Where talking about cars and what not, then co worker said any mod you do to increase power shortens your motors life. He claimed putting a header on his 4.0 jeep will shorten his motor life, but the power increase is worth it. I disagreed with him say basic bolt ons dont decrease life. I could agree about putting a bigger turbo on a diesel might but i have to say hes half right.
Argument with co worker
- Thread starter Dylan1303
- Start date
- Status
Chances are, that Jeep will be totaled in a wreck before the engine blows from putting on headers. Or it will break in half from rust.
There's a fine line between shortening engine life and no harm done. Basically the car companies are somewhat conservative so some mods to get more out of it might not really shorten engine life, but if you go too far, then it will. It's one of those unknowns though, you've crossed the line when the engine blows.
I consider an engine "wearing out" due to mods would be one of these things:
lose compression (or oil control) = worn rings
lose oil pressure (worn bearings)
Sure, I suppose mods can have some influence on the above, but I bet 99% of engine failures would be due to the things that cause engine failure anyways, regardless of mods-- usually people overheating them, running low on oil, poor maintenance or other general neglect.
I can think of some mods that have a definite detrimental effect such as forced induction-- but those failures tend to be a function of tuning (like poor fueling) and not the mod itself.
lose compression (or oil control) = worn rings
lose oil pressure (worn bearings)
Sure, I suppose mods can have some influence on the above, but I bet 99% of engine failures would be due to the things that cause engine failure anyways, regardless of mods-- usually people overheating them, running low on oil, poor maintenance or other general neglect.
I can think of some mods that have a definite detrimental effect such as forced induction-- but those failures tend to be a function of tuning (like poor fueling) and not the mod itself.
Originally Posted by Dylan1303
Where talking about cars and what not, then co worker said any mod you do to increase power shortens your motors life. He claimed putting a header on his 4.0 jeep will shorten his motor life, but the power increase is worth it. I disagreed with him say basic bolt ons dont decrease life. I could agree about putting a bigger turbo on a diesel might but i have to say hes half right.
Driving around with the throttle barely cracked and the engine putting out 20 HP vs driving at WOT all day long at max HP will result in more engine wear. Don't need any "mods" to make that happen.
Where talking about cars and what not, then co worker said any mod you do to increase power shortens your motors life. He claimed putting a header on his 4.0 jeep will shorten his motor life, but the power increase is worth it. I disagreed with him say basic bolt ons dont decrease life. I could agree about putting a bigger turbo on a diesel might but i have to say hes half right.
Driving around with the throttle barely cracked and the engine putting out 20 HP vs driving at WOT all day long at max HP will result in more engine wear. Don't need any "mods" to make that happen.
I am not sure headers will shorten an engines life. Now if the gasket blows out and you suck an exhaust valve...
Gains from a header alone is negligible. Hit it with a 150 wet-shot of Nitrous.....You will find the weak point!
Originally Posted by JeffKeryk
I am not sure headers will shorten an engines life. Now if the gasket blows out and you suck an exhaust valve...
What 4.0L Jeep doesn't have an primary exhaust leak??
I am not sure headers will shorten an engines life. Now if the gasket blows out and you suck an exhaust valve...
What 4.0L Jeep doesn't have an primary exhaust leak??
JHZR2
Staff member
Engine life is essentially time at temperature. A mod in and of itself will not necessarily increase these metrics, unless more power is consistently employed.
Originally Posted by JHZR2
Engine life is essentially time at temperature. A mod in and of itself will not necessarily increase these metrics, unless more power is consistently employed.
Avg amount of HP it has put out over time is also a factor. An engine idling for 1000 hrs isn't going to wear as much as the same engine running WOT (at max HP output) for 1000 hrs. Parts like rings, pistons, wrist pins, rod and crank bearings get increased loads on them when the engine is putting out max HP and high RPM.
Engine life is essentially time at temperature. A mod in and of itself will not necessarily increase these metrics, unless more power is consistently employed.
Avg amount of HP it has put out over time is also a factor. An engine idling for 1000 hrs isn't going to wear as much as the same engine running WOT (at max HP output) for 1000 hrs. Parts like rings, pistons, wrist pins, rod and crank bearings get increased loads on them when the engine is putting out max HP and high RPM.
Never argue with an idiot. Onlookers may not be able to tell the difference.
Argument eh? When you go in tomorrow, confront and challenge him to "take this outside" so you can settle this once and for all.. BECAUSE HE'S WROOOONNNGGGGGG
Originally Posted by clinebarger
Gains from a header alone is negligible. Hit it with a 150 wet-shot of Nitrous.....You will find the weak point!
There are many ways to get a 150 shot, all with varying degrees of stress on a motor and drivetrain. I'd say that at a given HP level, a fogger is one of the easier methods on the drivetrain, as each cylinder gets its own tuneable fuel for each cylinder, which the nitrous helps atomize. (Does it actually freeze the fuel as well since nitrous is like -125*F as it changes phase? I just thought about that lol.)
Mixed-delivery plates are the next step up in violence, because you are at the mercy of the distribution pattern of the manifold, plus the fact that the nitrous (gas) will not have the same distribution as the fuel (liquid) and therefore have minor inconsistencies in the tune for each cylinder.
Hardest of all would be the dry kit with a reference line to the FPR since you have now completely separated the delivery methods... fuel comes in direct while the nitrous snakes its way around the intake tract and thru the manifold and heads. If you are lean on the fuel with a dry kit you will find out in a big hurry!
All that being said, as long as you're activating above 3500RPM or so it's less likely to make pretzels out of drivetrain parts, or eject shrapnel at the clowns standing close to the car on the side of the starting line
Gains from a header alone is negligible. Hit it with a 150 wet-shot of Nitrous.....You will find the weak point!
There are many ways to get a 150 shot, all with varying degrees of stress on a motor and drivetrain. I'd say that at a given HP level, a fogger is one of the easier methods on the drivetrain, as each cylinder gets its own tuneable fuel for each cylinder, which the nitrous helps atomize. (Does it actually freeze the fuel as well since nitrous is like -125*F as it changes phase? I just thought about that lol.)
Mixed-delivery plates are the next step up in violence, because you are at the mercy of the distribution pattern of the manifold, plus the fact that the nitrous (gas) will not have the same distribution as the fuel (liquid) and therefore have minor inconsistencies in the tune for each cylinder.
Hardest of all would be the dry kit with a reference line to the FPR since you have now completely separated the delivery methods... fuel comes in direct while the nitrous snakes its way around the intake tract and thru the manifold and heads. If you are lean on the fuel with a dry kit you will find out in a big hurry!
All that being said, as long as you're activating above 3500RPM or so it's less likely to make pretzels out of drivetrain parts, or eject shrapnel at the clowns standing close to the car on the side of the starting line
Even driving a stock vehicle in hard fashion will decrease its lifespan. Modding an engine and driving it harder still will do the same. How much shorter life with the mods compared to stock? Who knows!
Obviously putting headers on an engine won't decrease longevity, as it is allowing the engine to flow more freely. Increasing the flow rate of the engine by upgrading the exhaust or intake pathway doesn't stress any components. Reducing parasitic losses by adding under drive pullies, adding an electric instead of mechanical fan, or lighter weight roller rockers, for example, wouldn't harm the engine either.
- Status
