Science Garage: Donut Media

Tuner cars are cars that can be easily modified or tuned. But what does that mean? When you change something under the hood, your engine has to be tuned to work with it! This science garage looks at the history of "tuning," from what started as delicate mechanical adjustments to how it exists today: a marriage between the computer tech of the future and the force induction air and fuel mixes.

Turbo is one of the most exciting words in the world of cars. Tin turbo, bi-turbo, big turbo, twin scroll. Turbos make cars more efficient, faster and they make awesome blow off valve noises. How do they work? What is boost? What is the difference between the twin turbo and bi-turbo? What are the benefits and disadvantages of each?

You've seen Vtec on cars, but what does Vtec mean? Vtec has to do with the valves in your engine that help dictate airflow, horsepower and fuel consumption. This Science Garage gets into cams, lobes, lifters and more before narrowing in on how Vtec works.

There's a new Supra coming, and it's got big shoes to fill. The Toyota Supra is a legendary car for many reasons not the least of which is its 2JZ inline six engines. It's a bulletproof cast iron behemoth that can reportedly make 800hp if properly set up and tuned.

This episode of Science Garage is all about superchargers! These belt driven air grabbers are the darlings of automotive performance. We talk about the three main kinds of superchargers: Centrifugal, Twin screw, and Roots Superchargers. We also get into how they all work and what makes positive displacement superchargers so sought after.

Turbos are great! But that boost comes after some lag while the turbo spools up. Some high-performance cars are equipped with anti-lag systems to keep those turbos spinning away! They pop and bang to keep their sweet sweet turbos spooled up! They're the darlings of drifting and rally! We break down the two kinds of anti-lag systems you're most likely to encounter.

Everybody knows that cars are about horsepower and torque! But what does that even mean? What is Horsepower? What is Torque? We get into the nitty-gritty of force-talking about torque and ft. lbs and we build up to the triumphant power we measure with horses. It's Horsepower! Did I need to say horsepower? We explore the relationship between horsepower and torque.

Six-cylinder engines are all over the place. But depending on the car, which kind of 6 is under the hood can be very different. There are Inline 6s, slant 6s, and v6s. So how are they different, and how are they the same? Join Bart as he finds out! Bart teaches us how cars work by blowing stuff up and cutting things in half. It's a science show for the car lover who's easily bored.

Nitrous! Nitrous oxide! The nos! It goes by many names all of them inspiring reverence in the automotive world. How does nitrous work? What is nos? Bart breaks down the science behind how nitrous oxide helps cars generate horsepower. You'll learn about nitrous oxide systems, delivery methods, and blow off valves! This is Science Garage!

In this week's episode of Science Garage, our host Bart breaks away from stereotypes and dives into the nitty-gritty details about diesel fuel. Rolling coal is a way of life for many folks, so we take a look beyond the high torque smokestacks to find out what makes diesel go boom. Why are diesel engines more fuel efficient?