In a message dated 08/02/02 11:00:44 AM Pacific Standard Time,
doddk@mossmotors.com writes:
>
>
>
> New aftermarket cam for Dodge Cummins Turbo Diesel Mechanical Fuel
> Injection $100.00
>
> Increases power from 160HP stock to 290HP, installs in 15 minutes.
> Ya gotta love it. It makes squeezing power out of sports cars seem kinda
> lame.
>
>
Some engines have limits intentionally designed in, normally making them that
much more reliable.
It is a sad thought that the pushrod MG head was the best that the designers
of the day chose to do - an addle-pated chimpanzee with a crayon could have
come up with a design that flowed better.
These days, the limits are often controlled by the ECM, and by the PROM chip
values. BMW is one example where a significant increase in power is available
with a new chip that changes the fuel curve, ignition advance, etc.
Unfortunately, that sort of thing is the exception rather than the rule, and
most engine management systems are set to produce almost all of the power
they are capable of within the strictures of the existing cam timing. But
that doesn't stop the PT Barnums of the automotive retailing world from
preying on the chumps out there, all of whom are more than willing to believe
that they can liberate an extra 100 horsepower with a simple change of chip.
This allows the vendors to sell a $5 chip for $150 or more, and the chump
that buys it will almost certainly 'feel' a difference; after all, only an
idiot would spend money on a product that DIDN'T increase the power, and our
boy would never admit to being such an idiot.
Dyno tests and actual acceleration figures often tell a much different story.
Bill
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