New channel for the youtubes - looking for DIY tech related video ideas

[BLSTIC]

So I'm making a youtube channel in the next few months. I have a few videos planned already across a variety of topics, the common thread being applying science to vehicle modifications and/or problems.

Ideas so far include:

Engine bay airflow (specifically airflow through heat exchangers)
Locating and removing inlet restrictions
Siting air intakes
Cooling inlet air as much as possible (related to the above, but with extra stuff)
Measuring performance changes without a dyno
Speaker phasing (or not screwing up your install with dumb mistakes)
ECU tuning, logging, and knock detection
Driving for maximum fuel economy
Building your own flow bench
Manifold porting

What would you guys & gals like to see?

I'm looking for topics & techniques that would apply to a variety of vehicles, not vehicle specific information.

[solarite_guy]

On the topic of engine bay airflow, how about managing airflow through and out of the engine bay.

Then what about airflow around, over and under the car, ute, etc?

Maybe some basic RWD and FWD chassis tuning.

[BLSTIC]

Airflow through heat exchangers (well, the ones near the engine) is primarily driven by that, so that won't be difficult. I have made ducting and undertrays before. The ducting I measured pressures for (I was focussed on cooling) but not the undertray (it was more about reducing drag and I wasn't aware of the simplicity of airflow measurements). I did, however note cooling system changes, so my simple mods definitely had an effect and now I can replicate and properly measure them.

Yes I can do airflow around and over the car (wool tufting and pressure measurements).

Chassis tuning I'm not fantastic with. I mean I can do wheel alignments and even corner weighting for the speedway cars, but I don't really know much about the effect of dampers on each section of a corner (I'd have to go through my notes of yesteryear for that). Sway bars maybe? But that requires me being able to afford the parts. The other videos I have already budgeted for though. Going on the list for when I have a more specific goal and enough cash though

[BLSTIC]

I should mention the intent is to actually *do* everything I do a video on

[ebv8]

great idea, my tv is now pretty much dedicated to youtube tech vids and netflix
i love MCM but all they do it chuck a turbo on it and a haltec, but usually thats beyond the means of the backyard car enthusiast
i want to see things i can actually do and see results from

one of my fav shows apart from roadkill is engine masters, i love seeing dyno charts showing advantages or disadvantages of mods but seeing this as real results on the street or track would be great

i want to log results of my kingswood mods, going from stock 3.3l to cam, carb, air cleaners, fuel types, fuel use, oil grades, diff ratios
i figure as the car makes little power the mods should be noticeable and if they aren't well then they are not worth worrying about

I did logs of my 1.6l vitara mods, going from exhaust, intake, carb, tyres and got a whole lot of 0-60 & 0-100 info, i went from 19s 0-100 to 15s 0-100 after altering things and tuning at home.

also did logs with my LX8 Adventra, I went from 7.5s to 6.0s 0-100 with exhaust and tune and tyre sizes, just going to a larger tyre i lost 0.5s and lost economy

[BLSTIC]

Yeah you'll find that with taller tyres (and gears) you generally lose economy around town (presumably auto, yeah?). The engine sits loaded against the torque converter making a lot of heat for too long, like how a Falcon with a BTR just sits at 2200rpm from 0-30km/h. Shorter gears means the torque converter hits its lockup point in first gear faster (not the lockup clutch point, the point where it starts driving near 1:1 hydraulically) and it's not like you ever run out of taller cruising gears around town. 4.11's are about the only mod you can do to improve acceleration and fuel economy around town (unless you already have a short first gear like the ZF does). A similar thing could, in theory, happen to a clutch but if it was that dramatic your third pedal wouldn't work for too long. Did you correct measured economy and speed for the new ratio difference?

That gives me an idea: Using datalogs to draw a bsfc map of an engine.

Your Kingswood is going to be tougher to measure performance gains because of its lack of electronics (I can't just log the speedo sensor to measure acceleration, for example). I'll have to devise some method of measuring acceleration mechanically, or having temporary sensors on board. That should be an interesting one.

[ebv8]

the old adventra weighs 2300kg and i fitted 295/25r22's and although looked good economy went from 14l to 20l-100km and was much slower and the auto would not kick back the same, measured fuel use factoring in tyre dia.

and the old vitara had 27in tall tyres and going to a 31in tall mud tyres did not affect economy or acceleration at all but it went from doing 120kmh to only 105kmh flat out as it had no torque to turn the tyres at 4000rpm.

then we get to my FG, i just fitted smaller tyres (235/40r18) and its just that little more responsive around town.

so on some cars the tyre size can change the characteristics and be a good thing (now i'll get people telling me that the tyre must match the manufacturers specs or will be illegal)