Reply to "Dyno'd the Car, Please Critique."

The headers are aftermarket, I'm not sure where they were sourced from though. The exhaust is an Ansa unit, looks just like the exhaust setup on this webpage.

http://www.panteraplace.com/page4.html

If you plan on doing some tuning obviously you might want to undo the passenger seat etc. so that you aren't being charged dyno time taking your stuff apart to access the bulkhead. They usually charge by the hour, so you want them to charge you for tuning not taking stuff apart. They should have a timing light etc.

We didn't mess with my timing because it was a group dyno session and obviously we didn't have time for me to take everything a part. Check your plugs obviously and make sure they are showing the right tan color. Make sure all your fluids are good and oil is right on since you will be pushing it. Make sure they aim the fans directly at the radiator inlet so that you don't have overheating. Shutoff the engine when its not making a pull so that it doesn't heat soak. Its hard to see changes in tune if the engine is just getting warmer and warmer negating any actual finds from timing changes, carb adjustments etc.

You have to have reasonable expectations because you have to factor in drivetrain loss on a chassis dyno. A dyno operator can skew the numbers by some settings they input on the dyno also, and of course factors like whether the dyno adjusts for SAE correction and if it has a weather station to factor in humidity, ambient temperature, how many feet the dyno is above sea level etc. Some of these features are only available on certain dynos. Really the dyno is a tool to compare changes to your own motor and tuning, and not a tool to bench race engines. There are so many factors involved. Even then, if you go back to the dyno on a cooler day you may see a considerable increase in power with just that alone.

A mustang dyno is load bearing, so it can simulate actual driving conditions. You will see higher numbers on a Dynojet chassis dyno because it doesn't put a load on rollers. Last I recall the typically difference is about 15%? Hope this answers a few questions. If you take your car to a dyno, the foremost question is whether they specialize in carburetor tuning or newer EFI programmable computers. Obviously if you know how to tune a carb yourself that probably wouldn't matter. They should also put a wideband o2 sensor on the tailpipe to read your A/F ratio throughout the pulls. Without this it will be hard to tell if the car is running too rich or lean.

For me the group dyno day worked out to be the best option because of the discounted rate and not knowing anything about how the motor is running or in what shape its in. The next time I go back I will be ready to pay for a complete tuning session for a few hours. It really would have been a waste of time for me to pay to tune the car further anyway since I have no plans to not rev it past 5200. The motor needs new springs or a new cam if I want more. If I think of anything else I will repost. I've included a link to a video of the dyno pull.

http://stangnation.com/index.p...lery;sa=item;id=7862