i need more low end torque, help please, ideas?

[costa_rican13]

i just got a 93 240 coupe ka-de . i'm only 16 and kinda new to cars i guess you could say. i mean i've worked on exhausts and clutches but thats about it. i'm primarily focusing on power, no body kit or anything like that. so i need some ideas on how i can increase torque, but turbos and superchargers are not in my budget yet though.

[AZhitman]

Quick and easy: Rear diff swap.

See if you can find a 4.36 diff (I think certain R32's had them).

Wakes up a stock KA car like no other.

Also, get your KA back in "as new" running order by doing ALL the maintenance - You'd be surprised how fun a perfectly-running stock KA can be.

http://www.240sxTech.com for more ideas.

Welcome aboard.

[costa_rican13]

thanks i will definitly look in to that. also i have a friend that is honda ricer. and he's got a 95 prelude w/ full exhaust, with an engine with alot of torque. so thats why i want alot of torque cause he's always saying my ka's weak although it is complete stock too, w/ just suspension and aftermarket spark plug wires . so i want to show him whats up. anymor ideas.

[spindrift187]

Also, get your KA back in "as new" running order by doing ALL the maintenance - You'd be surprised how fun a perfectly-running stock KA can be.

Thank you! thank you! thank you! All too often people complain about poor performance and write the KA off as crap when in reality it just hasn't been maintained or even had a tune up in God knows when.

I always remove all the non essentials(emissions, A/C, P/S), switch to a e-fan, make your own intake, extra unecessary weight( Do NOT confuse this with gutting your car haha).

Doesnt the KA already have more torque/weigh less than preludes anyway?

[glitched]

thanks i will definitly look in to that. also i have a friend that is honda ricer. and he's got a 95 prelude w/ full exhaust, with an engine with alot of torque. so thats why i want alot of torque cause he's always saying my ka's weak although it is complete stock too, w/ just suspension and aftermarket spark plug wires . so i want to show him whats up. anymor ideas.

Depending on which motor he has, your's has just as much as his. but your's reaches peak torque sooner.

[-RJ-]

thanks i will definitly look in to that. also i have a friend that is honda ricer. and he's got a 95 prelude w/ full exhaust, with an engine with alot of torque. so thats why i want alot of torque cause he's always saying my ka's weak although it is complete stock too, w/ just suspension and aftermarket spark plug wires . so i want to show him whats up. anymor ideas.

-Try getting altima fans and getting rid of that clutch fan. I think that gives 6whp and 4 wtq IIRC. Thats 30 dollars-Use full synthetic Oil. Thats 30 dollars-relocate your battery to the back and bend a pipe to where the battery is, that gives you low end torque also. Thats rougly 50 dollars- get a 2.5" exhaust system. That depends on what you get lol

just my $0.02, thats what i had my S14 and it did me good

oh yea get a better clutch but dont get a lightweight flywheel. heavier flywheel = more torque

[Hype]

-Try getting altima fans and getting rid of that clutch fan. I think that gives 6whp and 4 wtq IIRC. Thats 30 dollars

So, are you saying the fan takes about 7.5hp at the crank? While putting in e fans might tidy things up, they certainly do not free up any power. The fans freewheel when not needed and its a lightweight plastic fan. The ONLY reason for e fans is for space concerns, or when going with an aftermarket radiator to which the stock equipment isn't the best fit.

You definitely got it right with the flywheel thing tho, thats another trendy mod that generally has no benefit to a stock car. I'm considering a slightly lightened one but none of these ridiculous 8 lb flywheels plz. Save your money and get an aluminum or cf driveshaft if you wanna improve drivetrain efficiency!

[Vegascorbin]

A more expensive thing is to just do a stock rebuild of the engine. an engine with <1000 miles will out performe the same engine build that has >150,000 miles.

Do it yourself rebuild with stock parts will run you 1,000-1500 depending on what machine shop work you need.

[Ajax]

You definitely got it right with the flywheel thing tho, thats another trendy mod that generally has no benefit to a stock car. I'm considering a slightly lightened one but none of these ridiculous 8 lb flywheels plz. Save your money and get an aluminum or cf driveshaft if you wanna improve drivetrain efficiency!

I disagree. I noticed a bigger improvement with a lightweight flywheel than with the aluminium driveshaft.A heavier flywheel makes it easier to drive from a stop due to the added inertia, but when you get the car moving, less weight will help the engine spin faster and help the car accelerate more quickly. So there is an element of preference when deciding on a flywheel- do you want a car that is easier to drive, or able to accelerate more quickly? There's also the dynamics of where the weight is on the flywheel, etc. but that gets way more confusing. I've had my Fidanza for 7 years now and I love it.I'm actually plotting to go back to the 2-piece driveshaft because I can't stand the extra noise from the one-piece. The slightly-less weight doesn't give enough performance to justify the noise to me.

