tiburon gt swap would be cool sleeper
Holy shit, I died laughing reading this: well done:-)
Drive a centeifugal supercharger with it, and you're in business.
John Thornton what did it have to start with? A 2 cylinder 5 hp engine? Lol
Eric watches MCM? I like it.
This looks soo much better at 60 frames per second, the realism that it adds is breathtaking.
Modifying a car is in no way a financially sound decision, but I know this, and I do it because I love it.
I work at a hod rod shop so modified vehicles are the regular. But from a professional point of view, i 100 percent see your point. My truck is heavily modified but ive done my research on every upgrade/modification. Like pairing new heads with a cam that will benifit those heads. Dont skimp on price when you modify a vehicle, do your homework on what you want to do and weigh the pros and cons so you have an idea of the outcome
I have a 96 f150 with a 351. Every bit of the drivetrain has been modified. Almost everything is a stock performance part from another ford model. My heads are off a 93 cobra 302 which have bigger valves and higher compression, my 1.7 ratio roller rockers are made by crane cams for ford mustang cobras from 93-95, my cam is from ford racing and so are the lifters, push rods are made by trick flow (very reputable company) my e40d transmission has internals out of a newer 4r100 so its stronger and more reliable, i wanted a limited slip diff so i used a factory ford trac loc lsd out of a ford explore. Its cheap, reliable and super easy to rebuild. I tried to take the best factory parts and i apply them to my specific vehicle. Only down side so far is a small loss in fuel mileage.
Lots of wisdom in this vid. I have a 2010 Speed 3 that's pretty much modded to the level that the next step is building the engine. With all of the mods, running about 30% ethanol blend, and tuned accordingly by one of the biggest names worldwide in Mazdaspeed tuning, I'm at about 380/380 in good weather at the wheels. I followed a strict, vetted out modding path from MSF.org. Things turned out good because there's tons of practical experience/Gurus and I followed their advice.
Alternatively, some others have gone in blind and blown engines on the Speed platform very easily because of ignorance. Particularly on the 2nd gen Speed 3 (2010-2013), if you upgrade your downpipe without first getting upgraded HPFP internals to flow more, you will go lean because the stock tune will build a good deal more boost with the DP and basically explode the engine. Mazda's engineers didn't put a lot of extra headroom into the design. Going from 263/280 @ the crank to 380/380 @ the wheels most certainly wouldn't have been possible, either LOL.
Anyways, moral of the story: A great forum can literally save you thousands of dollars.
A friend of my modified his Z28 Camaro by adding super charger, cam change and rocker arm change. The problem? Having to go to a Smog referee every time he needs a smog check. In California, any speed equipment needs an E.O. number to show it's approved. You will see tons of modified cars for sale because they can't get it smogged.
I am also a member on a forum called Just Commodores , an Australian based forum for the Australian built GM- Holden Commodore , it's where , apart from ETCG , I have picked some tips , but mainly they got some good advice on CAI , exhausts and tuning ideas to get the best from your Commodore .
commodore665 Polishing a turd, it's doable.
mrmacomouto ummm that might have the gm 5.7liter engine, which is a monster.
quickguesswho
actually the 6.0 liter V8 .
I'm very glad you are pointing out what's wrong with many modifications.
Eric likes Mighty Car Mods, now I like this channel even more!
bbtwano I thought I was the only one who noticed
I recently picked up a 1999 Chevy Suburban (GMT400) and I'm going to be modifying it to make it a comfortable and capable vehicle for years to come. First on the agenda? New tires (Stock size), fixing all the little issues it has, and stainless steel brake lines.
I see this happen all the time in my shop and honestly don't know if I could have said it better myself. Wonderful video
When it comes to the cold air intake, Mighty Car Mods recently tried it out again on the S2000, and they found out that it made more power than the factory air box. And Jason from Engineering Explained tried a cold air intake on his Integra. He made more power at higher RPM, but also lost torque at the lower RPM. Whether you should install a cold air intake depends on how the factory intake does, but also depends on your driving style. If you drive at lower RPM, then it would be best to stick with the factory intake.
Henrik Nilsen Then again his point of professionals doing this counts. You can't tell if you've lost or made power by just adding something like that in without expensive equipment such as a dyno.
Henrik Nilsen Takumi!!!
Henrik Nilsen Its important to recognize that the S200 is NA and the skyline they showed with no gains was Turbo. So CAI typically make gains on NA cars and not so much on turbo cars
***** Jason from EE has a clever method where he counts the number of frames in the video from when the rev counter goes from one point to another. Not the most accurate method and is prone to various factors, but a lot cheaper than a dyno.
