Keeping tabs on all the current web pages would be just as hard as keeping tabs on all the import speed shops cropping up and dying off. Currently Fiat Forum is one of the best places to get information.
 

The current URL is : www.fiatforum.com

 

Anyone can! If you have pertinent information please forward it to the FAQ Editor. You will be credited with the information accordingly. (so watch out for the flames!)
 

   Join the crowd!

   The SINGLE biggest modification you can do to your car is to yourself. Make
   sure you understand how to shift, launch, and corner. There are many books
   and Internet resources discussing driving technique. You can have the
   fastest car in the world and still only drive it as good as another person
   in a Pinto.

   Remember when choosing your performance parts, be sure to upgrade components
   the furthest away from the motor and then closer. So get rid of the extremity
   bottle necks before working on bottlenecks in the motor itself.
   In other words, perform your modifications into the motor. Not haphazardly.
   (i.e. 1) intake 2) exhaust 3) headers 4) throttle body 5) intake manifold
   6) camshafts 7) sprockets 8) cylinder head etc etc )

   Here's a short and sweet tuning primer.
   Golden Rule 1) Ask yourself, "How much money do I have?"
   Golden Rule 2) Now ask yourself, "How fast do I want to go?"

   #2 is only limited by #1. So now pick your tuning path based on these
   decisions. Do you want to stay normally aspirated? Turbocharged?
   Supercharged? Or even nitrous oxide assisted?

   Normally Aspirated : The engine alone is responsible for ingesting as
   much air as possible. And remember air is never 100% oxygen.

   Turbocharged : A snail shell looking device that is driven off exhaust
   gases (imagine 2 pinwheels attached on a axle) As the exhaust wheel spins,
   the intake wheel compresses air packing it into the engine. Choosing the
   correct turbocharger is essential for optimum performance.

   Supercharged : A belt driven compressor that forces air into the engine.
   A supercharger functions similarly to a turbocharger. The difference
   is the supercharger spins by a belt attached to the crankshaft pulley
   (much like your A/C, power steering, and alternator)

   Nitrous Oxide :

   Nitrous oxide is made up of 2 parts nitrogen and one part oxygen
   (36% oxygen by weight). During the combustion process in an engine, at about
   572 degrees F., nitrous breaks down and releases oxygen. This extra oxygen
   creates additional power by allowing more fuel to be burned. Nitrogen acts to
   buffer, or dampen the increased cylinder pressures helping to control the
   combustion process. Nitrous also has a tremendous "intercooling" effect by
   reducing intake charge temperatures by 60 to 75 degrees F.

   Each has it's pros and cons. It's a good idea to understand them all before
   proceeding with modifications.

  Okay, basically there are three ways to improve an engine's performance.

   - Mechanical efficiency
   - Volumetric efficiency
   - Thermo efficiency

   ME improvements - lighten/balance rotating engine assembly, increase
   maximum operating RPM, reduce drivetrain loss (lighter rims, tranny
   box improvement.)

   VE improvements - intake, header, exhaust, manifolds, head work,
   forced induction, cam profile/timing...

   TE improvements - compression ratio, ignition, air/fuel ratio,
   thermo barrier coatings.

   So also keep these areas in mind when modifying your vehicle for maximum performance!


 

   Golden Rule 3) "There is no replacement for displacement."

   Here's a cold hard reality check, Fiat small displacement 4 cylinder
   engines tend to be low horsepower geared engines. They do not
   produce a healthy amount of torque WITHOUT some serious modifications. And
   even then, most of this power will not come beneath 3,000 RPM.

   Thankfully Fiats are fortunate enough to have reasonably light chassis
   and a good gearing. Thus with the moderate amount of torque and higher amount
   of horsepower they get by just fine. ;D

   But if you truly seek that 1,000 RPM 300ft-lbs of torque, perhaps you should
   buy a V8 engine car.


 

   Asking your engine to make more power places greater wear and tear on it.
   It's a fact of life. Regular maintenance and keeping an eye on performance
   modifications are essential to engine life. If your modifications are bolt
   on ones, you really don't have to worry.


 

   Secrets of Solo Racing
   Handling, what it is and how to get it.
   Turbochargers by Hugh MacInnes

   Super Street Magazine
   Turbo & Hi-Tech Performance Magazine
   Grassroots Motorsports Magazine
   Sport Compact Car Magazine sorry, you will have to search for it here

   Physics of Racing :
   http://members.home.net/rck/phor/"


 

   No. This is a Performance FAQ currently. Although many enthusiasts
   perform the modifications themselves, the FAQ would grow
   exponentially if we included detailed how-to steps for every
   possible performance modification. My best advice is to purchase
   a  technical manual for your car. It has very detailed
   explanations on how to work on the car. Then if you're still
   confused, consult the appropriate forum.


 

   Only if they've been proven to be the cause of the problem.
   The burden of proof does rest on the dealership.
   Fiat/Lancia does a poor job of customer satisfaction
   as other owners and myself are usually given the run around
   for problems clearly resulting from manufacturing defects.
   You may want to restore the modifications back to stock
   in order for the warranty process to be smoother.


 

   Usually all the bolts on will actually lean out your motor while at speed.
   Your only big problem is passing the idle portion of your local smog test.
   Every state/country has its own regulations so check with your local
   sources. If your modifications have sacrificed air flow down low
   you can expect your idle emissions to be rich.

Do not remove the cat if so equipped, replace it with a high flow unit instead.


 

   There aren't any Fiat specific pages that have owner registries setup. (that I'm aware of)
  


 

   Engine Basics

   I've tried my best to explain the workings of the engine.

   An engine is a air pump. It takes in oxygen, adds fuel, compresses it,
   burns it, and then expels the exhaust out. The controlled combustion energy
   is converted to a (kinetic) mechanical one. The combustion drives the
   crankshaft to turn which connected to a transmission causes the drive wheels
   to spin.

   Valves are devices to control opening and closing of orifices within
   the cylinder head (combustion chamber) These valves are actuated by camshafts
   via rocker arms. Some valves let air+fuel in, others expel exhaust.

   Camshafts are axles with different kinds of lobes/bumps on them. The
   shape/size of these lobes determine how and when the valves open and close.
   The terms lift, duration, and overlap are used to describe a camshaft. Lift
   refers to how high the camshaft opens a valve. Duration refers to how long
   a camshaft keeps the valve open for. And overlap refers to how long an intake
   and exhaust valve are both open at the same time.

   On one end of the camshaft a gear called a camshaft sprocket is attached.
   This keeps the camshaft in mechanical synchronization with the crankshaft.
   Usually a belt or chain is used to run the sprockets and the crankshaft gear.
   Remember your timing belt maintenance?

   The cylinder head houses the combustion chamber of the engine as well
   as the valvetrain, camshafts, and sparkplugs. The cylinder head mounts on top
   of the engine block.

   The engine block houses the crankshaft, rods, and pistons.

   The pistons single axis upward and downward motion is converted to a
   rotational one via the connecting rods to the crankshaft. Pistons can be
   changed to control the size of the combustion chamber (this volume is referred
   to as displacement).

   Connecting rods attach the pistons to the crankshaft.

   The crankshaft is the big axle you want to spin to make your car go. On one
   end, the flywheel is attached.

   Remember, in making an engine produce more power there are a lot of factors
   involved (gas mileage, low end power, high end power, engine life, etc etc)


 

   As often as you can afford it and as often as is practical for your
   lifestyle. If you need a solid mileage number, every 3k miles depending on
   driver abuse/environmental conditions is a good start. A good synthetic oil
   is also recommended. Mobil1, Redline, and Castrol Syntec are current
   favorites.


