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Book Reviews
Below is my brief opinion on some of the books I've got on forced induction/engine tuning. The list is not definitive, these are simply the books I found laying around when I had the digital camera.
Invaluable manuals or waste of trees? You decide
General Engine tuning/design/workshop
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Forced Aspiration
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Yes, it really does include 1001 tips. Not bad as quantity goes.
Quality? Fine, as long as you breathe chevy V8s - it's mainly US-biased, and not much on forced induction either...
Score: 3/5
The business. Written by the man behind the Australian AutoSpeed website. Despite some flaws and inaccuracies, it's a must-have.
It may be cheaper to buy from their own website.
Score: 5/5
A classic. I had a version of this one (different cover) back in the eighties. Quite relevant and revised even by today's standards. However, it's got 70 pages on Carburation - waste of space in the new millennium, hence the score
Score: 3/5
Rather punny, only 90 pages of 'meat'.
Skims through the subjects without really going deep enough, but at least one is shown where to look for potential improvements. It's a shame they didn't go the full hog on this specialised subject, as most of an engine's output is dictated by the head.
Good, but could do better
Score: 3/5
Does exactly what is says on the tin.
150pages on a very specialised subject. Die-hard stuff - those with no sets of micrometers need not apply!
Score: 4/5
165 pages of good, sound advice. Unfortunately, heavy US-bias, hence the score
Score: 3/5
Quite thin on the ground is the information on this one. Wastes time on carbs, too. Comes with a CD-ROM, containing the Emerald M3DK engine mapping software. One fifth of the book is wasted by screenshots of their software.
The 'Engine Management Theory' chapter is quite good (but not long enough)
I'd give it a miss...
Score: 2/5
450 pages, and they're all good! 24 proper chapters. It's from the Aussie author of 'Modern Engine Tuning' and 'Four Stroke perf tuning'.
Yes, there is the occasional error here and there, but as far as forced-aspiration goes, this is must-read material.
Five out of five.
Score: 5/5
This book is a bit thin, old, and looks like it was written on a typewriter. It's got typos, and it's heavily American-biased. Still, when it comes to cylinder head mods, Vizard is the daddy, he literally wrote the book. This stuff is from the horse's mouth.
This is volume one, has been around for decades, Vol. 2 deals mainly on carbs and intake manifolds for the Chevvy block.
Not always relevant, but still a classic...
Score: 4/5
A book with such a title raises expectations, doesn't it? Same as websites! It does what it says on the cover, although it could be less patronising and stick to the facts.
Some diagrams have been 'shared' from A.G.Bell's book, which is slightly older.
Some subjects are just skimmed through, and too much time is spend advertising the author's (interesting) Aerocharger concept.
Not perfect, but if you're interested in turbos you can't afford to miss this one.
Score: 4.5/5
This book is a few years old, yet it hasn't dated at all. The first chapter is dedicated to Ram-air intakes, with some interesting diagrams.
It's heavily biased around motorcycles though, hence the score
Score: 3/5
This guy is similar to Vizard. Just look at him: not a literary giant, but certainly knows his stuff. It's not for beginners though, as many of the subjects won't click at all.
Although it's US-biased, the underlying principles apply in all engines.
Score: 4/5
This book is merely OK, as it jumps from one subject to the other without really going deep enough anywhere.
It's fine for a casual reading, but your life won't be empty just because you never got round to reading it...Score: 2.5/5
The title doesn't sound very promising, being bike-related and only claiming to be a 'handbook'. Kevin Cameron, is however very experienced in his field. All his explanations on engine internals are excellent and his diagrams unique (hand-drawn, all of them!)
Score: 4/5
"DIY guide to street supercharging"
Why 'street'? who knows...who wants to know anyway?...It's got some advice on how to spot a dud supercharger in a car-boot sale. Apparently the author has been to a couple of jumble sales and decided to write a book on the subject.
Give us a break...
Score: 1/5
Corky Bell's sister book on Superchargers. Overlaps with his 'turbocharging' book, especially on the chapter on intercoolers. Still, 300-odd pages of good reading.
It's not 100% perfect, but it's almost there. If you haven't got it, you're missing knowledge.
