It's alive . . .

[bruce]

Posting some pics of my dyno console . . . for my long over due . . . when is it ever going to get finished dyno project . . .







Still have to add AMP and volt gages for the eddy current unit on the display. I'll post some new pics of the eddy current unit as soon as my shop is a tad cleaner and I can get some good pics of the whole assembly.

[Thomas Vaught]

Nice Bruce! What is the capacity?

Tom V.

[bruce]

The eddy current unit (PAU) is rated for 280 lb ft at 8000rpm's with a 40 amp power supply. My small engines (<50 lbs ft) are alot less than that and the variac I am using is only rated for 9 amps. From my calcs it will be more than enough for what I want to use it for, inertia might be a concern. Limting factor for me is going to be the max rpm's of short bursts of 8000rpms, the pau is load rated to 7500 with bursts ok'd by manufacturer to 8000. So my engine testing will be limited in rpm range which will not be a problem for me (my ranges are 1500-4000 and 4000-7000).

With the amount of money I have in this project I'm more than WAY ahead of the game with what ever I can findout in my testing. It sure beats not having any dyno in my books which is what I had before (track testing sucks). Its been a long slow road to get to this point but it's been a learning experience, just wish I had a money tree out back . . . sure would like computer Data Acq but in the meantime I'll deal with the manual mode. My plan is to use a video recorder to tape a run and play it back later to get my numbers. The whole unit is moveable and works off standard 110 so I can take it to someones shop for a dyno day if need be or run it from a generator.

Future plans include a Ford MAF sensor (in the works already from an Escort) to read intake airflow and figuring out something for fuel flow. Still have to get an EGT sensor off ebay and some wire. So far my costs have not been much over $500, which keeps the "War Department" happy.

[gofaster]

Bruce,

That is slick! The rpm range is a little tight for my engines, (routinely go to 7,500rpm on the hotrod Sportsters) but the torque leaves me a lot of room. Do you suppose that maybe on some rainy day you could work up a parts list? That might be next winter's project here.

[Thomas Vaught]

A friend of mine who has put together several Home Built Water Brake dynos as the normal one for 2000 hp Turbo and NOS type engines but a few years ago built one to test snowmobile engines without pulling the engine. He disconnects the drive to the track, hooks his set-up into the engine there, and uses his computer to fine tune the efi set-ups he has on the snow mobile.

Guy was a 4 time World Chanpion in that class
of racing (4 turbo twin V-6 engine) dragster deal. Course he got banged up pretty badly a couple of times too.

What exactly are you using the engines for Bruce?

Tom V.

[bruce]

My engines are for single cylinder garden tractorpulling, run a couple different classes from stock off the lawn 4000rpm max on govenor to unlimited rpm prostock class 50.5 cu in on Alky flatheads. I run a Stock Altered tractor which has limits on bore, stroke, valve dia and carb venturi dia.

My dyno is also designed to be able to be used with the engines in the tractor if I so desired. Most engines will be run on the dyno itself, I built this setup for my own personal use and if I run other peoples engines that will be ok, if I don't thats ok also. Mostly doing it for personal enjoyment and an education along the way. For me building and running my own parts is more than half the fun . . . anyone can buy HP . . . but not just anyone can make HP.

[Thomas Vaught]

Agree, The knowledge gained is worth the effort by itself. Very cool!

Tom V.

[bruce]

Well its been a long road but I fianlly was able to fire up the dyno with an engine on it and do some early stages playing!! Here are some pics of my halfassed setup, wanted to make sure it would work before I made everything "pretty"





I always had heard that a dyno will find the weakest link in an engine and I have the proof to prove that now, on my first run I broke the stock drive hub not once but twice.



I think it has something to do with the brake's inertia. I used a solid billet hub I made and had no problems. Again like I stated I'm still in the early stages of getting this up and running so I'm sure I'm going to find more things I'll have to change around. I know one thing I'm going to have to make will be outriggers on the engine end to keep it from rocking. It wasn't bad but I'd prefer to error on the side of caution.

[Thomas Vaught]

Bruce, we use "dollies" somewhat like what you are trying to do but we have the dyno fixed on a cell and we roll whatever engine we want to test on to the cell and hook everything up. The engine dollie is "tied down" once everything is in proper alignment.

In your case the outriggers might be the only thing keeping the deal from turning like a clock! LOL!

Keep going, you are getting there!

Tom V.