 

   S ingle O ver H ead C amshaft
   D ual   O ver H ead C amshaft

   SOHC has one cam above the cylinders controlling both sets of intake and
   exhaust valves. While  DOHC has one camshaft for intake valves and one for
   exhaust valves.

   As you can imagine it's harder mechanically to use one camshafts to control
   all valves precisely. By having two camshafts, one for intake and one for
   exhaust valves, you can fine tune valve control (more power)


 

   This is much like the oil question. Again as often as you can afford it and
   as often as is practical for your lifestyle. Every 15k miles is a good start.
   Probably before every race too. Most owners never have this done.


 

   The engine production process is not perfect. Imperfections in the casting
   of parts leads to rough surfaces. A "port" usually involves remove/changing
   the size/shape of an opening. A "polish" smoothens the surface. The overall
   combination flows more than stock. Thus yielding better power.

   Changing the shape improves the path of intake air/fuel, and polishing smoothes
   the path, reducing turbulence.


 

   Fiat engineers a compromise on their camshafts (with respect to gas mileage,
   power, and idle quality)

   Remember your engine basics? This is where valve lift, duration, and overlap
   are played around with to produce more power out of an engine.

   By going with a performance grind, you usually get more power up top. You
   sacrifice some power down low as well as idle quality and gas mileage.

  
 

   With an adjustable cam sprocket, you can adjust the camshaft timing away from
   the mechanically set stock setting. Doing this you can fine tune the engine's
   behavior to produce more power. You will again likely sacrifice gas mileage
   as well as idle quality. A competent tuner and a dyno are essential to reap
   the max benefits from this modification.

   Apparently, people are having problems with installation of these parts.
   Some people have broken the set bolts which results in tuning adjustments
   thrown off. Consult the manufacturer for proper installation and torque
   setting when installing these.

  
 

*The unit used in the Panda 4X4 produced 50hp because of a different camshaft.

Basically all FIRE engines are interchangeable, the only exception being the 1242cc 16V. Keep in mind that the 16V will swap in, it just requires modifications to the mounting points and chassis.


 

   When rebuilding a motor, you need to think of your tuning path. Nitrous
   oxide? Turbo/Supercharged? NA?

   Choose your compression wisely or you'll need to buy stock in Octane Booster
   companies. Recall your engine basics and chemistry (PV = nRT). The more air
   and fuel you pack into a given volume, the higher the pressure and temperature
   will be. This all leads to premature combustion and causes engine detonation
   which can/will lead to destruction of the engine internals.


 

   This is a very touchy subject. Some people say they do, others don't.

   Here are some general comments :

   Every engine runs a little bit differently than others. How can
   one company claim to have a chip that can boost power up by XX horsepower.

   Make sure your chip company has a good dyno, and dyno proven
   results.

   Does your chip company custom tune to your car's setup. And just
   how do they do so without your car at their shop?

   Say your setup changes, what will your chip company do for you then?

   A money back guarantee is a nice thing.

   Raising your rev limiter does you no good unless you're making power up
   there. Better keep an eye on the valvetrain.

   Lately there have been some posts from people wanting to increase the
   redlines, or shift points on their cars.

   Why?

   A higher redline doesn't mean your car is faster, unless your valvestrain
   can support it.  If you have the stock valvetrain, you WILL have valve
   float. (The valves can't keep up with the cams or the pistons.  A Bad
   Thing.  The valves will smack into the pistons, and you'll end up with
   a pile of junk metal, not an engine.

   Get a straight answer on how easy it is to return the ECU to stock parameters.


 

   This is a process of shaving off a little of the bottom (mounting side
   to the engine block) of the cylinder head. By doing so, you
   reduce the size of the combustion chamber (you have effectively
   raised your compression ratio, good for power)

   Be careful about milling your head. I've been told the ~correct~
   way to change your compression ratio is to use ~domed~ pistons.
   A much more expensive route than milling the head (see why people
   mill now?)

   By milling your head, you may throw off your camshaft timing (see
   adjustable cam sprocket), your ignition timing will be off too
   (the distributor reads input off the intake camshaft),
   and you may introduce more timing belt slack.

   People claim milling the cylinder head ever so imperceptibly will not
   throw off these three areas too much (why bother then right?). With astronomically high RPM power range,
   milling your head just seems to me like pulling out the pin
   on a grenade.

   Now before every milled head groupie writes in saying a milled
   head is the bomb etc etc., it's your valvetrain and your money.
   You've been warned.

 

   The idea here is much the same as the lightened flywheel. Reduce the amount

   of mass your engine is using energy to move. I've held an OEM pulley,

   it's not extremely heavy. It is heavy enough to discourage you from dropping on your

   foot. So it looks like some power could be freed up by swapping the pulley

   out.



   Some companies making light crankshaft pulleys are Unorthodox Racing,

   Z.Speed (thought I saw it on the web page, can't find it now),

   and possibly DC Sports.

   By changing the diameter of pulleys running off your engine you can increase

   or decrease the amount of revolutions the pulleys get (think about gear ratios

   for a moment, and general gearing thoughts) Anyhow, using an underdrive pulley

   you can make less revolutions, sapping less power. This is good to use on say

   power steering or A/C. I do think that underdriving your accessories probably

   sacrifices how well they perform. You'll probably get less steering assist

   and cooling. I don't think it's wise to mess with your alternator.

   Blue printing is the most expensive way to gain power from your engine.

   It involves stripping the engine and re-building it as close a possible

   to the engineers 'blue prints' for the engine.



   Blue printing is only used in motorsport where there are strict rules on

   the mods that can be done to an engine.  Blue printing does not really

   modify the engine, only makes it closer in specification to the original

   blue print and thus more power.  However, due to this, the engine will

   also be more balanced and stronger...



   Power gains can be from zero to 40bhp... depending on engine.  With a

   Fiat I guess you would gain around 15bhp...



   Due to the high labor and skill involved, blueprinting is very

   expensive.

   SHOT PEENING is a method of cold working in which compressive stresses

   are induced in the exposed surface layers of metallic objects by the

   impingement of a stream of shot, directed at the metal surface at high

   velocity and under controlled conditions.  It differs from blast cleaning

   in primary purpose and in the extent to which it is controlled to yield

   accurate and reproducible results.  Although shot peening cleans the

   surface being peened, this function is incidental; the major purpose of

   shot peening is to increase fatigue strength.  The process has other

   useful applications, such as relieving tensile stresses that contribute to

   stress-corrosion cracking, forming and straightening of metal parts, and

   testing the adhesion of silver plate on steel."



   From: ASM Metals Handbook, eighth edition, volume 2, "Mechanical

   Finishing, Shot Peening", page 398, first paragraph.

    For every 10 F drop in temperature, expect a 1% (PERCENT, not

   horsepower) increase in power. For every 10 C drop in temp, expect a 3% gain.

   Expect performance to be worse if you're sucking in hot underhood

   temperatures. Colder air makes the motor run cooler as well as being more

   dense (remember Chemistry? PV = nRT?)



   



 

   A "ram air" setup is an intake method where the force of the car travelling

   through the air is used to literally ram air into the intake (a hood scoop

   is usually a good indication)



   A "ram air" setup is an intake setup where the input end of the intake

   system is placed facing towards the front of the car such that it can

   take in air that is at a higher pressure than that in the engine bay

   when the car is at speed.  At 60 mph, a ram air setup can provide up to

   0.5 psi of boost, and at 100 mph, 1 psi of boost.  Thus, a properly setup

   ram air acts like a small turbo system at high speeds (and is "free").

   Keep in mind that extending the intake hose to make the ram air setup

   introduces pressure losses (albeit minor) as the air now has to flow

   through more pipe.  Thus, keep the extension as short as possible."

