3 Products to Increase Your Car Engine’s Horsepower

Piston Rods

Performance-oriented vehicle owners are primarily interested in car parts that affect the engine. So, if you replace the stock pistons will you experience a change in driving? Will pistons and rods increase horsepower? If we are speaking in strict terms, the answer is yes. Better conrods will give your engine a boost and translate into higher horsepower (up to 4%).

Go for heat-treated piston rods to get such a boost. Aftermarket conrods are usually better than the stock parts because the production process is different. If you have a unit that is made of high tensile 4340 forged steel, it will certainly perform better than the one you got from the factory. They are put together with a two-piece forging technique which provides extra strength. 

In the internal combustion engine, piston rods get a lot of wear. Along with the cylinder and the crankshaft, pistons are subject to forces on two plains. On rare occasions, this constant pressure results in engine failure which can inflict substantial damage. Without a good set of pistons (usually six) your combustion chamber can’t sustain the cycle of burning fuel. The rods are critical in ensuring proper movement within the four stages of burning fuel: air intake, compression, combustion and exhaust. Without them, the cylinder and the crankshaft can’t get the motor moving appropriately.

Aftermarket forged performance pistons have longer service life relative to the pistons cast in aluminium alloy. Study the technical specification on the conrods you intend to buy because they can even include other advantageous design features. Chief among them are increased thickness of the crown and pin boss areas of the piston.

Throttle Module

Tweaking the horsepower of your engine is not the only way to get a boost. Putting a throttle body module in between your pedal and the engine will give you unparalleled acceleration. This is one of the quickest and easiest transformations you can imagine. And to top it all off, you can install it on your own within minutes. 

Fitting a throttle module plug in your steering column will allow the engine to respond directly to your pedal work. You are practically eliminating the throttle lag put in place by the original manufacturer. The electronic throttle body module solves issues with starting the car, provides more juice on an open road and provides explosive start from a standstill.

They have several modes to ease the throttle control. Putting your 4×4 in an ultimate mode will make overtaking easier. It also makes climbing out of an off-road ditch much easier. If you need the throttle lag back, you can choose the normal mode. But the control can help in slow and technical driving too. The economy mode does this and is great for urban centres. And if you don’t want to bother with switching back and forth you can set the module to an automatic mode. This option will do the adjusting for you based on your driving style. 

Beware, installing a throttle controller will decrease the sensitivity of the pedal past a certain point. Once you press the pedal to the middle point your car will go as far as it can get. Depressing it past this moment will not affect the work of the engine. It’s a significant change, but one a skilled driver can adapt very quickly. Just make sure you test it out on an empty road because the response is altered straight away. This is a good opportunity to also check the brakes.

Exhaust System

Another example of an aftermarket part that is better than the stock part equivalent. When vehicles come fresh from the production line they are fitted with exhausts created using the crush tube method. It’s cheaper and faster, hence the reasoning behind installing them. 

On the other hand, an outback exhaust system produced using the mandrel tubing method is far superior. You will be able to feel the difference if you replace your regular tubing for such a system. Mandrel tubing provides a restriction-free conduit and this provides less resistance when the fumes are fed to the pipe. 

You can easily find an Australia made outback exhaust system. Take a closer look at the material – 409 stainless steel is the best option on the market if you are after a long-lasting performance. But besides that, you also need to keep an eye on the heat resistant enamel, brackets, flange plates and muffler. 

Sometimes they make them an exact fit to a certain model. If you get an exhaust system that is compatible with your vehicle you can mount it to the original points without attaching a hoist. Speaking of which, outback exhausts are for 4WD vehicles only. They can be found alongside handcrafted exhausts for regular vehicles so just make sure you get the right model. 

Having the proper exhaust system for your driving style will improve fuel economy. Of course, you will also experience a muffled sound when the engine is running. Better to make mental notes of these signs that can be easily perceived. A slight change in the sound of your engine can indicate an issue. If you learn how to read these signs, you can do preventative maintenance and save a lot of time and money in the long run.