Modifying the factory settings of your car’s engine can give you higher performance, greater power output, etc. At times the engine or Internal combustion engine may be detuned with respect to power output to get greater economy.
Thus, the engine can be modified in a variety of ways to suit your specific needs and interests. So if you own a Mustang and want to amp up its performance, you may need Mustang parts to enhance its capabilities as per your wants..
Things You Must Know About Tuning Your Ford Mustang
The power output or a car’s engine performance depends on several variables. The ignition spark, the carburetor, and the fuel-to-air mix that is pushed into the ICE all affect the final performance of the car.
Although it is a fun proposition to alter the car’s performance after being bought, tuning can also have unintended consequences. So if you are planning on modifying your car’s engine, read this blog post to get a comprehensive idea about engine tuning.
Working On The Air Intake
- Changing The Make Of The Air Filter
Every fuel your vehicle uses needs to be mixed with a definite proportion of air to produce energy. Now the air that enters the car is filtered through the air filter. The filter removes harmful pollutants from the air so that it is safe for combustion. However, most of the time, the make of the air filter is such that it restricts the flow of air.
As a result, the engine’s airflow is less than optimum. So the air-fuel mix does not produce as much energy as it actually should. The easiest way to circumvent this issue is to buy an aftermarket filter designed to get a greater flow of air. However, you should be careful that the filter does not allow any harmful particles inside the combustion chamber.
- Working On Forced Induction Of Air
One way to improve the engine’s performance is to change the air filter’s make to increase the airflow. Another way to improve the engine’s output is to forcibly push extra air into the combustion chamber by working on the induction settings.
Theoretically, there is no safe limit beyond which forced air induction becomes harmful. But it is better to use a turbocharger bypass valve to regulate the amount of air that can enter the combustion chamber. However, if you wish to achieve forced induction of air, the engine must be a turbocharger or a supercharger.
- Altering The Throttle Body Of Your Mustang
Throttle bodies are another car part you can work with to alter your Mustang’s performance. The throttle body is a butterfly valve regulating the air inflow. The air is let into the engine when the throttle plate is pushed down.
When the plate is released, the airflow to the combustion chamber is stopped. Since throttle bodies regulate the airflow and as a result the fuel flow into the engine, you can regulate the power of the engine by pushing and releasing the throttle plate. By working on the throttle body you can increase or decrease the accelerating power of your Mustang.
Working On The Ignition
Source: liveabout.com
In every engine, the mixture of fuel and air needs to burn to produce enough energy to move the pistons. Usually, a spark plug is used to start the ignition of the air and fuel mixture. There are two ways in which you can adjust the ignition process in your car’s engine. One way is to consider engine remapping. Remapping involves changing the software that controls the internal processes that run the engine.
However, altering the program that runs the car has many inherent risks. For instance, if the program is not altered effectively, it may make the working of the engine go for a toss. Similarly, once you modify the software that runs the car, your car may become ineligible for insurance coverage. So if you are not confident in your reprogramming skills, then you can change the spark plugs.
Some spark plugs can tolerate a higher range of heat, so these plugs work well for engines that are designed to deliver more power.
Working on The Exhaust
Source: lmr.com
You can modify the power that your engine provides by not only working on the air that enters the engine but also the exhaust air that leaves the engine. The exhaust air provides back pressure that helps to increase the acceleration and torque of the car. Generally, car manufacturers, to maintain emission norms and keep costs low, fit exhaust heads with sub-optimal efficiency.
You may change the exhaust head and muffler so that the exhaust can create increased back pressure. However, changing the exhaust muffler may make your engine more noisy. Thus, if you can endure a slightly noisy car, changing the exhaust muffler is one easy way by which you can alter the performance of your Mustang’s engine.
Changing Gear Ratios
You can change your Mustang’s gear ratio (number of teeth on the gear versus that in the pinion) to get the desired top speed and acceleration. If you have a higher gear ratio, the acceleration will be slow, but the top speeds will be higher. But if you have a smaller gear ratio, then the acceleration will be higher, but the top speed will be lower.
Conclusion
Source: caranddriver.com
All parts of a Mustang, right from the camshaft to the throttle to the gears, can be modified after it has been bought. If you truly want to realize the highest acceleration and power that your Mustang can achieve, you have to amp up the engine to get the optimum performance.
Most manufacturers keep the car parts or settings to suboptimal levels to enhance the engine’s life or to lower the noise levels. However, tuning the car is not at all a bad idea as it gives you a taste of the highest levels of performance that your car can achieve. But you must always be careful to make modifications only if you are sure about the legal implications (vehicular pollution norms) and after-effects of the modification.