How-To: Tune Your Car

[SCRTW34P0N]

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SECTION 1 - INTRODUCTION

I decided to make this "tutorial" mainly because there are tons of people out there that are using setups, but don't understand whats going on. In this tutorial I will explain what makes your cars horsepower and how you can maximize performance along with durability.


In my days of being a fellow nittoian I have produced nearly 30 setups dealing with, Integra GS-R, Intergra Type-R, RSX, Mustang GT, SRT-4, Scion TC, Camaro SS, Corvette, Viper, Supra, and, S2000. All using both Forced Induction as well as Naturally Aspirated systems. Since this is so long and the forum only allows you to enter 10000 characters in a single thread. I will be making two separate parts. With all that aside, Lets begin...


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SECTION 2 - CONTENTS


[Important Note: This FAQ has been designed for convenience of the reader. If
you're looking for a particular section you can simply use the contents section to find the entry, eg. [SECTION 3.3 - PARTS - EXHAUST SYSTEM]


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SECTION 1 - INTRODUCTION
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SECTION 2 - CONTENTS
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SECTION 3 - PARTS
SECTION 3.1 - PARTS - FORCED INDUCTION
SECTION 3.2 - PARTS - ENGINE INTERNALS
SECTION 3.3 - PARTS - EXHAUST SYSTEM
----------------Part Two------------------
SECTION 3.4 - PARTS - INTAKE SYSTEM
SECTION 3.5 - PARTS - FUEL SYSTEM
SECTION 3.6 - PARTS - ELECTRICAL/IGNITION
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SECTION 4 - TUNING
SECTION 4.1 - TUNING - WEIGHT REDUCTION
SECTION 4.2 - TUNING - RATIOS
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SECTION 5 - POSTING POLICY
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SECTION 6 - THANKS AND COPYRIGHT INFORMATION
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SECTION 3 - PARTS


In order to alter the settings in your cars, you must first purchase and
install the parts capable of making the changes. This section contains all of
the purchasable parts in the game, what they do, and is ordered in the same way the parts appear in the game.

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SECTION 3.1 - FORCED INDUCTION


Why I have put Forced Induction first is because you need to make the decision whether or not you will be running a turbo or super charger. Why you might ask? The reason is because for a Forced Induction setup you will need a totally different Intake, Engine Internals, and, Exhaust setup. So go ahead and get this decision out of the way. If you are planning on going with a Forced Induction setup then pay attention to these next few chapters.


Note on 'turbo-lag'
[For those of you who don't know, turbo-lag is the amount of time it takes for the turbine to spin up, ie. the time it takes to produce boost. The reason this is greater in large turbos is because the turbine is bigger, therefore the
exhaust gasses, which are used to power the turbine, must be moving much
quicker to spool the turbine and thus produce boost. This also means large
turbines can be less useful at low RPM. I do not know if there is Turbo Lag in Nitto, but I thought a description of what it is would help out others for future reference.]


In the game the Forced Induction application doesn't have the best Description for its parts. You have turbos and superchargers ranging from 5psi all the way up to 45psi. [psi]PSI stands for Pounds per Square Inch, and is a measure of pressure -> ie, Force(pounds) divided by Area(square inches). On most turbo descriptions you will notice there is a Flow Rating(ie, 500F, 700F, 800F, 1000F, 9000F), the higher the rating, then more air flow will be needed to reach the turbos maximum potential.


Turbo Piping, Intercoolers, Down Pipes, and, Turbo Exhaust Manifolds. Those four parts are crucial to maximizing performance. From the previous paragraph, you want to go by the flow rating and if your Turbo was not given a rating then go by the amount of [psi]. The higher the number, the more air flow is needed. Also, these parts don't have very good descriptions. They all say, "Maximize horsepower and airflow", "Designed to maximize flow", "Maximize efficiency and performance", and this is why the Forced Induction section is so hard to work with. It's not always best to go with the highest city parts, just because they are the most expensive or are for sale in the "best" city. Does not mean they will produce more HorsePower than a part purchased from a lower city. Now there are some Down Pipes that do actually state the diameter of the piping in inches(ie, 4", 5").

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SECTION 3.2 - ENGINE INTERNALS


Depending on your decision of Forced Induction or Naturally Aspirated. You are still going to focus on only the following parts: Camshafts, Block, Cylinder Heads, Intake Manifolds, Throttle Bodies, Pistons, and Valves As for the other power adding parts: Cam Gears, Oil Pump, Oil Cooler, Valve Springs you should wait until you have reached maximum power with the main focus of the engine. Only because they only add about 10hp total.

