List of mods to help engine last longer?

[nikitopo]

Originally Posted by zdr93523

This is not true. For example, stock STi's have dangerous AFRs to meet emissions requirements. A proper aftermarket tune will not only unlock more power, but also increase reliability. Note that I said a proper tune, some tuners do not understand or respect the concept of correct flow (air/fuel) and are basically experimenting with your car/money. Not all tunes/tuners are created equal.

The argument about the AFRs is true. Stock STI's have a very old designed engine and factory is doing sometimes bandage changes to meet the emission requirements. The twins don't have the same issue. They have a very new engine design, which can cope current and even strictier future emission standards.

[dem00n]

So let me get this straight.

If i have a 1.4L I4 engine that produces 130HP and 105 ft/lbs factory and someone tunes it to squeeze out 143HP and 109 ft/lbs. The factory tune is safe and has proven no long term damage to meet emissions, etc etc.

You're telling me that this tuned engine, which is now doing more work and producing more energy/heat is essentially going to last longer than the engine with a stock tune?

[tomaszjanczak]

Originally Posted by dem00n

So let me get this straight.

If i have a 1.4L I4 engine that produces 130HP and 105 ft/lbs factory and someone tunes it to squeeze out 143HP and 109 ft/lbs. The factory tune is safe and has proven no long term damage to meet emissions, etc etc.

You're telling me that this tuned engine, which is now doing more work and producing more energy/heat is essentially going to last longer than the engine with a stock tune?

I'm not an expert so my words are only based off what I have researched over the past year or so. But yes, what you say is absolutely true. I don't know how to get technical on this topic but many stock tunes are very poor, I have no idea why. A good tune will provide the engine the best parameters to work with AND it will be more efficient, as I have noticed with my OpenFlash Tablet. It's not a huge difference but I consistently notice 1-1.5 MPG more using the OpenFlash Tablet tune, driving even harder than on the stock tune, using the same gas. I don't know, maybe there is some other factor but many people have said the same thing. I don't know if MPG and CO2 emission are directly related but I would guess so, so even the stock tune isn't perfectly designed for small emissions. Why don't they give the best tune from the factory? I really wish I knew.

[s2d4]

Originally Posted by dem00n

So let me get this straight.

If i have a 1.4L I4 engine that produces 130HP and 105 ft/lbs factory and someone tunes it to squeeze out 143HP and 109 ft/lbs. The factory tune is safe and has proven no long term damage to meet emissions, etc etc.

You're telling me that this tuned engine, which is now doing more work and producing more energy/heat is essentially going to last longer than the engine with a stock tune?

Log your car.

[DarkSunrise]

Buy a mod that will enable you to log vital stats on your engine so you can see what's going on. If you really want to ensure engine longevity:

1. Monitor oil temps on cold start and don't push your engine if temps are below ~180 F.

2. If you see oil temps rise above ~240 F during hard driving, back off until it cools off.

3. Make sure you're getting the right oil pressure for your RPM, both cold and hot.

4. If you log any detonation, switch to a better fuel if possible. Or a better tune.

[zdr93523]

Originally Posted by dem00n

So let me get this straight.

If i have a 1.4L I4 engine that produces 130HP and 105 ft/lbs factory and someone tunes it to squeeze out 143HP and 109 ft/lbs. The factory tune is safe and has proven no long term damage to meet emissions, etc etc.

You're telling me that this tuned engine, which is now doing more work and producing more energy/heat is essentially going to last longer than the engine with a stock tune?

No, if someone is tuning to "squeeze power", they are operating on the wrong philosophy.

However, if the tuner tunes to make the engine flow properly (AFR), the result can, and usually is, more power and less detonation and knock correction. I can post dyno pics of a 2 tuner comparison from my WRX if you need to see them.

[fatalelement]

Originally Posted by stugray

Not if removing said mass causes harmonics problems.

Running a lightened FW and pulley set is known to cause premature bearing failure.

The oil cooler that runs water through the oil cooler heat exchanger is good.

An external oil cooler without a thermostat is bad for a street car.
Oil cooler WITH thermostat = good.

Originally Posted by Poodles

Oil catch can doesn't increase longevity...

Pulley: No, the stock is a harmonic damper

I know somewhere on this forum is a set of posts quoting Subaru that on the frs and brz, the pulley is NOT a harmonic dampener. It isn't in every engine, but it would be worth double checking.

Many of the manufacturers of pulleys, if I remember correctly, have addressed this topic and said pulleys don't always perform this function and the 86's pulley is one of those that doesn't.