Score: 5/5
"A comprehensive guide to forced induction"...not!
Quite misleading this title. It looks like a collection of Australian magazine articles, with a common theme of supercharging street cars.
All photos, vague descriptions and unverifiable dodgy figures. Treat it as a website, just browse and then delete the link.
Score: 0/5 (as far as the title goes)
Score: 2/5 (as an idle browsing experience)
A totally useless book, if there ever was one. The author has probably no firsthand experience, he just repeats the marketing blurb from various 'performance car' ads.
The 'advice' reminds a lot of internet chat forums, where everyone has an opinion, however ludicrous or dangerous. There are blatant errors and a lot of copy/paste action, taken out of context.
If you didn't have to pay for it, it could pass as a 'performance-parts' catalogue.
A fine example of why we should stop depleting the Amazon jungle
Score: 0/5
This book is not cheap: you won't get much change from £30, it's kinda rare too, so it's not likely to be discounted. It's also physically small, a handbook 100% Makes you think you've been had, didn't get value for money.
But it's the business. 950 pages of condensed knowledge.
No bull, no fluff, no fancy useless pictures, everything in here has a purpose. The diagrams and tables from this book have been copied and leeched all along the internet and other books alike. No other automotive book provides so much usable information. None, by a long shot. This is a mini-encyclopedia, and if you haven't got it then you're missing out.
The compact format makes it very practical, easy to read in the train, and the cover/paper/glue quality is excellent. This book can and will be used very often.
Giving it five out of five doesn't do it justice, it should be 6/5
Score: 5/5
Excellent - does exactly what it claims.
It covers all aspects of bodywork, going into depth wherever it has to.
Best there is.
Score: 5/5
Bit of a disappointment, this one.
The subject is very specialised, so one would expect to find in-depth information that is unique and invaluable. Instead there is a lot of overlap (no pun!) with their Cylinder Heads book, and nothing about forced induction.
A book useful (perhaps) for tuning normally-aspirated engines, but next to useless for turbos and superchargers.
They could do better, I think.
Score: 3/5
Useful if you drag-race big Yank blocks - the 5.0 litre Ford in this case. Nitrous fundamentals don't change of course. Since bibliography on the subject is sparse, hardcore nitrous junkies might want to peruse it in search of ideas for their own projects.
Score: 2.5/5
Based around the Chevvy V8, some of the articles will be quite irrelevant to a modern tuning enthusiast. These people stick a huge carb on top of the V8 and then tinker with it. What they don't understand is that the whole setup is so primitive and inefficient, that any fiddling is bound to be an improvement!
Sprinkled with some decent paragraphs on wiring, plug-reading and cam-timing. The style of this book is similar to Vizard's "How to build horsepower"
In the context of these reviews, it would be of interest mainly to the completist
Score: 2.5/5
I'd call it more like Fuel Injection 101...
If you don't have a clue, then you'll catch a thing or two (not much more)
Pretty basic (but accurate) in the general description of EFI building blocks. Sadly the same can't be said for the descriptions of the various commercial systems presented in the book. Looks like the author opened up their websites and brochures and treated everything there as gospel.
As a result, a lot of the marketing blurb made it into this book dressed as 'fact'. I spotted several inaccuracies that ranged from trivial to total garbage, based on my own experience. So it's no wonder why the score is low.
Anyone with an internet connection and the address to 'Google' can find most of this info easily - at least the book isn't expensive...
Score: 2/5
As far as engine management books go, this is the best I've found. It has got some of the latest developments, and not just generalities copied and pasted from the net.
Tightly packed and well written - with good examples from forced induction even.
Can't go wrong with this one.
Score: 4.5/5
Some interesting ideas on how to optimise an existing workshop, or even create one from scratch. How else would you know the thickness of the concrete floor for example? Quite basic but even if you follow on a single suggestion then the book has paid for itself
Score: 3/5
Review in progress
Score: -/5
Written in 1994 it shouldn't be totally out of date, since the laws of physics have not been amended since.
But there are problems with this book. It feels like it has not been researched thoroughly and has been written hastily. I've seen websites where the text has been 'cooked' more. The graphics are basic and childish, and some of them are unnecessary and just too large, perhaps to make a thin book look heftier.
