Tuning The Tuning Book/Link Thread

[Honeymonster]

OK I guess this should really be in the main technical section but I only hang out in the Cento bit where most of the technical people seem to be.

I hope you guys think this is a good idea otherwise I guess it will just disapear into the ancient thread vault with no replies. :idea:

It would be great if you chaps were keen to share your books and technical links potentially saving people purchasing some lemons and finding the information they need more easily trying to make that perfect Cento.

Something like this or a close variation of, any changes welcome.

What did you read:

Covers:

What did you think:

Technical level:

Would you recommend it:

Stars:

I have quite a few books to add but I think it's best to do one book at a time.

I'll make a start here:

What did you read: Corky Bell's maximum boost



Covers: Turbo charging, management, basic tuning, turbo charging engine peripherals.

What did you think: Very informative and unusually entertaining for a technical book. Covers turbo charging very broadly but has most essential details including in depth sections on turbo selection, intercooler construction, multiple turbos etc. Engine management section is somewhat out of date. Don't take it all as gospel and some of it is very opinionated. You probably won't put it down until you've finished it!

Technical level: Very easy to read which will make it interesting to both beginner and the more experienced.

Would you recommend it: Yes undoubtedly, it's my favourite tuning book from a reading point of view, if not a bit opinionated and dated.

Stars: 4 (out of 5)

 

[Honeymonster]

OK here's another one on different subject:

What did you read: Jon Lawes Competition Car Electrics



Covers: Competition Car Electrics

What did you think: Really basic stuff but will make you say "why didn't I think of that!". Excellent sections on connectors, looming techniques, duel fuel pump wiring, basic switch and electronics wiring, cable positioning, fire proof cables, automotive cable selection, fuse selection, cable loading and much more.

Technical level: Very basic but some equally good ideas the more advanced might not have thought of. A very good introduction to wiring cars with really good information on materials.

Would you recommend it: To anyone with average automotive electrical knowledge looking to make or modify their wiring loom, yes. To the more advanced enthusiasts, maybe but it doesn't go into great enough detail or cover all the specific regulations for professional racing. Great for fast road car electrics though!

Stars: 3 (out of 5)

 

[Eklipze3k]

Nice idea, stickied

 

[fingers99]

Allan Staniforth

Competition Car Suspensions -- A Practical Handbook, Haynes, London

Competition Car Suspension: A Practical Handbook

History, setting up, design, the "string computer". Interviews with several F1 and sportscar designers, chapter by David Gould on Weight Transfer, supplement on Rod Ends aka "Rose Joints".

Focussed on Competition Cars, but the principles are equally applicable to road cars in the main part, albeit not at the level of basic maintenance or "what brand of suspension is best for my Mk1 Punto?" Well written, lots of humour. Some of the F1 stuff is already a little dated, BWTH. David Gould's part is, of necessity, difficult for someone like me who struggles with long division. Some overlap with his Race and Rally Car Source Book (which is equally worthwhile, and covers a wider area, but my copy is so old I won't be reviewing it).

The man died in 2009 (obitiary here), still racing at 84, so I'm not sure if we'll see further updates.

4 stars out of 5

 

[Honeymonster]

Nice review I know very little about suspension so I'll be sure to check it out. I've heard that source book mentioned a lot, in fact I believe it's pretty legendary amongst rally chaps. I like the fact you mentioned it's written in a humorous way, so many books which I will post later have good information but are written like a dictionary.

 

[Honeymonster]

What did you read: Turbo: Real-World High-Performance Turbocharger Systems by Jay K Miller (2008)




Covers: Turbo technology/anatomy, compressor maps, turbo selection, engine building, some tuning, boost controllers, rebuilding turbos, what went wrong with your turbo.

What did you think: This book has an awesome amount of turbocharger information which is very up to date. However reading it is sleep worthy and it spends a number of pages pointing out turbine selection isn't an exact science. However this really is an essential read if you're really really serious about turbochargers but it will be hard work, no doubt. The turbo rebuild section is an excellent resource if you want to rebuild a turbo or construct a hybrid. It spends a lot of time plugging Gale Banks engineering to the point that it gets quite annoying. These builds are generally huge V8 monsters and not really that relevant to the average reader. I can't remember a lot of what I read in this book, probably because some of it went over my head, some of it I didn't think was relevant and mainly because I kept falling asleep while reading it! The tuning/management section is small and very vague.

Technical level: Very advanced, don't go here unless you've read a more basic book first. The turbo rebuild section is clear with great pictures and would benefit anyone rebuilding a turbo.