It's also worth noting that one of the main things that necessitates dampening is the mass of the pulley, which the manufacturer doesn't make incredibly lightweight because it's a massive waste of money since they can just cast a billion pulleys rather than individually machine them.

I'm in a (boring) meeting right now but when I have a minute I'll go pull some quotes. Even if they DO still cause some wear on certain parts of the engine, I'd be interested in an actual look at whether the reduced wear from a lighter pulley offsets it.

EDIT: However, it is worth noting that many people, including Crawford on this forum, note that the actual benefits from a lightweight pulley that isn't smaller are super marginal. There's probably better life-gain to be had in a better radiator and an oil cooler.

Sent from my HTC One_M8 using Tapatalk

[stugray]

Originally Posted by fatalelement

I know somewhere on this forum is a set of posts quoting Subaru that on the frs and brz, the pulley is NOT a harmonic dampener. It isn't in every engine, but it would be worth double checking.

Many of the manufacturers of pulleys, if I remember correctly, have addressed this topic and said pulleys don't always perform this function and the 86's pulley is one of those that doesn't.

It's also worth noting that one of the main things that necessitates dampening is the mass of the pulley, which the manufacturer doesn't make incredibly lightweight because it's a massive waste of money since they can just cast a billion pulleys rather than individually machine them.

I'm in a (boring) meeting right now but when I have a minute I'll go pull some quotes. Even if they DO still cause some wear on certain parts of the engine, I'd be interested in an actual look at whether the reduced wear from a lighter pulley offsets it.

EDIT: However, it is worth noting that many people, including Crawford on this forum, note that the actual benefits from a lightweight pulley that isn't smaller are super marginal. There's probably better life-gain to be had in a better radiator and an oil cooler.

Sent from my HTC One_M8 using Tapatalk

fatalelement: when you do your search for threads about crank pulleys, look to see what members are most frequently part of the discussion.

There has been endless debate about the factory's decision to use a harmonic dampener on the crank pulley.
The debate is over about whether the stock pulley is a dampener or not - IT IS a "text book example" of a dampener.

Whether the factory chose to use it because the engine needed one, or "because we had a big box of them already" is the only part of the discussion still in question.

The latest thread (that I recall) explain that a prominent engine builder refuses to put a light weight crank pulley on an engine with a lightened flywheel because (in his experience) it causes premature bearing failure.

[xxBrun0xx]

Originally Posted by acro

I disagree. As one poster said maintain your car properly according to your service manual with only oem or better than oem products. My previous car went well over 100k and was hammered a lot. Not one issue with the engine. Oh yeah I did keep it stock besides an air filter.

I love it when people talk about 100k miles as if it's a lot


There are only a few ways to blow up your engine under 100k miles:
1. Manufacturer defect
2. FI
3. Mechanically over revving
4. A long-term combination of: low octane + non-synthetic oil + beating on cold engine
5. Staying near/at redline for extended period of time (think +45 minutes)

As far as the tune goes, the only difference between a factory tune and an aftermarket tune is that the factory tune is made to work on thousands of engines instead of just one. Since tolerances stack and there are many parts, a tune that works well on one car may not be well suited to another. Therefore, getting a tune specifically for your car, regardless of what it does to power, is going to improve longevity. A bad tune that makes very little power is much worse for an engine than a good tune that makes a lot.

[nikitopo]

Originally Posted by dem00n

So let me get this straight.

If i have a 1.4L I4 engine that produces 130HP and 105 ft/lbs factory and someone tunes it to squeeze out 143HP and 109 ft/lbs. The factory tune is safe and has proven no long term damage to meet emissions, etc etc.

You're telling me that this tuned engine, which is now doing more work and producing more energy/heat is essentially going to last longer than the engine with a stock tune?

In theory it can be done by relaxing just the emissions and fuel consumption restrictions. Nevertheless, I doubt if any tuner is working like this. Customers are always pushing them for more power. Besides, how a tuner can support that his changes are safer and the engine will last longer? How can be sure that they'll not be side effects. Factories test their cars by doing thousands of km's. This cannot be done by the rest of the market.

The difference is that serious companies admit this. For example, öhlins admits that their suspension will not last so long as an OEM suspension. This is how things work. You have to balance some things. You gain somewhere and you lose somewhere else.

[acro]

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[mav1178]

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[vividracing]

@Poodles, that was probably the best post I have ever read on any forum.

[Poodles]

Originally Posted by vividracing

@Poodles, that was probably the best post I have ever read on any forum.

Thank you