Gasoline Engines: Tuning and Modification Manuals (1/2)

Tuning the A-Series Engine (3rd Edition) - The definitive manual on tuning for performance or economy

For 30 years, the A-Series engine was used by BMC (and later British Leyland) in numerous models, including the Austin A30, A35, A40 / Metro, Allegro, Maestro, Montego / Austin-Healey Sprite / BLMC 1100, 1300 / MG Midget / Mini / Morris 1000, Minor and Marina. It soon became apparent that this popular engine series had plenty of reserves to be tuned.

This thick tuning book provides a lot of information about tuning the A-series engine (803 - 1275 cc), both for economy and performance. For example, it explains how a standard 53 hp engine with the necessary modifications can deliver 138 hp, so that a Mini accelerates from 0 to 160 km/h in 15 seconds.

• This extensively illustrated standard work contains chapters on air filters, carburetors, intake manifolds, cylinder heads (valves, combustion chambers, changing the compression ratio), exhaust systems, camshafts (different cam profiles, rocker arms and valve lifters), forced induction (turbos, mechanical compressors), the engine block (pistons, connecting rods, crankshaft, bearings), increasing the displacement, the lubrication system (oil pump, oil cooler), ignition and cooling (water pump, thermostat, radiator).
• This book also provides various tuning examples, information on nitrous oxide (N2O) installations, measuring power and adjusting for economy.
• Although intended for the A-series, this book also provides a great deal of useful information for tuning other, comparable petrol engines.

Product details

Author:	David Vizard
Details:	520 pages, 10.8 x 8.7 x 1.3 in (27.5 x 22 x 3.3 cm), hardback
Illustrations:	extensively illustrated with 735 photos and drawings
Language:	English (technical dictionaries in 19 languages are available for free download here)
Publisher:	Haynes Publishing (GB, 1999)
ISBN:	9781859606209

How to Choose Camshafts & Time them for Maximum Power (Veloce SpeedPro)

Explains in simple language how to choose the right camshaft(s) for your application, and how to find the camshaft timing which gives maximum performance. Also explained are all aspects of camshaft design and the importance of lobe phasing, duration & lift.

Applies to all 4-stroke car-type engines with 4, 5, 6 or 8 cylinders. Avoids wasting money on modifications that don't work. Applies to road and track applications.

Pages of the book "How to Choose Camshafts & Time them for Maximum Power"

Product details

Author:	Des Hammill
Details:	64 pages, 9.7 x 8.25 x 0.35 in (24.5 x 21 x 0.9 cm), paperback
Illustrations:	95 color photos and drawings
Language:	English
Publisher:	Veloce Publishing Ltd (GB, 2003)
Series:	SpeedPro
ISBN:	9781903706596

Four-stroke Performance Tuning (4th Edition)

First published more than 30 years ago and in continuous print ever since, this remains one of the most comprehensive references available to the enthusiast engine tuner and race engine builder.
Drawing on the author's many years of practical experience in tuning and modifying high-performance road, rally and race units, every aspect of an engine's operation is explained and analysed.
Detailed modifications and improvements are suggested and described in the author's practical, down-to-earth style, making this book essential reading for anyone involved in building high-performance engines.

Product details

Author:	A. Graham Bell
Details:	624 pages, 10.6 x 8.25 x 1.5 in (27 x 21 x 3.8 cm), paperback
Illustrations:	many photos and drawings
Language:	English (technical dictionaries in 19 languages are available for free download here)
Publisher:	Haynes Publishing (GB, 2022)
ISBN:	9781785218590

David Vizard's How to Port & Flow Test Cylinder Heads

Porting heads is an art and science. It takes a craftsman's touch to shape the surfaces of the head for the optimal flow characteristics and the best performance.
Porting demands the right tools, skills, and application of knowledge. Few other engine builders have the same level of knowledge and skill porting engine heads as David Vizard.

All the aspects of porting stock as well as aftermarket heads in aluminum and cast-iron constructions are covered. Vizard goes into great depth and detail on porting aftermarket heads.

Starting with the basic techniques up to more advanced techniques, you are shown how to port iron and aluminum heads as well as benefits of hand and CNC porting.
You are also shown how to build a high-quality flow bench at home so you can test your work and obtain professional results. Vizard shows how to optimize flow paths through the heads, past the valves, and into the combustion chamber.

