Rohnert Park Auto Repair

The main purpose of adding nitrous is to increase horsepower. It accomplishes this by allowing the engines to burn more fuel per power stroke. The way nitrous is able to allow the engine to burn more fuel is that it increases the amount of oxygen in the cylinder during each power stroke. With more oxygen available, you also need to inject more fuel to keep the air-to-fuel ratio optimal, which yields a more powerful explosion. This results in added torque and faster acceleration times. Because nitrous comes out as such a cold gas, it also cools the intake air, which increases the density, and gives the engine more oxygen. Nitrous can also actually decrease the risk of early detonation because of how cold it can make things. You want to be at full throttle when you use nitrous because this lets the engine computer add more fuel so that the air-to-fuel ratio stays ideal. There are two types of nitrous systems on the market. The first is the dry system which is jus ... read more

Choosing the correct camshaft for performance depends on what your specific performance goals are. Are you looking for more power, additional torque, or better fuel mileage? The most important question is to ask yourself what you intend to use your vehicle for most of the time. This way, the performance is maximized for your intended use. After answering this question, our experts can craft a plan to provide you the exact performance you’re looking for. There are additional important variables that go into choosing camshafts for performance. Another step that needs to be taken, is to address how many cams your vehicle has. For example the Chevrolet Corvette has one camshaft. Many Ford F-150’s have four. Something worth mentioning here is that though it is important all of the time, it is especially important after installing aftermarket camshafts to only use high quality oil, and stay up to date on scheduled maintenance. Aside from maintaini ... read more

The camshaft is one of the most critical components to your vehicle’s engine performance. A camshaft functions as the controller of the opening and closing of the valves. This then controls the flow of air and fuel into and out of the engine, which determines engine performance, fuel economy, and emissions. This air and fuel control is made possible because as the shaft rotates, the lobes push the valves open in sync with the crankshaft gear. As the camshaft rotates, the cam lobes move up and down. The performance modification of an aftermarket camshaft stems from two forms of change. The first being altered valve lift. This typically refers to a higher lift on the lobe, which increases in length of the valve stroke, which then allows for more air to enter through the inlet valves, increasing the power potential of the engine. Another option is altered valve timing, which is where we modify precisely when the valves open and ... read more

Cylinder head porting is the process of modifying both the intake and exhaust ports of an internal combustion engine resulting in improvement of the quantity of air flow. This process can be applied to any engine! At RPM all our porting starts with a valve job in order to make sure all valve seats are cut correctly for optimum flow characteristics. When your engine has an easier time breathing, it can turn that into power. It does that by filling the cylinder more efficiently, therefore giving better volumetric efficiency. There are many benefits to cylinder head porting. The first benefit is that it causes increased airflow through the heads and into the combustion chamber. This alone creates more power because more air in equals more power out. In heads that have not been ported, incoming air passes up and over obstructions. This means less air gets through resulting in less power capabilities. Cylinder head port matching pro ... read more

Repairing versus replacing a car engine can be a tough decision to make. If your vehicle is less than 10 years old and you really enjoy driving it, or you cannot swing purchasing another vehicle at this time, then it is likely best to repair or replace your engine. If you are indifferent about whether you want to keep your vehicle or not, take note of the current value of your vehicle while comparing it to the cost to fix it. See if the calculation makes sense to do the repairs. Also consider that having a vehicle that does not need any repairs is worth a lot. Meaning if you repair or replace the engine in the car you currently own, then you will be up to date on its repairs. If you were to purchase another used vehicle, you might run into surprises with that vehicle, and in turn end up spending more money than you thought to get your new purchase repaired. The decision process can be overwhelming. However, our service advi ... read more