Tiffany Hwang Yes! :3
Completely agree on doing research. I do own a small performance parts company and we make a point to carry and recommend the best possible brands and specific parts. However we make a point to figure out what the customer expects to gain expects to spend and what if any modifications they currently have. On the flip side cost does not always make something better than another brand
Eric i have been watching your videos for years now, i must say the video quality is KILLER!!!! Kindof cool watching your channel evolve over the years. Keep up the good work, and cant wait to see you beast out something.
Eric, I totally agree with your stance on modified vehicles. I have a 92 Volvo 740 which I have modified lightly myself, with the help and knowledge of Volvo forums and owners clubs. The one thing I can say about cone-style air intakes (i dont call them cold-air unless they have an enclosure separating the engine bay from the intake) is that in some cases they will improve throttle response on your vehicle. This is not the case for every car, but I have certainly known some to accelerate a bit more willingly with a more free-flowing filter.
OMG LOVED this video. Loved the MCM name drop and thought the whole video was incredibly relevant and enlightening! Thank you.
Ps lol at "there goes your ability to drive over speed bumps"
Ha! Thanks Eric
Thanks for the belated birthday Eric (April 19th)
im a L1 9 yr in the biz and this guy is 100% on the money love the vids always learning new stuff from you and others on the you tubes keep it up and thanks
I do a ton of research before I make a change to my 4x4. I also do all the work myself like you said because its not a daily and I like to take responsibility for my work. You actually learn a lot that way.
My favorite mod was the PVC roll cage...
Eric is spot on. When I added a turbo kit to my 1998 Integra GSR. I knew that car and engine like the back of my hand. I did all the work on it and it never crossed my mind to take it to the dealer. In fact, I trusted no one to work on the car. I still have the dyno results of that thing making 270 wheel HP from stock 180 (I think). Those were the good old days.. I grew out of that, now have a baby on the way and looking for a minivan ;/ That's life...
Cold air intakes are a valuable power increasing modification, but only when the vehicle doesn't already have one and it's done right. And the point of them is not to increase power but to keep from loosing power as the engine bay gets hotter during a run. They don't add any power unless the stock air intake was really bad to start with.
As always awesome video man. This might be bit of a personal query, but as a fan of your contribution and knowledge sharing, I can't imagine who's gonna carry on your ETCG legacy when all your human life transcends beyond this dimension?
Hopefully I'll still exist digitally. :)
I like mods which are an actual engineering improvement upon OEM design. Spherical bearings vs rubber bushings in control arms. Aforementioned steel braided brake lines vs rubber lines. Redesigned strut mounts with replaceable bushings. Things which mainly were not put on the vehicle at the factory due to increased cost.
Spherical bearings result in increased NVH compared to rubber bushings. Se strut mounts use much harder bushes, some use pillowballs. Most of them result in increased NVH. Yes, they last longer, for guys like us, it's great because the car becomes stiffer and more responsive, but also harsher and louder. For the average person, those attributes make the car less comfortable, while the improvements don't usually impress them because they'll never make use of them.
Mate .. Sean from Australia. I'm a Jaguar Land Rover tec and I agree totally with everything you said on this.
We are in our sixties my husband and I and both our cars are 49 and 47 years old respectively. Driven daily and have been modified with aftermarket fuel systems and computers. Original engines in both, one is a 289 and the other is a 383. The 289 has 95 hp more than the advertised version and the 383 has 90 hp more than the advertised version. Other modifications have been done to obtain these numbers. Also suspension mods have been implemented but not over done.
My husband says the new high performance cars i.e. Hellcat, CTS-V's, Mustangs are nice but to do what he has done to our cars would require and engineering degree if it is to be done correctly. The computers on board are very sensitive to changes in hardware upgrades, i.e. cams, exhaust, injectors, ignitions, so forth. The legality of modifications on these new cars with aftermarket products will come into question when fatalities are involved. Like Microsoft, GM, Ford, and Chrysler are heading into that direction of proprietary and intellectual properties and ownership of software. We will keep our old cars until we are in the ground. Both our cars have pass emissions test.
Love the rant Eric you should do it more often! And one mod I wish would go away for good, 24" and 26" wheels on an Escalade. Would make my life a lot easier.
The ability to go over speed bumps is a good one indeed!
I did a CAI not for power but to clean up the engine bay and allow me to get easier access to other things. It did make it a little louder but getting to shifter cables, slave, starter bolts, and power steering pump hoses became a lot easier!!