The fixation with the writer's childhood and V8s doesn't make it too relevant to European audiences anyway, but there is the odd useful formula here and there.
The final nail in the coffin is that nobody bothered to proof-read it, so there are lots of errors and typos.
Score: 2/5
Basics of MIG, TIG, GAS and Arc. Might be a useful read if you are in doubt as to what is the best welder for you.
I'll save you the time and suggest a medium-powered (around 130A) MIG unit with a fan.
The paper used on this book wouldn't even allowed to be used in supermarket own-brand toilet rolls. It doesn't help convey an aura of quality either.
Score: 2/5
If you are even remotely interested in the subject, this books is all you need. Written by Chris Jacobs, the man himself.
Best there is.
Score: 5/5
Printing quality is poor, setting aside that such a manual should be in colour.
The quality of information is patchy and inadequate, perpetuating bad established practices of amateur electricians (for example it doesn't even mention the superiority of ratchet-type crimp connectors).
Hopefully there are other decent books out there.
Score: 2/5
Interesting to know how much a metal bar expands as we're holding it for a measurement with a micrometer.
If you rebuild engines, you need to know everything in here.
Score: 3/5
This is a classic. Oldie and goodie (ish)
Well it's not too good by today's standards, but the last revision was in 1984, it really is a blast from the seventies. It was never meant to be easy reading, or even a comprehensive diatribe.
You get the feeling that paragraphs are missing here and there, this is not a book for beginners - they will lose interest quickly.
It's still worth reading though, it contains some ideas that never caught on, while they deserved it. One for the completist.
Score: 3/5
Not for the faint of heart, or the mathematically-challenged.
Following the calculations in here, makes the difference between an enthusiast and a casual observer.
Tackles air and fuel-air cycles, friction and lubrication, compressors turbines and intercoolers and forced induction fundamentals.
I won't give it a 5 because of the insistence on weird engine combinations - 2 stroke diesel engines? How many of those has the good professor seen lately?
Score: 4/5
Excellent, just like Volume 1
This one tackles normal combustion, detonation and pre-ignition. Extensive AFR requirements and parameters, engine balance and vibration, and a basic engine design primer.
Score: 4/5
Very good book, but unfortunately it cannot be found any more. This copy is from 1992, I think it has been out of print ever since.
Score: 4/5
For a 'one-size-fits-all' tech guide it fares pretty well indeed. Some nice tips too. These jobs can become frustrating if corroded or bent parts refuse to give way, and the temptation to use a 'bigger hammer' can be overwhelming.
Obviously is only meant to be used in conjunction with your vehicle's own workshop manual.
Score: 4/5
Pretty good reading, if a bit generic.
Score: 3/5
Volume 2 of Vizard's 'How to build HP' short series.
It's pretty good for the age. This last version had been revised in 1995, so it's less irrelevant than it could have been. It revolves mainly around american V8s, although a lot can be transferred to 4 and 6-cyl engines. If it wasn't for the extended middle section dedicated to carbs (Holleys mainly) it would be 4-star material.
Score: 3/5
Very specialised - but quite interesting reading if you are into making custom fasteners and hoses (and want them to last!)
Score: 3/5
Best out of a bad bunch - Books (more likely book chapters) on nitrous tend to be half-baked, incomplete and filled with assumptions and hearsay.
This one is slightly better, at least written by someone who knows the subject intimately. It is fairly basic in the coverage but covers all aspects well. Anyone who installs a nitrous system and doesn't know everything in this book should be worried.
The style is entertaining as it feels like an informercial right from the start. According to Trevor the whole world is filled with misguided people and he's the only one holding the Truth. Only his own systems are worth mentioning, all others are obsolete, dangerous and unworthy. It's even written in the first person, like an autobiography.
Definitely worth reading as it could help plan a decent installation and save a lot of hassle later on.
Score: 4/5 for entertaining value (3/5 for content)
Specialised and probably out of print. Based on a series of lecture notes and it shows as occasionally whole sentences are repeated verbatim.
The subject is covered more extensively than anywhere else and several gaps left by other books are filled here. There are a few thermodynamic equations and diagrams but nothing too intimidating. All forms of turbocharging are covered, albeit at the expense of depth.