Would you recommend it: I can't not recommend it because the information on turbo chargers is excellent and up to date. The pictures are clear and all in full colour. The turbo rebuild section and fault discussion is an excellent resource. However it's really really hard to read this book without drifting off into a deep sleep! There's also far too much plugging of Gale Banks engineering and the parts not strictly about turbo chargers are vague and fairly useless.

Stars: 3 (out of 5) Due to writting quality rather than content.

 

[Honeymonster]

woj mentioned this link the other day in another thread. I've only read it briefly but it seems to be a good read and introduction to engine management whether you're using MS or not. Best of all it's free!!

http://www.megamanual.com/begintuning.htm

I'm sure there are plenty of other links like this so if you know of any please post them up.

Thanks

 

[fingers99]

Nice!

 

[Honeymonster]

Another really good free link, this time about turbocharging:

http://www.theturboforums.com//turbotech/main.htm

 

[Honeymonster]

Seems that only me and Mr. Fingers have shared books and links so far, I never intended to do this on my own... Please feel free to add anything others may find useful such as a link, or perhaps your opinion on something you've read. This is supposed to be a team effort...

What did you read: How to Tune and Modify Engine Management Systems (Jeff Hartman)




Covers: Fuel injection and its history, engine sensors, engine management both factory and after market including comparisons, management tuning, injectors, interceptors/piggybacks, inlet manifold design/trade offs, engine swaps, real projects/case histories, throttle body's, wiring, fuel pumps and much much more.

What did you think:

If you only buy one book on the subject make it this one!

This book is a monster and contains an absolute mountain of information. It's not witty or humorous but keeps you interested due to the simply massive amount of information it contains. No scary over complication just good useful relevant facts and explanations. Good section on history including mechanical injection and the first valve powered (pre transistor) ECU's. Out of all the books I have read this book contains more useful information than any other. It's worth buying for the short and sweet tuning chapter alone which is simple and well explained. It will take you a long time to read this book, even with the ample of amount of high quality photos a there is a simply huge amount of information spread across every page. All the information is well proven, no unfounded opinions here. Turbo charging info is slightly vague, however there is a turbo charging book also available in this series by the same chap. The best way to install, tune or repair something is to understand how it works. This book will leave you with that knowledge or I'll eat my hat. Also this book is amazing value to boot!

Technical level: Beginner to experienced, suitable for everyone.

Would you recommend it: If you're only going to buy one book on this subject it should be this one!! An essential read to anyone looking at engine management and wanting to understand the ins and outs of injection systems. Going aftermarket with little knowledge? Then this is a must and will leave you well oiled for your installation and tuning.

Stars: 4.5 (out of 5) Lacks humor and a certain amount of readability/enthusiasm and slightly tailored for the American market otherwise it would have undoubtedly got an big 5.

 

[Honeymonster]

What did you read:

Performance Fuel Injection Systems: Amazon.co.uk: Matt Cramer: Books

Covers:

Engine tuning, mainly setting up and tuning after market standalone and piggy back systems. Some good information on modifying factory management and retrofitting pre/early EFI systems.

What did you think:

Majority of the information in this book is covered in more detail in the last book I posted. It is however somewhat easier to read and in many parts even easier understand. It avoids non relevant information and gives you the bare important facts. No complex math's, mind numbing theories or lengthy history lessons. No lectures on using the right connectors and the right cable. The Authors of this book are very involved in Megasquirt software development so I was surprised that there was no constant championing or referring to the MS product (this book also reads very easily unlike some of the MS documentation you may have read). This book gives an honest unbiast opinion on a lot of the currently available aftermarket ECU systems. I found this very refreshing, especially as some of the previous offerings were biased towards particular companies or products. Where this book really shines is the mapping section. It is by far the most comprehensive and easy to understand guide on mapping I have ever read. This book is worth buying for that 28 page section alone, especially if you are planning to do a map without a dyno. It also covers dyno mapping with excellent detail too! Although published in 2010 it does not include some of the newest EMS developments but has information easily adaptable and totally relevant when setting up or tuning them. As most books of this type it is slightly biased towards the American market but it doesn't let that spoil or detract from its relevance to European cars.

Technical level: Really well presented in an uncomplicated fashion which makes it suitable for anyone interested in this subject. Most well informed chaps will skip to the tuning section.

Would you recommend it: The mapping section and rolling road information in this book is unsurpassed in any other I have read. Once you have read this book you will understand that tuning timing and AFR is all about torque. It's not as long or detailed as the previous offering in other areas but still excellent none the less.