[liquid_cool]

Thank you! thank you! thank you! All too often people complain about poor performance and write the KA off as crap when in reality it just hasn't been maintained or even had a tune up in God knows when.

I always remove all the non essentials(emissions, A/C, P/S), switch to a e-fan, make your own intake, extra unecessary weight( Do NOT confuse this with gutting your car haha).

Doesnt the KA already have more torque/weigh less than preludes anyway?

damn spin..your allways hittin the nail dead on..what it has a target on it!..lol..ya spins got it man...the ka us verry under rated as far as a powerplant goes...it has gobs of torque low to mid ..but yours may be due for some temder lovin rebuild care..if thats the case...then you can make it super strong man..remeber..the ka24de was intended as a truck motor..for pulling..there is hidden power to be had..but not at high rpm...the stroke is to long unless you do big buck additions..good luck and let us know what ya decide.

http://www.myspace.com/liquid_cool_ka24de

[Hype]

I disagree. I noticed a bigger improvement with a lightweight flywheel than with the aluminium driveshaft.A heavier flywheel makes it easier to drive from a stop due to the added inertia, but when you get the car moving, less weight will help the engine spin faster and help the car accelerate more quickly. So there is an element of preference when deciding on a flywheel- do you want a car that is easier to drive, or able to accelerate more quickly? There's also the dynamics of where the weight is on the flywheel, etc. but that gets way more confusing. I've had my Fidanza for 7 years now and I love it.I'm actually plotting to go back to the 2-piece driveshaft because I can't stand the extra noise from the one-piece. The slightly-less weight doesn't give enough performance to justify the noise to me.

Thanks for the feedback. I hear pros and cons about flywheels, but I think its safe to say that most people aren't really aware of what a lightened flywheel will do to the drivability of the car. AFAIK Fidanza's are well made and aren't too light. I was even maybe planning to get something a little closer to stock. It's hard to get objective feedback because when people spend $$$ on car parts they are all amped up. Thanks for the good input... something for me to consider.

[spindrift187]

damn spin..your allways hittin the nail dead on..what it has a target on it!..lol

When you're too broke to afford "real" mods you learn some pretty handy stuff over the years.

[liquid_cool]

thats true...dont forget..aftermarket mods were taken from crafty tuners by shabby biznessmen to make profit!...its so easy to call oneself a tuner these days by just bolting on and actin leet..a little info on a t3's trim and ya can even sound cool...but i give props for guys and gals who doit on the cheep man..thats tuning.

[costa_rican13]

-relocate your battery to the back and bend a pipe to where the battery is, that gives you low end torque also. Thats rougly 50 dollars

so what do you mean bend a pipe? what pipe?

[costa_rican13]

anymore ideas ppl? like cheaper? or any little tricks?

[liquid_cool]

so what do you mean bend a pipe? what pipe?

relocating the battery lets u use a short ram intake...or do a fmic...front mounted intercooler...there are lots of tricks that people can hand you sire....but you wont really learn that way..you need to do exhausted searches..look throu all idea's and info..then choose the best path and modifye that idea to suit you...good luck

[-RJ-]

So, are you saying the fan takes about 7.5hp at the crank?

Im quoting that from a magazine, Import Tuner i think. To me it makes sense, the crank doesnt have to spin that fan anymore so it doesnt spin as hard, so i would expect at least some kind of gain. Try riding a bike with a parachute, then try riding the bike again without it, it takes less power for you to move the bike right?

[-RJ-]

so what do you mean bend a pipe? what pipe?

goto autozone and get a 45 degree pipe, a battery ground cable and a 100 amp fuse, a battery box from Walmart, and 15' of 4 gauge cable and some screws from Lowes.

Drill in the battery box in the back passanger side. Then you connect that 4 gauge cable to the positive cable and run it to the back. Cut off about 1 foot from the end of the cable and connect that 100 amp fuse to that and from the fuse to the battery. Then connect the negative cable to somewhere to the body of the car, i connected mine to where the spare battery goes. Turn your car on and pray everything works.

Good Luck

almost forgot, if you still have your stock intake box, goto ebay and get a MAF adaptor so you can attach a cone filter, thats like 15 dollars

[Hype]

Im quoting that from a magazine, Import Tuner i think. To me it makes sense, the crank doesnt have to spin that fan anymore so it doesnt spin as hard, so i would expect at least some kind of gain. Try riding a bike with a parachute, then try riding the bike again without it, it takes less power for you to move the bike right?

As much as I like to read Import Tuner, SCC or Super Street once in awhile, recognize that they are out to make a buck. They plug parts like no other. Don't believe quoted numbers without dyno graphs showing WHERE and HOW MUCH power was made (even then be skeptical.)