That part about doing your homework/research is so true. I'm a mod on a car forum, and i see a lot of people wanting the info spoonfed to them. I see that attitude on the forum's FB page, too. It's sad that so many are too lazy to actually do the research necessary before doing what they want to do. A lot of the regulars, myself included, tell them in many different ways to do the research.
one of the things that get me is the people that call ALL aftermarket air intakes "cold air" intakes. Because there are 2 types, the TRUE cold air intakes that go down behind the bumper and the SHORT-RAM intakes that get there air from the engine bay.
You nailed it other than I would have said, ignorance can be cured. Stupid is forever...
Another awesome video, Eric! Thank you for the birthday wish as well!
This discussion reminds me of the "DPO" or "Dreaded Previous Owner" of antique vehicles that my fellow car guys and I sometimes end up cursing while working on our cars. LOL Nice topic!
I agree 100% with what Eric says in this video. I live in France so sadly I can't share it with my friends, since most don't understand English as much as I do. But I would like to, since lots of people out there do not understand that every modification done to their car in order to improve it should be backed up by knowledge, facts and at least a bit of understanding of why each stock component was built this way. Else like Eric said you can easily waste a whole lot of money without reaching the expected results. I liked the part where he mentioned trade offs. People also tend to forget that too. Some guys just throw stiffer aftermarket coilovers and think their car handles better than stock because it's lower and has less body roll. The thing is, and I've realized it over time, there's actually lots of work and parts involved in order to make a car really handle better than it did out of the factory. Same goes for engine modifications; sure you can get more power out of anything but what about actually putting this power to the ground ? What about making good power/torque across the rev rang ? What about gear ratios ?
I could go on for hours on this. I am no expert though, just a young guy trying to figure out how to get the best out of his car. I'll just add a word on aftermarket intakes. I bought a SRI from Injen knowing I would not get any actual hp or torque gain. Why did I get it then ? Because it makes VTEC sound better/louder than with the stock airbox. And I love it. Sometimes, improving the driving experience is worth spending a few hundred bucks, even though there is no performance gain. :)
I modified a 2001 Integra GS literally with every bolt on possible. DC sports ceramic 4-2-1 header, fuel rail, wires, plugs, cat, Greddy EVO Full Catback, Skunk2 coilovers (for lowering), AEM V2 cold air intake, you name it i had it. HOWEVER prior to doing any of it i bought nearly a half a dozen Honda books from people who were experts at modification, spent 2+ years on TeamIntegra.Net... AND some of the books had even tested the products vs. competitors in the same line. In the end, i drove the car for many years this way and loved it dearly. It was beautiful and i was attached to it because i had done the work myself and built a bond with it. It made you feel like you were going 150mph doing 85-90... cornered like it was on rails and sounded deep and growly (for a 4cyl). Ultimately, i out grew it and ended up trading it for 1500 on my '13 328i sport. I miss it.. but i spent A PILE of money i never expected to get out. Build what you want... but do it for you. No one else will ever appreciate (or pay you for) the extra 'love' you put in.
ETCG talking about Mighty Car Mods. Now thats awesome!
the greatest etcg1 video in awhile
I used to work at a dealer, and a big thing the electrical/driveability techs got came in as warranty claims on newer cars but a lot of time they ended up being related to some type of aftermarket mod, and they always seemed to be conflicting with the security or other computers, and a lot of time the answer was to remove said mod in order for the vehicle to work right.
I tried the Civic Si route (both were model year 2000) and they were both stolen before I had them for six months. As much as I loved them, the whole thing just made me never want to get a "performance car" again, because they're too easy to pick out and steal. I have a relative beater now (2001 Saab Viggen convertible) and it was the "performance" car in the Saab line. The best part of it is that nobody knows how almost scary-fast the car is and they won't even think twice when they look at it.
35 viewers are Honda Civic owners who don't like you hating their super baller mad cold air intake, D16Y8 with a B15 head, D21 crank, Husavarna pulley and Kitchen Aid blender 'making like 500hp easy'
+TinPinFTW Husavarna pully made my day!
In defense of civics their great to start out with because of all the interchangeable parts. When my clutch went out I replaced my trans with a later model that had a shorter final drive and it made a considerable difference.
+uncreativename I'm not a Honda fan at all, but good on ya, using stock parts for a performance upgrade(shorter gearing)...lol it probably feels like 25hp to ya.been there in the Vw world, they had tons of different ratio boxes for mk1/2.
you are so much better cause you put a turbo on your four cylinder.
So apparently Subaru fan boys are better? With your ridiculous mud flaps, huge cannon exhaust, lowered absurdly to the point where it can't go off-road and sticker bombing. Smh picking on the smaller guy (Hondas). My e46 m3 would kick any Subaru's ass
Nope.
