Good website or book to learn about basic car mechanics and modifications?
 

I'm just getting into corvettes, and am admittedly ignorant about how a car functions.

For example, when I read a For Sale advertisement that describes:

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Tuned by PJ at Blackops Motorsports (Never seen a driveability tune so good!) (It is a very rich tune for reliability) $500
Magnuson TVS2300 (Only 2k miles on this) $6000
3.4 inch front pulley installed, will include 3.2 and 3 inch which have never been used
Rear 1:1 Cog drive for some blower whine (stock rear pulleys included) $560
ECS Fuel system with exterior pump to support Maggie (2k miles) $1100
FIC 80lb Injectors (2k miles) $560
Ported throttle body (Cory Harris)
Ported LS3 heads w/solid SS valves (Texas Speed) (Roller Rockers) $2000
Lingenfelter GT-11 Cam
Callaway Honker CAI for Maggie TVS2300 (2k miles) $550
Magnaflow Axleback $800
Ported Oil Pump
HD Timing Chain
Dual Springs (2k miles on these)
Comp Chromoly Pushrods
Dynatech LT Headers w/"high flow cats and Xpipe $1200
Oil Catchcan
DTE Stage 2 Rear w/3.90 gears $2250
Elite Eng Tunnel Plate
MGW Shifter (1k miles) $225
Z06 Springs
Koni FSD Shocks
Hotchkis Swaybars
Eradispeed Stage 2 Rotors (front and rear)
SS Brake lines

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I have NO FLIPPIN' idea what any of this stuff means. Really. I've heard enough about "cats" and "tunes" to know that we are not talking about a furry animal that goes "meow" or something that makes corvette music, but I'd like to learn the details so that I know what the hell everyone is talking about, and so that one day I can modify a Corvette once the warranty is up, or more likely, when I get the "fix" for the LS7 valves issue - when I buy a Z06 - I can consider a performance mod at the same time. (a sad state of affairs that someone who doesn't know what a 'cam' is can tell you about the LS7 valve-dropping issue).

I've been to medical school so if I have the right book(s) or website(s), I should be able to learn this stuff pretty quickly. I've just never had the desire , until now, to learn it.

Can someone point me in the right direction, to save me some time? There must be a great book or website that explains this stuff well.

thanks.

First off would be to find websites that describe the parts in a stock engine. Generally they are all the same, just designed differently and shaped differently.

Once you know the parts on the stock engine, all these parts are just different variations on those.

There are some animated pictures on youtube that show an engine being assembled from the ground up, and then shows how it works. :)

btw, a cam is the spinny thing that hits the pokey things that make the rocking things push the pancake things which leads to suck squeeze bang blow out the stinky things. :)

That sounds strangely erotic, and now I'm REALLY interested.

Thanks for the advice!

hahah i was making that up as i went. souded good to me.

Jeff Hoffman's book was recommended to me and i found it very detailed, informative and well presented..How to Tune and Modify Engine Management Systems...Covers all aspects of modern engines from intake to exhaust..

http://search.barnesandnoble.com/Mod...7&cm_mmca2=pla

Make sure that it's the hard cover text book & not the work book. Even the best mechanic will find this book useful!:thumbs:

Thanks for the recommendations, I've ordered one of the books and will get the other one if I finish the first one.