   There are many concerns about aftermarket performance filters working, and

   which yields the biggest horsepower.



   Some people swear by foam intakes (while dissenters say yes they yield more

   power, but let a lot of dirt in)



   Others are simply satisified by K&N or S&B filters. An oiled cotton

   filter. The idea being the porous cotton allows the air in, the oil traps

   the dirt. The K&N uses electrostatic charge to attract and capture dirt

   and dust. The oil is positively) charged, and therefore attracts dust

   and dirt, which carries a (negative) charge.



   Bottom line, a performance filter is better than the restrictive air box

   found on stock cars.



   IMHO, if tuner cars (Saleen, etc) come from the dealerships with exposed

   K&N filters, that means something about it's performance and filtering

   effect. They do however allow more dirt in!!

   A very heated issue. Apparently Fiat motors respond very well

   to cold air velocity stacked setups.



   All systems should give similar dyno results. I would expect no more than

   6-8 hp. 

   You may also want to DIY and make your own effective intake kit with dryer

   hose for your cold air.



   

   Be careful with cold air systems as they may allow the engine to suck in water

   (in wetter areas) Excessive water in the engine will damage the engine

   seriously.

   The throttle body is the device which regulates air into the engine via the

   gas pedal. By enlarging it's size you can allow more air to flow through

   (hence more power) Be careful removing too much material.



   Expect a gas mileage decrease too. A bigger throttle body helps

   aggressive cams idle better. In fact some cams require a bored throttle body.



   Throttle bodies allow more air flow across the board, so you should

   see an increase in power across the RPM board of about 3-5hp.



   Throttle bodies should lean out air/fuel ratio so you shouldn't

   have a smog problem.

   Radiator fluid is passed through the throttle body to keep it from freezing

   shut. This also heats the air going into the motor. By removing the lines

   from the throttle body and connecting them together, you avoid the air

   heating up. So expect more power. Don't do this if it snows in your town.



   Another easy modification to cool things off is locating the coolant pipes

   that lead to the throttle body, and using a "Straight T" attach them.

   This will bypass the throttle body and keep it cool.   

   WARNING! You may not want to do this trick since it may cause your

   car's warming up idle to fluctuate! Somehow you need to warm up

   the fast idle thermo valve (which mounts on the underside of the TB and the

   hoses connect to). Once someone figures out how to keep this happy,

   it should be a streetable modification.

   You must reset the ECU after a tb swap.

   The throttle body mounts to the intake manifold. Fiat also places a gasket

   to seal these two parts together. By enlarging the throttle body opening,

   the intake manifold and the gasket no longer match the throttle body's

   opening. Imagine trying to flow air through a 5 inch opening then suddenly

   run into a 4 inch section. This situation may hamper air velocity more

   than the added value of allowing more air through the throttle body itself.

   Be sure to get your intake manifold match ported.

   This is a process of pushing an abrasive mud-like compound through engine

   parts where air, fuel, or exhaust flow through. The parts become very

   smoothed out and to some extent enlargened. Probably doesn't make much of a difference on

   cars that aren't supercharged or turbocharged.

   The resonator is a plastic box that is mounted below and joining to the

   stock air intake box. It's purpose is to silence the air entering

   your engine. By removing the resonator box you open up the engine

   to more cooler air. For all manufactured cold air intakes, you must

   remove the resonator. A good trick to do is to remove the resonator

   and put some dryer hose in it's place to further channel cooler

   air into the engine. 

   As your new car breaks in, so does the throttle cable. It may develop

   slack over time that actually may prohibit you throttle body

   from ever seeing WOT. This is bad for power. If you have a friend

   press all the way down on the gas pedal, you can then verify

   the throttle cable is indeed opening the throttle body all the way.

   Some get really loud, some drone during cruising, some aren't really loud at

   all. It's very subjective and it's hard to judge without sound measuring

   equipment. Best thing to do is to listen to systems and note the pipe diameter

   and the muffler used.



   If you can hear the car coming from 10 blocks away, I'd say that's pretty

   loud.

   Much like the intake system, a very heated issue again.

   Good for you! First you need to find a reputable custom muffler shop. 2.25"

   inch pipe is desirable for NA setups. For turbocharged think 3" piping.

   Mandrel bent (smooth bends) are ideal to ensure minimal back pressure.

   The muffler shop should be able to recommend a straight through muffler

   (Borla -- considered the best, Ultra Flo) correctly sized for your engine to minimize noise. And

   tips are your option. Remember stainless is better for life (salt on roads?)

   but much money. And to quiet down exhaust noise, a resonator is highly recommended.

   Make sure you get a properly sized resonator so as to not hurt your power.



Note: NA cars need back pressure more then Boosted vehicles since the turbo/supercharger provides back pressure. 

If a turbo car has no back pressure on the exhaust it will experience premature seal failure

   These are the pipes leading from cylinder head down to underneath the car to

   the rest of the exhaust system. By replacing these restrictive pipes you can

   decrease backpressure and get more power.

    4-1 (4 pipes into 1) headers are the best design for high revving horsepower engines, but they give up so

   much bottom end power it's not practical on the street.

   Thankfully most/all manufactured systems are 4-2-1 designs.

   Expect an increase, but it won't be earth shattering unless you're running some

   mean engine mods or a forced induction setup.

   If you get caught in Portugal, it's a pretty hefty fine. Don't play,

   if you can't pay.



I've been told at the MOT that it's not required to have a cat if it passes emissions.

   Maybe both! ;D Stainless steel costs a lot of money. A good coating would cost

   another $100-$300. So you can see why manufacturers don't coat their stainless

   headers (and some people regard the purplish color of heated stainless headers

   as pretty)



   Anyhow, I would recommend ceramic coated headers to keep the heat inside

   the headers as much as possible. I've noticed the engine bay/hood areas

   pick up a lot of ambient heat from uncoated headers. Choose wisely!



   Remember, if you don't have a cold air intake : you could be picking up

   heated air from your aftermarket non coated headers!

   A high flow cat will outflow a stock cat. However, I doubt any cat can truly outflow

   a straight pipe in its place. ;D



   So do high flow cats really clean up the exhaust but let more flow through?

   Yes, but it may still fail the emissions in some places.



   If you've got money to burn and only want to pollute the environment

   half as much for a little more power, then by all means buy a high flo

   cat.

   For more nitrous oxide info read http://www.primenet.com/~punchie/NOSfaq.htm

   Also check out http://onetinc.com/~stank/cars/nos.html.

   Subject: NOS jet sizes



   Now correct me if I am wrong but I thought that a dry system only fogged

   nitrous into the intake. Maybe I am wrong, here is the jet size

   for a wet system, maybe it might help you



   NOS             FUEL

   43              28       80hp

   41              26       70hp

   39              24       60hp

   37              22       50hp



   

   jetting for a dry manifold NOS kit:

   40hp		34 nitrous/44 fuel

   50hp 	37 nitrous/42 fuel

   60hp		38 nitrous/42 fuel

   70hp		41 nitrous/36 fuel

   80hp*	44 nitrous/34 fuel+

   90hp*	46 nitrous/34 fuel+



   (*)Larger fuel pump reccomended/(+)requires a .040" shim be placed in

   the co2 regulator.(this is the large apparatus between the two solenoids

   the top will unscrew from it) you also may have to experiment with

   leaning out the fuel jet for maximum performance. Also make sure the

   line between the Stock fpr is hose clamped or that you are using the NOS

   fuel pressure safety switch otherwise you might break something you

   don't want to fix. later.





   Be careful with the dry system, the jet numbers go backwards from the

   wet/direct systems. (Ie. the higher the fuel number jet the LESS it flows).

