Fully Explore "D5204T D5204T5 Modifications"

How to modify and upgrade the Volvo D5204T D5204T5

"Comprehensive guide to tuning and performance parts on the Volvo D5204T D5204T5 engine!"

Forums like the one at TorqueCars are regularly seeing threads requesting info on how to improve the D5204T D5204T5 from people wanting to know what are the best tips for D5204T D5204T5 modifications. So let us look into Volvo D5204T D5204T5 modifications and outline the best modifications on this great engine and point out some common pitfalls along the way.

The Volvo D5204T D5204T5 are popular tuning projects and with the right tuning upgrades like ECU maps, turbo improvements and camshafts you will substantially maximise your driving opportunities.

In this article we examine D5204T D5204T5 tuning and outline the ultimate mods that work.

The optimum D5204T D5204T5 modifications on an engine are obviously the ones that give the best power gain for your hard earned cash.

We won't be swayed by popular D5204T D5204T5 modifications, they need to be cost effective.

Improving air intake on the D5204T D5204T5

You need air and fuel for an engine to work. If there is a lack of fuel then it will run lean, if there is little flow of air it runs rich losing power . We'll pick up on fuelling later in this article but for now we shall look at air supply.

So the fundamental goal to any performance tuning task to pull air into each cylinder but this has a knock on effect with the air flow sensor.

You'll commonly see there is a restriction in the air flow sensor MAP/MAF/AFM on the D5204T D5204T5 when loads more air is being drawn into the engine.

We see 4 bar air sensors coping with quite large power gains, whereas the OEM air sensor limited bhp at a much lower level.

The intake plenum carry the air from the filter and allow it to be pulled into the engine and mixed with fuel.

The shape and flow rate of the air Intake manifold can make a large improvement to fuel mixing and power on the D5204T D5204T5.

Most intake manifold are ripe for motorsport parts, although a few makers provide decently flowing intake manifold.

Adding a D5204T D5204T5 larger valve kit, getting D5204T D5204T5 port enlargement and head flowing will also improve performance, and significantly will allow you to get a greater performance increase on other parts.

D5204T D5204T5 performance cam tips.

Different D5204T D5204T5 engines respond better to different camshaft durations so set your engine up on a rolling road.

The ecu map and injectors and fuel pump also have an effect on the power gains you'll make.

A longer valve duration can alter the power band and on most engines the exhaust and intake durations do not need to match, although most cams and tuners use matched pairs there are some advantages to extending the intake or exhaust durations.

Altering your D5204T D5204T5 camshaft will make a dramatic difference to the engine bhp. Choosing a higher performance camshaft profile raises the bhp accordingly.

NB: Fast road camshafts usually boost the torque throughout the rpm range, you may lose a little low end power but your higher rpm power will improve.

Competition camshafts, boost the higher rpm power band but as a result the car will not idle smoothly and low end power nearly always suffers.

In a car driven daily you should ideally to match your engines power to your cars usage.

I'd be surprised if you have found a D5204T D5204T5 Motorsport and race camshaft is a pleasure to live with when in heavy traffic.

Stage 1, 2 and 3 mods for the D5204T D5204T5

Before we break the best tuning upgrades down into stages of tune, let's list the most effective tuning upgrades for you.

1. Suspension Upgrades - always improve your cars handling
2. Brake Upgrades - Even before adding power improve those brakes
3. Intake - make sure the intake is not restricted, use filters and intake upgrades to improve this
4. Exhaust - as with 3 ensure there is not restriction in the exhaust, cats are the usual bottleneck
5. Tunes - remapping, piggyback ECU's and aftermarket ECU's can all make decent gains
6. Fuelling - when you've increased power you'll need to match this with more fuel
7. Turbo upgrades - Improving the intake with a large turbo and better flowing intercooler will be the biggest power gain you'll see (but one of the most complex).

This video guide to tuning cars is a great starting point to work from in your project.

Stage 1 D5204T D5204T5 parts:

Fast road camshaft, Drilled & smoothed airbox, Sports exhaust manifold, Intake headers, Panel air filters, Remaps/piggy back ECU.

