Dr G

Hi guys,

I've started this thread to see if you guys can post your experiences with getting your thirdgen on a dyno in the UK. I'd like to see reviews of various premises, details regarding which dyno machine used, comments and criticisms regarding their set-ups, service, attitudes and of course costs.

The floor is open guys!

Dr G

Dynojet-UK web-site:-
http://www.dynojet.co.uk/index.html
Includes details regarding some of their premises, though these are mainly motorcycle only premises.

Dr G

http://www.mudd90.freeserve.co.uk/technicalstuff6.htm
This page includes many links and addresses to companies with dyno facilities.

http://www.g-force-motorsport.co.uk/html/index_p.htm
An impressive looking company that mainly can cope with up to 1200bhp at the rear wheels and 600 at the front. They mainly deal with motorsports vehicles though.

blackknight2010

Hi Dr G.
Wish I could help out here but never had the poncho on a rolling road (except for brake testing) don't know of anywhere around my area that provides this service.

erictheviking

Hauser Racing are probably the most knowledgable when it comes to American V8's on a dyno,engine only though I think.A friend of mine had a Chevy dynoed at a place in Cheltenham.O.K. for a power check but they didn't have a ****ing clue about setting up a Holley.Make sure the place knows what they're doing when it comes to yank engines.

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blackknight2010

"Make sure the place knows what they're doing when it comes to yank engines."

Good advice there...take note !

Dr G

Thanks guys.

Personally I've tried 2-places with the Trans-Am. A small summary of the experiences is below:-

'A.V.A' in Glasgow:-
1. Impressive looking set-up.
2. Sound quite helpful on the phone.
3. Excellent at properly setting up the car for the run, like tying it down well, good ventilation etc.
4. Bad attitude problem - They are manily into building and tuning Cosworth and Ford RS Turbo engines. Though they do this very well.
5. Unsubstantiated claims - they kept going on about the twin-turbo SBC they built with over 1000bhp. No photo's or videos....or graphs available to see.
6. No real knowledge of Tuned Port Injection Systems.
7. They even tried to tell my that custom EPROM's make no difference to anything! ROTFLMAO. And made some comments about people who 'think they know it all' datalogging with their laptops during runs.
8. And the thing that annoyed me the most was they were unable to print out a torque curve or wide-band oxygen sensor information... only a power curve and even that was only at 500rpm increments.

'Carscan' in Edinburgh:-
1. Very helpful and friendly. Great premises.
2. Franchise of an American company, so they have all specs for the suspension and the engines on their systems.
3. No wide band O2 stuff printed again.
4. Poor ventilation and cooling set-up.

Anyone wish to give some reports on places they have used?

blackknight2010

Hi Dr G.
On second thoughts I remember hearing about some place in Fife that did this but whether they'd be any good at yanks is another thing. A guy beside me called Mike Stewart Racing in Errol has a reputation for being good but mainly interested in cosworths etc. Perhaps I might get the Transam setup in 2004.

What costs are usually involved in getting your car setup as you detailed earlier ?

Dr G

Is the place in Fife called Star performance, a place that mainly does VAG group cars? Web-site link:- http://www.starperformance.co.uk/index2.htm
They're at Bankhead Industrial Estate, Glenrothes, Fife. KY7 6JF

Costs seem to be from 20-30pounds for a simple 'power run' and print-out, up to 60-120 pounds an hour for setting up. The 120+ figure is from g-force-motorsport for their rather fancy DFI tuning.

Dr G

For your information guys, the official word from Dynojet UK is that 'we have not got an auto Dyno yet in Preston [head office](sometime next year)' and I do not know of anyone in Scotland who has one.

The only one they know of in the UK is:-
PDQ
in Berkshire
Tel 01628 667644.

Has no-one else in the UK had their thirdgen dynoed? RMK, Felix, Powermite, Phil, etc etc etc.

powermite

Not yet but i'll certainly be looking once my mods are finished
PM

Dr G

Powermite:- Be sure to let us all know what company you end up using and give us some feedback about their service etc. BTW good luck with the new mods!

philoldsmobile

not sure i want to Dyno the ol 'maro at this stage of the procedings, i'd be suprised if it topped 175 bhp... (very suprised)

maybe in the future though....

irocfan

would not recomend Dave Sheppard Racing in Colchester... probably very good at what he does - however not particularly happy with the work on mine .... and after £400 of LABOUR I think I should be f'ing elated!!! maybe he didn't like the holley 750 or a modded engine but next time I'm off elsewhere

FocusGhia

I went to Power Engineering in Uxbridge on Saturday.

The dyno can't take big numbers but I got a reading a rwhp graph (but no flywheel bhp and torque as I'm used to).

£45+vat I think.

RMK

Post a pic of your graph please.

Did they have WB O2?

Dr G

Thanks for all the comments guys!