   See turbo mag, May 96 issue for all the jettings to start with on all

   systems. I'm putting in a single fogger 60hp shot in my prelude today,

   I'll let you know what jettings we end up using.



   > Now correct me if I am wrong but I thought that a dry system only fogged

   > nitrous into the intake..maybe I am wrong...well NE way here

   Yea, that's right. Dry system injects nitrous into the intake. But there

   is a fuel "T" that connects to the solenoid and taps into the fuel line at

   the fuel pressure regulator. So when nitrous is injected, you need more

   fuel to compensate for this, thus the fuel jets. More nitrous, then more

   fuel. Basically, unlike the wet systems, its a single fogger with one

   outlet for the nitrous and the second part of this fogger is located at

   the "T" connector.



   No. It's 13 parts air and one part fuel. The best A/F ratio for power is

   about 12.7:1, 14:1 is "normal" and 15:1 will get you the best gas mileage.



   If you can spray, and still run 12.7:1 in the upper RPM ranges, then your

   car will make ALOT of power.  If you jet it for 60HP, and then run 15:1,

   you will make less power than if you jetted for 50HP and ran 13:1.

   Make sense???  That's why I say to install the 34N, then watch the A:F.

   Not much. A 50hp system such as the 5122 dry manifold NOS kit would be

   safe on a stock block."



   The upper limit on NOS capability seems to be around 80-120hp

   shot (direct port of course) You will need to add the appropriate

   fuel of course!

   Some dropped about 1 full sec in the 1/4 with a 50hp dry system.

   It really depends on the type of car."

   In Portugal, Nitrous oxide goes for about 8euros/kg. 15 lbs is the weight of

   the bottle empty. There is 10 lbs of nitrous oxide in the bottle. So a

   full bottle weighs 25lbs, 10 lbs being the gas itself.



Note: It is forbiden by law to install Nitrous Oxide on a road going vehicle in Portugal, it may only be used in track conditions.

   I had a backfire out of my filter once. I was told by NOS that there was

   probably an air bubble in the lines. You can sometimes trap air when you are

   removing and installing the bottle. If you add a PURGE VALVE to your kit this

   will eliminate the chance of another inicident.

Not that I'm aware of, Smoketech will not have a SC kit available anytime soon.

   Greddy offers a pretty good basic picture of how a turbocharged engine works :

   http://www.greddy.com/turbo.html



   Remember, FIRE engines are normally aspirated engines. They tend to run

   a more aggressive compression ratio than an OEM turbocharged engine.

   So you're limited to how much boost you can spool.



   Heres some engine and boost advice :



   It is not recommended to run over 7 psi of boost on stock pistons. Stock

   rods can take up to 10 psi of boost on a daily driver and the

   occasional 12-14 psi. Any more boost on a day to day basis or the occasion

   14 psi at the track, you better get better rods.



   The safest turbo applications generally follow these rules:

    5 psi : intercooler

    7 psi : pistons

   10 psi : DFI or something to look after your fuel and timing

   12 psi : rods



   DFI is a little extreme, but then again, how often

   do we want to take apart our motor."

   



   Exhaust manifold [Ed : Last I saw, was welded, stainless optional]

   Garrett GT15 turbo

   Exhaust downpipe adapter

   Air-to air intercooler

   Stainless intake pipes

   HKS sequential blowoff valve

   High-pressure / high-volume fuel pump

   Boost dependent fuel pressure regulator

   Boost gauge

   Braided steel oil lines

   Water lines for turbo

   MAP sensor bypass

   All silicone hoses and clamps

   1bar, 180 flywheel hp (on 999cc)

    JE low compression forged pistons

3500 euros

   Yes, normally aspirated cams, especially high RPM oriented such as DOHC

   have longer duration and overlap.  when you use force induction,

   you don't need all this duration and overlap...  a properly engineering

   cam for turbo applications would offer KILLER torque curve and

   power.



   Overlap is used as a way of exiting exhaust gases to actually suck in

   the intake charge. So imagine if you have a lot of overlap on a turbo.

   Under boost, the compressed air would blow right through the cylinder.

   You wouldn't get all that quality compressed air to stay in the cylinder!

   A turbo's boost is typically regulated by a wastegate. A wastegate

   reroutes some exhaust flow around the turbo, thereby not allowing

   the turbo to spin any faster. Some wastegates can be adjusted,

   others cannot. Whatever the case, the wastegate's signal to open comes

   from the compressor side of the turbo itself. This air pressure signal is

   linear and gets stronger as boost increases. Performance wise, this kind

   of regulation is bad because the wastegate always stays open under

   boost. Only electronic boost controllers are able to keep the wastegate

   shut as long as possible (thereby reaching max boost faster).

   A manual boost controller either bleeds off or restricts the air pressure

   signal going to the wastegate. In effect, the wastegate is fooled into

   staying shut longer (thus allowing more exhaust to spin the turbo,

   thus making more boost). MBCs aren't very precise but they're really

   cheap and do work. They are prone to boost spiking because they aren't very

   complicated devices. Normally as boost builds, the wastegate

   creeps open. However w/ a MBC in the middle, when the pressure signal does

   indeed become strong enough to open the wastegate, the MBC doesn't allow

   the wastegate to open completely. Call it wastegate delay if you will.

   A resulting boost spike happens (as the turbo happily spins unregulated).

   It doesn't last long (by human standards), but hey funny things can

   happen when you don't have enough fuel for the boost.



   Like I said, manual boost controller tend not to be accurate since they

   do not account for weather, temperature, barometer pressure etc. etc.. You

   really do get what you pay for and for the DSM guys who keep telling me

   that the 10-11 sec DSM cars are using manual boost controllers, good for you...

   but you do not have experience with turbo Fiats... all I gotta say is that

   the damn deltagates and the TVVC's or the VBC's don't work that well. well

   good luck..."



   Electronic controllers differ in that they usually have a small microprocessor

   using an expensive air pressure solenoid. With such sophisticated technology,

   they can regulate the wastegate more precisely. The wastegate stays shut long

   enough, and the EBC can effectively open/close the wastegate. EBCs can

   also precisely maintain a boost level (so your motor never does exceed that

   fine line of running great and a blown up motor) They also handle

   environmental changes quite well.

   The HKS EVC III/IV is considered to be the best damn unit. However,

   A'PEXi's AVC-R makes a strong bid to upset the EVC's title.

   There are many reports of problems with Greddy's Profec.

   Interestingly enough, they've released a Profec B w/o fuzzy logic.

   A blow off valve mechanically performs similarly to a wastegate (a pressure

   signal causes it to open. Whereas a wastegate reroutes exhaust around the turbo,

   a BOV reroutes compressed air into the atmosphere or back into the intake

   side of the turbo). A BOV vents compressed air during upshifts (when the

   throttle plate slams shut) If the BOV wasn't there, the compressed air has

   no where to go but back into the turbo (bad bad bad). People usually associate

   turbocharged cars with BOVs (cool sound!)



   A BOV compares two pressure readings (one after the throttle plate, and

   one before) If the pressure pre-throttle plate is greater than the post

   throttle plate pressure, than the BOV opens and vents the pre-throttle

   plate air. So a BOV performs three things 1) Prolongs turbo life

   2) Increases turbo response (when vented to atmosphere, sometimes

   venting back into the intake hurts response), and 3) Sounds cool.



   You need it adjustable because at part throttle under boost, the

   pre-throttle pressure may be greater. So you need some degree of

   flexibility so as to not have the BOV open under part throttle

   while on boost.

   Remember the spark plug gap allows only a certain amount of energy to jump.

