Books

Tuning books, with Amazon links for your convenience.

These are in the order that NSFW likes them, only because he (I) wrote most of this page:

How to Tune and Modify Engine Management Systems (Jeff Hartman)

NSFW’s take: this is a great ‘first book’ if you want to get into tuning. This book provides a nice introduction to the subject by explaining electronic engine management from first principles, and goes on to include a lot of useful information about ECU tuning. I was underwhelmed with the second half of the book, which reads like a magazine, but the first half alone still was well worth reading.

Engine Management: Advanced Tuning (Greg Banish)

NSFW’s take: More advanced that Hartman’s book, this book is aimed at people with a good understanding of the fundamentals.

Forced Induction Performance Tuning A Practical Guide to Supercharging and Turbocharging (A. Graham Bell)

NSFW’s take: Recommended, though more for its explanation of high performance engine design than for its ECU tuning information. This book contains s a lot of historical information about the development of turbochargers and superchargers which provides a perspective and background knowledge that I have not seen elsewhere. It leans more toward the physical aspects of engine tuning (e.g. intake and exhaust design). Very interesting for background and theory.

Maximum Boost: Designing, Testing, and Installing Turbocharger Systems (Corky Bell)

NSFW’s take: Lots of technical information about all kinds of stuff from intercoolers to injectors to exhausts. Reading this book was time well spent.

Street TurbochargingHP1488: Design, Fabrication, Installation, and Tuning of High-Performance Street Turbocharger Systems (Mark Warner)

Nobody has reviewed this one yet.

NSFW’s summary: Hartman and Banish cover enough to keep up with the conversations in the RomRaider forums. The others are good too, but if you only read two books, I recommend those two.

NSFW’s take: Recommended, though more for its explanation of high performance engine design than for its ECU tuning information. This book contains s a lot of historical information about the development of turbochargers and superchargers which provides a perspective and background knowledge that I have not seen elsewhere. It leans more toward the physical aspects of engine tuning (e.g. intake and exhaust design).

NSFW’s take: Recommended. Lots of technical information about all kinds of stuff from intercoolers to injectors to exhausts. Reading this book was time well spent.

NSFW’s take: Recommended. This book provides a nice introduction to the subject by explaining electronic engine management from first principles, and goes on to include a lot of useful information about ECU tuning. I was underwhelmed with the second half of the book, which reads like a magazine, but the first half alone still was well worth reading.

NSFW’s take: I have only skimmed this so far, but it seems like a very thick magazine - a lot of case studies, with lots of brand names, but not a lot of useful information for a person who just wants to tweak the EMS on their already-modified car.

bmw5002′s take: I beg to differ. The section on EMS Tuning 101 actually has some useful tuning information. While not enginuity-specific of course, it can still be useful.

NSFW’s 2nd take: I stand corrected. :-) The first half of the book does look pretty interesting.

NSFW’s take: I have only skimmed this book so far; half of the book has general tuning information, half reads like a magazine, with a summaries of a bunch of modified and tuned vehicles.

bmw5002′s take: The section on EMS Tuning 101 has some useful tuning information. While not enginuity-specific of course, it can still be useful.

bmw5002′s take: I beg to differ. The section on EMS Tuning 101 actually has some useful tuning information. While not enginuity-specific of course, it can still be useful.

NSFW’s take: I only skimmed this book quickly, but it looks really good - lots of technical information about all kinds of stuff from intercoolers to injectors to exhausts. I look forward to reading the whole thing carefully, I expect that will be time well spent.

Forced Induction Performance Tuning A Practical Guide to Supercharging and Turbocharging (A. Graham Bell)

NSFW’s take: I have this book and am currently about a quarter of the way into it. So far it seems great and I am looking forward to reading the rest. There’s a lot of historical information about the development of turbochargers and superchargers which provides a perspective and background knowledge that I probably would not have come by without this book.

Street TurbochargingHP1488: Design, Fabrication, Installation, and Tuning of High-Performance Street Turbocharger Systems (Mark Warner)

Maximum Boost: Designing, Testing, and Installing Turbocharger Systems (Corky Bell)

How to Tune and Modify Engine Management Systems (Jeff Hartman)

Street TurbochargingHP1488: Design, Fabrication, Installation, and Tuning of High-Performance Street Turbocharger Systems (Mark Warner)

Forced Induction Performance Tuning A Practical Guide to Supercharging and Turbocharging (A. Graham Bell)

With Amazon links for your convenience:

• Maximum Boost: Designing, Testing, and Installing Turbocharger Systems (Corky Bell)

http://www.amazon.com/Maximum-Boost-Turbocharger-Engineering-Performance/dp/0837601606/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/104-5210105-7235902?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1177224074&sr=8-1

• How to Tune and Modify Engine Management Systems (Jeff Hartman)

http://www.amazon.com/Modify-Management-Systems-Motorbooks-Workshop/dp/0760315825/ref=pd_bbs_2/104-5210105-7235902?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1177224074&sr=8-2

NSFW’s take: I have only skimmed this so far, but it seems like a very thick magazine - a lot of case studies, with lots of brand names, but not a lot of useful information for a person who just wants to tweak the EMS on their already-modified car.

• Street TurbochargingHP1488: Design, Fabrication, Installation, and Tuning of High-Performance Street Turbocharger Systems (Mark Warner)

http://www.amazon.com/Street-TurbochargingHP1488-Installation-High-Performance-Turbocharger/dp/1557884889/ref=pd_bbs_3/104-5210105-7235902?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1177224074&sr=8-3

• Forced Induction Performance Tuning A Practical Guide to Supercharging and Turbocharging (A. Graham Bell)

http://www.amazon.com/Induction-Performance-Practical-Supercharging-Turbocharging/dp/1859606911/ref=pd_bbs_4/104-5210105-7235902?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1177224074&sr=8-4

NSFW’s take: I have this book and am currently about a quarter of the way into it. So far it seems great and I am looking forward to reading the rest. There’s a lot of historical information about the development of turbochargers and superchargers which provides a perspective and background knowledge that I probably would not have come by without this book.