How do you tune your engine\car?
Thread Starter
Safety Car
Joined: Oct 2000
Posts: 4,282
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From: Lake Wylie, South Carolina
How do you tune your engine\car?
This past week there was an episode of Two Guys Garage on and they were setting up a mustang with a new carb and tunining it for max HP. they were using a dyno as most of these Hot Rod shows do now. this got me thinking of how I am going to tune my engine when I get it finished. I don't have the luxury of a dyno near by nor a drag strip. It's been 15+ years since I tryly messed with an engine and with all the new technology, methods and theories I am sure I will have to relearn everything. Just wandering what you guys do to tune your engines for max HP? What tools are a must? Do you have a box of jets, accelerater pumps and other stuff like that? Still able to use basic tools like vacuum guages? This is just more of a what do you do post than an I need help post since I am a long way away from cranking up. :cry
Melting Slicks
Joined: Feb 2003
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St. Jude Donor '03,'11
Re: How do you tune your engine\car? (BlackRat)
if you've got a deserted road nearby, you could use the g-tech meter and do 0-60 passes or if you have less room like me just do a hp test in first gear.
Race Director
Joined: Apr 2000
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From: Who says "Nothing is impossible" ? I've been doing nothing for years.
Re: How do you tune your engine\car? (turtlevette)
Basically you can get it close with seat of the pants (vacuum gauges, reading spark plugs, GTech) then take it and get it dyno tuned ( preferably by somone who knows what they are doing ) :lol:
Race Director
Joined: Sep 1999
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From: Plano TX
Re: How do you tune your engine\car? (MotorHead)
Go here:
http://www.wbo2.com
and get their wideband O2 setup. It will tell you the exact fuel mixture at cruise, wot, cold start, throttle movement etc. There's freeware palm and laptop SW that lets you log the readings for later review. It will let you setup your carb better than a dyno as you can check it at all conditions it will encounter.
http://www.wbo2.com
and get their wideband O2 setup. It will tell you the exact fuel mixture at cruise, wot, cold start, throttle movement etc. There's freeware palm and laptop SW that lets you log the readings for later review. It will let you setup your carb better than a dyno as you can check it at all conditions it will encounter.
Team Owner
Joined: Jul 1999
Posts: 26,545
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From: Huntersville NC
Re: How do you tune your engine\car? (zwede)
Another answer, like so many other answers, is to check out the papers written by lars. He has one paper on how to set timing for performance. He explains how to set your timing at all-in 36 degs, which seems to be a good starting point. He also has instructions on Qjet tuning. (Which carb are you planning on using?) I started with the stock jetting on my qjet, per lars' advice, and tried some bigger jets that were a bit stinky (I deduced - too rich) and went back a size smaller. MJ
[Modified by MNJack, 9:49 PM 1/4/2004]
[Modified by MNJack, 9:49 PM 1/4/2004]
Team Owner
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From: Exiled to Richmond, VA - Finally sold my house in Murfreesboro, TN ?? Corner of "Bumf*&k and 'You've got a purdy mouth'."
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CI-VIII Burnout Champ
St. Jude Donor '06-'10, '13
Re: How do you tune your engine\car? (MNJack)
I set idle mixture using tach, timing light, and vacuum gage.
From there, I just make runs and then read the plugs. Do a cruise at moderate speed, shut it down and pull a plug. See if you're rich or lean. Do some full throttle passes and shut it down before coming back to cruise conditions (best if at a track) and see if the secondaries need more fuel or not. It's best if you have an O2 meter or g-tech to see if you're picking up or loosing power.
From there, I just make runs and then read the plugs. Do a cruise at moderate speed, shut it down and pull a plug. See if you're rich or lean. Do some full throttle passes and shut it down before coming back to cruise conditions (best if at a track) and see if the secondaries need more fuel or not. It's best if you have an O2 meter or g-tech to see if you're picking up or loosing power.