   More energy won't jump across unless you also widen the spark

   plug gap. The gap distance determines the voltage requirements

   for a spark. There's a reason why OEM plug wires are very resistive,

   you don't need a huge amount of current to fire the plug, you need

   a great deal of voltage (V = IR, typical plug wires are in k Ohms,

   voltage is really high, current is really low)



   The voltage (V) is constant in your ignition system due to the physical properties

   of your ignition coil. Keep this in mind when you read the following sections.

   Recall that Current = Voltage / Resistance (I=V/R), as resistance

   goes down, current goes up. For you math inclined types :

         The limit of I as R->0 = infinity.



   The least resistive plug wires will transmit more of the available

   current to the plug electrode (ensuring that a consistent good spark

   will happen).



   If the plug wires are prohibiting full power transfer of your ignition

   system in turn causing a weak spark for the combustion process, then

   changing them out will yield more power. Otherwise plug wires alone

   cannot give you more hp.



   Nology manufactures wires with capacitors inline. Theoretically they lower

   the discharge time thereby increasing electrical power. Do recall

   the above information before purchasing Nology wires.



 Wires will ONLY increase performance or mpg when you are replacing old beat-up wires which

   were hurting your car's performance/mpg in the first place."

   Stick with the OEM  plugs. If you're running forced induction or

   nitrous oxide you may want to consider switching to a different plug.

   You may elect to run a colder plug (see owner's manual for part numbers)

   if you're modified since your car will be running a bit hotter.

   Since the motor is running hotter, your plugs will be running hotter.

   A hot plug may cause the air/fuel mixture to auto-ignite (detonation)



   Anyone wanna submit their favorites for these respective setups?

   These terms refer to the operating temperature of the plug. The ceramic

   portion of the plug is longer allowing less heat transfer from the plug

   to the cylinder head (increasing the plug's operating temperature)

   In other words : a longer ceramic makes a longer path, a longer path

   means more resistance to heat flow, more resistance to heat flow means

   less heat loss, less heat loss means higher temperatures.

   In this case it's a hotter plug. A colder plug works the opposite way.



   For heavily modified cars, you always want to run a colder plug in order to

   avoid detonation from extreme operating temperature (see glow plugs in

   diesel engines. Explanation : Glow plugs in diesel engines are not actually

   spark plugs. They are merely heat coils that auto-ignite the air/fuel

   mixture. No spark. So when running heavy duty modified engines,

   check your exhaust gas temperature and then select your plug

   heat range accordingly.

   The more air you pack into a cylinder the more difficult it is for a spark to

   jump across the plug gap. An ignition upgrade is a must for forced induction

   setups as well as big nitrous oxide shots. This is to ensure that your

   (OEM) coil is quickly and electrically capable of consistent high voltage

   outputs with a good chunk of current.

   From my understanding, engine ECU's advance the timing to the max spec allowed

   at higher RPM's. So expect advanced timing to only help at lower to mid

   range RPMs. Advanced timing tends to make throttle response crisper

   and bumps up the power a bit down low.



   However if you advance the timing too much, you may get detonation

   at lower rpm's. What happens is the air/fuel ignites, but the engine

   speed is way too low. These two opposing forces meet and your engine

   starts making lovely knocking sounds.



   So be careful when advancing your timing, and listen at lower RPMs for

   detonation.

   This is to be placed here later.

   This is one of those every little bit helps modifications. Don't expect

   a huge increase, but it does help a little. I believe Ken Woods

   mentioned it was probably good for a .5% increase in hp. It originates

   from those hardcore drag racing machines which translates into a bigger

   chunk of horsepower for their motors.



   Ideally the plug should be facing the the intake valves. What that means

   is the open side of the plug (opposite of the electrode prong) faces

   the intake valves. This promotes a much better air+fuel burn.



   Sometimes when tightening your plugs, they will be positioned correctly.

   For those times they do not line up, you will need to purchase spark

   plug indexing washers. These work by varying the thickness of the washer,

   allowing more or less threading rotation; thus aligning the plug

   towards the intake valves. You can buy the washers at Summit or your local

   muscle car shop usually.

   If you have upgraded your ignition system, you may want to consider widening

   your gap by just a little bit (not too much!). Consult your ignition's

   manufacturer for gap recommendations. With the added punch of an upgraded

   ignition system and plug wires, you now have more electrical power to jump

   the gap. But remember, this extra power can only be put to use

   with a wider gap. Don't get gap happy though, because there's a point

   of diminishing returns. It's probably not worth gapping larger

   unless you have an upgraded coil.

   By examining your spark plugs, you can determine how your engine is

   runing air/fuel ratio wise. You don't want to run too rich or too lean

   and your spark plugs are a good indication of what's happening.



   A light tan is good, and what you are aiming for.

    Black means too much fuel

    White means not enough fuel."



    My Diamond Star Motors friend says the best way to check your air/fuel

    ratio under W (ide) O (pen) T (hrottle) (pedal to the floor)

    is to put in a fresh set of plugs. Make a WOT pass and immediately shut

    down the car, and brake to a stop with engine off. Then check your plugs.

    Although this maneuver may be highly illegal on a public road, it guarantees

    a good plug reading.

    Not much. Your Fiat engine ECU already has a built in rev limit you

    cannot exceed. If you do desire to kick in your rev limit earlier,

    than an aftermarket ignition unit with a rev limiter can do so

    for you. Usually, the ignition unit will offer a drop sparks

    in a more gentler manner for the the motor.

    This is another heated issue. Some people claim they saw horsepower gains,

    others claim they do not. Some say the wires cause interference with on board

    electronics. Others claim they need upgraded engine grounding wires to reap

    their benefits.



    From Nology's website :

    "Anyone that had physics in college knows the formula for power. In this case we're

    referring to ignition spark power. Power equals work divided by time, (P=W/t). Thus,

    to get more power, you have to do the same amount of work in less time. Manufacturers

    of conventional ignition systems though, want you to believe that it is possible to

    increase the power of ignition systems by lengthening the spark duration. This is not true!

    Lengthening the spark duration actually reduces spark power, as we already know, (P=W/t)."



    Nology offers a very convincing argument why their product should make engines

    produce more power.



    Although I have a few problems with their electrical/engine argument, I definitively

    don't know enough to dis/prove their claims.



    I would like to point out that :



    1) Nology has a very low resistance plug wire (too low for street use?)



    2) Must use special expensive Beru plugs



    3) Besides shortening the time of discharge, the wires do nothing

       to bolster the energy side of the equation.



    4) Interestingly enough, Nology now sells a coil to complement

       their wires.



    5) In car stereo circles, capacitors are used to stabilize power fluctuations

       when amplifiers are driven hard. These capacitors in no way make

       the amplifier generate more output wattage (power). How do Nology

       capacitors differ?

   Persistent crunching during shifts may be an indication of bad synchros

   in the transmisson.



   Sometimes a rough tranny needs a simple transmission fluid change. Many racers

   have had success with using Redline MTL transmission fluid in their Fiat

   gearboxes. Redline also has a new ShockProof transmission fluid now.



   Also, be sure you're always rev (RPM) matching when shifting. This is

   especially so during downshifting. The 2nd --> 1st gear shift tends to be

   stiff at times. A careful blip of the gas pedal in neutral to bring the tach

   to about 5k RPM may be required to get the shifter to slip into 1st gear.



   For those with hydraulic clutches, make sure your master cylinder's seals

   are good. Otherwise your clutch may not be full engaging/disengaging

   when pressing on the clutch pedal.

   This phenomenon results from a clutch that repeatedly grabs hold of the

   flywheel and then loses it's grip. You will notice clutch chatter the most

   in 1st gear accelerating from a complete stop. The whole car will shudder

   as the clutch slips and then grabs... then repeats. Eventually the clutch

   should catch, and off you go.



