Google

Friday, 21 March 2008

Correct Diesel Tuning, All You Need To Know To Get Improved Power And Economy From Your Diesel

Diesel tuning is more important than we think. Lets get down to the basics.

Diesel is distilled crude oil (Distillate). Unlike what most ‘Hollywood’ movies promote of a diesel truck hitting a wall and exploding like a small nuclear bomb, oil does not readily ignite, particularly a liquid form. If we atomise it though, it will burn readily. The diesel principle relies on air being compressed to approx. 500PSI. This in turn heats the air, turning it into the igniter (diesels don't have igniters such as spark plugs). Heard of a glow plug? Glow plug only glow on cold start-up to help warm up the air in the combustion chamber. A bit like when you are pumping up a push bike tyre, the pump gets warm.

Ok, so you now have very hot air and you inject diesel in through an atomising injector. As soon as the diesel leaves the injector and enters the extremely hot air the diesel ignites and combustion begins. Put a poor atomising injector in the picture and you have a different story. Because it is not atomising the diesel enough, the fuel volume burns erratically and slowly as the flame burns through the large droplets of oily fuel. If you were to light up a drum of oil, you would see a similar effect of slow burning and smoke. You can imagine that by now the timing of the combustion process is also upset. Add lower injector pressure than normal, due to age, and you have the timing of the fuel ignition point changing even more (injector opening too early). The injectors doing this alone can make a diesel smoky and sluggish. On a cold morning, the combustion is even further retarded due to cold cylinders and cool combustion and you also get hard starting.

This scenario changes completely with correctly set up injectors. Remember the drum of oil? Well, if you could fill the drum with a misty vapour of oil and light it up, you would not only get a large bang but it would be over within a flash. A good injector sprays fuel out as a mist and the fuel burns rapidly and relatively clean as the droplets are so small that they burn with a puff! A correctly set injector pressure also means the fuel is being injected at the correct time.

Now, the injectors are perfect but the injection pump could be slightly out of tune. Timing has to be set. If it is too early the vehicle can smoke and become quite ‘diesel noisy’ and if it is too late, the vehicle can feel sluggish. Imagine the spray of fuel as a fist about to hit the piston. If it is hit too far before top dead centre it would not only hurt your fist and the piston but it would make a louder than normal bang as the two things hit head on. If the piston had gone past top dead centre and was hit, the force of the hit would be going down with the piston so you would have too little impact on it. So you can see why timing is critical for maximum hit effect! Other things need to be checked like the fuel volume delivered by the pump. Too much is power but with smoke, too little is low power with absolutely NO smoke and just right is in the middle of smoke and no smoke! There are a few more complex settings on the pump that are checked and adjusted but these are the main ones.

Well, there are 6 injectors supplying fuel to the engine (Imagining it being a 6 cylinder diesel). Looks like it has no problems getting fuel, but what about the important part that we forgot about, AIR? Well...it has to draw the air through a maze. Filter, pipes, inlet manifold and a tiny inlet valve. This has to happen in a split second and the piston going down has to do all the sucking. That’s the governing part of a diesel engines performance. Remember more fuel for more power is just more smoke! So we have to do something about the air to keep things clean. This is where a Turbo system comes into its’ own with Diesel engines. With a huge amount of air now available due to the turbo supplying air right to the inlet valve, the piston only has to suck air from there. Lets not forget that 1 cylinder has a suction stroke many times a second, so these fallacies of air being forced into the engine and blowing heads off with a turbo are only that! Now that we have more air, the fuel system can be set up according for more power. [WARNING- This is where the whole equation can come adrift with overheating etc. Things have to be set up by a professional and a professional that knows his JOB!]

One last note; the diesel system that is on all 4WD diesels was designed to run on a fuel with certain burning characteristics. We don't seem to be getting fuel in Australia meeting all these requirements. We have new vehicles smoking that obviously are not designed to smoke when running on real diesel. So when setting up a fuel injection system for tuning we have to take the burning characteristics of this poor diesel into consideration. Try to get your fuel from a reputable and 'known brand' garage and keep your receipts. If you have problems, you then have as much 'come-back' on the fuel garage as you have with a faulty product from a shop.