Stage 2 D5204T D5204T5 parts:

Sports catalyst & performance exhaust, Fast road cam, high flow fuel injectors, Ported and polished head, induction kit, fuel pump upgrades.

Stage 3 D5204T D5204T5 parts:

Crank and Piston upgrades to alter compression, Internal engine upgrades (head flowing porting/bigger valves), Engine balancing & blueprinting, Competition cam, Adding or Upgrading forced induction (turbo/supercharger), Twin charging conversions.

Mapping will help release the full potential of all the upgrades you've done to your D5204T D5204T5.

You will typically expect to see gains of approximately 20-30% more power on turbocharged vehicles and you can expect to see around 15% on NASP engines, but the outcome usually differs on the upgrades you've carried out and the condition of your engine.

Turbo modifications on the D5204T D5204T5

To get a turbo working on a NASP engine there is a lot involved, from lowering compression ratio to improved fuel supply and mapping, so we have found a great guide to helpavoid the common pitfalls or end up with an unfinished project because you were not told what you were getting into by doing this on the D5204T D5204T5.

The more air you can get into an engine, the more fuel it can burn and uprating the induction with a turbocharger upgrade makes significant power gains.

If a car has a turbocharger tuning parts are relatively easy and we find turbo charged engines are built using strengthened components.

However engines will have power limits

Research these limitations and install stronger pistons, crank and engine components to survive the power.

There are many people spending a a stack of money on turbo upgrades on the D5204T D5204T5 only to suffer the indignity of watching the engine catastrophically fail just after it's been finished.

Large upgraded turbochargers commonly suffer no power at low rpm, and little turbochargers spool up really quickly but don't have the peak rpm power band gains.

Thanks to progress the choice of turbochargers is always improving and we are seeing variable vane turbochargers, allowing the vane angle is altered according to speed to lower lag and increase top end power.

Twin scroll turbochargers divert the exhaust gases into 2 channels and feed these at differently profiled vanes in the turbocharger. They also boost the scavenging effect of the engine.

Beefing up the air intake by adding a supercharger or additional turbo will help you achieve very large bhp and torque gains, although more complex to setup. We have this in depth look at twinchargers if you want to read more.

Tips about fuel supply on the D5204T D5204T5

Don't dismiss the need boost the fuel delivery when you are increasing the performance - it makes the car more thirsty. Most tuners we speak with say to be generous with your injector capacity.

The accepted safe increase is to add 20% when fitting an injector, this accounts for injector deterioration and affords some spare capacity should the engine need more fuel.

Don't forget that different fuel grades will usually require different settings, a high octane fuel will burn more efficiently than lower octane fuel for example. A car will trim fuel supply to keep within the ideal air fuel mix but at the extreme ends you may need to adjust your injector capacity, or the mapping or you'll get flat spots and potential lean or rich fuel issues..

Recommended D5204T D5204T5 performance exhaust upgrades

Only look to uprate your exhaust system with an upgraded one is if the current exhaust is actually creating a restriction in flow.

On most factory exhausts you should find that the flow rate is good even on modest power gains, but on a serious tuning project with a big boost in power you will certainly need to get a better flowing exhaust.

Sports exhausts will certainly help air flow out of the engine but do not go too wide or you may end up will reduce the flow rate. Stick to one and a half to two and half inches for best results.

The usual suspects causing problems in your exhaust flow rate are in the emissions filters installed, so adding a faster flowing high performance alternative will help avoid this restriction.

Cat bypassing (NB:catalysts reduce harmful engine emissions) is illegal in most countries and regions.

Faults issues and things to look out for on the D5204T D5204T5

Like most engines an D5204T D5204T5, should have few issues if it gets properly serviced and looked after.

We cannot stress enough the need for oil changes with the correct grade of oil on the D5204T D5204T5, failure to do this will exacerbate engine wear, on a tuned D5204T D5204T5 this is more important than ever and close attention should be paid to your maintenance schedule.

If you are interested in learning more or getting impartial tuning advice for your D5204T D5204T5 why not pop over to the forums at TorqueCars where you can chat about D5204T D5204T5 tuning options and read about others projects who may be planning to do similar modifications on their D5204T D5204T5.

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This entry was posted under Makes and Models. Tags: engine, Volvo
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