Starting off your going to want a good Block to base your engine of off. The block is the main part of the engine, just as the third leg is a main part of a tripod. If that third leg isn't there, the tripod will fall. Most blocks have a description of, "Increase Displacement and Dependability", "Maximum Performance", "Ultra Durability", "Ability to withstand the abuse of High HorsePower applications". Just because it says it has the ability to withstand high horsepower doesn't mean it is the best block for maximum performance. A OverBore block has a larger amount of airflow meaning larger exhaust and intake. There are other blocks that increase your Cubic Inches(Liters), these blocks are +0.2L, +0.4L, +0.6L, etc. A good example of what these blocks do would be a 6.0L LS2 engine and you use a +0.6L block. You will now have a 6.6L engine that meaning more horsepower.

Once you have purchased your block, move on to the Cylinder Heads. Some descriptions say,"Race Tested Development", "Highest Level of Performance", "Maximize HorsePower and Airflow", well sometimes its not best for your engine to have the Maximum airflow. Bigger is not always better. It will be up to you to find out what products work the best on your system. The catch is, your system can continue to change as you upgrade other areas of your engine.

Next, you will want to move on to finding the right camshaft. Just like every other part, they don't have the best description. It's either, "Provides Increased power", "Performance and Durability", "Aggressive Profiles", "Best low end Torque and High end HorsePower", Honestly it's a guessing game on parts like this. It is a win or lose situation, but in the in you are rewarded with the most. That is if you do continue to tune your car.

Your intake manifold is next in line. If you are working with a forced induction setup you will want a high to medium flow intake manifold. Their descriptions are good.. to a certain extent. The same goes for the throttle bodies. Some actually state they have a 70mm opening that tapers to 64mm valve, but others don't. Just like with the Cylinder Head it's a win or lose situation, but it is easier to understand. Throttle bodies vary though, for example, my 547hp/608ft-lbs Naturally Aspirated Scion TC uses a Maximum bore throttle body, but my 780hp SRT-4 uses a 75mm(2.95") Throttle body.

Valves and Pistons are crucial. If you are running a forced induction setup, you will want a Low compression ratios(ie, 8:1, 9:1, -2.5:1, -2.2:1, -1.5:1) Lower compression is not only safer, but produces more HorsePower for a forced induction setup. You want to run High Compression pistons(ie, 10:1, 11:1, 12:1, 12.5:1, +1.2:1, +1.5:1, +2.2:1, +2.5:1) for a Naturally Aspirated setup, but High Compression puts loads of stress on your engine and that means it will most likely break.

What valves do is help with engine flow. If they constrict the airflow then you will not be able to achieve maximum power. The same goes for allowing too much flow. If you are wanting less chance of having engine damage you will want to find a durable set of valves. This is because in most situations, your Valves and Head Gasket will be the first things to break. Once they break, then all the others break(ie, Connecting Rods, Cylinder Head, Engine Block)

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SECTION 3.3 - PARTS - EXHAUST SYSTEM


The Exhaust plays a major role in finding your maximum horsepower. It has three major parts, which are, Catalytic Converters, Mufflers, and Piping. They range from 2 inches up to 4.5 inches and use both millimeters and inches. For the exhaust measured in millimeters they include, 65mm, 70mm, 75mm, 80mm, 85mm, 90mm, 95mm, and 100mm. For those measured in inches they include, 2", 2.25", 2.5", 3", 3.5", 3.75", 4", 4.25", 4.5"

These three parts are different for all setups and by saying that I mean you wont be using an Exhaust setup that is completely three(3) inches all the way through. This all depends on your setup obviously. With a Forced induction setup you will have a larger diameter, but this doesn't mean you will need a larger Cat. Converter. You will have to mix and match the different exhaust parts in order to find the correct airflow to match your engine needs.

---------------------- Continue on to Part Two ------------------------

[SCRTW34P0N]

---------------------------------- Continuing from Part One ----------------------------------

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SECTION 3.4 - PARTS - INTAKE SYSTEM


Your Intake plays a major role in maximizing your engines HorsePower. That is because your Intake system is what pulls air into your engine. It is the very beginning of your AirFlow. You have to mix and match your Air Filter along with your Intake piping just like you do with the Exhaust. No air filter works the same with an Intake pipe. You want to tune according to your engine specifications. That being forced induction or naturally aspirated. In some cases you will use a fairly large intake pipe for a naturally aspirated engine. A good example of this is a Natural Scion TC which uses a 115mm Intake along with a Large high flow filter. Of coarse you will want to use a larger intake pipe when using Forced Induction, just so you can feed the engine the air it needs.

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SECTION 3.5 - PARTS - FUEL SYSTEM


Your Fuel System is critical to running a safe setup. If your engine isn't getting enough fuel then you are more prone to engine damage. In order to fix this problem you will want to purchase an Air/Fuel Controller along with other Fuel parts. If you have purchased an Air/Fuel Controller you can go into the Dyno and specifically tune it to Rich or Lean. A Rich setup drastically lowers your HorsePower, but increases your durability by an insane amount. As for Lean, it is the complete opposite. By leaning out your engine you are creating a possibility of breaking your engine. It creates a higher amount of HorsePower at a cost of breaking.