   Typically performance/racing clutches have some to severe clutch chatter.

   To some extent you can avoid the chatter by riding on (aka slipping) the

   clutch.

   Again, another heated issue. Some recommend Centerforce, others warn that for

   some FWD transmissions they use rebuilt aftermarket clutches and neglect to

   use the weights.



   Current clutch players are :



      Bullfrog, JG Engine Dynamics, Centerforce, Clutchmasters,

      RPS Turbo Clutch, and Dynamic AutoSports/Action Double D.

   The idea behind this is to reduce the amount of weight your engine uses power

   to move. One heavy item to shave weight off is the flywheel. For street, it's

   recommended to shave off about 5 lbs. For racing, you may consider removing

   even more. The negative effect of lightening your flywheel is the loss of

   rotational mass inertia when accelerating from a stop. Without careful

   clutch and throttle work you may stall the engine more often. Be sure to

   rebalance your flywheel after lightening.





   What you have to consider is the rotational inertia [when lightening], as

   that's what's important here.  My stock flywheel weighed in around 18lbs,

   and I removed about 5.5-6lbs. The thing to look at though, is where did

   the weight come off?  Notice that there is an outer 'ring' on the back of

   the flywheel and that's where a good chunk of material comes off.  I machined

   the back side flat, and just skimmed off all the rough casting surface on the

   rest of the back so I don't think I compromised the strength in any way.

   For the extra 2-3 lbs you'd save, I don't think a billet flywheel is worth

   the insane price.



   Just take it to a machine shop you trust, and have them cut the back of the

   flywheel.  Please don't drill any holes in it though.  If you're really

   worried, an SFI scattersheild would be the answer."

   Conventional transmissions have an open differential. This allows both

   wheels to spin independently. Under certain conditions,

   having them spin independently isn't ideal (launching). At the same time,

   having them both spinning at the same rate isn't a good solution

   either (a welded differential doesn't take turns gracefully). Enter the

   limited slip differential. This mechanical device replaces your open

   differential and allows your wheels to spin independently. Once a certain

   threshold of wheel slippage happens, the LSD causes power to be transferred

   to the wheel with more traction. This allows engine power to be put down during

   huge torque launches or powering through a turn.



   A torque sensing (TorSen) and torque biasing (Quaife) LSD, which [both] operate on

   the same principle NEVER lock.  When one wheel starts to slide, torque is

   progressively transfered to the wheel with more traction. Under

   most circumstances there [is] no wheel slippage.  Under certain

   conditions wheel slip will occur slightly."



   "There are three popular types of LSD available for Fiat's :



   - Torque sensing/biasing; worm gear type - Quaife,

   TorSen...



   These units use complex (some say surprisingly simple) gears

   to automatically adjust the torque split. It will give more

   torque to the wheel with more grip. It works as we computer dudes

   called "automagically".  Reputed to be excellent for street use.  Will

   not work with one wheel in the air. [Ed. note : see warning about

   LSD care]



   - Clutch packs - Mugen, Cusco, CRE...



   The most popular LSD used for road racing/autox applications. Clutch pack

   type uses multiple friction discs to limit the slip. They do wear out but

   they are rebuildable. Locking percentage depends on the builder. Will work

   with one wheel in air.  Response time is quick.  One way LSD - locks

   under acceleration only.  Two way LSD - will lock under acceleration and

   deceleration.



   - Viscous coupling.  Real-Time 4WD.



   Used as the center differential in AWD. Also used by other cars

   such as Porsche 959 (center diff), Nissan SR20DE (NX2000, SE-R, Infiniti G20),

   Diamond Star Motors Eclipse/Talon/Laser AWD (center diff). Uses special fluids

   that thickens quickly when one axle starts to spin. Response is slightly retarded

   but works great as the center diff.  As a FWD diff it works okay, better than

   a open diff any day!



   

    Unlike clutch type LSD's, Quaife/Torsen units do not wear out.

    Torque split is continously variable.  About the only drawback

    on Quaife/Torsen units is the higher cost when compared to

    clutch pack and/or viscous LSD's.  Quaife/Torsen's work very well

    for FWD applicaitons, because the torque transfer is very smooth,

    unlike clutch packs which tend to be very abrupt and tends to

    cause undesirable steering effects...  but it still comes down

    to driver preference and track testing results.  Most BTCC cars

    use clutch packs, as serious FWD race cars often lift the inside

    front tire on corners...  Quaife/Torsen's do not work when a

    wheel becomes unloaded in air.



    As far as which one to get, that depends on how much they sell Torsen's for. Quaife's are about $1200.  If

    the Torsen units are cheaper, then I'd go for that.

    Yes you do! Otherwise you may actually damage the LSD.

    Straight from Fiat, here are things you shouldn't do on a LSD equipped Fiat :



    1) Never mix wheel/tire combinations from side to side (DO NOT USE A SPARE TIRE

       if you get a flat in front, use one from the back!)



    2) Do not run the engine to on-car wheel balance your wheels&tires.

       Your balancer must be self-driven and both wheels must be completely

       off the ground. You may damage the LSD if you don't follow these directions!

 I'm still not aware of the aftermarket support in this area.

   Speedometers are notoriously inaccurate at high speeds due to

   tire deformation and speedo calibration etc. So no they're not

   very accurate. And please don't endanger people on public

   roads shooting for a top speed test of your vehicle.



   

   There's a couple kinds of brake fade. Brake fade is the inability of the car's

   braking system to function properly due to overuse of the brakes.



   Heat is the main culprit. There are many things to upgrade to prolong maximum

   brake performance.

   Again, another heated issue (is this getting to be a cliche yet?) You need
   to determine whether or not you car needs race brake pads or street
   enthusiast ones.

   Racing brake pads tend to leave a very stubborn dust on wheels and the body
   paint. This requires constant cleaning or it bonds permanently. Some race
   pads are extremely noisy and may even destroy rotors in a few
   days/weeks/months (depending on how you drive!) Race pads will only be effective within their temperature range, usually not seen on the street.

   Many people have had good success with Repco/Axxis MetalMaster pads. Other
   brands to look into are Hawk, Performance Friction, and Porterfields.


 

   Theoretically, the extreme heat build up between the brake pad and the rotor

   causes gases to be released from the brake pad. The pad is then riding on

   this thin layer of gas and is not able to fully contact the rotor. You push

   harder on the brakes but even more gases are released and so the braking

   effectiveness is decreased. This is known as pad fade. A cross drilled or

   slotted rotor provides a channel for the gases to evacuate.



   Be careful using drilled rotors since they may cause uneven brake pade wear

   and sometimes are prone to cracking (the drilling causes weakness in the

   rotor)



   It should be mentioned by drilling the rotors, you will actually create less

   surface area to dissipate heat. Your mileage may vary with cross drilled

   rotors.



   Other shops slot their rotors. This involves creating a groove (slot) into the

   rotor. The idea behind this modification is to allow an edge on the rotor for

   the brake pad to bite into. By slotting the rotors, you can ensure even brake

   pad wear as well. Theoretically the slotting of rotors would increase surface

   area, so you might be able to expect a cooler rotor.



   IMHO,  upgrading your rotors may not be a worthwhile effort. I would only

   do so if you have a severe brake fade problem. Most street enthusiast

   driving does not punish the brakes hard enough. A big brake kit may be a better option.

   When brake fluid gets hot enough it boils. Like many other aspects of

   automotive performance, high temperature brake fluid has its compromise.

   In order to make a brake fluid withstand high temperatures, it tends to

   absorb water very quickly. Thus all brake fluids are rated at two

   temperatures, wet (absorbed water) and dry (no water).



