De-bunk the Myths!
02-01-2006, 06:05 PM
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performance myths
How about any company that advertises "ram air" for either supercharged or turbochargerd engines. Does anybody really believe that the air blowing through one of these could increase manifold pressure more than a blown engine already does. I will admit you might see small increases due to the fact that you are probably getting fresh cold air....thus a cold air kit not ram air
06-30-2006, 11:29 AM
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06-30-2006, 12:07 PM
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Re: wow 2.1 PSI electric Turbo on EBAY
Originally Posted by Dandolf
07-18-2006, 12:01 AM
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well to the post that the tornado thingys actually help carbed cars, thats completely false, the way to gain power in a carbed car is to straighten the air. You want to smooth out incoming air into the carb. and the venturis due straighten out airflow. and as too the post of why HEI instead of points? have you ever had a points equipped car??!! you have to adjust them constently. whereas a HEI setup you never have to adjust. and HEI transfers tons more spark than a single points setup.
10-08-2006, 01:47 PM
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Re: performance myths
Originally Posted by Paul87gn
How about any company that advertises "ram air" for either supercharged or turbochargerd engines. Does anybody really believe that the air blowing through one of these could increase manifold pressure more than a blown engine already does. I will admit you might see small increases due to the fact that you are probably getting fresh cold air....thus a cold air kit not ram air
10-17-2006, 08:27 AM
#66
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A good article from the New York Times, Sunday, Oct. 15, 2006, by Tim Moran; addresses the whole genre of "fuel saving gizmos". Here'* a few select quotes from that article, as printed in the Orlando Sentinel (bolded emphasis is mine).
Here'* the link, for now:
With fuel-saving gizmos, let the buyer beware
"We tested about 100 products, a little more than a hundred, and we can boil them down to saying that they don't work," said John Millett, an EPA spokesman.
The FTC lists the results of its tests at the EPA lab on its consumer-protection Web site, ftc.gov/bcp/online/pubs/autos/gasave.pdf. If the FTC decides a product is falsely advertised it can take action against the company selling it.
Mike Allen, a senior editor at Popular Mechanics magazine, found results similar to those obtained by the EPA when he took a crateful of fuel-saving contraptions to a Texas testing lab to check their effectiveness.
"None of them improved fuel economy, several of them increased fuel consumption and most of them cost horsepower," Allen said in a recent interview.
"None of them improved fuel economy, several of them increased fuel consumption and most of them cost horsepower," Allen said in a recent interview.
Another device, the AquaTune, cost $399 and resulted in 20 less horsepower and a 20 percent decrease in fuel economy.
Allen pointed out that any carmaker that could honestly promise fuel economy gains of 300 percent, 30 percent or even 3 percent would be doing that rather than offering cash incentives to sell vehicles in a brutally competitive global market.
Auto companies employ some of the world'* top engineers, and they are desperate for an edge in the economy sweepstakes. "The possibility that some guy who'* tinkering in his backyard is going to come up with it is really remote," Allen said.
Why do people who have spent tens of thousands of dollars on a well-engineered car think that the $100 Fuel Genie, the $198 Platinum Gas Saver or the $70 TornadoFuelSaver might reap huge benefits?
Auto companies employ some of the world'* top engineers, and they are desperate for an edge in the economy sweepstakes. "The possibility that some guy who'* tinkering in his backyard is going to come up with it is really remote," Allen said.
Why do people who have spent tens of thousands of dollars on a well-engineered car think that the $100 Fuel Genie, the $198 Platinum Gas Saver or the $70 TornadoFuelSaver might reap huge benefits?
"We read the instructions extremely well, followed them to the absolute letter and did a fuel-economy run," said David Champion, director of automobile testing. "They didn't make any difference at all."
Champion said drivers should look beyond the powerful advertising behind the devices and, instead, modify their driving.
"Drive as if you've got a cup of coffee on your dashboard and you don't want to spill it," he said. "No heavy acceleration, no heavy braking."
Champion said drivers should look beyond the powerful advertising behind the devices and, instead, modify their driving.
"Drive as if you've got a cup of coffee on your dashboard and you don't want to spill it," he said. "No heavy acceleration, no heavy braking."
With fuel-saving gizmos, let the buyer beware
10-17-2006, 08:30 AM
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Re: performance myths
Originally Posted by GoldenBullet
Originally Posted by Paul87gn
How about any company that advertises "ram air" for either supercharged or turbochargerd engines. Does anybody really believe that the air blowing through one of these could increase manifold pressure more than a blown engine already does. I will admit you might see small increases due to the fact that you are probably getting fresh cold air....thus a cold air kit not ram air
10-23-2006, 01:12 AM
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http://zzperformance.com/grand_prix/articles1.php?id=23
The knowledgable guys at ZZP cover some of the favourites here. Worth the read.
This is my first post here, so I should introduce myself. I live in Calgary, Alberta, Canada and make my living as a licensed mechanic here in town. I've always been into the GM tuning scene and have built several cars/engines for myself and for customers. I have built a few 300+WHP 3800 Series 2 engines and a really neat custom (but not long lasting) 3100 V6 '95 Grand Prix with over 300 NA WHP that revved to almost 8000 RPM and did a 5 second 0-60 all in first gear. :P
I drive a 2005 Grand Prix GXP now and the '95 sits in my garage being fixed up. I decided to do something different and swap in a 3800 series 1 I bought off a friend for 100 bucks (instead of the usual 3800 series 2 swap). My goal is a reliable 300 WHP, as this may become my girlfriend'* new car. Anyways, I'll be on here lots, I'm sure. So talk to you later. 
The knowledgable guys at ZZP cover some of the favourites here. Worth the read.
This is my first post here, so I should introduce myself. I live in Calgary, Alberta, Canada and make my living as a licensed mechanic here in town. I've always been into the GM tuning scene and have built several cars/engines for myself and for customers. I have built a few 300+WHP 3800 Series 2 engines and a really neat custom (but not long lasting) 3100 V6 '95 Grand Prix with over 300 NA WHP that revved to almost 8000 RPM and did a 5 second 0-60 all in first gear. :P
I drive a 2005 Grand Prix GXP now and the '95 sits in my garage being fixed up. I decided to do something different and swap in a 3800 series 1 I bought off a friend for 100 bucks (instead of the usual 3800 series 2 swap). My goal is a reliable 300 WHP, as this may become my girlfriend'* new car. Anyways, I'll be on here lots, I'm sure. So talk to you later.
11-16-2006, 03:39 PM
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11-16-2006, 04:15 PM
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The fuel saving magnet and many other of these purported "fuel saving" scam items are all debunked on this site - a good read for those following this thread:
Tony'* Guide to Fuel Saving Gadgets
Here'* some of the types of products covered:
Magnets
Fuel catalysts
Platinum injection
Igntion enhancers
Air bleed devices
Turbulence generators
Atomisers/vaporisers
Oil additives
Fuel additives
Engine cleaners
Electrical modifications
Hydrogen generators
Aerodynamic mods
Tony'* Guide to Fuel Saving Gadgets
Here'* some of the types of products covered:
Magnets
Fuel catalysts
Platinum injection
Igntion enhancers
Air bleed devices
Turbulence generators
Atomisers/vaporisers
Oil additives
Fuel additives
Engine cleaners
Electrical modifications
Hydrogen generators
Aerodynamic mods