The advantage of the Internet is that there are forums for just about *every* car out there now. You no longer have to be lucky to find that *one guy* in your state who knows how to modify your obscure make/model -- you just do a Google search, and you're connected to a *bunch* of people all over the world who own that very same vehicle and can relate their experiences.
6:12 This I've learned as well. You wanna improve your vehicle? It's going to cost you. Car makers are trying to keep costs down so they go with "best bang for the buck". You CAN buy aftermarket parts that perform much better than stock parts (coilovers of quality is a good example) but it also comes at a cost to the car. Increased wear on suspension parts and a stiffer ride.
Always, always do good research and planning before modifying your car. And expect it to cost a lot. If not, there's not point in doing it.
You trollin us Erik. Slow cars for slow people, enjoy the "Fairmont" lol.
Regarding "bolt-ons don't add power" I know what Eric is trying to say but I want to add my thoughts (which he might agree with). This statement is absolutely true for most cars especially Hondas (mainly pre K series, sorry Honda guys) but is less true for boosted applications or some larger CID motors. For ex a bolt on turbo supra or a bolt on supercharged cobra or even a Ls series . For these examples bolt-Ons make relatively large gains compared to other cars especially when combined with a tune. Bolt-ons are foundational for giant HP gains. So when you want to make 600whp+ say goodbye to your stock exhaust or plastic intake (for most cars). Love the show Eric , I can't wait for more upgrades
ETCG1 you have to read this...... Eric I have to agree with you for the most part. I know there are alot of people that wont agree but as a former mechanic Ive seen some pretty stupid stuff. I saw a teenager on his early 3rd gen Z28 350 TBI put fuel booster in his washer fluid bottle and take those hose that went to his wiper sprayer and put it directly into his Throttle bottle. He thought when he uses his sprayer it would dump all that fuel in and give him tons of more power. Which all it did was make black smoke and run to rich. LOL He actually came in for an unrelated issue I think brakes or front suspension
Neat idea in theory I guess but it was one of those slap your forehead kind of moments.
I think for noobs the best way is join a forum that is specifically for that car that they are working on. Im on several and help many people out. Same as some of my videos on TH-cam
Great vid
as a fellow mechanic, that like my cars and loves my motorcycles, I really leave my powertrain alone. Like you said there is very little room for major improvement (apart from an engine build). I show my love of my vehicles by setting aside time on weekends to properly take time and really maintain them. I know my motorcycles coolant is good for 3 years, but I'll change it sooner, and plugs and valve clearance. I want to continue enjoying my vehicles. I do however make most of them a little louder than stock lol.
+InDaJeep4x4 Not a mechanic - looking for advice. Just bought a new Moto Guzzi; have done the initial 1500km service per the manual (oil, trans fluid, valve gap etc, done at the dealership ). According to the owners manual, the next oil change/service is at 10,000kms. Between now and next November, I'm not sure if I will reach that milage interval next year. My plan was to have the next scheduled service (oil change, valve gap, etc.) sometime next fall, before winter storage, or at the service interval, whichever comes first. My concern is that if I don't follow the manual to the letter, and perform the work at 6,000kms, it may harm the bike.
What are your thoughts - with thanks in advance.
I dont really know a lot about moto guzzi in particular ( I was a technician at a Victory,Suzuki,Yamaha dealer) and it's best to store the vehicle over winter period if not used with fresh oil, new filter. Changing it sooner will never be a bad thing, The valve clearance check can wait util its scheduled time. Also consider a fuel stabilizer (especially if your fuel contains any ethanol) while stored, store with a full tank(this prevents corrosion from forming inside of tank, very common on motorcycles). Transmission fluid should be ok over winter time as it should not be contaminated (such as the small amount of unburnt fuel that will end up in engine oil.). Also a good idea to start engine once a week and let run until warm, this will keep oil on engine cylinder walls as well as prevent battery from discharging and extend its service life.
+InDaJeep4x4
See! - this is one of the things that is GREAT about this channel: a guy like me, who hasn't got a clue, can ask what I'm sure professionals would call a simple, stupid, idiotic, question - and there's no snark. No attitudes or call outs or insults.
Just guys like me getting clear information and help from guys who know what they are doing.
InDaJeep4X4 - Thank you. I would have never thought of separating routine oil changes from gapping the valves per scheduled maintenance. FWIW, I have a Battery Tender Jr. plugged into the bike. And I will run till warm over the winter months, store it with a full tank and make sure there is the correct amount of fuel stabilizer in the tank. And i'll run it while stored - I love the Guzzi sound.