Footnote: The modern diesel has come a long way from its beginnings!! Well…so we are all lead to believe!! That’s where it all stops. In fact about the only thing that could compare is reinventing the round wheel!! That’s right. Nothing has really changed. A diesel still needs fuel and air. Even though we now have trendy things like ‘Common-rail High Pressure Injection and Electronics controlling everything, it is still the same old principle. The only major change appears to be the repair costs… as usual. Most ‘high tech’ injectors now cost over $2000 each and are ‘throw away’. Most Injector pumps are becoming ‘throw away’ at around $6500. Where will it end??
source: Byron Moore
http://www.thedieselexperts.com

Understanding the Drive Layouts

The drive layout is the arrangement of the engine, transmission, and driven axles. The types of drive layouts are Front engine Front wheel drive (FF/ FWD), Front engine Rear wheel drive (FR/RWD), Mid engine Rear wheel drive(MR), Rear engine Rear wheel drive(RR), Four wheel drive (4WD or 4x4) and the All Wheel Drive(AWD). Each of these layouts has their own performance, advantages and disadvantages.

Front engine Front wheel drive (FF/FWD) – The Engine and the two driven axles are placed in front, where the power from the engine is transferred straight to the front wheels. This layout increases the interior space especially in small cars because there is no central tunnel needed for the driveshaft. FF layout has advantage when it comes on low grip surfaces, and its tendency to understeer reduces the risk of losing control. The disadvantage is the load placed on the front tires. The front tires must transfer all acceleration, steering, cornering, and braking forces to the road. This kind of tasks gives a lot of stress in front tires which may lead to wear and tear, while the rear tires have very little load on them.

Front engine Rear wheel drive (FR/ RWD) - This is the complement of FF layout, where the engine is placed longitudinally at the front but the two driven axles are placed at the rear connected through the driveshaft. With this kind of layout, installation of more powerful engine such as V8, V10 and V12 is not a problem. Since the FR has a driveshaft, central tunnel is present in this layout a little interior space is sacrificed. All of the disadvantages of the FF layout are the advantages of FR layout.

Mid Engine Rear wheel drive (MR) – The drive layout that consumes a lot of interior space of the car especially the seating capacity, the engine is placed in the middle of the chassis and the driven axles are at the rear. Although it has more weight at the rear, entering a corner makes it more difficult because the front tires have less traction resulting to understeer and since the rear is heavy, the car tends to oversteer when exiting a corner. This kind of layout is commonly used in racing cars and sports cars because of weight distribution focused in the center of the car.

Rear engine Rear wheel drive (RR) - This layout places both engine and the driven axle at the rear of the vehicle, even though the rear wheels benefit from the additional grip due to the added weight given by the engine, the front wheels still need grip in order to steer the car effectively. That’s why RR layout car can also be prone to understeer.

Four Wheel Drive (4WD or 4X4) / All Wheel Drive (AWD) – It is a term usually used to describe a car where the four wheels receive power from the engine simultaneously. This can be found in an off-road vehicle. A well distributed power to the four wheels improves the grip of the vehicle. The terms 4WD and 4X4 are used in jeeps and other off-road vehicles that require the driver to switch from 2WD used in street driving (two wheel drive) to 4WD to improve the grip depending on the road condition like mud, snow, etc. and it has a high and low gear selection. The AWD term was invented to identify the vehicle capable of driving all the wheels on any road condition without selecting high and low gear selection because the power is distributed on all the wheels. Unlike the 4WD with gear selection, you don’t have to select the appropriate gear to match the road condition. Most of the modern cars use AWD system for more traction and better handling.
Source: Alvin Agomaa

10 Points To Check Before Buying A Motorcycle

Buying a new or used motorcycle is serious business. It needs thought and careful selection. A motorbike is sacred to many and just a vehicle to some. However no motorcycle buyer should be without a check list that will help him or her make a great selection.
10 musts before paying for a motorcycle:
  1. Check it out and do so with a motorcyclist friend in tow. Check if the motorcycle is clean and straight down centerline and forks.
  2. Take along a list of models and their pros and cons. Discuss the nuances with the friendly sales person.
  3. Find out about gears, brakes, clutch, and all other mechanics.
  4. Determine engine specifics and details of gas tank and wheels.
  5. Ask about service and warranties.
  6. Get details of accessories and other musts like helmets, rear view mirrors and so on.
  7. Sit on a lot of bikes to get a feel of height and riding position.
  8. Read up on bikes in discover Today’s Motorcycling. Get all the information on types of bikes, financing, bike care and more.
  9. If you are new to motorcycles choose a light-weight bike rather than the coolest, sexiest bike that only pros can ride. New riders should aim for a four-cylinder of less than 600 cc or 75- cc for sports machines and 150cc for everyday use.
  10. Ask about safety gear and budget for this too in the cost of the motorcycle. Use pants, helmet, gloves, and jacket meant for motorcycling.


All motorcyclists must consider safety and reliability. Get a valid motorcycling license and insurance too. Be wise and take a Motorcycle Safety Foundation (MSF) course see: http://www.msf-usa.org/ .


