exospeed*com
03-17-2004, 01:33 AM
D16A6 enthusiasts always ask me what they can do to make the A6 fast. Camshaft upgrade? Pulleys? head work?
There's plenty of things you can do to the A6 that will make it fast, but what you have to figure out is if your Engine Setup is Efficient and making the most out of each part you buy.
Intake and Exhaust
The 1st modif. people get are the Intake and Exhaust. Simple enough right? Actually the intake part yes, but in the Exhaust department, not all Exh systems are the same. Just putting a Muffler doesnt gain good power.
The key to an efficient exhaust system is proper Flow. a good 2"-2.25" inch straight through piping mated with a simple Dynomax UltraFlow muffler will do the job. You have to keep in mind, that Mandrel bent or Mandrel welded piping is best. Crush bent tubing is not really the most efficient piping and if possible get the Mandrel style.
Headers
You know I'm going to say: Get the Bisimoto Headers. That is the best header you can get for your all motor D16 setup. If funds are limited, the next best choice are the DC 4-2-1 or 4-1 style headers. Both offer similar performance and are high quality.
So at this point, you have the basics. What to do next?
I'd choose some headwork. And work on the intake side of the engine such as the throttle body and intake manifold.
Headwork, Cam, Intake manifold and throttle body
The best head setup would be something like our Stage 3 head package which includes the Port and Polish, 3 angle valve job, hot tank, Upgrade Racing Valvetrain and titanium retainers, resurface, new seals and assembly. Compliment that with a nice Exospeed cam such as the Race A6, and you have a nice All motor streetable setup capable of 8000 RPM. To get the most out of this combo, make sure you have a cam gear and Fuel pressure regulator as well. These 2 things along with the distributor are your tools in tuning the engine to its potential.
In the intake manifold department, there are several ways to go with now adays. We either match port the intake manifold with the newly ported head or go with the Y8 manifold or Skunk2 manifold match ported as well to the head.
When using the stock A6 manifold, we would Port the throttle body and install a new butterfly for better flow. You can also use a b-series throttle body when using a y8 manifold or the skunk2 style manifolds. Just make sure you match port the throttle body to the intake manifold to provide a smooth flow into the manifold.
With a proper smooth flowing throttle body, intake manifold and head, you are providing the cam you chose the increased air it likes to take in. With this complete combination, the top end of your engine is working to its highest potential and the intake of air is accommodated for optimum flow.
Bottom end: the Block
The block is other major step in modifying your engine. It is not really the most necessary part of the build up in my opinion. You can do without a built block and still have a well performing engine. The block will compliment the better head, but a better block wont really be used to its potential without a proper head package.
But when you are ready to do the block, chose a piston that will best match your usage of the motor. An 11.5:1 compression piston is good for the street, but will require 91-93 octane.
In higher compression applications, you have to consider valve to piston clearance and this involves the piston design and the specifications of the camshaft. Make sure you take that inconsideration when designing your motor.
ECU
To take advantage of the potential of the camshaft, get an ECU chip that will either remove or increase the Rev limiter higher than stock. That will let you take advantage of the higher RPMs that the cam requires.
Some chips have modified fuel curves as well. Those are ok, but don’t rely on them to match exactly to your needs, you still have to tune the setup on the cam gear, fuel regulator and timing to get the most out of all the stuff you have.
It all seems basic information and most of us know all of these upgrades, but the main thing is having them complement each other. As you complete each part of the combination, you are not only gaining power with each new part, you are also helping the existing parts you already have work more efficiently and gain HP.
There's plenty of things you can do to the A6 that will make it fast, but what you have to figure out is if your Engine Setup is Efficient and making the most out of each part you buy.
Intake and Exhaust
The 1st modif. people get are the Intake and Exhaust. Simple enough right? Actually the intake part yes, but in the Exhaust department, not all Exh systems are the same. Just putting a Muffler doesnt gain good power.
The key to an efficient exhaust system is proper Flow. a good 2"-2.25" inch straight through piping mated with a simple Dynomax UltraFlow muffler will do the job. You have to keep in mind, that Mandrel bent or Mandrel welded piping is best. Crush bent tubing is not really the most efficient piping and if possible get the Mandrel style.
Headers
You know I'm going to say: Get the Bisimoto Headers. That is the best header you can get for your all motor D16 setup. If funds are limited, the next best choice are the DC 4-2-1 or 4-1 style headers. Both offer similar performance and are high quality.
So at this point, you have the basics. What to do next?
I'd choose some headwork. And work on the intake side of the engine such as the throttle body and intake manifold.
Headwork, Cam, Intake manifold and throttle body
The best head setup would be something like our Stage 3 head package which includes the Port and Polish, 3 angle valve job, hot tank, Upgrade Racing Valvetrain and titanium retainers, resurface, new seals and assembly. Compliment that with a nice Exospeed cam such as the Race A6, and you have a nice All motor streetable setup capable of 8000 RPM. To get the most out of this combo, make sure you have a cam gear and Fuel pressure regulator as well. These 2 things along with the distributor are your tools in tuning the engine to its potential.
In the intake manifold department, there are several ways to go with now adays. We either match port the intake manifold with the newly ported head or go with the Y8 manifold or Skunk2 manifold match ported as well to the head.
When using the stock A6 manifold, we would Port the throttle body and install a new butterfly for better flow. You can also use a b-series throttle body when using a y8 manifold or the skunk2 style manifolds. Just make sure you match port the throttle body to the intake manifold to provide a smooth flow into the manifold.
With a proper smooth flowing throttle body, intake manifold and head, you are providing the cam you chose the increased air it likes to take in. With this complete combination, the top end of your engine is working to its highest potential and the intake of air is accommodated for optimum flow.
Bottom end: the Block
The block is other major step in modifying your engine. It is not really the most necessary part of the build up in my opinion. You can do without a built block and still have a well performing engine. The block will compliment the better head, but a better block wont really be used to its potential without a proper head package.
But when you are ready to do the block, chose a piston that will best match your usage of the motor. An 11.5:1 compression piston is good for the street, but will require 91-93 octane.
In higher compression applications, you have to consider valve to piston clearance and this involves the piston design and the specifications of the camshaft. Make sure you take that inconsideration when designing your motor.
ECU
To take advantage of the potential of the camshaft, get an ECU chip that will either remove or increase the Rev limiter higher than stock. That will let you take advantage of the higher RPMs that the cam requires.
Some chips have modified fuel curves as well. Those are ok, but don’t rely on them to match exactly to your needs, you still have to tune the setup on the cam gear, fuel regulator and timing to get the most out of all the stuff you have.
It all seems basic information and most of us know all of these upgrades, but the main thing is having them complement each other. As you complete each part of the combination, you are not only gaining power with each new part, you are also helping the existing parts you already have work more efficiently and gain HP.