Cheers -
M
I'll say that I slapped a cheap cone filter on my 2005 Ford Focus and it made a difference. Maybe not in horsepower, but the throttle response of the car was definitely better and it also sounded better. I think the main reason for this is that the stock airbox is designed for PZEV and is very restrictive.
So very true. Obviously he has actually worked as a tech. Some mods can make a difference though. Mainly on turbo only vehicles. Other than that i feel is a rebuild of the engine. Great video for the average personal use !
ETCG1 I was considering larger sway bars, front and rear, and a billet Watt's link and billet LCAs for my '02 Crown Victoria LX to help with the car's boat-like handling. The mods are significantly more expensive than OE replacements, but are said to help reduce the car's boat-like tendencies and allow for smoother and faster recovery over uneven surfaces or corner transitions. They are, by definition, "bolt on performance", but with tons of positive feedback around the 'net and built by trusted companies here in the US, you wouldn't consider that a total waste of money, would you?
I'll be doing them while replacing my worn out original shocks with Bilstein units and leaky air springs with brand new Arnott HD units as well. I know you can't make a car whose frame design debuted the same year as your Fairmont, but I do think it can be improved just a bit.
I'm currently at an automotive college right now, and boy do i want to show most of my rice burner hot-air-intake class mates this video.
EXACTLY Eric those modding their cars do not do the research, or spend the money on the quality proven hardware upgrades and as you said and I quote "Have No Idea What They Are Doing" Well put sir. I see the same thing at my office when I get end users that mod their computers and darn it isn't working like it used to and I have to make all kinds of additional changes in order to make their mods work or remove the mods altogether. People be it cars or computers Do Your Research first then spend the money on the better equipment.
I only began using nodded parts when the stock stuff started to break and the dealer charged an arm and a leg. It's best just to stick with mild tweaks that don't massively change things in regard to engine mechanics/electronics and some other stuff if you still want to take your sled back to a dealer.
I've done quite a few aftermarket parts, but they all replace the original with good quality made in the USA parts! I've got poly bushings allover everything, nice poly engine mounts, stiffer sway bars, but they do not modify the location of original parts. I've had my vehicle go in to service (because I had lack of time), the technician would have no issue working on my car because the modifications are actual useful ones that don't change anything. You never take the sway bar off the car honestly, but if you did it's in the original location using original bolt holes etc.
I do have one modification, HID lights (yes I know, a touchy subject). I got projector lamps and bulbs from a company I very much trust, it's legal in my state, and the only modification that might affect a mechanic is that the ballasts are now attached to the top of the headlight housing. They would need to be removed to get the headlights out. Even the power that powers the ballasts (a cable I made myself) I attached to the battery cable so that you don't even know it's there.
I also do have a K&N air filter, but not for the reason you'd think. The factory airbox draws air from the inner fender, and it's located about 6 inches above the ground. The manual actually states that if you drive through water deeper than 6 inches you'll suck water into the turbo and the motor and seize it. Because I live somewhere that floods fairly often I got the K&N filter so that the air is now coming from a good 24 inches above the ground. Basically water would pour in the cabin before the engine was taking in water now. Some might think it's a silly reason, and it very well could be, but it makes me feel better if I absolutely have to drive through a 4 inch deep area of water.
On any vehicle, the first mods I would consider would focus on the parts that are expected to wear and perform a critical mechanical or safety function.Tires and brakes would be my starting point.
Next I would look at items that were specifically safety related, such as mirrors and auxiliary lighting.
OEM parts that seemed to degrade unusuallly fast would be my next priority. I try to use direct replacement parts - bolt-in replacements, made of better materials by known major manufacturers.
I really like this discussion, I've modified my 95 Integra with some suspension parts and an exhaust system for the sound. I've been burned before for not doing my research like purchasing a coilover set with too high of a spring rate and it makes the car unbearable on long trips but overall i modified it to perform better while auto crossing and its much better at that but its no longer a multi use every day car. I know whats gone where and I rarely let others work on it
When I bought my Fiesta ST, it was a very easy decision to stay on the reserve, so to speak. Did the Cobb thing up to the end of what they offered. I now feed it the right fuel, and call it a day. I know that I'm going to sacrifice very minimal gains vs various and sundry fuckery available in a complete DIY run, but that's ok.
From working in the auto industry for over thirty years, I can honestly say that when it comes to building a car, the one consistent thing is guys with no plan just throwing parts at a car and praying that it will work.
Eric's the best Mechanic iv'e ever watched on the internet :) Enjoy the shows a lot Eric :D great job really Appreciative it!
I've never heard of the intakes in the engine bay, being called "Cold Air Intakes", but I have heard of them being called "Short Ram".