There are certain parts you can purchase in order to help your Fuel flow; those being Fuel Pump, Fuel Rail, Pressure Regulator, and Injectors. Your Injectors play a major part in pushing fuel into your engine, but you need to get your fuel to the injectors first. There a many different Fuel pumps which do produce different amounts of Power/Fuel. By purchasing a Higher flow pump you will be pushing more fuel through the lines. Obviously this means you will have more fuel going to the engine creating a more Rich situation.

A Fuel Pressure Regulator helps pressurize the Fuel Lines allowing it to flow freely to to engine. Without the correct pressure your fuel wouldn't be able to get to your engine fast enough. Take a Water Facet for instance.. if the water lines to the facet aren't pressurized then it will only drip out of the end. This is not what you need for a highly modified engine.

Fuel Injectors are what spray the Fuel into the engine. The amount of fuel delivered is measured in Cubic Centimeters. The higher it is rated, the more fuel your engine will receive(ie, 400cc, 550cc, 650cc, 680cc, 800cc, 850cc, 900cc, 1000cc, 1080cc, 1200cc)

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SECTION 3.6 - PARTS - ELECTRICAL/IGNITION


Electrical and Ignition doesn't play a huge role in producing power for your engine, but it does help. What you want to focus on in this subject is your Spark Plugs and Cables. In some cases you can have an increase of up to 30hp between the two. Spark plugs carry electrical energy and turn fuel into working energy. Working energy in this case is your engines Horsepower.

Another great addition is to have a A/F Meter so you can maintain a safe A/F ratio. If you can purchase a A/F Controller this will be better because you can actually controller your mixture of air and fuel.

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SECTION 4 - TUNING


I put this section in to try and help everyone with successfully tune your vehicle to its maximum performance. It will include tips about Ratios, Weight, Tires, Rims, and more.

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SECTION 4.1 - WEIGHT REDUCTION


Reducing the weight of your vehicle with increase performance by a substantial amount. You can do this by purchasing Lighter Body Kits(ie, Carbon Fiber Hoods, Trunks, Bumpers) There are performance seats that can be purchased to replace those heavy factory seats. Even replacing the stock battery with a performance battery can increase performance. Rims do play a major part in not only your vehicles weight, but in how your vehicle literally rolls. I will go ahead and discuss the weight part of this topic. In the game, the lightest rims are the HRE or B Sport brands. The most popular of the two are the HRE 547Rs or the B Sport LM rims.


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SECTION 4.1 - RATIOS

Ratios play a major role in how fast your car is and so does the rim size. You want to cross the finish line in your final gear ( 4th, 5th, or 6th ) right at your cars redline or rev limit. Why your rims play a major role in this is because you can have ratios for stock 15" rims which you finish just at redline when you cross the finish. When you purchase say, 20" rims, you have a larger surface area you are rolling on. With those old ratios you will not be able to make up the extra feet you need in the amount of time to cross the finish line at redline. To make that explanation simple, when you have ratios for a small set of rims, in this case 15" rims, and you put a larger rim on your car (20"s) those smaller ratios are going to have a hard time to turn your new set of dubs a full rotation because they are larger.

If you want to maximize performance by your engines horsepower. You are going to want to dyno your car and look at what RPM(Revolutions per Minute) you have the most power at. By doing that, when you race your car you want to pay attention to where your RPMs drop after shifting gears. You want them to fall in the range of where you have max Horsepower.

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SECTION 5 - POSTING POLICY


Questions, comments, critiques? Feel free to post a comment and
let me know what you think. And make sure you put the exact description of your question in the subject title box. What and what not to post with are as followed:

What to Reply with:

1. - Constructive criticism about my FAQ/TUTORIAL.
2. - Helpful tips about tuning in Nitto 1320 Legends.
3. - Mistakes I've made in the Nitto 1320 Legends.
4. - If you need help with tuning in Nitto 1320 Legends.

What not to Reply about:

1. - Anything that has nothing to do with tuning in Nitto 1320 Legends.
2. - Anything that has already been discussed in this FAQ or in a previous post by another user.

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SECTION 8 - THANKS AND COPYRIGHT INFORMATION


Thanks go to the following people:

You - for reading my FAQ.
Cie Studios - for making this awesome game.


And anyone else I forgot to thank, but no one helped me on this...?
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This FAQ may be not be reproduced, in part, or full, under any circumstances
except for personal, private use. It may not be placed on any web site or
otherwise distributed publicly without advance written permission.

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This FAQ Copyright(c)2008 Taylor Scott aka itsDRE4M3R better known as SCRTW34P0N.