Phil:- It doesn't matter what stage in proceedings you are at, get a baseline dyno so you know what you're playing with and can then quantify the differences after any future modifications.

Irocfan:- What was the labour rate per hour at Dave Sheppard Racing in Colchester? Did you see any gains from their 'set-up' or was it a complete waste of money?

FocusGhia:- Welcome to the boards! Good to have another UK Thirdgenner here. Could you post the contact details for Power Engineering in Uxbridge in case anyone is interested?

irocfan

initial rate to reel you in was a flat £90 inc but minus parts... sounds great - but this is without any "extras"... by the time they had factored in a new dizzy and labour to check and recheck the old one and then fit the new one etc etc we were looking at a £400ish labour bill (about £35ph)... even so still, since it seems to be running like a dream, not too pissed off... that came when after 3 weeks the whole thing starts farting, burping and stalling soooo back to SR assuming that this would be sorted under their 'guarantee' not a bit of it! another £70 later (with kickdown still not working properly) for plugs and labour seems to be running great... a few weeks later not as bad as b4 but still not running like a dream & drinks fuel at the rate of 130 miles per tankful - I'd rather knaw off my left bollock than go there again!

I'm off to Autopontiac when I have the wedge - on paper more expensive but I can trust the guy and it'll be done first time with no return visits and bull**** excuses

RMK

£70 for plugs? I just fainted.

irocfan

so did I - figured ol' Robin at Autopontiac could have serviced my car using velvet gloves and silk overalls and I'd have saved money

FocusGhia

Power Engineering,
The Power House,
8 Union Buildings,
Wallingford Road,
Uxbridge,
Middlesex
UB8 2FR

Rolling Road Tuning Booking Line: +44 (0) 1895 464646


Ask to speak to Chris Todd and tell him Andy with the Grey IROC sent you, hehe.

Chris does a lot of drag racing and used to own a Dodge Charger, he does'nt know too much about TPI cars I don't think, more carbed stuff and Power Engineering normally specialise in Turbo'd Fords, Mitsubishi's, Subaru's etc.

Chris is a great guy though and will at least be able to tell you if the car is running right etc.


And yes to my knowledge he has a wide band gas analyser.

Dr G

Okay, 10-months on does anyone have any updates for this topic.?

I've found out that Dastek in Fife have wideband analysis and are very clued up regarding chip/EFI changes etc.

powermite

i'll soon be taking mine to Geoff Jeal near Oxford.
I'll let you know what happens
PM

RMK

Geoff Jeal? He's the absolute last person I'd let touch my car. Sorry, but I've heard too many horror stories from people who have had work carried out on their cars there.

powermite

Id be interested to hear the problems cos all ive heard is good.
He has a hell of a history of working with vettes and all manner of supercars.
PM

toecutterv8

Why a Dyno or rolling road?Why dont you Guys learn to tune and set up your own engines?Why spend good money for some greenhorn and his pc to work on your machines,the majority of these places have not got a clue what they are doing,and are totally ignorant of American machinery.The only option for those who dont want to(?????????),is someone like Hauser racing,even then you would be wanting them to build you a 350 upwards combination....Wouldnt you?

Dr G

Toecutter:- If you have some helpful info for the guys here on tuning and setting up engines then please share it. I started this thread to provide and share information regarding dynoing your thirdgen in the UK. I didn't say I was relying on someone to tune my car. I'm doing well enough burning my own chips!

FocusGhia

That's total c***.

How are you going to tune your car properly without a wide band O2 sensor and actually measuring the car against load?

The days of adjusting the mixture on a carb by whether or not it coughs up black smoke or not out of the exhaust are long gone my friend...

toecutterv8

Firstly I have never tuned a carb by'whether or not it coughs out black smoke out of the exhaust'.I am very sorry mr focus ghia but what i said wasnt 'total c##p',The days of the carb are not gone!Yes`there is a place for injection,im not turning this into a carb versus injection battle.You do not need a Dyno and wideband O2 sensor to tune your car,yes i will be writing some posts,I will start with some very basic tips and work up.Yes I may have ruffled a few feathers,but also when i say tune the engine,Im also referring to the unmodified vehicles as well,the owners are better of learning to do it them selves,they will end up in the end doing a better job,and it makes the whole thing of owning a muscle car more interesting for them,they should then gain an interest in their engine,and maybe proceed to cam swap etc.NO WAY is it RIP for the carb.Toecutter.

philoldsmobile

actualy, i'd sugest re reading FocusGhia's post, he never said the days of the carb are gone, he (quite rightly) said that the days of tuning a carb by ear are gone.

you simply cannot accurately tune any car without exhaust gas analasys under load via a WBO2 sensor and a sniffer probe.

you cannot hear the difference between a WOT mixture of 12.7:1 or 13.3:1 but the dyno can...

the only way to accuratly tune a car is a combination of base lining on a dyno, then going to the track.