Now, the fan only comes into play at idle, because at speed the wind is more air flow than any fan can provide. The rest of the time, the fan clutch is not engaged and the fan freewheels. In your example, this is like riding a bike with a parachute... neatly folded up inside its bag still.

Suppose you did get a small gain of about 1-2hp. The electric fan that you are now using draws power, and that power must be produced by the alternator. The alternator is driven by guess what... a pulley attached to the engine.

http://www.aaroncake.net/rx-7/efanmyth.htm

I only get set straight about this a few months ago. Before then, I was gonna throw in some DSM fans my buddy had as spares but never had the time.

[costa_rican13]

goto autozone and get a 45 degree pipe

ok what is the pipe for? sorry its probably a dumb question. but i honestly don't know. and how would relocating the battery help me gain more torque?

[asoomal]

ok what is the pipe for? sorry its probably a dumb question. but i honestly don't know. and how would relocating the battery help me gain more torque?

zer...41786

[Hype]

moving the battery doesn't make power, but it is a beneficial mod. Moving the battery to the back evens out the weight distribution a bit, but this is generally only when you've added a turbo (more weight in the front.) Plus, with the battery out of the way its easier to run IC piping.

The pipe thing was right on though. With the battery out of the way, you can stick a K&N style filter right where the battery was.

[Hype]

errr i typed that up but got distracted by an IM and forgot to press post. Good link asoomal.

[-RJ-]

even then but wouldnt it still take less power?

[-RJ-]

ok what is the pipe for? sorry its probably a dumb question. but i honestly don't know. and how would relocating the battery help me gain more torque?

should look something like this. You can have it go lower but i choose to put it like that becuase i dont want to suck in water,

relocating gets better wieght distribution and colder air is denser,

[liquid_cool]

ok man..im not flaming ya down.........but..you lack a nessesary understanding of basic mechanics like i lack spelling and grammer...you need to read some ( S/A ) books and more on the forums to get a better understanding...we can hand you information all day lo0ng..but if ya dont understand it..you will never be able to implement it...........

allso....is a (racer) its good to know how to fix these mods out on the treet if god forbid you breakdown in bumf-u-ck'd egypt...one thing most "for lack of a better word" wana be racers neglegt..is how to fix there platform....i wish you good luck sire..you can find S/A books in the automotive section of barns and noble or anyother bookstore out there..

http://www.myspace.com/liquid_cool_ka24de

[costa_rican13]

ok well thanks everyone who gave me some info. i'm gona go and buy some books now though and catch up on reading. hopefully i post some pics up some time, after i relocate the battery. i think i'll put it in the trunk. and it will all be done by myself. so just hopefully everything will work. also i might consider the bend the pipe thing to where the battery was located. as that seems a pretty good idea. but anymore tricks though would help, cause i write them down to remember them.

[krazydriver]

removing the clutch fan WILL make a difference.The clutch is thermostatic, it doesn't freewheel while your driving. It's constantly spinning with the engine, it only FULLY locks when the fan clutch gets past a certain temp(what that temp is idk).You will feel a difference in how fast the engine revs.

Lightened flywheel is always good. Remove the AC if you don't use it.(also enhances cooling by getting the condenser out of the way)etc.The lower the weight of the drivetrain the better the response you will get by increasing the efficiency of the drivetrain, lowering the weight of the car will increase your power to weight ratio, and finally increasing horsepower (short ram, turbo, whatever) will also (obviously) increase your power to weight ratio.

[costa_rican13]

removing the clutch fan WILL make a difference.The clutch is thermostatic, it doesn't freewheel while your driving. It's constantly spinning with the engine, it only FULLY locks when the fan clutch gets past a certain temp(what that temp is idk).You will feel a difference in how fast the engine revs.

so if i remove the clutch is there anything negative that will happen? like my car will still be able to run and drive right?

[Hype]

In this case, he's talking about the fan clutch. It's needed to turn on the fan when needed. You can remove the fan, but then you run the risk of running hot or most likely overheating if you ever get stuck in slow moving traffic or a jam. If you really want the stock fan gone, put an electric one in.

As others have suggested though, I recommend you do some reading before you attempt any modifications. Fix up some stuff, your money will be much better spent. Distributor cap, rotors, plugs (plain copper are fine, NGK BKR5E I believe, but you can spend the money for iridium if you really want), NGK plug wires, 300ZX fuel filter, air filter replacement (or an ebay intake will work well), pcv valve replacement, oil change, transmission oil change (or auto trans service), set ignition timing, fix chain timing chain rattle, clean/improve engine grounding, bleed clutch and brake fluid, eliminate clutch dampener..... all those are great places to start and are possible with just a screwdriver, a 10mm line wrench and a socket wrench w/ 10, 12 and 14mm sockets. Grab the FSM, keep reading and get wrenching.