Refer to magazines like beginner Bikes magazine for recommendations on good starter bikes. According to dedicated bikers, a good choice of a motorcycle for a beginner would be Honda, Suzuki, Kawasaki, Yamaha, and Buell Blast.


Choose a bike that suits you and not one that looks good on the cover of a magazine. The rule of thumb is the motorcycle and its rider must fit like hand in glove. Test ride the motorcycle and get a feel. A large part of selecting a motorcycle is comfort and instinct. So choose a motorcycle with care so that you get long hours of riding as well as comfort and safety.


Never buy a bike on first sight or visit. Take your time in making a selection. Visit the many motorcycle websites on the internet and comparison shop. Find out what offline prices of motorcycles are and compare features as well as prices, service contracts, and warranties. Many people find that the best deals are available on the internet. Others feel a motorcycle must not be bought without viewing and test riding. So get all your thoughts and options in order before you make a choice.

Source: Timothy Rudon

Tuesday, 18 March 2008

Car Review: Volvo S40 Second generation

VOLVO S40 Second Generation. As an owner of Volco S40 first generation, I’m so excited when have a time to ride the second generation Volvo S40 on December 2007. Even though already 3 years after she officially released to the market (mid 2004), but I still eager to write a comment on S40.



The exterior wow….., very attractive, especially if you compare from previous Volvo models (any type). It completely not likes a Japanese car as the first generation Volvo S40. If you had tried to drive Mitsubishi Galant or Carisma, you will get the same feeling with first generation Volvo S40 because they use the same platform. But the second generation S40 was completely different, its so original and new style (…actually not really, because its sharing platform with Mazda 3). The exterior is beautiful because its so classy, sporty and well proportioned. Nevertheless, its lines and curves fuse together to create an eye-catching body shell that beckons to be stared at.




Engine. The S40 powering by 2.4-litre, 20-valve, DOHC, normally aspirated, 5-cylinder engine with CVVT (continuous variable valve timing), which produces 168-horsepower at 6,000 rpm and 170 lb-ft of torque at 4,400 rpm. Its almost totally aluminum base engine. This type of engine already have quite long history in Volvo product-line, it is durable, low maintenance and bullet proof. This inline fives have been continually developed by Volvo since the debut of the engine in the 850, in 1993

The 168 horsepower seem slightly under for its body, especially in the hilly road passing power was minimal, the gear automatically dropped from 5th to 4th, however the engine still fell slow, its better if can drop down to 3rd gear. However in the highway and city driving, the power of 168 horses is more than enough, except you are a racing driver who always want in the front of the line (you can consider the T5 engine which generates 218 hp and 236 lb-ft of torque). If I can choose, I’ll rather take the 2.4 , 5 cylinder normally aspirated engine, its more than enough for daily use and less maintenance (at least less components) than the T5. The fuel consumption (2.4 liter engine) is 22 mpg for city driving and up to 29 mpg for highway driving.

Handling. Volvo S40 is very stable at highway and superb while cornering, probably due to its front MacPherson spring-strut suspension, with lower-links and an anti-roll bar, plus its rear multi-link setup with coil springs and another anti-roll bar. The suspension, combined with a rigid body shell and linked to a traditional hydraulic, speed-sensitive, power-assisted rack-and-pinion steering system, is yet again a winning combination. The cars comfortable chassis made the drive up to the lake very smooth, even on the bumpy parts of the highway and through construction areas. Also, the rubber from the P205/55R16 tires gripped the dry pavement impressively, further enhancing the S40s stability.

Interior. So cool and beautiful, makes my old S40 interior become a ugly old style. The new floating centre stack is the most attractive point of view, this one is so “futuristic”, which you can’t found in other cars. It houses all the necessary devices, such as climate control, CD player and AM/FM presets. Everything is clearly labeled and very user-friendly. The single, in-dash CD player was linked to a performance sound system with 6 speakers and four 25-watt amplifiers. Unlike the floating centre stack that housed it, the audio system is decent but nothing to fawn over (this is S40 anyway, don’t compared to the S80 sound system quality), however the optional sound system premium Dolby ProLogic audio up-grading is available as well as leather seating and navigation system. The Dynamic T-Tec upholstery that garnished the interior not only looks classy, but is also quite comfortable.

So, I was very impressed, Volvo S40 second generation is a stylish car, fun and enjoy to drive, equipped with a bullet proof low maintenance engine.

