Looking for ideas to increase power at minimal cost for a 1981 Coupe----car has 49,000 miles (original) and would like suggestions. Any ideas welcome
Rick at RKRltr@aol.com
Submitted by: Richard Koentopp
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One thing you can do that won't increase power, but will increase torque, is to change the rear end gear to a higher numerical ratio. The car will accelerate better and have more throttle response than with the stock ratio whether you are running an automatic or manual.
Another trick to gain better throttle response is to change the throttle attaching point on the Quadrajet carburetor. There are 2 throttle ball locations on the throttle lever, one high and one low. Most all late 70's and early 80's use the high setting which gives a lower throttle rate than the low setting. To change, you will need to remove the carburetor, remove the throttle body from the main body, then drill out the staked throttle ball/pin with a 1/4" drill. Go easy and remove material slowly and the the pin will come off without messing up the hole. You can buy a replacement throttle attaching pin from qudrajetparts.com. This one bolts onto the hole with an attaching nut. Even though you are relocating the throttle pin to the lower hole, the stock one on the upper hole needs to be removed or it will interfere with throttle opening. This mod will give the car much more throttle feel and make the car much more responsive to throttle movement.
One other cheap mod you can do is to make the secondaries come in quicker by modifying the secondary link. The procedure is outlined in the book Rochester Carburetors by Doug Roe. I think you need to get an original 1st edition copy, which shows the procedure, I don't think the second edition copy has it. I have both books. Instead of modifying your original link, you may want to get a parts carb and modify that one in case you want to change back. Quadrateparts.com may have one too. Just call.
The modifications I've outlined will make a big difference on part throttle and full throttle response/acceleration, but will hurt fuel economy if that is important to you.
Of course a set of modern cylinder heads, a higher flow intake manifolds, larger exhaust manifolds, headers, cat delete exhaust system, and cam change will make a world of difference if you can pick a good combination of components.
I've been through all of this over the last 40 years, and a mid 70's car or early 80's car can be made to substantially outperform the cars from the 60's if done correctly, and still retain a relatively stock look.
I hope you find this information of value and good luck.
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D on
4/4/2016 12:31:41 PM
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Minimal cost? Minimal is a highly relevant term but one that really doesn?t apply to horsepower. The less you spend the less you get. At bare minimum would be a low restriction air filter and cat back exhaust. But keep in mind that these items are mostly feel-good and don?t provide any real improvement unless you?re racing against the clock at the track. These mods make pretty sounds but don?t really make a stock engine move the car significantly faster if at all. In some cases on newer cars they slow the car down but the sound gives the driver the sensation the car is making a lot more power.
The absolute best and most economical way to make meaningful power without opening the engine and spending really big bucks is forced induction. That means super or turbo charging.
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Anonymous on
3/19/2014 12:32:25 PM
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