I like engineering explained's video explaining the difference between cold air and stock. He goes a lot more into the maths on the subject. Not that I don't like MCM but I just like the deeper explanation.
I've seen the mighty Car mods episode you mentioned about the no gain intake system, I've also seen they're latest intake test and on the Honda S2000 they used it actually made a substantial gain, they tried the standard air box and filter and it made a figure they then took the filter out of the factory air box and the car made the same power took the factory air box off and replaced it with a cold air intake and it make I think around a 10hp gain, so it's down to the car it depends if that's where the restriction is to make the car meet emissions an noise levels and so on
with the intake, it actually helped me when there was flooding and i had to go through massive puddles. having the intake up near the engine was of course worse for performance but while people were getting hydrolocked i was cruisin through lol
EricTheCarGuy Just for instance, on a turbo car like mine, I installed a Cold Air Intake, Catless Downpipe, and Front Mount Intercooler, and without a tune I went from 161whp to 198whp 37whp gain from bolt on's. And then with a tune I went from 192whp to 245whp. I never go to the dealer unless its related to something I did not do. So it is not always a waste.
What I got out of this is Eric likes/watches mcm which is madddd, also "throw your money into the sea" should be a quote on a t-shirt lol
Oh I forgot about "Beep, beep, m-c-o transmission shop. I had them change a clutch on my Mustang (factory four speed top loader on a 302) and it lasted less than a year. They repaired it under warranty and that only lasted less than a year (no, not racing or heavy lead footed driving). I took it to a local hot rod shop and they put in a Centerforce clutch for half the cost of "Beep beep m-c-o and it was a lot smoother too.
I've had highly modified cars and even more stock original vehicles. When I have problems that I can't handle myself, I always end up taking the vehicles to specialized auto repair shops as the dealerships around here cannot think outside of the box. As an example, (I posted a problem on Eric The Car Guy forum recently) and the dealer had the vehicle for 3 days and said they couldn't duplicate the problem. The problem happens every frickin day!
No joke, i gained over 30 whp from a cold air intake kit and a good dyno tune. not sure if the gains came from the new air filter or just a good tune, but i'm happy.
Good information you share with us. I have been around a long time and seen a lot of worse than useless modifications. More's law states"if a little is good, to much is just rite". Carefully thought out modifications can make some useful improvements. Example-your chassis stiffener mods on the fairmont. Make the care handle a little bit better but slow down the acceleration and decrease fuel mileage(added weight). Ok, you know that and are happy with the small trade off for a stiffer car body. I have done engine swaps etc. Usually, it works out ok but was it cheaper/better than trading up to the car you could have bought with the improvements already there? NO, usually its better to trade up. A long time ago hot rod magazine said" put on good radial tires and good shocks(struts now a days) and QUIT. more than that is not likely to help.
I'll keep the CAI rant short. But its effectiveness is *application and vehicle specific.* It's performance is also contingent on the design and quality of the aftermarket manufacturers part. That being said, the better performing CAI systems typically function like stock intake systems and use preexisting scoups, tubes, and snorkels. Just saying. Gas mileage typically boosts on properly optimized systems; however, drivers typically drive their vehicles *harder* after the modification, thus decreasing gas mileage to an extent.
The cold air intake thing is all about the 'induction' noise more than HP. That's why I don't bother with one. I drive a vvtli corolla similar to VTEC operation and all the fanboys have them. Such an honest video everything u said is true. Often the money u spend on mods cud be spent on buying a better car with more HP from factory and with better handling characteristics. 4x4 + turbo is the best combo IMHO.
Listen to Eric, he is one of the wise men.
But here's a question,
Is it better to modify your car, or modify your driver to achieve top results?
ie, should you spend say $300 on car mods or $300 on advanced driver training
The answer is easy, but can YOU get it right?
Casey Stoner just throw $300 at the ocean it'll have the same effect!!! All you need is a filler tube fuel filter because the DOT put crap in the gas pumps to screw with our cars! It's only 12 easy payments of 59.99 Plus shipping and handling....lmao
Wanted something different. Always liked the MKIII Supra but didn't like the 7M engine because of BHG issues. So I got one with just that problem for basically scrap price and less than 100k miles for $600 Welded in some 1/4 " steel plates and a 350 / 700R4 headers and sidepipes. Driveshaft is a one off made by a local reputable machine shop. 4 wheel disk brakes, independent suspension, 3.73 limited slip. YaHoo!