The book covers blending the bowls, a basic porting procedure, and also covers pocket porting, porting the intake runners, and many advanced procedures. These advanced procedures include unshrouding valves, porting a shortside turn from the floor of the port down toward the valve seat, and developing the ideal port area and angle. All of these changes combine to produce optimal flow velocity through the engine for maximum power.

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Product details

Author:	David Vizard
Details:	160 pages, 10.8 x 8.5 x 0.39 in (27.5 x 21.5 x 1 cm), paperback
Illustrations:	304 color photos
Language:	English
Publisher:	CarTech Inc (USA, 2012)
Series:	S-A Design (SA215)
ISBN:	9781934709641

Competition Engine Building

The needs of a true competition engine are quite different than those of the engine under the hood of a typical commuter car. From the basic design needs, to the base component materials, to the sizes of the flow-related hardware, to the precision of the machining, to the capabilities of each pertinent system, very few similarities exist.

Many books exist showcasing how to make street-based engines more powerful and/or durable.

This book is different, in that it focuses purely on the needs of high rpm, high durability, high-powered racing engines. It begins by looking at the raw design needs, and then shares how these needs are met at the various phases of an engine's development, assembly, testing and tuning.

This book features reviews of many popular modern tools, techniques, products, and testing/data collecting machinery. Showing the proper way to use such tools, how to accurately collect data, and how to use the data effectively when designing an engine, is critical information not readily available elsewhere.
The special needs of a competition engine aren't commonly discussed, and the many secrets competition engine builders hold closely are openly shared on the pages here.

Authored by veteran author John Baechtel, Competition Engine Building stands alone as a premier guide for enthusiasts and students of the racing engine. It also serves as a reference guide for experienced professionals anxious to learn the latest techniques or see how the newest tools are used.
Baechtel is more than just an author, as he holds (or has held) several World Records at Bonneville. Additionally, his engines have won countless races in many disciplines, including road racing and drag racing.

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Product details

Author:	John Baechtel
Details:	178 pages, 11 x 8.5 x 0.39 in (28 x 21.5 x 1 cm), paperback
Illustrations:	321 b&w photos
Language:	English
Publisher:	CarTech Inc (USA, 2012)
Series:	S-A Design (SA214P)
ISBN:	9781613252888

Dyno Testing and Tuning

The first book to explain the proper testing procedures that everyone should use to get accurate and useful results from either an engine or chassis dyno. Authors Harold Bettes and Bill Hancock, recognized experts in the performance and racing industry, apply their wealth of knowledge and experience to deliver the definitive work on dynamometers and dyno testing.

This book will be useful to anyone who wants to squeeze more power out of their car or engine, but should also be required reading for performance shop owners and dyno operators.

The book explains how a dyno works, describes what kinds of data a dyno test can produce, and then shows you how to plan a test session that will give you the results you're looking for.
You'll learn what to look for in a dyno facility, how to conduct a dyno test and ensure the accuracy and repeatability of your test, and how to troubleshoot any problems that arise. Sample forms and checklists round out what is sure to be an indispensable book for anyone who wants to make the most of their dyno testing.

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Product details

Author:	Harold Bettes, Bill Hancock
Details:	146 pages, 11 x 8.25 x 0.31 in (28 x 21 x 0.8 cm), paperback
Illustrations:	many b&w photos
Language:	English
Publisher:	CarTech Inc (USA, 2008)
Series:	S-A Design (SA138)
ISBN:	9781934709740

Engine Blueprinting Techniques - A Practical Guide to Precision Engine Building

Engines are built to fall within a wide set of standards and specifications, often not optimized to meet the original design. In short, cheap and fast engine production results in a sloppy final product. Of course, this is not idea for high-performance engines.

To maximize the performance of any engine, it must be balanced and blueprinted to the exact tolerances that the factory should have adhered to in the first place. Four cylinder, V-8, American or import, the performance of all engines is greatly improved by balancing and blueprinting. Dedicated enthusiasts and professional racers balance and blueprint their engines because the engines will produce more horsepower and torque, more efficiently use fuel, run cooler and last longer.

In this book, expert engine builder and veteran author Mike Mavrigian explains and illustrates the most discriminating engine building techniques, so the engine is perfectly balanced, matched, and optimized. Balancing and blueprinting is a time consuming and exacting process, but the investment in time pays off with superior performance.

