28/07/2026
今朝、いつものショートテストコースでNAGIの確認走行を行いました。
昨晩の雨上がりで快晴。
気温は26℃。路面はほぼドライですが、部分的に水たまりと疎水性舗装の湿りが残る状態です。
今回はPCVバルブをリニューアルした後の確認です。
REVカウンターはフューエルカットが入らないよう、6000rpmでブザーが鳴る設定。
ブザー音5回でシフトアップした際の記録は6433rpm。
吸入空気負圧は1.11kPa。
絶対的な数値だけを見ると大きな変化には見えません。
しかし、エンジンの回り方が明らかに軽い。
ヒールアンドトウでの回転合わせもスムーズで、2速1860rpmからの他車への追従加速も充分。
AC稼働中でも4速から2速へのシフトダウン加速は問題なく成立します。
ただし5000rpm以上では、補機負荷と気温の影響もあり、回転上昇はやや鈍くなります。
PCVバルブは、単なる排ガス対策部品として見られがちですが、実際にはクランクケース内圧、ブローバイ排出、吸気負圧との関係に深く関わる部品です。
エンジンは空気を吸い、燃料を燃やし、排気を出すだけではありません。
内部の圧力や呼吸の整い方も、回転フィールやトルクの出方に影響します。
今回の変化は、馬力が増えたというより、エンジン本来の呼吸が戻った感触です。
小さな部品ですが、NAGIのように吸気、電装、燃焼、駆動、足回りを整えていくと、こうした部品の劣化や作動の鈍さも走行フィールに現れます。
やはり基本は燃焼状態。
そして、その燃焼を邪魔しない呼吸の整備も大切です。
This morning, I took NAGI out for a short test run on my usual local test course.
The conditions were clear after last night’s rain, with an ambient temperature of 26°C.
The road surface was mostly dry, although there were still a few small puddles and some damp sections on the hydrophobic pavement.
This was a confirmation run after replacing the PCV valve.
The REV counter was set to beep at 6000 rpm, avoiding fuel cut.
I shifted up after five beeps, and the recorded engine speed was 6433 rpm.
The intake vacuum reading was 1.11 kPa.
On paper, the numbers do not show a dramatic change.
However, the feeling from the engine is clearly different.
It revs more lightly and more smoothly.
Rev-matching during heel-and-toe downshifts is also very smooth.
Acceleration from 1860 rpm in 2nd gear while following traffic is more than sufficient.
Even with the air conditioning running, acceleration after a 4th-to-2nd downshift is strong enough for real-world use.
Above 5000 rpm, the engine speed rise becomes slightly slower, probably due to the A/C load, temperature, and the day’s running conditions.
There is also a slight feeling similar to clutch slip just after an upshift, but I consider this to be related to engine control, torque reduction, and recovery timing rather than actual clutch slip.
The PCV valve is often treated as a simple emissions-related part, but in reality it has a strong relationship with crankcase pressure, blow-by gas flow, intake vacuum, and overall engine breathing.
An engine is not only about intake, combustion, and exhaust.
The way it breathes internally also affects response, torque delivery, and rev feel.
This replacement was not a “power upgrade.”
It was more like restoring the engine’s original breathing control.
For a car like NAGI, where intake, electrical systems, combustion, drivetrain, suspension, and aerodynamics have already been carefully refined, even a small part like the PCV valve can make a noticeable difference.
In the end, the foundation is always combustion.
And to achieve good combustion, the engine must also breathe correctly.