Fwd: Performance Claims

[Michael Williams <daserde@ucla.edu>]

hey this is a letter that my friend wrote me today.  Done Elgin is the 
same Elgin who does Elgin Cams.  So he is pretty knowledgable, so iwould 
like to know what the list makes of this...

later all
Michael williams




I talked to Don Elgin today, he was at the school for a meeting and I ran 
into
him.  I asked about dynojets and how they get an AWD on them.  He said 
back
east they have IM240, which is the 5 gas analysis system that tests for 
Nox
and requires a dyno.  There is no such thing AWD dyno, at least nothing
availible in the US.  More importantly, even if an AWD dyno was possible, 
you
could never rate HP or Torque on it.  Power must be given to one set of 
wheels
at a time to compute the power.  
So, the process revolves around disabling the AWD to rate the HP.  But 
this is
a complicated process, and says only a few people know how to do it.  

So, I doubt very much that any of those Audi guys are telling any truth.
Their engines, as Elgin said, are capable of about 200-250hp, and he has 
seen
higher out of K-36 turbos, but the engine is unsafe.  He said the cast 
iron
block is bad for the heat, and it dosen't translate to a performance 
engine in
any way other than making it unsafe.

The bottom line is, I think it's BS. There is nothing I can't stand more 
then
over estimation of power.  I think those engines are capable of maybe 
200hp
without getting dangerous.  It just stands to reason, and Elgin agrees.  

The Sport Q had a K-36 (as I can see from the photos), and only got 300hp.
That is about the end of the line, it is overated as it is.  And Elgin 
said
the race engines are TOTALLY different, in every concievable way.  

He also said the IMSA 90's won not because of superior handling ability, 
but
because the Quattro was easy on the tires, and allowed for more time 
between
changes.  He says it's the same in ETC and BTC.  The advantage of quattro 
is
less tire wear, not handling, not control.  


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