Modified intake & exhaust equals no HP gains!???

[hoopdiewagon]

Problem is that most people look at peak hp numbers, which honestly doesnt matter one bit. Peak numbers are only good for bragging rights but dont acturately give the true numbers of the car. For instance, when we got my wifes GT dyno'd, her peak torque was 290ft/llbs!! Thats ridiculous. Bolt-on mods dont really give you as much of an increase as they claim or as you think they do. They say an intake gives 5-10hp..an exhaust has 10hp.....no way. For one, most people think that you can add those up to an additional 15hp. Doesnt work like that. Second, where is the proof and where is the 5-10hp given? It might give you more "area under the curve" but not by as much as they claim. Bolt-ons are ok mods as long as you arent expecting the world out of them. They make the car sound good (or bad in some cases) and does free up a little power, but other than that, they are (dare I say..) worthless. Im not flaming anybody who has bolt-ons because we just bought the Mopar exhaust for my wifes GT (not too impressed BTW) and looking at an intake also. I have just about every bolt-on there is for my Accord V6 (plus other goodies..hehe, where is the nitrous smiley BTW?) but you have to realize what and how they work.

As far as the manufactuers dyno results, take a look at this:
http://www.turbomagazine.com/tech/0402tur_punkdyno/

[KingKole02]

So what has to be done to improve these things that so many of us have already invested in?

Besides the gas mileage what are some of the better qualities?

[hoopdiewagon]

quote:Originally posted by KingKole02

So what has to be done to improve these things that so many of us have already invested in?

Besides the gas mileage what are some of the better qualities?

Dont get me wrong, anything that makes the engine work easier (improve air flow) is a good thing. Remember the area under the curve on your dyno sheets. With these bolt ons you might see a power increase in one area of the dyno compared to baseline so in that respect you did make power in that RPM range...of course, modding is a give and take process. You might gain in one area (ex. low end) but could lose some power in the high end. Thats where the under curve area come in. Take a look at the entire picture on a dyno graph and compare the baseline run to the modded run. OVERALL, was there a bigger power gain than loss? If so, then you benefited from the mod depending where you want your power. If you lost power OVERALL (adding all the pluses and minuses for a total amount) then the mod hurt you. Some companies only give you half the information. If an intake gives 5whp more in the 3500rpm range, they will report a 5whp gain. However, they might not have told you that it lost 10whp in the 5000rpm range.
Bolt ons arent bad. They can be good for gas mileage since they can free up restriction, have the car not work as hard, look and sound is always a plus, some power will be achieved, and the feeling you get when you mod your car make them worthy things to do.
All Im saying is that a bolt-on is more than likely not going to give you the power it claims to do. Not saying it WONT give power, because somewhere it will, just dont think that getting and intake and exhaust are going to make your 1/4 mile time drop by 1.5! Honestly with those mods, you might see .1 or .2 faster time.

Be happy with what you do with your car! No better feeling as when I spend a few hours in the gargage and slap a new cat-back on the ride![^] Just be aware of the real effects of the mods and not believe everything they tell you.

[Gary04GT]

quote:Originally posted by KingKole02

...also we all know the govenor doesn't allow the PT to run over 110...

It has been my understanding that the govenor doesn't engage until somewhere around 120MPH. [:I] I read a post on this forum about a year ago from a GT Turbo owner in the the San Francisco area who stated he had his turbo car up to 125MPH driving on 280 in the early morning one weekend. [8)]

[DREAM2]

Govenor/rev limiter is at 125-128 mph. Somewhere in there. Wasn't a pleasant experinece running into it.

[Gear_Head]

I agree 125-128 is the number Dream2 is right I have reached it. It was "UGLY". It was ugly enough that I'll never go fast enough to reach it again. Mine kicked in @ 127-128 mph. I guess 125 will be fast enough for me from now on......

[Gary04GT]

quote:Originally posted by Gear_Head

I agree 125-128 is the number Dream2 is right I have reached it. It was "UGLY"...

Please define "UGLY". [:I] Thanks.