Cheap Tricks

[911st]

Anyone have any cheep tricks that can be used on a 911's for better performance.

A couple of my favorites:

Adding a second tail pipe to the right side of the muffler to get as much HP as any sport muffler (5-7HP).

Turning over the front A arm rubber bushings using heat.

Swaping the left for right rear spring plates to recenter the arms in the retainer plates.

Get more neg camber up front by cleaning all the goo off the front spring towers using a heat gun. grind the alignment slots wider, and trimming the side off the stock strut tops.

Gutting the stock Cat (5-7HP)

Cut the face off the Air Filter for better intake sound.

Taking the 50lbs of spare & tools out of the front trunk.

Replacing the 65 lb batter in a Carrera w something under 25 lbs.

Removing the brake backing plates for better cooling.

Disconnecting the 02 sensor on a 3.2 to put motor in the WOT map for track work.

Using the Fuel Quality switch to fine tune ones A/F's along with other EFI adjustment that are available.

Any others?

[the]

Originally Posted by 911st

Anyone have any cheep tricks that can be used on a 911's for better performance.

A couple of my favorites:

Adding a second tail pipe to the right side of the muffler to get as much HP as any sport muffler (5-7HP).

Turning over the front A arm rubber bushings using heat.

Swaping the left for right rear spring plates to recenter the arms in the retainer plates.

Get more neg camber up front by cleaning all the goo off the front spring towers using a heat gun. grind the alignment slots wider, and trimming the side off the stock strut tops.

Gutting the stock Cat (5-7HP)

Cut the face off the Air Filter for better intake sound.

Taking the 50lbs of spare & tools out of the front trunk.

Replacing the 65 lb batter in a Carrera w something under 25 lbs.

Removing the brake backing plates for better cooling.

Disconnecting the 02 sensor on a 3.2 to put motor in the WOT map for track work.

Using the Fuel Quality switch to fine tune ones A/F's along with other EFI adjustment that are available.

Any others?

Wow, I'd disagree with just about all of that!

No way on a dyno will adding a second tailpipe get 5-7 hp on a stock engine.

If you go through the trouble of disassembling the front suspension, why rotate the old bushings, just spend $60 for new rubber ones.

Same for the rear spring plates. Lots of work, just put new ones one.

Why gut the stock cat, just use a $100 test pipe if you don't want a cat.

Cutting up airboxes is kid's stuff.

You won't notice any performance difference driving around with no spare or tools. You will notice them missing if you get a flat on a freeway at night.

I wouldn't remove the brake backing plates.

I wouldn't disconnect the O2 sensor.

I wouldn't mess around with any of the Motronic settings, other than maybe to try to correct a problem.

Not saying you are wrong, just IMO.

[Porsche_monkey]

I won't say they are all wrong. Optimistic, perhaps.

[911st]

Guess I set myself up with this one.

I did not think a DIY could replace the front rubber bushings. I thought it was about $500 to have them pressed in or to buy new arms. Next cheeper is the med hard resto bushings.

I think a SW chip is the best way to tune the motor but some have reported gains by playing w the fuel quality switch. However, there are DE and SCCA classes where you can not run a chip and tuning for more ideal A/Fs can be done in other ways.

Per Bruce Andersons book adding a second tail pipe worked as well as a factory style sport muffler if I rececall correctly.

I to prefer a used cat bypass as that is what I did.

I have never had a flat except for a nail and that was not a total failure. I cary a can of flat tire fix and an AAA card. Add this to the batter savings, taking the rear seat backs out, and that is almost 100 lbs. Like adding about 3Hp.

For $100 and some sweat one can see some of the tains the $2k could cost.

It is all good, just interested in the ideas.

[CT944]

I just replaced my front A-arm bushings. It really was a breeze. I just bought a small $9.00 Benzomatic propane tank from Home Depot, heated up the bushings until they started to smoke a bit. Then with vise grips on both ears of the bushing mounts, I rotated them off. Took about 5 mins per side. Installation was similar (without heat).

[Zeke]

Originally Posted by 911st

Guess I set myself up with this one.



It is all good, just interested in the ideas.

I suppose there are "cheap tricks" and then cheap tricks.

[snbush67]

Cool Collar...

Armourall on tire tread....

[jonbot]

Not so much a tip to improve performance beyond factory specs, more of a recommendation of something to check that could hinder performance:

If your car seems to be riding too rough, like mine was, and up front you've got the full Bilstein strut enclosure (not the boge struts with bilstein inserts), make sure the 30 year old bump stops haven't disintegrated and mixed with the grease, becoming a glue like substance. This happened in my struts, and had me scratching my head for months trying to figure out why the ride was so rough. I even had my mechanic change the struts, but unfortunately he just took the old ones out and shoved the new ones in to the middle of the gooey mess. Anyways, once I thoroughly cleaned the struts out, and repacked them with lithium grease, per bilstein's specs, the car rode smooth as glass.

[Baz]

Drop in a 3.6.

[rnln]

As far as my research on this board, there is no rubber a arm bushing. There is only plastic bushing for the front.

Originally Posted by the

Wow, I'd disagree with just about all of that!

No way on a dyno will adding a second tailpipe get 5-7 hp on a stock engine.

If you go through the trouble of disassembling the front suspension, why rotate the old bushings, just spend $60 for new rubber ones.

Same for the rear spring plates. Lots of work, just put new ones one.

Why gut the stock cat, just use a $100 test pipe if you don't want a cat.

Cutting up airboxes is kid's stuff.

You won't notice any performance difference driving around with no spare or tools. You will notice them missing if you get a flat on a freeway at night.

I wouldn't remove the brake backing plates.

I wouldn't disconnect the O2 sensor.

I wouldn't mess around with any of the Motronic settings, other than maybe to try to correct a problem.

Not saying you are wrong, just IMO.

[GothingNC]

Here is an interesting old thread "low cost mods"

What's the best No-Cost/Low-Cost Mod you have made to your car?