Heh...
These 'Sprint Booster' things are a waste of money. They're EXACTLY the same as the 'Throttle Cam' trick on an old carburettor/throttle body cable linkage, in that they alter the relationship between foot-on-pedal-position and the angle of the throttle plate. That's all that thing does.
Throttle cams:
http://www.electraeon.com/throttlecam.html
http://www.dietersmotorsports.com/tech/2001/944_throttle_cam.htm
http://www.034motorsport.com/product_info.php?products_id=774
I've been biting my lip since this guy over on 4titude is selling one of those Sprint Booster thingies:
http://forums.fourtitude.com/zerothread?id=4656921
I don't really want to just bust his balls, but he's been bumping that thing forever, and sooner or later someone else is going to be suckered into buying it.
The website is FULL of misleading wording which borders on the deceptive. it doesn't increase power one iota... just makes the pedal more 'twitchy'. -If anyone thinks that's a good thing and the 8P pedal is 'sluggish', then with my blessing go and buy one. -But DON'T even DREAM that it's giving you any more 'power' than you can get without it. -It isn't. Plain and simple. -And if you take the time to re-read the company's website bearing that in mind, you can see that they very cleverly avoid ever saying DIRECTLY that it does.... but they use weasel-words which DEFINITELY give you the impression.
Waste. Of. Money.
As for the resistor trick:
Can you do it? -Yes.
You can 'fool' the engine (which is designed to burn fuel as efficiently and cleanly as possible for MANY reasons... corporate fule efficiency standards and tailpipe emission levels being a couple) into 'dumping' a little more fuel in, and running richer, which will realise a
little more power. -But not much. Probably not even noticeable on the 'butt-dyno', and a rolling road will only show a microscopic increase...
Good idea? -HELL no.
Running rich... Well, sooty pipes, carbon in the combustion chamber as well as almost certainly accelerating the rate at which the intake manifold and valves soot up (EGR... don't forget that! extra soot coming out means extra soot recirculated)... -So for a barely-perceptible increase in power (NOT all the way across the band, either), you'll most likely get:
Worsened fuel economy
More soot in the exhaust
Increased 'coke' buildup on the inlet valves and intake path
...and don't overlook the fact that after a while, significant intake path buildup will 'choke' the engine's ability to draw in air. -Less air means less fuel getting squirted in, (even WITH the resistor) and less power.
Summary:
Can you 'trick' the dyno to show 7 more horsepower? -Certainly.
Is it a good idea? -
HELL no.
Not unless you get your fuel for free, AND you're selling the car in six months.
Keith