Score: 4/5 - a nice addition to the enthusiast's library
This is also a textbook for honours or postgrad mechanical engineers. Very well written and presented.
Without such reading it's hard to understand airflow around the tips of a compressor or the dynamics of precompressor injection - which I've found experimentally to be very effective.
Changes in stagnation enthalpy (aka building boost) and supercavitation will never feel the same ever again.
Score: 4/5 - very good, for the serious boost junkie
The author is well known in the Supra forums in the States. He knows his stuff first hand, and the text has been proof-read by a few other people in the know. So there are no blatant mistakes.
It is pretty basic, aimed at hungry enthusiasts looking for a first book to delve into the subject. This would be an excellent choice, in a similar vein as Max Boost
Several of the pictures and diagrams can be found on the web, or other books reviewed here, but that is no bad thing, given the low price.
Hence the full score.
Score: 5/5 - wish it had a few more pages
Aimed at novice/intermediate level, this is a well - written and informative book. Lots of tips and information that is can be used straight away. Shows how to check and adjust most suspension angles in your garage, it really isn't that hard.
Myths are dispelled. Covers wheels, tyres, springs, dampers, anti-rollbars and much more.
Score: 4.5/5 - Highly recommended
Turbo bike was a short-lived publication in the States during the early nineties.
Black and white with no glossy glamour, but packed with information that couldn't be found anywhere else. These were the days before the internet really took off.
Nowadays with specialised internet forums and websites, these are more of collectors' items (hence the score).
If somebody needs an extract of an article, I'm happy to scan it for them, as these have been out of print for over a decade now.
Contents of this one:
chapter 1 - TURBO BIKE BASICS - Includes turbocharger design, choosing the proper turbocharger, choosing the right bike for turbocharging, turbocharger placement, oiling systems, fuel systems, water/alcohol injection, intercoolers, exhaust systems, wastegates, ignition systems, compression ratios and cam timing.
Chapter 2 - PAST, PRESENT, AND FUTURE OF TURBOCHARGED
MOTORCYCLES - Includes products and company histories of Joe Haile Engineering, American Tur-Pak, Blake Enterprises, RC Engineering, RB Racing, Mr.Turbo, and Luftmeister.
Chapter 3 - A BRIEF HISTORY OF OEM FACTORY TURBO MOTORCYCLES -Includes the history of the following factory turbocharged motorcycles: Honda CX5OO/650 Turbo, Yamaha XJ65OLJ Turbo Seca, Suzuki XN85 Turbo and the Kawasaki GPZ-750 Turbo.
Chapter 4 - TURBO CLIPBOARD - Includes detailed information on nine custom/race turbocharged and supercharged motorcycles.
Chapter 5 - SUPPLIER DIRECTORY - A complete list of suppliers of kits, parts, and accessories.Score: 3/5
Contents of Volume 2:
Chapter 1 - MEET MAD MEL, THE LIVING LEGEND - Profiles Mad Mel and his famous motorcycle. Volume 2 mostly pertains to detonation control and this motor-cycle is used as an example.
Chapter 2 - DETONATION DAMPERS - Contains sub-chapters on low compression pistons, racing fuels, water/alcohol injection, intercooling, ignition systems and wast-gates. Anyone contemplating installing a turbocharger system on their mo torcycle should read this chapter before picking up a wrench. This is vital information.
Chapter 3 - TURBO TECH - Technical analysis of the S&S Shorty carburetor for draw-through turbo systems.
Chapter 4 - TURBO TECH - Technical analysis of the Warner-ISHI RHB-52/6 turbochargers
Chapter 5 - HARLEY'S FROM HELL - RB Racing's Harley Davidson turbocharger systems explained.
Chapter 6- TURBO BIKES FROM AROUND THE WORLD - Readers bikes.
Chapter 7 - TURBO BIKE DIRECTORY - A complete list of turbocharger kit and parts suppliers
Score: 3/5
Turbo bike changed name later, adding Motorcycle Performance, in a vain attempt to attract a wider audience. No luck though, the subject was just too specialised
Once again, if somebody needs an extract of an article, I'm happy to scan it for them, as these have been out of print for a decade now.
