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Boost, Intercooler, Air Charge
High End Turbo Kit, Meet S60 R
Two weeks ago today we started working with RZ Design on the R32 turbo kit they offer for 2004-2007 R models. With RZ doing the hard work of the install in the first week it left the remainder of the next week for us to complete the tuning. The turbo on this kit is capable of over 500bhp so reining that in to keep the engine safe was priority number one! The engine in stock form is capable of handling approx. Continue reading
Melt Tires, Not Pistons! A/F Mix… FF#28
ARD tuner Robert “Lucky” Arnold tells us why 14.7 is the 3.14 of car tuning. Continue reading
Fuel Cutoff w/ Stock ECU + MBC
Click through for a video example of the Volvo ECU cutting fuel after the parameters go off the map. Now that ambient air temperatures are very low, 9°F (-12°C), the air-fuel mixture is so dense that it’s going off the … Continue reading
Intercoolers — How They Help Power
Front mount intercoolers or FMIC’s are exactly what they sound like, an aftermarket intercooler that is fastened to the front of the vehicle (typically right behind the bumper or air guide) and routed with piping to the turbo outlet and to the throttle body inlet on the intake manifold. As you might guess this mounting configuration has benefit since the intercooler is not obscured by any other heat exchangers (radiator or condenser) however it does increase the total amount of plumbing length which in turn tends to increase turbo lag a bit. Additionally FMIC’s tend to be wide and thick but typically shorter in height. This added thickness (upto and in some cases more than 3”) can reduce efficiency at low speeds since higher airflow is required to permeate the intercooler and provide its maximum gain. Continue reading
Boost Gauge Mounted in Headliner DIY
The end result is a nice-looking, nice-functioning boost gauge that dims with the rest of my 1997 850′s instrument gauges. Because it’s mounted up high it’s unobtrusive, and far less likely to be seen by street racers, cops or thieves. It’s there when I need to know boost, and invisible to me all other times. It’s slightly nearer to my field of vision than any of the other mounting positions I tried, so my eyes are on the road more. Continue reading
Water + Methanol = Power?
Humidified combustion air lowers the peak combustion temperature by hundreds of degrees. This is important as this cooling affects not only the incoming air charge but also any residual pockets of exhaust gas from the previous combustion cycle that can be a trigger for pre-ignition. Adding water/methanol injection to an engine in the proper amount is akin to running higher octane fuel, the increase in ignition timing is so significant that it’s similar to running high octane racing fuel (100+). Continue reading
Review: ARD Green Tune
Another ARD Green Tune Review MVS Volvo Forum user ojdorson writes “It was a real pleasure to deal with Lucky. After a few quick e-mails, I decided to go with his recommendations – ARD Green Tune with M44 conversion. The ECU was … Continue reading
Fast Friday #6 — Injectors, MAFs, and Power pt. II
As performance levels rise so too do the necessary supporting components of the engine to reach the power goals you might have. Most fuel system upgrades are pretty straight forward and only consist of a fuel components I.E. Fuel pump, Injectors, and fuel pressure regulator. For the most part the Walbro series of fuel pumps are a popular cost effective option when it comes to replacing the factory pump. Continue reading
Fast Friday #5 — Injectors, MAFs, and Power
It’s interesting to note that cars with even stock turbochargers are able to max out a MAF sensor as early as 14psi. When I say “Max out the MAF” what I mean is exactly that. The MAF sensor can only measure a certain maximum amount of airflow through the sensor. Continue reading