How to Increase a Car Engine's Horsepower

We are all familiar with the term Car Engine and to most of us it is a complex design of metal and wires, engineered to run our car. A good engine is essential to the smooth functionality of the car. An engine converts the gasoline internally, into motion and speed, that a car moves with. An engine's horsepower (Hp), is the measurement of several non-SI (International System of Units) units of power. In the most basic term, it just means the rate of power, at which a car runs.

How to Increase a Car Engine's Horsepower
Most cars come with appropriate engine horsepower specifications, but one can increase its horsepower to suit personal requirements, using a few tips given below:

Change in the Computer Chip
One can change the ROM chip in the engine control unit (ECU) to increase its horsepower. But in most cases, this will only work along with other modifications in air intake, header and exhaust systems.

Free Flow Exhaust
Installing high-performance exhaust systems will help increase the car engine's horsepower. The advanced exhaust systems use big tail pipes, headers and free flow mufflers to decrease the air resistance (back-pressure) and enable the exhaust to escape faster.

Install Turbocharger
While adding a turbo or super charger in your car, keep in mind to add a bigger sized cylinder, to increase its displacement. Turbo chargers compress the incoming air, to effectively increase the amount of air in the cylinder, which adds more oxygen to the combustion process. More oxygen means more power to your engine's horsepower.

Cool the Incoming Air
Compressing air raises its temperature expanding it, whereas cooling will contract the air. One can add more cooled air in the cylinder than hot air. Installing an intercooler, which is type of a radiator with turbocharger, will add more horsepower to the car. The air compressed by the turbocharger, passes through the intercooler, cooling it before entering the cylinder.

Reduce Car Weight
Load beyond a vehicles capacity will slow it down. So, lighter the vehicle, more horsepower to its engine. The weight of the car affects the piston's function. Each time a piston changes direction, it uses the transfer force from expanding gas in the cylinder to the crankshaft. So lighter the car, lesser the time and transfer force will be taken by the piston, to change direction. However, decreasing the car's weight doesn't mean removing its parts, just replacing some components with lighter materials and clearing your back seat or trunk would definitely work.

Air Filter
An air filter helps to remove solid particles such as dust, pollen, etc. before it enters the cylinder. An increase in the size of the air filter, allows more air to enter the engine. More air enables the piston to function efficiently and increases the engine's horsepower.

Spark Plugs and Power Fuel
High performance Iridium spark plugs will make the car run faster, by burning the fuel injected into the engine. Regular cleaning will also increase its productivity. Unleaded fuel causes more harm to the various components of the engine. To enhance its functionality and horsepower, high octane gasoline should be used.

There is no substitute for regular maintenance. Done on time and by a qualified mechanic, will add more life to the car's engine. It is important to bear in mind, that better horsepower relates to more speed, which needs good brakes. While adding modifications to the car's engine and other parts, one must also increase the wheel dimensions, to add larger brake disc.