Winter 1994:
Article 1 - HARLEY'S FROM HELL, PART 2 - How to build turbocharged Harley engines by Carl Pelletier.
Article 2 - ALLIED FORCES - Turbo bikes from across the pond.
Article 3 - TURBO V-MAX - How to build the ultimate rocket sled. We show you the inside of RB Racing's blow4hrough (carbureted) V-Max turbo system.
Article 4 - LEAD SUPREME 130 - An octane booster that really works.
Article 5 - MR. TURBO - Taking a tour of Mr. Turbo's entire product line.
Article 6 - ELECTRONIC FUEL INJECTION - New age technology for today's bikes. Understanding the inner workings of EFI and where this new technology is taking us
Article 7 - HAHN RACECRAFT - The man, the products, and the company.
Article 8 - LUFTMEISTER'S BMW R11OORS TURBO - The inside story and road test on Matt Capri's latest sleeper. A two cylinder R11OORS that streaks through the quarter mile in 10.48 seconds, at 132.80 MPH. Street legal, and through the muffler.
Article 9 - PROJECT 750 TURBO KATANA - First in a series of How-To articles on turbocharging the 1990 Suzuki Katana 750. This article starts off with a simple draw-through system.
Article 10 - TECH SECRETS FROM THE PITS - Harold Barnett visits the pits at Indy and gets the goods on the top Funny Bikes.
Article 11 - TURBO TECH - Aerodyne's self-lubricating, variable vane turbocharger TB&MP takes you inside this unique turbo.
Summer 1995:
Article 1 - TO SUPERCHARGE OR TO TURBOCHARGE, PART 1 - This article answers the age old question. Which is better and covers Harley Davidson and V- Max motorcycles. Part 2 in Volume 4 Number 2 will cover all other bikes. By Joe Haile
Article 2 - 206.100 MILES PER HOUR, ON DIRT! - Matt Capri, Mad Man of El Mirage, burns the record books. This in-depth article covers the whole Luftmeister story, including an exclusive test ride on one of the fastest motorcycles on the face of the planet.
Article 3 - HOT BIKE IN A COLD COUNTRY - A showdown with adversity. You think getting a tinkered on vehicle through registration and smog checks is tough in this country? Try Norway!
Article 4 - HOW-TO: TURBOCHARGING THE WATER-COOLED SUZUKI GSXR1100. - Kit? Who needs a kit when you can build your own system and save a lot of hard earned money In the process. Here's every last detail on how to do it yourself. By Gary Evans
Article 5 - OLD TURBO BIKES NEVER DIE - Mad Mel's monster bike turns 25. Next stop, The twilight Zone. A close look at one of the most potent street bikes to legally traverse our highways and by-ways.
Article 6 - TURBOCHARGING KAWASAKI'S BIG GUN - A low boost, more civilized turbo kit from Westec. Anything over 250 horsepower just goes up in wheel-spin anyway. This system is for the person who wants to surprise others, and not themselves.
Article 7 - IN SEARCH OF THE PERFECT AIR/FUEL RATIO - Bob Behn explains everything you ever needed to know about dialing in the proper air/fuel ratio.
Winter 1995:
Article 1 - WORLD'S FASTEST STREET LEGAL HONDA - Mr. Turbo's latest " blow-mind " system boosts the 9OORR to 225 streetable horsepower, and 205 miles per hour.
Article 2 - FIBER THIS, FIBER THAT! - Everyone knows that carbon and Kevlar fiber products are light and heat resistant, but who knows how the stuff was developed and how it's made? Read this article and you will amaze your friends with your vast knowledge on the subject. By Joe Hade
Article 3 - LUFTMEISTER'S TRIUMPH DAYTONA TURBO - It'll go over 202 miles per hour, right out of the box. It won't be long, and Triumph will be back in the record books.
Article 4 - A LITTLE SQUEEZE, IF YOU PLEASE - Useful tips from the NOS files.
