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Bogus Dyno Tests

6K views 27 replies 5 participants last post by  fishslayer143@yahoo.com 
#1 ·
We have all seen many "before and after" dyno tests that appear to show how good a performance product is but have you ever asked yourself "how honest were the tests"? As a mechanical engineer I know how easy it is to run bogus dyno tests by running the engine at a 90% throttle opening for the "before" test then running the engine at 100% throttle opening for the "after" test.

The ONLY way you will ever know how good a performance product really is a disinterested third party laboratory will have to test the performance product in "real world" conditions and then publish the results.

If a performance product is only half as good as it's manufacturer claims it is every engine in the world would be running that product, huh?
 
#3 ·
If you believe the aftermarket parts manufacturers, you can bolt on hundreds of HP.
Stickers would be worth 5 HP each.
 
#22 ·
In the early 60's I saw a really funny cartoon in HOT ROD magazine. It showed a '59 Chevy with a LOT of blue smoke belching out of it's tail pipes and the Chevy's side windows and body was covered with STP decals. Two Oakie dudes were standing next to it and one said "Do You Suppose It Needs Something Else"?
 
#4 ·
Who Made Your Headers?

I ran across a Chinese website a few days ago in which a Chinese manufacturer was selling stainless steel headers for $50 a pair (left and right) in lots of 100. Those headers are coming to America where the vendors mark them up 10 times then sell them to us gullible Americans who have an infatuation with tubular steel exhaust manifolds.
 
#5 ·
I ran across a Chinese website a few days ago in which a Chinese manufacturer was selling stainless steel headers for $50 a pair (left and right) in lots of 100. Those headers are coming to America where the vendors mark them up 10 times then sell them to us gullible Americans who have an infatuation with tubular steel exhaust manifolds.
Do you have a link to that website? I need some headers
 
#6 ·
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#9 ·
More Power And Better Fuel Mileage

Since I was a kid growing up in the 1950's I have seen hundreds of aftermarket products that claimed "more horsepower and better fuel mileage" but when these products were tested under laboratory conditions every one of them failed to live up to it's promises. None of them ever produced more power or better fuel mileage and many actually produced LESS horsepower and LESS fuel mileage. All of the world's engine manufacturers have dyno's and any product that was half as good as the manufacturer claimed would be found on every engine in the world. The only dyno tests that should be considered valid would be those tests conducted by 3rd party independent laboratories that have no financial gain in the outcome of those tests.
 
#12 ·
In that case, plug up the intake and exhaust and see how far you go. :hehehe:

All the parts must work together..
Some are better than others.
Fuel injection makes more power than carburetors on the EXACT SAME ENGINE.:burnout:
 
#15 ·
Horsepower Wars

In the 60's there was a horsepower war being waged by the "big three". But when emissions became an issue in the early 70's the emphasis was switched to cleaner burning engines. Now that the engineers have solved most of the emission issues the horsepower war started all over again. The world's automobile manufacturers would kill for an additional 10% horsepower but for some unknown reason they are avoiding the aftermarket products that claim those huge gains. Hmm.
 
#17 ·
In the 60's there was a horsepower war being waged by the "big three". But when emissions became an issue in the early 70's the emphasis was switched to cleaner burning engines. Now that the engineers have solved most of the emission issues the horsepower war started all over again. The world's automobile manufacturers would kill for an additional 10% horsepower but for some unknown reason they are avoiding the aftermarket products that claim those huge gains. Hmm.
The manufacturer isn't going to put a vararam intake on their product for 2 reasons. Cost and liability just for 10 more H.P
 
#19 ·
clueless comes to mind
 
#21 ·
Throttling Up REAL Slow

Have you ever noticed how the engine is throttled up REAL slow in every dyno test? Have you ever asked yourself WHY is the engine throttled up REAL slow? Well gang, I'll tell you why the engine is throttled up REAL slow. If the engine was equipped with a mechanical secondary carburetor and the throttle was snapped open the engine would fall on it's face from too much throttle being applied for the speed it's running at. To snap the throttle open would cause a phenomenon called "fuel standoff" which is a fog of fuel particles that form at the mouth of the carburetor and that fog kills the power until the engine can reach a higher rpm. And it's the reason why every one of the world's muscle cars only came with AVS or vacuum secondary carburetors.
 
#23 ·
In the 50+ years I have been twisting wrenches I have never seen a "headers only" test but rather headers AND larger pipes AND high flow cats AND high flow mufflers. The tests did show a gain but what caused the gain? The headers? The larger pipes? The high flow cats? The high flow mufflers? A dyno test can show anything you WANT it to show and that's why I will only trust the results of a disinterested 3rd party doing the testing.
 
#24 ·
Time Dulls Our Memories

Back in the 50's and 60's we all knew headers had to be run OPEN to do any good but time has dulled our memories. Now days the young folks believe corked headers are just as effective as OPEN headers. Hmm, do you see any problem with their logic?
 
#25 ·
Back in the 50's and 60's we all knew headers had to be run OPEN to do any good but time has dulled our memories. Now days the young folks believe corked headers are just as effective as OPEN headers. Hmm, do you see any problem with their logic?
a properly designed exhaust system promotes scavenging
open headers are not the best unless you are using zoomies for drag racing
having said that, I'm not about to debate it again.
 
#27 ·
And that is why my team did our own testing :wink2:
 
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