Want more horsepower without paying much to get it? Here are three ways today's top engine builders get more power from their racing engines and their personal cars, without spending a lot of money to do it.

Upgrade your lubricants -- Friction and heat from engine components and the drive train rob horsepower and performance. Minimizing this power loss can be as easy as upgrading to one of the newer high performance lubricants that are available. For instance, in a recent test by Horsepower TV, upgrading to high performance motor oil freed up 8 horsepower in a V8 engine. Video of the test and more information on upgrading lubricants can be found at www.royalpurple.com.

Replace and/or upgrade your air filter -- During the life of your engine, thousands of cubic feet of air will pass through the engine cylinders. Dust and other material in the engine can cause excessive wear and operating problems. It's imperative that you keep air filters clean by regularly replacing them. To further enhance performance, upgrade to a performance air filter, which can free up an additional 2 to 3 horsepower. While not a tremendous power gain, the relatively low cost of a filter and ease of installation (about 5 minutes) more than make up for it.

Use higher octane gas or an octane booster -- Go for the good stuff the next time you're at the pump. Depending on your vehicle, high octane gasoline can provide an increase in horsepower. Even a marginal gain in switching from the lowest octane gasoline to the highest octane may be worth a few extra pennies at the pump to you. For those who want to see a more measurable increase in power, a racing blend of gasoline will work well or one of the numerous brands of octane booster commonly available at auto parts stores.

Upgrading your gas, lubricants and air filter are a cheap and easy way to increase horsepower. These simple steps will also extend the life of your engine and help prevent expensive repairs.