Saturday, 8 March 2008

Kawasaki Zephyr




The retro style naked motorcycle Kawasaki Zephyr design still impress me, it is so beautiful and original. The Zephyr 1100 can compared with Yamaha FJR or Honda X-Four in design. The Kawasaki Zephyr is a line of air-cooled inline 4-cylinder-engined motorcycles built by Kawasaki to meet the demand for retro-styled naked motorcycles in Japan and elsewhere in the 1990s. There were a number of Zephyr models available in four engine capacities - 400, 550, 750 and 1100cc.

The 400 was produced for Japan due to the demand for 400cc motorcycles in that market. It was very popular. Many aftermarket parts were produced, with companies like Over Racing producing exhausts, swing arms, fairings and engine modifications.

Zephyr styling is roughly based on the old Z1, with twin shock rear suspension, a relatively upright riding position and air cooled power units. The 400, 550 and 750 engines were developed from the old Z400/500/550/650/750 series. The 1100 engine is a re-engineered version of a liquid-cooled powerplant. The Zephyr offered the customer retro styling coupled with simplicity and reliability. Performance of the line was adequate for normal riding and the engines were tuned for low to mid range power. The Zephyr 750 produced 72 HP, and the 1100 produced 93 HP, slightly under power compared to its competitor, however the engine were low maintenance and bulletproof under normal condition.

The Zephyr 1100 had a Z1 restyle in its last year of sale including a return to wire wheels. Wire wheels also appeared on the 750. It was replaced in the Kawasaki UK range by the popular Z1100R styled ZRX1100(later ZRX1200). Compared to the Z1100R of 1984, the Zephyr 110 has a wider bore and stroke (73.5 x 62.6 mm, compared with 72.5 x 66 mm) and retains two valves per cylinder (albeit with dual valve springs), using the same shim-set adjustment as the earlier bike. Both are centre cam chain designs, but the zephyr has two spark plugs per cylinder (only in 1100, a new design for that time). Kawasaki engineers found that with such a wide bore and large valves, a single plug would not give quick, complete combustion of the fuel charge.

Tuesday, 4 March 2008

Mercedes C180 and C200 (W202)

In this post I would like to discuss the small engine capacity of W202, like C180 and C200. Why them? Today they are quite old car, ranging from 14 to 9 years old, the price already drop become a cheap car. However, the passenger comfort, good finishing interior, bullet proof engine and fuel economics make those cars still worth to buy.




Lets start with history: (compiled from several source)
The first generation W202 C-Class was introduced in 1993, as a replacement for the Mercedes-Benz W201 (190), and proved immensely popular, quickly becoming Mercedes-Benz's best-selling class of vehicles worldwide. Styling themes were carried over from the previous W201 series, but the new series had a smoother and rounder design than the previous generation of compact Mercedes. The very first W202 C-Class sedan was produced on June 1, 1993, and the second generation W203 C-Class rolled off the assembly line on July 18, 2000. The third generation W204 C-Class was launched in 2007.

Engines and Transmission
On its debut, the C-Class was the only Mercedes model with a complete lineup of multivalve engines. The new family of four cylinder petrol units, called M111, debuted in the C 180 (1.8 L, 122 PS (120 hp/90 kW), C 200 (2.0 L, 136 PS (134 hp/100 kW) and C 220 (2.2 L, 150 PS (148 hp/110 kW). In 1996 the C 220 was replaced by the C 230, enlarged to 2.3 L displacement but with the same output, although with torque increased to 220 N·m (162 ft·lbf). . The top of the range was the C 280, with a four-valve-per-cylinder straight-6 engine, capable of reaching 193 PS (190 hp/142 kW).

Four cylinder diesel models were equipped with the same OM601 engine of the 190, in the 2.0 L and 2.2 L versions. Many of these diesel variants were sold as taxis, due to their low fuel consumption and strong reliability.

At the launch all W202 variants were equipped with a 5-speed manual gearbox. The 722.4 4-speed automatic transmission, also called 4G-TRONIC, was available as extra cost (standard on the C 36 AMG). In 1996 this old transmission - which was on sale since 1981 - was replaced by a 5-speed automatic gearbox (aka 722.5 or 5G-TRONIC), which received the manual shifting in 1999 (722.6).


Why C180 and C200?

THE GOOD SIDE

  • CHEAP PRICE, wherever country are living, the price of C180 and C200 as more than 10 years old car should be cheap.
  • QUALITY, even though both models were a Mercedes entry level class, but the quality is remain high, especially if you buy an elegance or avant-garde trims. I’m not suggested to buy the classic trim because with extra 100 dollar we can get the higher trim which is worth more than 1000 dollar compare to classic one.
  • COMFORT, those car have a good suspension, comfort seat and good sound proofing.
  • ECONOMIC FUEL CONSUMPTION, around 20 mpg for urban driving and up to 39 mpg for extra urban. If you in stop and go driving situation, C200 will give you better fuel consumption due to its higher power, in other hand if you in continues driving in highway or toll road, C180 is more economics.
  • LOW MAINTENANCE COST: both car have a strong and low maintenance engine.
  • POPULATION, Merc W202 was very popular, easy to find a spare parts and easy to find a workshop to fix your car.