Article 5 - RAM AIR INDUCTION - Taking advantage of free air. How and why ram air induction is the big new speed secret of the 90's
Article 6 - PROJECT: BAD KAT - Part two in a series of how-to articles on turbocharging the 1990 Suzuki Katana 750. This article deals with blow-through carburetion
Article 7 - TO SUPERCHARGE, OR TO TURBOCHARGE, PART 2 - This article covers supercharger and turbocharger installations on Japanese bikes, Triumphs, BMW and others are included. Who makes the systems and what will they do for you.
Article 8 - RICE ROCKET - Detailed article on Steve Rice's beautiful Kawasaki Funny Bike.
Article 9 - TURBO TECH - Understanding the RSR (RB Racing) Autocal programmable electronic fuel injection system.
Summer 1996:
Article 1 - TOP FUEL - Take a ride on the wild side. Explores the baddest-ass classin motorcycle drag racing today. Names like Elmer Treft, Tony Lang, Ron Webb, Spiderman" McBride, Jim McClure and their machines are covered in detail. Also featuring the layman's guide to nitromethane fuel.
Article 2 - PRO MOD - Technically speaking, the most interesting class in dragracing today. Details Scott Crippen's EFI Suzuki, Scott Kahley's double engine Kawasaki, and Mike Patterson's Top Gas/Pro Mod bike.
Article 3 - HOW-TO: BLOW-THROUGH TURBOCHARGING THE SUZUKI GSXR750 - Mark Vanderwalle shows you how to make a 3/4 liter sleeper, down to the last nut and bolt.
Article 4 - IN YOUR FACE ZX-1 1 - Covers in detail, the inner workings of RB Racing's new prototype turbo system. This system features everything in the tool box. Blow-through EFI, intercooling, and an 800 CFM Turbonetics turbocharger.
Articie 5 - THE BIKES OF EL MIRAGE - TB&MP takes you to the flattest and smoothest place on the face of the Earth Open your throttle all the way - and leave it there.
Score: 3/5
The last incarnation of Turbo bike and Motorcycle Performance. This time it was in a larger format, like a tabloid newspaper. Did it manage to capture the masses? Of course not!
It's funny how they named it 'Quarterly', because the frequency was closer to 'quarter of the century'
Yet again, if somebody needs an extract of an article, I'm happy to scan it for them, as these have been out of print for quite a few years, and I doubt that they will ever be reprinted.
Contents of Volume 1:
Article 1 - CAD-CAM LSR MOTORCYCLE ENGINE - Denis Manning's 3000cc, 16 valve, 400 HP v-4 purpose built Land Speed Record engine.
Article 2 - SQUEEZE - Everything you ever wanted to know about bottled horsepower.
Article 3 - TWO TURBOS ARE BETTER THAN ONE - Kevin Draper's Majestic Turbo twin turbo top fuel Harley.
Article 4 - DISTANT THUNDER - RB Racing's new 225 HP (street) Harley turbolEFl kit.
Article 5 - PROJECT: BAD KAT PART 3 - How-to details on turbocharging the Suzuki Katana 600 and 750 motorcycles.
Article 6 - COMPRESSED COLLECTABLES - Turbo bikes of the 80's, the glory days.
Article 7 - THE ZX750E THAT MIKE BUILT - Horsepower Unlimited's 9.34 second factory Kawasaki turbo bike.
Article 8 - AEROCHARGED - Hahn Racecraft's new Aerocharger kit for the watercooled Suzuki GSX-R11OO.Contents of Volume 2:
Article 1 - BLACKNASTY 2002 - Part drag bike, part street bike, this supercharged and fuel injected road warrior Harley will blow you away.
Article 2 - SQUEEZING YOUR SHIFTER - Air shifters? No way! We're talking nitrous oxide, buddy. Learn all about High Power System's new shifter in a bottle.
Article 3 - OUTLAW HONDA - Team Mr. 'S new turbo kit for the Honda CBR9OORR and the story behind the only turbocharged motorcycle to ever win a national road racing championship.
Article 4 - THE EMPEROR'S NEW CLOTHES - How to install Yamaha FJ12OO forks and front & rear brakes on an FXE Harley Davidson.
Article 5 - MONSTER INVASION - PCS's new Ducati Monster turbocharger kit. 105 horsepower to the rear wheel in less than a day.
Article 6 - GETTING IN SYNC - Everything you ever need to know about carburetor synchronization - and more.
Score: 3/5
