Do-It-Yourself High Performance Car Mods

Wasting Less Power

The alternator, power steering pump, and other accessories require power to keep them turning. While it may not always be reasonable to remove these entirely, there are kits known as underdrive pulleys to turn them more slowly, using less power. These can pick up a small gain in horsepower.

One system that many enthusiasts would rather do without are the balance shafts. Usually used on four-cylinder engines and some V6 designs, these shafts spin a set of counterweights designed to cancel out the vibration of the crankshaft and pistons. Removing or disconnecting the balance shafts will free up a few horsepower, at a cost of making the engine feel a little bit rougher. V8 and inline six engines generally neither have nor need ...