How to Increase the Horsepower of Your 4 Cylinder Car

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Seven easy and cheap ways to get a little more horse out of your pony!

Steps

1. 1
   The cheapest option is also the easiest. Clean all the junk out of your car, thereby reducing its weight.

   
   
2. 2
   Clean out or pay someone to clean out the engine and air intake.
3. 3
   Go up a size in spark plug: if requires a 5245 put in a 5248.
4. 4
   Get a "high flow" converter or a turbo muffler (or both). Do not simply get the biggest thing you can find, which may actually reduce performance.
5. 5
   Get MSD Coil Packs for your make and model.
6. 6
   Get a high flow air filter from a trustworthy brand, such as K&N, and/or Install an Aftermarket Air Intake.
7. 7
   Rip off the air silencer for more power and sound. It's the black tube running into the filter after the air box.
8. 8
   If your vehicle does not have a turbocharger or supercharger, add one. If it has one, but you want more power, get a bigger one.

   
   

Tips

• For a bit more money and a lot more speed, consider investing in a nitrous oxide system. Please keep in mind that you will sacrifice some of the safety and longevity of your car.
• The addition of a NOS system or turbo/supercharger may necessitate the replacement of internal engine parts with ones that can take the higher pressures.
• Keep in mind that larger turbos generally take longer to spool up, so you could lose some low-end performance. Also, if you attach a turbo that is too large for the exhaust system, you can make the car slower.

Warnings

• Spark plugs that are not the size intended by the manufacturer may damage your engine, make sure spark plugs thread into the cylinder head properly and do not contact the piston or valves
• Depending on your vehicle, an exhaust system that does not produce enough backpressure may actually reduce the power output of your engine.
• An aftermarket air intake may have to be customized to fit.

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