VT247
My truck is a tbi. On average even with my hot air intake my manifold intake temps drop 20-30 degrees inside the manifold on heavy acceleration. But that's because it sort of uses the venturi effect but mostly has to do with fuel atomization taking heat out of the air. I have a phenolic spacer which does not transfer heat to the throttle body which helps in the effect also. If I had a proper cold air intake to the fender well because I do use my truck like a truck I would see probably in excess of 40 degree temp drops. It all comes down to how well insulated the air system is. Say you have a plastic intake system. You'll see colder intake temps because it does not absorb the ambient heat generated by the engine as much. Now if you heat wrap it like I do everything including my rad hoses(so sue me) I see less heat in the engine bay and by doing that you get colder intake temps. If you properly set up a cold air system to can gain possibly around 10-15 crank hp. The reason it works is because the colder the air is the more dense it is meaning you can burn more fuel which means making more power. now I've also tuned my tbi truck to stupid timing levels. 41 degrees total advance and running 93 this seems to be ok to a point. Don't smash me. I know stock pre 96 heads don't flow that great.
I put k&n intake on my '16 accord 6 speed all I notice is you can hear the vtec kick in it's louder that's it
My 1988 Civic STD runs a 12 second 1/4 mile with a naturally aspirated engine. It wasn't cheap, but it sure is fun.
Eric, I am a massive fan. But now that I know you watch MCM..... You are legend.
Another point people don't understand is thst when you try and up the power in your car it can turn into a very expensive ordeal because their is a chain of parts in the drive train that people do not think about like the driveshaft, differential, transmission which can fail when faced up to more horsepower than they were made to Handle. and that can turn into an expensive proposition.
+nicholas elias Good point - sometimes you forget (or are unaware) of the untended consequences...
+nicholas elias Most people forget that the motor is just part of what makes the car go and accelerate quickly. Can't forget about the transmission .
+ThatOneGuy 7 I had a guy who blew his motor in his 08 Mustang GT because he had a supercharger put it and never had the underside beefed. those engines can only handle up to 450hp and he prolly went higher and blew a piston.
Did he replace it with forged rods and pistons?
not cast iron like they sell them with.Might as well get forged rods as well.
+ThatOneGuy 7 about 6 thousand dollars later he did lol
It happens to be my birthday today, thank you Eric!
cia can add power but as mentioned its usually marginal gains at best. what a lot of people don't understand is, on modern cars almost everything that gets changed needs to be tuned to extract the most hp from the modification. a lot of times (as etcg mentioned) there are no gains and you can actually lose power. almost every part that has gone on my race car has been researched extensively or has been a requirement of another mod.
I have bought a "cold air intake" for my car, but the reason is not for "cold air", my car is a 2003 Crown Victoria, and the factory intake piping runs in right angles made to make the car quieter, and provide easier access to the oil filler cap (EASIER access..)
The cold air intake I got, even though the filter itself is in the SAME SPOT, the tubing to the throttle body was curved and twisted unnecessarily compared to the STRAIGHT one of the K&N intake.
I also went to the extent of going for a couple dyno runs (the place by me had a discount on dyno runs) and I proved a small gain over the factory system. NO WHERE NEAR the 30hp claims, but a consistent 8 maybe 9hp gain over factory.
Some mods are ACTUALLY what they say but like ETCG1 Said, do your research for YOUR CAR. For me, everyone on the forums agreed that there was a performance gain, and in the case of THIS VEHICLE there was... but all cars differ, and you need to see what works for YOUR vehicle.
PU BUSHING IN THE SUSPENSION. That´s another great mod!
I put an ebay "CAI" on my crappy car. It probably makes absolutely no difference in real power, but I actually like how it sounds now and it was a fun little project to do and get me started on working on cars. I still use the stock airbox pipe that comes from the front bumper to feed cold air to the air filter, so it really isn't absolute trash but I don't expect any difference in performance or fuel economy, I just did it for fun and to learn it was dirt cheap (like 25 bucks) and that is what I was happy to see you mention in this video. I didn't blow 100 dollars on an ebay turbo kit with zero benefits, I made my car sound better and I now have a washable and reusable filter for 25 bucks. That can't be that bad can it?
completely agreed. most of these mods as cold air intakes are juvenile. for example BMW has been doing factory cold air intakes for decades. they are heavily engineered cars. and dumb kids go and install intakes on them thinking they're upgrading their cars when in reality they've just spent $500 to make their car worse. of course this is the same for all makes I'm sure.
Coolant Whisperer Knew I'd see good ol` Mango here. You should get this video stickied on the fanatics!
Coolant Whisperer BMW heavily engineered? A company that uses plastic for a water pump? Builds engines without an oil dip stick?
cruyeda They *are* heavily engineered, just not for longevity :)
cruyeda hahahaha for real!!