   WARNING! High performance brake fluids tend to absorb water quickly,

   and some need to be bled before each race. Bleeding your brake fluid is

   important to your master cylinder life. On aged Fiats, its common for the

   Master Cylinder to go bad gradually. If you notice that the brakes are mushy

   and start to fade in traffic or on hot days, especially if it you've just bled

   the brakes, then you've got a bad Master Cylinder. Your local big parts store

   should have rebuilt master cylinders with a life time warranty for not too

   much money. Fix it fast or you may regret it.  We don't want to have to tell

   your next-of-kin that we told you so.



   Again a lot of people have their favorites of fluid to purchase. Motul, Castrol

   Heavy Duty, Wilwood 570, Lucas Girling DOT 5.1, and Super ATE.

   In a word no. Aftermarket lines improve the feel of the brakes; offering

   a firmer, more positive feeling of control to the driver. A low buck tuner

   way to make the brake lines firmer feeling is to use zip ties around the

   softer OEM brake lines.

   When Z.Speed looked into getting DOT approval for their stainless lines, they

   found that there is no certification process. There is a spec for brake lines

   however.  Z.Speed's lines meets or exceeds the DOT standard.



   When SMC first started selling lines (early 96), they were selling Goodridge

   lines (which claimes to be the 1st DOT approved lines). I'm not sure if SMC sell

   their own lines now.



   Stillen also recently started to market Goodridge lines."

   Diameter : This refers to the diameter of the wheel. Most people regard

   a large wheel as attractive. Remember larger wheels tend to weigh more.



   Offset : This refers to the distance in mm between the centerline and

   the mounting surface of the wheel. If you're unsure of what this means check

   out http://www.tirerack.com/wheels/tech/wheeltech.htm for a diagram better

   illustrating this.



   Width : This refers to how wide the wheel is. This determines what tire widths

   the wheel can accomodate. The general width rule is that the wheel width

   should be no less than 70% of the tire width.

   When choosing wheels and tires, it's a good idea to ensure that the overall

   diameter of the new combination is +/- 2% of the OEM configuration. Your

   speedometer will be changed as well as your effective gear ratio. You may

   want to rethink your car's shift points.



   Once you've determined what wheel diameter you're interested in, and what

   tires size will make a good combination ... it's time to measure your

   inner clearance. I'd recommend turning your car's front wheels completely

   to the left and right and checking clearance.



   Also jack up one corner of the car at a time to compress the opposite corner

   of the car. Doing this you can get an idea of what kind of clearance your car

   has under hard cornering or loaded down.



   If you're looking for a way to calculate wheel/tire combinations, check out :

   http://mr2.com/cgi-bin/tires.cgi

   For handling, the widest width for the tire and lightness are desirable. The

   wider wheel ensures a stabler tire contact patch and minimizes tire sidewall

   flex. You're sure to get as much of your tire rubber down on the pavement

   where it needs to be. Having light wheels reduces the amount of unsprung

   weight. Unsprung weight is an area we'll neglect to mention, but suffice it

   so say less is good. For more wheel information, again consult :

   http://www.tirerack.com/wheels/tech/wheeltech.htm



   For acceleration, you want lightness and perhaps a shorter wheel/tire

   combination than the stock setup. With lighter wheels, the engine uses less

   power accelerating the wheels' mass. With a shorter tire/wheel combination,

   you can effectively change your gear ratio for the better. Don't go too short,

   otherwise you'll have to shift every 20 feet. ;D





    - Expensive mags are not necessary the lightest.

    - The more open the mag's style, the more likely that it's lighter.

    - Larger size tires weigh more.  Especially performance tires that has

      a firmer construction (in plys and belts)."



   [Ed : Generally bigger wheels will weigh more than smaller wheels.

   Think about it. Also, I'd expect a tire and air to weigh less

   than solid metal itself. Don't you think? Remember don't go

   with too heavy wheels!]

   OEM wheels are hubcentric. They are produced in such a way that they fit snugly

   on the hub (wheel mount location). The hub has a ridge on it that mates to the

   backside of the wheel. This is done to ensure proper centering

   of the wheel on the hub.



   Aftermarket wheels are usually overbored on the backside for different car applications.

   Special adapter rings are manufactured for individual cars to ensure their wheel is

   hub-centered when mounted.



   If not properly centered, you can have a steering wheel shimmy.

   People look at tires primarily in these ways : cost, life, noise, wet

   performance, and dry performance.



   Manufacturers take all of these factors and more into account when making

   tires. Currently there is no miracle tire that will do everything you want

   the best. So choose your tire carefully within your budget.

   It's not so much the low profile tires, it's more of the volume of air you

   have now. If you've chosen a wise tire/wheel combination and haven't reduced

   your volume of air much, expect your ride quality to be the same.

   For cornering, you usually want enough air pressure in the tire to avoid

   tire rollover. Tire rollover is indicated by the scuff marks you see	on

   the sidewall after some spirited driving.



   Here's an easy test to figure out how much rollover there is : Put some

   chalk across the outer edge of your tire until 1 - 2 inches onto the

   sidewall. You can use shoe polish too. Go out and take a turn hard.

   Wherever the tire met the pavement is where your marks will be missing.

   So you can determine how much rollover you're experiencing! Start with

   recommended tire pressures from the factory and add or reduce air psi

   until you like the ride quality and cornering attitude.



   Remember FWD Fiats usually understeer by design. You usually want more

   tire rollover in back in order to make the rear end turn better.

   It all depends on how you define "good" Usually the best gripping tires wear

   out in less than 30k miles, some even as little as 10k miles (any NSX owners

   out there?) If you choose a reputable company's top notch Z rated tire, you

   won't be disappointed although you will notice a hefty price tag on them.

   Budget accordingly.



   Some good high performance tires are Dunlop Sp Sport 8000, Yokohama AVS-i,

   Bridgetsone S0-1, etc etc

   Engineers design the suspension of a car to perform certain alignment

   changes when under compression (weight transfer, bodyroll, cornering, etc)

   Usually a typical Fiat suspension experiences toe in as well as

   negative camber under cornering. This is done to ensure the car

   maintains as much tire footprint as possible under cornering.

   So when you lower the car, the suspension becomes

   partially compressed causing your suspension to think you're

   cornering 24 hours/day. While this is great for cornering,

   this is bad for tire life for long distance driving.

   When driven in a straight line, the tires ride on the inner

   most edge causing extremely short tire life. IMHO, it's

   the combination of toe in and negative camber that causes

   rapid tire wear. The rear suspension is not severely effected on Fiats.

  

   Stiffer isn't better. Be VERY careful when modifying your suspension. Make

   sure you understand what you're trying to fix by switching out parts and

   changing alignment settings.



   Make sure your familiar with the principles of weight transfer as well as

   understeer and oversteer. Keep in mind your vehicle's weight distribution

   and drivetrain layout.

   This is a very personal question you should ask yourself. :D There are

   hundreds of hopped up Fiats with ground clearance of no more than a few

   inches. Some say this is attractive looking and good for cornering.



   Although a lower center of gravity is desirable, the struts on these

   cars are usually riding on the bumpstops. This results in suspension

   bottoming very frequently (not a very comfortable experience) With the

   limited range of travel, you may actually hinder the suspensions ability to

   put down the maximum tire contact patch on uneven roads (which road is ever

   perfectly clean and flat eh?)



   Be careful not to go too low, especially when travelling over various

   environments (snow, mud, flood, grass, dirt, and even big potholes) I've had

   a friend who put a huge dent and gouges into his oil pan from a large pothole

   when he dragged (at this point I wouldn't call it driving) his lowered

   car over it.



