The requirements for figuring out the optimal sizing, weight, and material selection for each component in regards to maximum performance in an automotive internal combustion engine would fill an entire book, and they have; so this is not what this article is about. This article is about driving home the point that for any engine to acheive its max potential, each component must work in harmony , and aimed at the same goal. Lets take a look at a few examples.

The first thing that needs to be known about the engine is its displacement. For this example, we'll use an 1834cc LS/VTEC setup, as it is a popular choice among aftermarket enthusiasts. The next thing you need to determine , from an engine builders standpoint, is the intended use of the engine. For example, is it purely a street driven vehicle that will drive to work every day and back and not make a fuss? Is it a weekend warrior, only having its cover removed on Saturday and Sunday for a trip to Buttonwillow, where it drive there under its own power, blast at wide open throttle for a few hours on the course, then drive back home again? Is it a race only vehicle that calls a trailer its home on the way to the drag strip, and after every event or two is torn down and inspected? Different builds call for different parts selection.

For this example, lets say it is a weekend warrior. Knowing you want this vehicle to last a good couple years before needing a rebuild, you would want a realistic RPM limit of anywhere between 8-8600rpm. Now that you have that set, you need to go about selecting parts that will compliment this goal. For example, while watching an all-motor beast at the local strip slam out of 10 second pass, you might get a peek under the hood and notice theyre running the latest intake manifold, with short , fat runners and a huge plenum. This does NOT mean this part will produce excellent useable horsepower for your build. There are calculations available for properly sizing intake manifold runner length and plenum volume per RPM for max power, but I will leave them out of here. You would be looking for a manifold with slightly larger, and slightly shorter runners than stock, as well as increased plenum size, but nothing overboard. Overboard is easy to spot visually, and you dont need calculations.

Next up are camshafts. Again, it is a situation where people are easily swayed, remember; BIGGER IS NOT ALWAYS BETTER. You should strive to pick camshafts that are tailored to your application. A good tip when researching using dyno charts is to look for builds similar to yours. It makes no sense to see how these camshafts did on a 2200cc engine @ 10k rpm, if your running a 1834cc @ 8k rpm.

Again, this was not intended to be a definative , be-all end-all engine building article. Far from it. I guess it is a bit of an editorial designed to remind the average enthusiast to look at the big picture when looking at dyno charts, parts selection, track times, flow sheets, etc. etc. If you have any questions regarding your specific build that I can help you with, you can contact me here. Like I said in the contact info page, it may take me some time to respond, but I will respond.