Articles by Michael R. T. Jensen
22/01/17
Looking for some recommendations for a new set of colder spark plugs for the Focus. I’m still running into some overheating problems with plugs, due to my lean fuel / air mixture and heavy foot. Trying to find some colder plugs that still preferably have an excellent life. Any help would be appreciated. Currently using NGK Iridium plugs.
24/12/16
A built 2.3 short block, cams, Borg Warner turbo kit, E85, NOS, Mickey Thompson drag tires and a few more supporting modifications pushed this four cylinder powered 2015 Ford Mustang to a quarter mile time of 9.94 seconds at 137 mph.
23/12/16
Liquid fuel rocket tubine, designed for production cars. These were basically NOS back in the ‘60s, except that additional power was put directly through the axle instead of starting in the engine. These turbines revved to 60,000 rpm with PSIs exceeding 600. These devices were powered by Thermolene, which was a name brand for sopropyl nitrate monopropellant. Very neat devices, but with a troublesome history. Being based off of cutting edge rocket technology, they had the tendency to explode.
23/12/16
This is an all out comparison between Sylvania’s Silverstar Ultra line of Halogen replacement bulbs versus a pair of Green-L 10,000 lumens COB LED replacement headlights. An important thing to note in this comparison is that both sets of bulbs are compared on the same vehicle, neither set are OEM style bulbs, these bulbs are H13 socket (high and low beam in a single bulb), and that the headlights were not adjusted in anyway in between tests. This was a simple plug and play comparison.
15/12/16
Ford managed to haul a 4,124 square foot (45’×92’) flag behind a 2017 Ford F-450 during Ford Championship weekend earlier last month. The F-450’s turbo diesel 6.7L Power Stroke engine, producing 925 foot pounds of torque is what enabled the record to be achieved. Not only was it a larger flag than Chevrolet’s previous record (40’×80’), but it was also driven a further distance.
29/06/16
Dual exhausts were originally created for V shaped engines, as they had two exhaust manifolds and could therefore benefit from two mostly separate exhaust pipes. Over time, the dual exhaust became a fashion piece on cars. Some vehicles that had a V shaped engine were single exhaust up until the end of the system, where it branched into two separate tips. This is what is known as “fake duals”. Recently, inline engines have been leaving the factory with the fake dual exhausts. Is it for performance, or just looks?
23/06/16
I put a lot of mileage on my Focus, and as a result have some paint chips. Those will all be gone soon, as it’s getting a new front end. Should I put a bra on it, when I do long highway trips? Will it scuff the paint, or do any other damage? Photo: Aebros Dickson
22/05/16
Chevrolet has the Corvette, Dodge has the Viper, and Ford has the GT. This is the first time since the above photo was taken a few years ago that all three manufacturers have had super cars to match each other. Each derives it’s power from very different engines, with a TT V6, SC V8, and an NA V10 for comparison. However, they all put down within 50 HP of each other. But how well do they match up?
28/04/16
Looking for a nice lumpy cam that can do both a naturally aspirated build, as well as eventually a supercharger. It’s for a ‘96 Explorer 302, not a Mustang, but same engine.
13/04/16
So, recently had a CEL come up on my Explorer. P0340, if you’re interested to know. The code is “Camshaft Position Sensor Circuit Malfunction”. The likely causes could be the CPS, PCM, or a short/break in the wire. I’m going to give the wires a look over first, but if I don’t see anything I’m going to swap the CPS. I already have a spare, so it’s cost effective. Any tips and tricks on how to do it? I’m sure the location and method of removal/installation is the same on all newer OHV 5.0s, including the Mustangs and F series trucks. Any help would be appreciated!
18/12/15
I just heard of something called a “Warm Air Intake” today. It is as it sounds: an air intake system designed to pull warm air from the engine, heater core, and/or exhaust manifold(s). Some people seem to think that these somehow improve fuel economy. Has anyone else heard of these? Am I the only one looking at the science behind this, and ending up completely and utterly baffled? It seems very backwards from almost everything I know.