90% of bmw people who put bigger intakes on do it for the sound. Bmw goes out of its way to quiet down engines and exhausts to near nothing because they are a “luxury brand”.
Great video - a lot of truth dropped here. The only power upgrades that are worth it cost a lot of money e.g. forced induction or engine swaps. On the other hand, suspension and brake upgrades often make a big difference.
Somewhere you have to get experience, but its all fun in the end.
I particularly enjoy the dyno snippets hawked by the aftermarket that show things like a 5 hp gain...that occurs above 5000 rpm. Anyone remember the "less restrictive" air filter demo apparatus that used to sit on parts counters and featured the floating ping pong balls? You'd put a stock filter over the blower fan's intake and the blower exhaust would float the ball *this* high over the outlet. Then, you'd put in the "less restrictive" aftermarket performance element and the ball would float higher on the column of air. This apparently "translated" into the manufacturer not knowing how much air the engine they designed and built requires.
And they sell (successfully) market this stuff to people whose vehicles take them back and forth to work.
+scott_larson Consider that they build one engine to serve every possible market, e.g. in the US that means the same engine has to work reliably in Texas and California. But in Texas you have much better gas. So it IS possible to do things to your to make it better, but then you can't fill up in CA anymore. Though who would want to go there anyway?
+Joe Dijeaux I never said it wasn't possible...it's just amusing what they offer up as "proof" of an improvement. Rather than saying, "a 5-10 hp gain at an rpm you'll never use in practical applications because you'll get arrested", they instead say "5-10 more hp", as if those "huge gains" are across the board and will be noticeable. I'm always vehicle shopping and looking for deals, and "modded" vehicles are just worth less to me because if the owner has bought into the hype and installed a cold air intake or performance filter....it makes me wonder what other ideas or concepts they've adopted in regards to normal repairs and maintenance. Everybody needs a hobby, but....
Oh I love you ETCG1 no homo LOL love the Si reference :)
Wow. Spot on. You are discribing me and my first car. I learned on that car. I knew "which bolt not to touch", specifically a motor mount bolt that I cross threaded and broke the head off of so there was only one bolt left. Yes I did it, guilty, im and idiot, lesson learned. And I drove that car on one right motor mount bolt, tightening it every time id check the oil since it had a tendency to shake loose, for another year until it died for another reason that was not worth repair. LOL Goood times. But now i know the importance of not forcing things in there and if something wont go in, to stop and figure out why. I owe alot to that old POS Chrysler.
It's not that there's no additional power available anymore, it's just that it will cost you a lot of money (in parts, dyno tuning, engine rebuilding and fuel). Take for instance the Ford 2.0L Duratec engine (which is actually a Mazda engine block), which they used in the Ford Focus from 2001 until present. Ford's version produced 143hp. That exact same engine block is used in the Ford Fiesta ST GRC (Global RallyCross) which cranks out 550-600hp, they just use forged internals and one hell of a big turbo. But at the same time you increase power and fuel consumption, you decrease engine life and reliability. The engines in most GRC vehicles are rebuilt after every event, because they have a lot of money and a team of technicians that allow them to do so.
Mighty Car Mods watcher!
I do mods by attritian now. If a part wears out or brakes, I'll drop in something nice. I used to mod a 240sx or a 95 civic, because parts were wearing out. I've actually gained gas mileage...probably because something wasn't working right to begin with. I actually changed out a part in a car because I wanted to hear the engine more.
Yeah, I was that ignorant guy too.
I too get a kick out of those cold air intake kits, complete garbage in my books.
fordwindsor351 Seems like the first "modification" every car owner does lol
fordwindsor351 Not garbage if, like Eric said, it's well engineered, installed correctly the computer gets re-mapped, fuel injectors up-sized, MAF or MAP sensor upgraded and exhaust sized to accommodate, you can see 15-20HP gains. Did one on a 07 Sentra SER Spec V and gained 18HP on the dyno. Of course that CAI ended costing 10 times the price due to new injectors, aftermarket MAF and finding the right plugs.
Many claims are highly exaggerated, it was and is a BS claim to gain HP. Its all for looks and an audible difference, in the few makes and models that have a restricted air flow, adding one of the kits isn't going to gain HP alone.
fordwindsor351 I had a 2000 F-150 with the 5.4 engine and a K&N cold air intake. The only increase it did was provide louder weird noises from the throttle body and vacuum system of the engine. It was on the truck when I bought it as a clean new truck trade, and the cost to return back to the GOOD factory airbox cost more than the K&N system did. Total waste of time and money. Now the Magnaflow dual exhaust - who cares... it sounded great!