Feature Articles

the bimmer pub march 2014

the bimmer pub march 2014

In this issue: Airing Out the Problem (Air Suspension); Does this stop the car? (Brake); Missing the Point (Cylinder trouble); BMW Glass Repair

Changing the Handling, or Handling the Change?

Changing the Handling, or Handling the Change?

Do you ever feel like you should be going faster? Horsepower is a major factor, of course, but it is only part of the equation. The way a vehicle “feels” going through a corner is a product of your chassis setup. Sometimes what feels good can actually make you slower,...

Variable Valve Timing: The Best of Both Worlds

Variable Valve Timing: The Best of Both Worlds

We are a demanding people. We want to buy high-performance cars, but we don’t want to deal with the hard-starting and “lumpy” idle that come with high-profile, long-duration camshafts. How can engineers make more power and yet still give us a smooth idle?

Basics Series: Detonation

Basics Series: Detonation

An uncontrolled combustion process that occurs when some part of the air/fuel mixture is compelled to burn at supersonic rates, detonation probably accounts for nearly 100% of racing engine failures.

Connections Come First

Connections Come First

With the advent of the computer, electronics have exploded in every aspect of our lives, and the automobile is no different. Regardless of how sophisticated and productive, all M-B electronics still rely on basic wiring connections. It’s our job to keep all those connections clean, tight, and moisture-free to make everything in the electronics chain work the way it should.

HOT ROD PRO-FILE

HOT ROD PRO-FILE

Hot Rod Professional gets up close and personal with the movers and shakers in today’s diverse and technologically-advanced hot rod market.

Keeping Cool Under Pressure

Keeping Cool Under Pressure

There is no such thing as a maintenance-free cooling system. It’s important to identify potential problems and catch them before a break-down situation. Let’s explore Nissan’s various engine cooling systems, the importance of proper fluids, and some best-practice inspection techniques.

Big Bang for the Buck: Re-Curving Ignition Timing

Big Bang for the Buck: Re-Curving Ignition Timing

One of the best ways to get a big bang for the dollar spent when you are looking to increase the power of a carburetor-equipped engine is to tune the ignition advance. The mechanical spark advance curve that was used on most production engines when they left the...

Racing Appliances?

Racing Appliances?

To those of us who thrive on the sounds and smells of hot rodding, this just seems all wrong, but the performance is definitely there to a degree you might not even believe. At the 2013 Pike’s Peak Hill Climb, they had to put audible alarms on the electric-powered...

HOT ROD Professional February 2014

In this issue of HOT ROD Professional, we’ll cover threaded fasteners, ignition timing, detonation, suspension tightening technology and more – including Chrysler OEM News, HOT ROD Pro-Files, and Information station.

Running on Vapors and Mixing it up

Running on Vapors and Mixing it up

Since the wholesale transition to EFI, some of us have forgotten about vapor lock and the subtleties of intake manifold design with carburetors, but many (most?) hot-rod and racing engines still breathe through the mechanical mixture maker.