<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by HouseofSpeed:
I have personally discussed this issue at length in other posts, and despite what Sean tells you, he is trying to sell a product that has very little tuning value. It is merely a monitor that turns the stock O2 reading into a neat little gadget.
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Bottom line....you won't drive around with a wide-band on your car, its just not practical because they don't live very long under continuous operation. But they are the only way to properly tune in a performance application. If anyone needs further confirmation of the inefficiency of an OE O2 sensor as a tuning tool....drop me a line and I can supply you with the evidence from my research on the subject.
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Kyle,
Certainly the turbo and other forced induction systems that you have experience with and work on at Hennessey Motorsports can be better tuned with a wide band air/fuel meter. But, don't discount the usefulness of an air/fuel meter using the original equipment oxygen sensors in the majority of applications. With the original equipment O2's, you can read a range from as lean as 17.0:1 to as rich as 12.5:1 fairly accurately. I'd rather use a meter reading off a stock O2 than use a meter with the probe in the tailpipe, measuring the air/fuel ratio after the exhaust has passed through the catalytic converter where excess fuel is burned off (which shows a leaner air/fuel reading than actual).
The best way, as you and Doug and I know, is to weld a **** into each collector and use a wide band meter. But, that's not practical, as you had mentioned, for cars to use all the time, (not to mention expensive). Our gauge is a good tool and does read well within its 1 volt scale. If you can make a product that works better and is in the same price range ($129.00 individually with use and installation instructions, ready to install in Vipers), I suggest that you build it and offer them to the Viper community. Until then, if someone calls me and asks if the meter will work in their car, I will say "yes it does". It's completely up to them how they intend to use that tool and whether they get one or not.
Mark,
The Dastek Piggyback Computer/ Unichip / Racers Group PROgram does a nice job and is VERY similar in function to our Viper Engine Calibrator. Both alter the load calibration of the PCM to adjusting fuel and timing. Either one should do a fine job. The Dastek unit should be tuned on a dyno.