Through the process, you carefully measure, adjust, machine and fit each part together with precision tolerances, optimizing the design and maximizing performance. The book covers the block, crankshaft, connecting rods, pistons, cylinder heads, intake manifolds, camshaft, measuring tools and final assembly techniques. It provides an unprecedented level of detail and instruction on the process of balancing and blueprinting your engine.

Product details

Author:	Mike Mavrigian
Details:	176 pages, 11 x 8.5 in (28 x 21.5 cm), paperback
Illustrations:	500 color photos
Language:	English
Publisher:	CarTech Inc (USA, 2013)
ISBN:	9781613250471

How to Build Horsepower - Proven Methods for Increasing Horsepower in Any Engine

Extracting maximum torque and horsepower from engines is an art as well as a science. David Vizard is an engineer and more aptly an engine building artist who guides the reader through all the aspects of power production and high-performance engine building. His proven high-performance engine building methods and techniques are revealed in this all-new edition of How to Build Horsepower.

Vizard goes into extreme depth and detail for drawing maximum performance from any automotive engine. The production of power is covered from the most logical point from the air entering the engine all the way to spent gasses leaving through the exhaust.
Explained is how to optimize all the components in between, such as selecting heads for maximum flow or port heads for superior power output, ideal valvetrain components, realizing the ideal rocker arm ratios for a particular application, secrets for selecting the best cam, and giving unique insight into all facets of cam performance.
In addition, he covers how to select and setup superchargers, nitrous oxide, ignition and other vital aspects of high-performance engine building.

Vizard's "How to Build Horsepower" explains the latest and most effective engine building techniques and strategies. The reader is treated to the secrets and methods for building virtually any automotive engine. Vizard's unique and entertaining style of writing clearly explains the key principles and provides extreme detail and uncommon insight.

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Product details

Author:	David Vizard
Details:	144 pages, 10.8 x 8.5 x 0.39 in (27.5 x 21.5 x 1 cm), paperback
Illustrations:	350 color photos
Language:	English
Publisher:	CarTech Inc (USA, 2010)
Series:	S-A Design (SA24)
ISBN:	9781934709177

How to Build, Modify & Power Tune Cylinder Heads (Veloce SpeedPro)

This illustrated book is a practical guide to modifying classic or retro cylinder heads with two valves per combustion chamber. It aims to improve engine power, fuel economy, and reliability. Written in clear language, it provides step-by-step instructions suitable for both professionals and skilled enthusiasts.

Topics include:

- The basics of horsepower and torque
- Tools and equipment needed
- Airflow principles and building a simple flow bench
- Porting techniques
- Working on valves, valve seats, inserts, and guides
- Valve springs
- Converting for unleaded fuel

The book is authored by two experienced engineers who share their knowledge from years of work in engine tuning and development. It offers detailed technical advice based on practical methods and proven results.

Product details

Author:	Peter Burgess, David Gollan
Details:	112 pages, 10 x 8.1 x 0.35 in (25.5 x 20.5 x 0.9 cm), paperback
Illustrations:	150 b&w photos and drawings
Language:	English
Publisher:	Veloce Publishing Ltd (GB, 2013)
Series:	SpeedPro
ISBN:	9781903706763

Practical Gas Flow - Techniques for low budget performance tuning

Back in print and completely updated to cover more recent engines and taking into account new emission control laws, etc.
For the do-it-yourself tuner intent on increasing the power output of a car engine, no problem is greater than how to measure, assess and understand the flow of gases through the inlet tract, clylinder head and exhaust.

Gas flow, complex, variable and invisible, is the key to an engine's performance, and professionals use very costly equipment for its investigation.

This book describes a practical low-cost alternative that lets you check the gas flow in your engine, devise improvements and test and compare their effect: it needs patience, persistence and some manual skills, but no great financial outlay.

Product details

Author:	John Dalton
Details:	120 pages, 9 x 6.9 x 0.28 in (24 x 17.5 x 0.7 cm), paperback
Illustrations:	extensively illustrated
Language:	English
Publisher:	Brooklands Books (GB, 2001)
ISBN:	9781855205642

V-8 Horsepower Performance Handbook

Provides the working knowledge for keeping a V-8 at the top of its form. And for those who'd like to understand how the engine works, the book also includes lucid explanations, beginning with the theory of cylinder head flow.
In clear, easy-to-follow terms, custom V-8 builder Scott Parkhurst offers detailed information and expert advice about block preparation, choosing a reciprocating assembly, and selecting a cam to compliment the heads and meet your own driving needs and performance goals. He also addresses ancillary components such as carburetion, fuel injection and header selection.