   Finally the last concern is tire wear. Lowering a Fiat results in a some

   negative camber (an alignment change). The negative camber makes the top of

   your tires tilt inwards. When driving in a turn, the tires sit up straight

   which is great for cornering. However in a straight line, they ride along the

   inner edge of the tire, resulting in heavy uneven tire wear.



   Conservative lowerings are usually 1-1.5" A heavy street enthusiast lowering

   is 1.75"-2.25" inches. A race car lowering is 2.25" or more. Keep in mind, race

   cars get hurt frequently and racers don't mind hurting them. Would you mind

   hurting your street car frequently?

   A linear rate spring has the same stiffness throughout its compression. A

   progressive one is wound in such a way that as it gets compressed more, the

   spring rate (stiffening) goes up. This is a good compromise for the cornering

   demons out there who want a really stiff spring but need a more compliant

   suspension during regular street driving.

   IMHO, any lowering spring will wear out OEM struts faster. But a conservative

   lowering (~1 inch) should be okay for the OEM struts. Stiffer springs and the

   extra shock compression from lowering tends to put a big strain on the struts.

   So be sure to save yourself headaches and do the struts at the same time.

   Here's a non scientific explanation : Every manufacturer engineers a car

   with something in mind. Mind you, don't taking the word engineer lightly.

   We're talking about hundreds of hours of design and planning. So when

   you cut the springs, doesn't it strike you as just a bit odd

   of what you're doing to your car? Sure you can still drive the car

   and maybe in your ignorance not notice anything different.

   It's kind of like running around without an air filter. Sure the car

   runs still. And you don't notice anything wrong. But you're really

   doing more harm than good in the long haul.



   Since I didn't major in Physics and my last Physics course was 3 years ago,

   I'll dance around the spring equation. Every spring conforms to this

   equation. And by hacking off the the # of coils you adjust this equation

   accordingly. Let's just say it's in a very bad way. And your OEM shock's

   won't like you for it.



   Still if these aren't good enough reasons to dissuade you from cutting your

   springs, how about peer pressure? Everyone with lowering springs

   will make fun of you as drive around on cut springs bouncing along

   your local bumpy road. :D



   Don't do it.

   Can you afford it?  A good alignment is recommended for tire life, not necessarily

   for cornering. You may need camber kits, and your toe should be adjusted too.

   If you've done a very mild drop, I think you can forgoe the alignment until necessary.

   Compression refers to how a shock compresses under load (spring compressing

   the shock). Rebound refers to how fast the shock returns to its original

   position (spring allowed to return to its original shape).



   It would make sense to fine tune both of these to improve handling.

   Some non adjustable shocks tend to be unbearingly stiff. Choose your shock

   wisely. Adjustable shocks are definitely worth the extra money because of

   the flexibility with suspension tuning and daily comfort.



 

   Bumpstops are cheap but effective way of halting suspension travel.

   Bumpstops sit on the strut/shock shaft and prohibit the spring from fully

   compressing the strut/shock. Thereby limiting the amount of suspension

   travel.



   When you lower your car, you decrease the distance of suspension

   travel (because your car's suspension is partially compressed)

   What some spring manufacturer's recommend is to cut the bumpstop

   to lengthen your travel. This can have some possible negative

   effects (like arranging a blind date between your upper A-arm and your

   engine bay)



   Follow the spring manufacturer's tech advice. Most recommend trimming the

   bumpstop. This helps provide more suspension travel especially

   for lowered cars.



   FWIW, all lowering springs should increase the spring rate in the correct

   proportion to the amount of lowering. What this means is, the spring

   should be stiffer to make up for the lessened suspension travel distance.

   You shouldn't need to cut your bumpstops if your spring has been engineered

   right in the first place! What this also means is this, do not expect a

   OEM ride with stiffer springs! You wanna go low, pay for it with ride quality.



   I won't come right out and bash any particular spring companies, as most

   of them do make high quality springs. But some of these "performance" springs

   are really springs just to lower your car; and trimming the bumpstop keeps you from

   bottoming the suspension out which in turn gives an illusion of a halfway decent ride

   quality. And if you're bottoming out, well the companies figure half of these young

   Fiat owners don't even know what it is anyhow.

   When weight comes down on corner of the car, the sway bar actually twists

   in such a way that it forces the opposite side's tire down and bringing

   the acted upon corner up. This also prohibits weight transfer to the

   end of the car with the sway bar.



   So with a sway bar you can further reduce body roll, keeping the

   chassis flat. By reducing bodyroll, ideally the tires

   are allowed a better contact patch. Typically the removal

   of the weight on the sway bar end of the car removes traction

   more so than the gain in traction by the elimination of bodyroll provided.

   In other words, the end that has the sway bar will have less traction.



   If you wish to only eliminate bodyroll, be sure to select a matched

   sway bar set if you don't wish to upset your car's weight transfer

   characteristics too much during cornering.

   An easy trick to get a FWD car to turn better is to disconnect the

   front sway bar. Problem is you will suffer from more bodyroll in front.

   Typically this is done in stock classes of autocrossing as the rules

   disallow rear sway bar changes.

   It would seem the best thing to do to make a Fiat FWD car corner better

   is to simply upgrade the rear sway bar. Unfortunately no one sells

   just a rear sway bar tuned for an OEM front bar setup. Most of the companies

   will sell their rear sway bar individually, but use caution. These

   rear bars come in a matched set. So expect the rear sway bar to overpower

   a stock front sway bar. The car will get particularly tail happy

   when lifting while turned or braking while turned. So make sure you know

   how to handle oversteer.



  

   The OEM bushing material is generally rubber. Bushings go in

   between suspension joints to allow the suspension to move freely

   without having metal on metal contact at the joints. Performance

   bushings generally are made of a harder and longer lasting

   poly-urethane. The harder bushings allow the suspension to react

   much quicker under load and transfer its movements to other

   suspension components quicker. Since the poly bushings deform less

   than rubber ones, the suspension is much more nimble feeling

   and precise. The obvious compromise here is that the ride quality

   will suffer.

   Every driver has their own preference for how a car handles.

   So you should understand what handling characteristics

   you want. Do you want oversteer, understeer, neutral?

   And remember these usually change for different

   vehicle speeds.



   Typically on FWD Fiats, you want more front end bite with

   a lot less rear end bite. So you want more toe-in, and negative

   camber in front. In back more toe-out and positive camber.

   Remember these settings DO affect tire life considerably.

   Consult your local performance minded alignment shop

   for recommendations.

   Depending on driver, running condition, and environment here are some ranges

   of times to expect.



   Now don't write in complaining about these posted times or bragging about how

   fast your car is with minimal modifications. If you feel like you must prove

   something, I require two timeslips from two different tracks with a list of

   complete setups (including fluids types) and the elevation and temperature and

   time of day.



   Typical Bolt On Mods (tbody, ignition, headers, exhaust, intake, chip)





   If someone can send in the results of the fastest Puntos, Unos, Pandas, etc etc

   I'd appreciate it. Of course the categories should include :

   NA, NOS, Turbo, NOS&Turbo, and there will be more categories for

   each car with each individual engine displacement

   and then use NOS and Turbo combinations on top of those!)

Also send in stock times for those you know.

   When you get your time slip, you should look at three numbers. Your reaction

   time, your E.T., and your trap speed.



   The reaction time DOES NOT factor into your 1/4 mile time. Do not subtract

   your reaction time from your E.T. Maybe this is why everyone claims they're doing

   fast fast fast 1/4 miles w/o much modifications! 



   The E.T. is your official 1/4 mile time pass (elapsed time)



   Trap speed indicates what kind of horsepower you're pushing (or if you were

   sandbagging)