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The airflow through a standard automotive throttle body is not exactly proportional to the displacement of the accelerator pedal. Therefore, another method is needed to open the butterfly valve in order to ensure that airflow through the throttle body is metered equal to pedal displacement. This paper finds that the implementation of a cam-type pulley is necessary to achieve this prescribed goal.

A study has been conducted on a small engine cooling system in order to find a way to reduce common overheating problems at idle conditions and high engine speeds with restricted airflow. The system flow rates, pressure, and temperature characteristics were monitored at different positions in the system while engine speed was varied. The results show that by adjusting the flow rates according to certain variables, the overall effectiveness of the system is increased and overheating problems can be eliminated. The findings also show that this adjustment can be accomplished by incorporating a controllable electric water pump into the design. Dynamometer testing has also been conducted to show that, in addition to controlling flow rates, the use of the electric pump also possesses the potential of increasing the power output of the engine.

The design of a race engine intake system involves many design considerations. Two very important areas of design are the intake manifold's volume and geometry. In considering these variables there are several different possible intake configurations. Such configurations will include single and dual plenum designs, as well as volume transitions. Dynamometer testing objectives will test different intake designs for the best overall engine power by comparing the areas under the engine power curve. Of the four intakes tested, the 2003 intake was found to make the best overall power.