Product details

Author:	Scott Parkhurst
Details:	160 pages, 10.6 x 8.25 x 0.47 in (27 x 21 x 1.2 cm), paperback
Illustrations:	285 color photos
Language:	English
Publisher:	Motorbooks International (USA, 2009)
ISBN:	9780760335529

Wege zum Hochleistungs-Viertaktmotor - Ein Handbuch für Liebhaber und Tuner von Viertakt-Motoren

In this book, the author has recorded the wealth of his experience and explaines it with many instructive sketches. He doesn't beat around the bush - his detailed explanations of the ways to increase performance, even in many series engines, represent practical work instructions.
For the technically interested layman, these explanations are interesting and informative, and for the experienced hobbyist, they offer recipes for sure-fire success.

Contents of the book:
Foreword
I. The history of the four-stroke high-performance engine
II. The gas exchange processes
III. Control times, valve lift curves and cam shapes
IV. Cam production
V. Transfer of the cam movement to the valve
VI. Valve acceleration and elasticity in the valve control
VII. Unusual valve controls
VIII. Valves and valve springs, valve control test bench
IX. Cylinder heads
X. Light metal cylinders
XI. Pistons and piston pins
XII. Connecting rods
XIII. Crankshafts
XIV. Crankcases
XV. Single-cylinder test bench engine
XVI. Tuning of existing engines
XVII. Toolmaking
XVIII. Case hardening and tempering
XIX. Slide control for four-stroke high-performance engines
Appendix

Product details

Author:	Ludwig Apfelbeck
Details:	220 pages, 9.7 x 6.9 in (24.5 x 17.5 cm), hardback
Illustrations:	32 b&w photos, 182 drawings
Language:	German
Publisher:	Motorbuch Verlag (D, 2017)
ISBN:	9783613039896

Praxishandbuch Nockenwellen - Verstehen, Pflegen, Optimieren

How sharp can it be? Anyone who prepares an engine - whether to seriously tune it or simply to get the best out of the standard machine - cannot avoid the subject of valve control. The pivotal point in the four-stroke engine is the camshaft. They are available from mild to sharp, from brand new to reconditioned.

Des Hammill, engineer and experienced professional racing engine builder, knows what is important. In this practical manual from the Oldtimer Markt edition, he reveals how to find the right shaft, how to set up the control correctly and how to test it.
If your engine still doesn't run after tuning despite following the tips in this book, then it is definitely not the camshaft.

German edition of the Veloce SpeedPro book "How to Choose Camshafts & Time them for Maximum Power".

Product details

Author:	Des Hammill
Details:	64 pages, 12 x 8.5 x 0.47 in (30.5 x 21.5 x 1.2 cm), hardback
Illustrations:	200 photos and drawings in color
Language:	German
Publisher:	Heel-Verlag GmbH (D, 2013)
ISBN:	9783868528084

Praxishandbuch Zylinderköpfe

When it comes to increasing the performance of four-stroke engines, the first thing that comes to mind is the cylinder head(s). This is where the mixture supplied by the carburetor or injection is converted into pure horsepower.
Understanding the functional relationships of the individual components of the cylinder head is the key to high performance, reliability and economy of every four-stroke engine, both in road use and for use in motorsport.

This volume of the Praxishandbuch series describes in great detail and with the help of numerous pictures and illustrations, first the theoretical basics of cylinder head technology and then explains possible steps for increasing performance. All components are examined separately - from the inlet and mixture formation, through ignition to the outlet and exhaust system.
Written in an easy-to-understand manner and carefully compiled, this book offers the technically interested reader everything they need to know in order to be able to carry out work on the cylinder head successfully.

Product details

Author:	Peter Burgess, David Gollan
Details:	112 pages, 12 x 8.5 x 0.67 in (30.5 x 21.5 x 1.7 cm), hardback
Illustrations:	300 photos and drawings
Language:	German
Publisher:	Heel-Verlag GmbH (D, 2005)
ISBN:	9783898803496