OTHER CONSIDERATIONS

  • OLD CAR: yes it is, some parts may need replacement, but once we replace the parts it can be use for next 5-7 years.
  • UNDER POWER? For some people C180 and C200 feel under power, it may be right if you are driving around hilly road, however with power of 120 hp for C180 and134 hp for C200, the engine power are strong enough for city driving.
  • STYLE; the exterior style a bit old fashion compare to the modern car.
  • STEERING PRECISION; poor to moderate, can’t compare to BMW series 3. Only the professional driver can feel it, for ordinary people is no different
POTENTIAL PROBLEMS
  • Wiring Harness, please check this first, most of the electrical promblems cause by a poor wiring harness condition, no wonder, it is an old car. Replace it if necessary, the original one will cost you around 600 to 750 USD, however there is a after market product with price around 250 to 300USD.
  • Wiper Motor failed due to poor quality of internal plastic gear. Replace by after market metal internal gear. It is very cheap solution, however you need to find a local workshop or mechanic to this, the MB authorized workshop would not do this job. Or you can replace the whole motor by your self , at least you saving some money for dealer cost.
  • Watch for damper pulley which is located near a crankshaft, actually you should inspect the rubber seal around it. If you find oil leaking around the seal and pulley, replace the pulley (one package with the seal). The poor seal condition can make the damper leaning downward and the fanbelt scratching the engine block.
  • Premature catalytic converter failure often reported by C180 - 200 user.
  • Check for rust, lower front suspension control arms can rust through. They are made of layers of stamped sheet metal rather than solid steel. They have a 3 inch large hole on top and the salt and water goes in the hole and soaks down to the lower ball joint area, and rusts from the inside out because they are hollow.

Monday, 3 March 2008

KAWASAKI 550 LTD


I bough this bike on 1995, with a big question with it, there was no decal nor sign what type of Kawasaki in the body. In the license paper only written Kawasaki 550cc. I’am familiar with Kawak Z550, the engine looks the same, but the body style was completely different. However, it is pretty cheap, only around US$ 1,000 for 1982 Kawasaki. After did some research, I found my bike is Kawasaki 550 Ltd.

The bike fact:
Displacement: 553.00 ccm (33.74 cubic inches)
Engine type: In-line four
Stroke: 4
Power: 50.00 HP (36.5 kW)) @ 8500 RPM
Compression: 9.5:1
Bore x stroke: 58.0 x 52.4 mm (2.3 x 2.1 inches)
Valves per cylinder: 2
Fuel control: DOHC
Cooling system: Air
Gearbox: 6-speed Transmission type
Final drive: Chain
Weight incl. oil, gas, etc: 211.0 kg (465.2 pounds)
Front tyre dimensions: 3.25-19
Rear tyre dimensions: 130/90-16
Front brakes: Dual disc
Rear brakes: Expanding brake
Speed and acceleration
Top speed: 178.0 km/h (110.6 mph)
Other specifications
Fuel capacity: 13.00 litres (3.43 gallons)

The bike condition when I bought it, was acceptable. The mufflers were not original, and some oil leaking from the front fork tubes. The tapped knocking hard, I though it was not a big problem, I can adjust the tapped manually.

The Engine and Electrical.
After regular fluid change, adjust the tapped (thanks to Haynes Manual Book), change the spark plugs, the engine run smoothly. The four cylinders inline engine basically same with Z550 engine, this engine looks very smooth and feels under power under 6000 rpm, and become wild and powerful above that. From 6000 to 9000 rpm was very fast almost instantly. It was very easy to reach 80 mph, and the take a time to reach 100 mph (I haven’t tried the maximum speed). While did the maintenance, I found some wires has been torn and melted, it is normal for more than 10 years old bike, I changed some of them. Few years later this cable become a problems, it was burn. However the burning cable did not effected other component. This bike have no kick starter, so electric starter is the only one crank gear. Up to date, the electric starter still working good.

Handling.
The riding position was superb, and the saddle was very comfort. Medium tall handle bar just fit for touring riding position. The seat height relatively lower than normal bikes, it is good while riding in busy traffic. Although the engine was strong enough to pull up to 100 mph, I like to rides at 50-60 mph, the bike was very comfort at this speed. The dual disc front brake was not impressive, some times it failed to slow down the bike at normal brake distance.