The Design and Tuning of Competition Engines (6th revised edition - 1977)

No other book gives you better insight into the expert preparation of engines for racing and high-performance road use, whether your interest lies in street, oval track, drag, or stock car racing. The first chapters explain the fundamentals that govern high-performance engines: thermodynamic laws, gasflow, mechanical efficiency, and engine materials and construction. Understanding these basic factors is crucial to making correct decisions when tuning or modifying your engine. Actual engine preparation techniques are described in the middle section, including cylinder head work and balancing and blueprinting. The final part of the book focuses on modifying specific engines: American V8s, Porsche 911, Volkswagen Air-cooled and Water-cooled, Cosworth BDA, Formula Ford 1600, Datsun 4- and 6-cylinder, and Mazda rotary engines. You'll learn proven techniques to increase performance and reliability, and, just as important, which modifications won't give you meaningful gains.