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P - T
PCV
Positive crankcase valve. A valve that usually screws into
the valve cover and vents pressure from inside the motor to
the intake. A non-functioning PCV will cause exhaust smoke
since the pressure builds up inside the engine and forces
oil past the rings.
Peak
hold
A feature on gauges that shows the highest point
reach at the push of a button. It literally holds the peak
position of the gauge. If your highest boost
reached was 12 psi, it will show 12 psi when you press the
button. This feature is helpful when looking back after you
made a run.
Pegleg
See open diff.
Piggyback
A computer that intercepts the signal going to the ECU,
alters it, and sends the ECU a different signal. An example
would be a Super AFC. It lies to the ECU in efforts of running
the car how you wish to.
Ping
See knock.
Pistons
The round part that slides up and down the cylinder.
Here is a picture
of the piston in the lower right.
Pre-ignition
Happens when the fuel ignities before it is intended. Similar
to detonation.
PSI
Pounds per square inch. Commonly used when referring to boost
or anything of pressure.
Resonator
A pre-muffler for the exhaust. It usually sits midway in the
exhaust and quiets down the exhaust w/o hindering flow badly
since most resonators are a straight through design, where
you can see from one end to the other if looking inside. A
resonator is usually what gives the exhaust its tone or note.
On most 4 cylinder engines, a resonator is required for a
good sound. Most quality cat-back
exhausts have a resonator built in for a quality sound. .
Ricer
Typically refers to a loud, slow import but can refer to anyone.
Usually, it is someone who claims more power than their car
is making, lies about their mods, does all "looks"
mods, does burnouts at car gatherings, or generally just an
immature car person.
Ricery
flyby
After losing a race, speeding by the winning
car as if the race is still going and you won.
Rings
The metal rings that fit around the piston to
seal off the bottom of the piston from the top, seperating
the oil from the combustion of the fuel. The rings also press
against the cylinder
to form a seal. Here is
a pic of the piston inside the cylinder with the rings installed.
Rods
Attach the crankshaft
to the piston. Here
is a picture of the rod on the left seperated into two pieces.
RRFPR
Rising rate fuel pressure regulator. An FPR
that raises fuel pressure at an increased rate with boost.
Instead of adding 1 pound of fuel pressure for every 1 pound
of boost, it might add 1 pound initially, then 3, then 5,
then 9. A cheap way to add fuel with boost.
RWD
Rear wheel drive. A vehicle where the engine powers the rear
wheels.
SA22C
Commonly called SA. The 79-80 Mazda RX-7.
Short
time
See 60 foot.
Shot
Refers to a nitrous shot, as in, how much horsepower is being
added with the nitrous. The jets control the size of the shot.
They are simply little plugs with tiny holes in them. The
larger the hole, the more fuel or nitrous is added. These
jets can be changed in 5 minutes which makes it very easy
to add more horsepower. Don't get carried away, though.
Silicone
line
Stands up to heat much better than rubber line
and is preferred for most underhood uses. Silicone line does
not vulcanize, or get hard and brittle over time, unlike rubber
line so it is much easier to work with and stands the test
of time. Do not buy the cheap silicone line from auto stores
that you can see through, it will flex when the engine is
running. Use a quality line from Hose Techniques or High Temp
Silicone.
Slicks
Tires intended for racing that have no grooves
in them. No grooves means more surface area to the ground
(contact patch) which means better grip.
SOHC
Single overhead cam. "Single slammer"
Staging
When you go to the drag strip and cars are doing
smokey burnouts before they run, that is staging. This process
heats up the tires for better grip(there is no point in doing
this if you have regular street tires). Also, when they drive
up to the tree, that is considered staging
as well.
Standalone
Usually refers to an ECU
that completely replaces the stock ECU and is tunable via
laptop. Examples are Haltech, AEM EMS, etc.
Stock
... is for losers. :)
Stoich
Tthe most efficient AFR
for cruising which yields the best gas mileage in a safe manner,
or 14.7:1.
Supercharger
A supercharger is powered via a belt and forces
air into the engine. The three types of superchargers are
a roots type, centrifugal, and a twin screw supercharger.
Superchargers may absorb as much as a third of the total crankshaft
power of the engine, and in many applications are less efficient
than turbochargers.
TDC
Top dead center. The point at which the piston
reaches the top of its travel on the compression stroke.
Timing
Usually referred to in degrees. As in, at what degree of crankshaft
rotation does the spark plug fire. 5 degrees of timing means
that the spark is ignited 5 degrees before the crankshaft
rotates completely and just before the piston reaches the
top of its stroke, or TDC. The more timing you run, the earlier
the spark is ignited which means the piston is further down
in the cylinder when everything ignites. Too far down (too
much timing)and the mix of air and fuel won't be properly
compressed, not enough timing and the combustion won't be
as powerful as it could be or the piston could be on the way
back down again.
Timing
belt/chain
Either a belt or chain but it functions in the same way. It
connects the crankshaft
to the cam gears
and keeps them sync'd up. The cams will rotate at the right
time that they need to be when the crank is rotating.
Top
end
When referring to an engine, it means the head.
When referring to a race or car, it means the amount of pull
the car has in the upper gears or upper RPMS.
Trap
speed
The speed you are traveling when you finish your drag strip
run. Generally, a higher MPH means more horsepower.
Tree
The christmas tree at the drag strip with yellow, red, and
green lights. It is basically the stoplight for the drag race.
Turbine
The part of the turbo that is spun by the exhaust gases. It
looks like the compressor
and is connected to it via a shaft.
Turbo
A turbo consists of a compressor
and a turbine connected by a common
shaft. The compressor section of the turbo takes in lots of
air and compresses it. The high pressure air is then forced
into the engine where it is burnt and becomes exhaust gas.
As the exhaust gasses go into the exhaust piping, they blow
through the turbine section of the turbo and spin the turbine
wheel which then spins the compressor wheel and the process
is repeated continuously.