Stars: 4.5 Due to the simply fantastic mapping section, being excellently written in a very easy to understand way with only the most relevant information.

This will be my last mapping/ECU book for a while, I've read quite a few others but the last 2 were really exceptional and together contain everything you'll probably ever need to know and more on this subject. I'm all mapped out now, I need a rest, I may even watch a bit of telly.

 

[Honeymonster]

I found this channel a few days ago while having a nose round youtube. It explains in detail the operation of most engine sensors and how to test them. Not all of it is relevant to our cars but interesting never the less. The automated speech is a bit annoying....

The Tools/tests section explains how to make some very useful tools for auto electrical diagnosis along with the situations in which to use them. This is clearly written by an experienced tech, some of these tools you can't buy and you wouldn't get taught about in college. They are tricks of the trade so to speak.

Sensors:
http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLFD73CD140FFAAF72&feature=plcp

Tools/tests:
http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=UUQ3LBcZNzPIAJv1ktEB8Y6g&feature=plcp

Solonoids:
http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL0E0FDD7F11B3401A&feature=plcp

Diesel stuff: (incase you have some time to kill...)
http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLB3A65A2FFF22770A&feature=plcp

Cheers

 

[Honeymonster]

This might help some of the chaps that still think wires are full of magic smoke.

Useful info on using your multimeter...

http://autospeed.com/cms/title_Using-Multimeters-Part-1/A_110206/article.html

http://autospeed.com/cms/title_Using-Multimeters-Part-2/A_110207/article.html

http://autospeed.com/cms/title_Using-Multimeters-Part-3/A_110208/article.html

 

[Honeymonster]

Actually I should have put this link on here ages ago anyway...

This site is the holy grail of DIY mods and tuning. Everything from turbocharging, supercharging, wheels, tyres and crazy simple modifications you'd never have though of. I'm sure some of you know about it already but I'll put it here for those of you who don't.

http://autospeed.com/S_3/cms/section.html

:worship:

 

[Pirus]

Thought id post up with a few books ive got. If anyone wants a PDF copy send me a PM and ill give you a link to it.
Fraid i havent had a chance to read all of them, so cant post many comments about them, mainly been researching into porting and DIY Flowbenches. Been doing other work at the minute and a bit of a backlog on my 'reading list'.

Amazon links so people can go and look at the book, read various reviews, then contact me if they want anything.

David Vizard's How to Build Horsepower (SA Design): Amazon.co.uk: David Vizard: Books



How to choose Camshafts and Time Tune Them for Maximum Power Speedpro: Amazon.co.uk: Des Hammill: Books


Four-stroke Performance Tuning (4th edition): Amazon.co.uk: A. Graham Bell: Books

I have the 1st and 3rd edition of this book.
​

Two-stroke Performance Tuning: Amazon.co.uk: A. Graham Bell: Books


Modern Engine Tuning: Amazon.co.uk: A. Graham Bell: Books


How to Tune and Modify Engine Management Systems Motorbooks Workshop: Amazon.co.uk: Jeff Hartman: Books

Chatper 13 Only - Engine Management Tuning 101

Looking for a copy of 'How to Build, Modify and Power Tune Cylinder Heads' by Peter Burgess if anyone has it. Pretty much got all my tools for the upcoming DIY headwork but can never go wrong with a little more knowledge and background reading info.

Pirus
​

 

[Pirus]

Stupid double post as my wifi cut out.

 

[fingers99]

Guy Croft

Modifying and Tuning FIAT/Lancia Engines Workshop Copy

I intend to write a review, but if you want a copy right now, order through the Guy Croft website. This is probably the most detailed book on engine building ever written, and Guy Croft doesn't mess around.

 

[Honeymonster]

I intend to write a review, but if you want a copy right now, order through the Guy Croft website.

So what's it like Mr. Digits?

I could do with something new to read.

 

[fingers99]

Pretty damn wonderful. Although it's very much focussed on the FIAT engines of a bygone era (the Lampredi motors) it's probably the most complete book on engine building you'll ever see.

When all is said and done, GC has worked in F1, engine development, and run an independent tuning works for yonks, when all around have been mired in litigation and bankruptcy.

It's as close to being a "must have" as anything out there.

 

[ycming]

Pretty damn wonderful. Although it's very much focussed on the FIAT engines of a bygone era (the Lampredi motors) it's probably the most complete book on engine building you'll ever see.

When all is said and done, GC has worked in F1, engine development, and run an independent tuning works for yonks, when all around have been mired in litigation and bankruptcy.

It's as close to being a "must have" as anything out there.

How did you know he worked in all these places :O?