A car engine’s horsepower is its raw power, its ability to move the vehicle quickly, accelerate away from trouble, and carry increasingly heavy loads. Although the supplier’s factory engines usually provide enough power to move the vehicle in question, you can increase the horsepower your engine generates by employing some basic modification strategies.
Increase the size of your car’s air filter or reduce the size of your car’s intake pipes. This allows air to enter the engine more freely, which allows the pistons to run more efficiently and increases horsepower.
Replace your intake manifold with one made of a softer material, or simply polish it to remove imperfections. That will reduce air resistance as it passes over the engine’s pistons and increase your effective horsepower.
Add a performance exhaust system to your car. The engine’s exhaust must exit as freely as it can, or it will cause the car to lose power. The inclusion of a header, a free-flow muffler or a larger tail pipe (all components of a performance exhaust system) will reduce the resistance of the air leaving your engine and help the exhaust gases to be expelled.
Install an intercooler. Cold air contracts, so you can fit more cold air than hot air into the engine cylinder. The more air that enters the engine, the more horsepower will be produced when the cylinder fires. An intercooler is the most effective way to accomplish this, although some performance cars already have one installed.
Add a turbocharger to the car’s engine. These compress the air entering the engine, which adds more oxygen to the combustion process and will increase power under the hood.
Change the engine head to one with multiple intake and exhaust valves. Most standard engines have only one valve. With multiple valves, the engine’s airflow will increase and horsepower will improve.
Change the ROM chip in the car’s engine control unit. However, this technique only applies to recent models, and does not always guarantee a power increase. If possible, check the chip carefully before you buy it to get an independent opinion on its quality.
Reduce the weight of the car. The lighter the vehicle, the faster it moves and the more effective its existing horsepower output will be. You can do this by replacing individual items with lighter items or by simply unloading debris you carry in the back seat or trunk.
Warnings
Although most of the items needed for the task can be found at home, consult a mechanic or have him install them for you if you’re not sure how to do it yourself.