No Dyno today

[Paul G]

We were at Mid America Fun Fest last weekend. I put the CE on the Dyno. Took a few pics as it was going up on the machine. They just started the first pull, then there computer screen showed an error. They fiddled with the dang thing for over an hour. Finally thay said they needed a circuit board before the Dyno would work again. It was down for the rest of the weekend.

I was really looking forward to seeing how much power the LT4 was making. Maybe next year.

 

[Edmond]

Paul,

That stinks! I hope you dyno it before so you don't have to wait a whole year.

Do you have any mods done to the car? Any mods in mind?

 

[Ken]

Just don't put too much faith in those portable dynos, not to mention the dyno operators themselves. The numbers can be misleading.

 

[Edmond]

Ken,

those portable dyno's usually charge by the pull, right?

and the dyno's they have in the shop charge by the hour, right?

 

[Ken]

Never used the portables Edmond, but I imagine it's by the pull. When I saw one at the NCM they were offering something like two-for-one, or something like that.

Shops usually charge around $125 or so an hour, although some will rip you for a lot more. Hopefully those shops have operators that justify the extra charge; a lot depends upon the operator's knowledge of how a dyno, as well as the car, works.

 

[Paul G]

This Dyno operator, Back Street Performance, charges $75 for three pulls. For an extra $15 he will give you the air/fuel ratio printed on the sheet.

As for mods, the car has a set of shorty headers, Power Effects exhaust, BBK throttle body, and a K&N air filter.

I have read that the LT4's can make anywhere from 330 to 380 HP. I was curious to see what mine would do.

 

[B17Crew]

Oh, sooooo close, that’s a bummer!

B17Crew

 

[Edmond]

Just don't put too much faith in those portable dynos, not to mention the dyno operators themselves. The numbers can be misleading.

Ken,

Have you put your beast on the dyno yet?

 

[Ken]

I'm embarrassed by my numbers. Well, not embarrassed necessarily, I just have to find the missing horsepower; I'm not making what I should, or rather the final number is short of what the parts should produce - about 80 horsepower short!

I made around 388 at the rear wheels, but we were concentrating more at the time on getting the driveability issues down. The driveability is taken care of now pretty much, so now it's back to the dyno shop to search for the missing horsepower. I should be making around 450-460 at the rear wheels.

I had it on the dyno when I was in Florida in 2002, and then a couple of months later back here, both times with the old engine management system. I'm making more power now, but it's still nowhere near to what it should be.

 

[Edmond]

Ken,

Those are quite impressive numbers. How did you manage to make those numbers and still get by the dreaded CA emissions? They're the strictest in the whole country.

 

[Ken]

My lips are sealed.

 

[Wake]

I had it on the dyno when I was in Florida in 2002, and then a couple of months later back here, both times with the old engine management system. I'm making more power now, but it's still nowhere near to what it should be.

I noticed you're local to me... Can you recommend a dyno shop??? I'd like to see what my stock LT4 puts out...

 

[Ken]

Probably the most well-known in the South Bay is R&D Dyno in Gardena. That's where I had it the last time.

Just yesterday though, I was talking with someone at Coast High Performance (CHP) and he told me about another shop in Gardena, Swanson Performance, and a guy named Dan there, who knows his way around engine management systems (computers). I may be talking with him when I'm ready to hit the dyno again.