Cylinder head valves normally will not just bend unless the engine has experienced some sort of trauma. Bent valves can occur as the by-product of a timing belt failure, as the valves strike the pistons. Depending on what bent the valve, there may be damage you can’t see, and won’t until the head is off.

Amazing and unknown facts on Eric Hsu:

Owning a ’03 WRX and a ’05 STI has both its perks and downfalls depending on how you look at it. There’s a great sense of pride when both my cars are running in perfect condition but that spectacular feeling came to an abrupt end during a dyno session a few years back when my ’03 WRX blew a head gasket. After deliberating for a good year after the gasket failure on how to attack the rebuild, I decided rather than fix the problem, I’d fortify the engine using forged internals to improve the engine’s reliability. Follow along as we document the better part of two years, building the long-block. Why so long you ask? It’s simple: Money doesn’t grow on trees.

Eric Hsu recently returned from the land Down Under, competing at Australia’s WTAC as engine manager for Sierra Sierra’s EVO. He’s enthusiastic (see photo), well . . . not really, but . . . he’s ready to answer your questions and picking his favorite tech questions for each installment of Question IT over the next few months.

With any vehicle, routine maintenance is a key essential in keeping you car running in tip-top condition. When spark plug wires fail, a car will hesitate, stumble, and run erratic, especially going up a hill or under a load. Changing spark plugs and wires can be a fairly easy task and save you hundreds of dollars a year in fuel costs, avoid roadside breakdowns, and keep your car from needing even more expensive work caused by neglect of simple maintenance.

Nostradamus’ words have been deemed prophetic. He became world renown when publishing collections of prophecies including this theorem: “One of the hardest things to teach a child is that the truth is more important than the consequences.” Eric Hsu, on the other hand, best sums it up with a theorem of his own:

It’s true that any car can be transformed into a performance giant with the right work, but pound for pound, some just do it better than others. The Subaru WRX STI and Mitsubishi Lancer EVO are two of those cars. Engines boasting over 300 hp, stout drivetrains, all-wheel drive, and massive stopping power can all be yours from the factory, and with the right aftermarket support, can all be made better. If you’re loaded, that is. For the broke-status rest of us, there’s the Nissan 240SX.

A question from one of our readers asked us: “What exactly is the rear engine seal and why is it so expensive to replace? There’s got to be a “trick” to getting seals like this in without buying expensive equipment that dealerships use. Can you shed some light on an easy way to get these seals in place without damaging the inner lip?”
-Mike G., via importuner.com

We’re all guilty of it: With the numerous maintenance and legality issues that accompany owning a less-than-new car these days—especially one that’s constantly going under the wrench for upgrades—maintaining a proper alignment often falls to the wayside. We all know how poor alignment can hasten tire wear and impede safety, but some would argue that it can even be robbing your car of power.

I never liked the Miata.

If you’re like many of us, you don’t spend a lot of time thinking about the pistons in your engine. Most of the time you don’t need to, but there are times when burnt, scuffed, or cracked pistons need to be replaced or upgraded. If you’re rebuilding your engine, chances are you’re probably upgrading to a set of forged aluminum pistons. But which alloy should you go with? And should you buy into new technologies? Here are some tips on choosing the proper pistons for your engine.

As you read this, chances are the World Time Attack Finals just went down outside Sydney, Australia, where Eric Hsu hopefully tuned the Sierra Sierra EVO to Unlimited AWD victory. Some other Eric Hsu facts:

With the summer days upon us, your engine’s cooling system should be inspected, flushed, and refilled with fresh coolant. One area of cooling systems that even do-it-yourself mechanics overlook is checking the radiator hoses. A quick visual inspection could uncover a weakened hose that could leave you stranded if remained unrepaired. If you’ve never inspected radiator hoses, we offer this simple guide.

Shop: Corner 3 Garage | Lake Forest, CA

Before decoding synchromesh and dog gearboxes, it is critical to understand the beast. It’s all about engagement; how the gearsets are selected within the transmission is the difference between synchromesh and a dog box.

Some facts you might not know about our resident tech guru:

You spend all night preparing for a car show, your engine and engine bay are perfectly detailed but you still have one problem: What are you going to do with that unsightly rusted exhaust manifold that sticks out like a sore thumb? We found a solution that’s easy to apply, affordable, and most importantly, works with amazing results.

In keeping with last month’s theme of testing multiple products rumored to have the same effect on vehicle performance, we’ve got our sights set on emissions this time around.

Chassis flex is the nemesis of any good handling car. It’s no secret that race cars rely on rollcages and/or stitch welding to stiffen the chassis, but the question remains, how rigid should your car’s chassis be?

As much as we love putting shady products to the test, busting their sky-high claims and putting their often fly-by-night manufacturers in check, addressing automotive urban legends is always more fun. Especially those that involve trying to strip paint off helpless, forgotten-about project roadsters . . . with lunch foods. The worst kinds of lunch foods.

It’s been months since we last left off with our Project S2K build (May ’11 issue), and during that time, our loyal readers have bombarded us with phone calls and emails, randomly guessing how the build would evolve, all the while pleading for more information. Well, we’re back with our third and final installment in our quest to build the ultimate street/track S2000.

Before pulling the trigger on a set of coilovers, it’s important to purchase quality components, whether you own a street cruiser or road-race monster. We’ve heard plenty stories of people purchasing cheap “no-name” coilovers in hopes of saving money, but then losing out when their suspension failed or broke in less than a month. It just goes to show you that you get what you pay for. But what if a company offered coilovers that are competitively priced and manufactured using quality components? Sure, it sounds too good to be true, but Circuit Spec Tune (CST) might have the suspension you’ve been looking for.

Let’s be honest: When it comes to buying parts, few are more uninspiring than street tires. Oil filters might be one. Windshield wiper blade refills another. Engine swaps and aftermarket turbo systems: cool enough to make you happy to spend an arm and a leg on one. Even something seemingly mundane, like a performance clutch, is cool if for no other reason than how it lets you chirp gears like a boss or clutch-kick into sweeping, smoky drifts (yes, those things will always be cool). But when it comes to selecting and buying street tires, the decision usually follows the same thought process as insurance, registration renewals, or gasoline—whatever gets the job done and costs the least.

Agency Power sway bar links

When it comes to modifying cars, the saying “you get what you pay for” can never be truer than when it comes to used cars. Former 2NR Editor Carter Jung had picked up a beat-up ’96 Nissan 240SX back when he was at Super Street, and proceeded to forget about it for the next four years. Fast-forward to last fall when I had the genius idea to get a new project car, and guess who was finally tired of having a hunk of junk parked in front of his house? That’s right, Carter decided to give up one of his plethora of cars and sell me this odd, gold-colored S14 for the sweet price of $2,000. This wasn’t just a base-model S14 either; it was an SE with the full factory five-lug, so on paper two stacks seemed like a good price. Seemed.