3 Modifications To Boost Your Diesel Engine's Performance

If your vehicle has a diesel engine, you probably chose diesel for its superior power, fuel efficiency and reliability. While diesel’s known for unparalleled performance in these categories, your engine can run even better with a few modifications.

Diesel engines don’t need a spark to ignite. Instead, they ignite through spontaneous combustion, a process that requires atomized fuel to be injected into compressed air at precisely the right time. By improving what goes into and comes out of that process, you can get the most out of your diesel engine.

1. Install a Fuel Air Separation System

The quality of the fuel you put into your engine makes a big difference when it comes to performance. It’s important to make sure contaminants like air, dirt and water aren’t in your fuel. While diesel engines come with a filter, stock filters still let small air pockets pass through to your fuel injector. This can cause damage to the injector tip and other components. Fuel air separation systems remove contaminants before they reach the fuel pump to ensure the fuel injected into the engine cylinder is clean. This means you can get more power out of your diesel engine and improve fuel efficiency at the same time.

2. Improve Air Intake

Once you’ve purified your fuel, improving airflow is the next step to get your engine running at its best. Stock air intake systems were designed to muffle noise, not maximize performance. Air intake upgrades allow your engine to draw in a larger amount of outside air, which is denser and more oxygen-rich. This means there's more oxygen available to ignite in the engine cylinder during combustion. To put it plainly, more oxygen equals more power and greater fuel economy. 

3. Level Up Your Exhaust System

When you think of horsepower, the exhaust system may not be the first thing that comes to mind. Upgrading this system, however, gives your engine more breathing room to pump out the power. As with stock air intake systems, standard exhaust systems are optimized for noise reduction. Performance upgrades, on the other hand, are straighter and wider, with a diameter between 3.5 and 5 inches. This reduces the temperature of the engine and gas being expelled and allows a greater volume of gas to exit. With a high-quality exhaust system, you can increase torque and horsepower.

By improving fuel filtration, air intake, and exhaust capacity, you can expand the lifespan of your engine while boosting power and efficiency.