Dyno Test

[scubaruss]

Can anybody tell me a reputable place in the Wiltshire / Hampshire / Dorset area where I can get a Dyno test done. I'm thinking about up-grading Lola ( the wife drives it once & now it has a name!!! ) but need to know what if anything has already been done.

[Nige]

I had my Dyno testing done in Salisbury (Harnham) something like Autocraft or Automotive. They were pretty good, I just did power runs with different versions of Alan's Chips during the development of them, about £60 per run I recall, they can do set up runs but that costs more and as far as the Elan goes with either a stock set up or a chip fitted if the base timing is set correctly and all else is worjking as it should there is very little to tweak as the ECU does it all. They were genuinely suprised at the power output of the engine as I got the impression that they may get the Chav ma Nova brigade claiming high poer figures on arrival and leaving disappointed by reality.

Be a couple of days before I get the details but the above should give you enough to find them in Yellow Pages if not I have their business card, I'll dig it out and post the details.

[John_W]

scubaruss,

I highly recommend having ElanScan running during your dyno runs as it will provide extra information on how the boost builds, holds and decays as well as letting you check that all the rest of the car's ECU sensor set-up is working OK. It will also tell you if you're seeing overboost and characterise it as "a lucky bonus" or "this could get out of hand". It will give you info as to "what if anything has already been done".

Also, in the event that power is not as expected, your ElanScan data will help you troubleshoot why. Without the ElanScan data of the dyno run, all you will know is that power is down. So where do you start to look to find it?

Ensure your static timing is correctly set to 16 deg BTDC before you dyno it and the usual checks on oil, water etc are done.

Oh, and when you get the results, please post them for our edification. I started a thread somewhere a while ago for dyno results which has not been very lively recently (people too mean to pay for dyno sessions I suspect).

edited to say :
I found the dyno thread by using the "search" facility, but I'm bug*ered if I can find it under "Upgrades". Maybe I need new glasses. Tony? Do I, or is this one thread which didn't make the transfer to the new site? As you can see I successfully gave it the kiss-of-life by posting a new reply to it.
http://www.lotuselancentral.com/forum/v ... php?t=4517

John

PS: Nige, the dyno places I've used have also been surprised at what the Elan can do, especially when one of ESM's chips is fitted and you tell them it's 1600cc. (Everest V4.2: 209 BHP @ 6500 RPM & 188 lb-ft @ 4500 RPM;
Everest V3: 215 BHP @ 7000 RPM & 181 lb-ft @ 4300 RPM).

I talked to an owner of an Isuzu Piazza at Callander (same engine as ours but bigger) who thought his was the dugs boz because it had 150 BHP from a turbocharged 2 litre engine. I didn't have the heart to tell him what the Elan could do.

[Exbury]

Actually, hate to point this out as I used to own a Isuzu piazza that the suspensions, engine, axles are going into my 72 opel Manta to give it over 200bhp, rear LSD drive, lotus tweaked handling, cruise control, PAS and aircon. The 2.0 engine needs a better exhaust and tweaking to get this sort of BHP.

But I digress....the Piazza engine is 150bhp BUT is only a SOHC 8V 2.0 engine NOT a DOHC 16V engine 1.6 (Big, big difference). Saying that the 150bhp the Piazza puts out is damn quick, my brother was just about putting a type R to shame considering the difference in age and values and that LSD has several clutch plates either side (nice!)

[scubaruss]

I had my Dyno testing done in Salisbury (Harnham) something like Autocraft or Automotive. They were pretty good, I just did power runs with different versions of Alan's Chips during the development of them, about £60 per run I recall, they can do set up runs but that costs more and as far as the Elan goes with either a stock set up or a chip fitted if the base timing is set correctly and all else is worjking as it should there is very little to tweak as the ECU does it all. They were genuinely suprised at the power output of the engine as I got the impression that they may get the Chav ma Nova brigade claiming high poer figures on arrival and leaving disappointed by reality.

Be a couple of days before I get the details but the above should give you enough to find them in Yellow Pages if not I have their business card, I'll dig it out and post the details.

Would it have been Sportomotive?

[Nige]

No, Autocraft SVE, Unit 11 Harnham trading estate Salisbury SP2 8NW, 01722 411118.

[scubaruss]

Cheers Nige, Lola is booked in for a power run next week. We'll see where we go from there. Will post the results for all to see.

[scubaruss]

I've been reading through posts within the upgrades section regarding Dyno testing - very interesting. Can anybody tell me, what is turbo / boost creep & what are the implications of boost creep? Will it damage the engine & should it influenece my decision to "chip" the car?

[Doug]

boost creep is a flow problem

as revs build and the exhaust flow increases, there comes a time where the turbo's wastegate can only accomodate so much flow of gases thru it; when this is exceeded the gases have to go thru the turbo vanes and result in spinning the turbo slowly faster and faster

this results in increasing boost (the "boost creep") as the exhaust/RPMs/power builds

without saftey nets you could in theory blow the engine this way



now, don't be too alarmed, as first of all the standard turbo Elan does not have this problem.
This is because the stock exhaust is too restrictive! Once you improve the exhaust flow then more air can get thru the engine and it breathes better, but this can bring on boost creep --- but this is still due to the retention of the stock upper exhaust piping! This can be cured by (1) either porting the wastegate (to allow if to handle more flow) or (2) putting in a replacement flow pipe at the wastegate (like Stevo's "Project Stiffy").

also you have some safety net in that the rev limiter and/or the boost limiter will cut fuel to the engine if you get really going--and this should keep you from going mini-Hiroshima on your engine!

Alan's mountain chips allow more boost in the stock car, and do control boost creep better than the stock chip; but the chip cannot eliminate creep since it is a flow problem as explained above. The chips keep the safety feature of the fuel cut if the boost creep up too high.




so in a properly designed car with increased boost, the wastegate can accomodate all the flow and there should not be issues with creep . . .

[scubaruss]

Thanks for the explanation Doug.

I've invested in an Everest chip & Lola's booked in for some power / set-up runs tomorrow so I'll see how she's performing with both the standard & new chip. I'll also have a go with ElanScan during these power runs so I should be able to see what's REALLY happening under the bonnet.

1 final question. I've currently got the stock exhaust on the car. In your expeirience what improvement in BHP would you expect to see with the Everest chip & stock exhaust - what should I be looking for?

.....mini Hiroshima....made me chuckle

[John_W]

In your expeirience what improvement in BHP would you expect to see with the Everest chip & stock exhaust - what should I be looking for?

Scubaruss,
It will be very interesting to see your results with an Everest and standard exhaust. Althought I have a put my car on a dyno in a similar configuration, I now believe that the dyno used was not the best. I believe the peak power and torque values it measured were accurate, however I'm not happy with the shape of the curve over the rev range.

Your results will be great to use as a sort of datum set, so I'm very keen to see them.

My car gave the following figures when fitted with a standard exhaust and an Everest chip:
Peak power (flywheel) = 195 BHP @ 5500 RPM
Peak torque (flywheel) = 193 ft-lb @ 4000 RPM

This compares with the standard chip values of 155 BHP @ 6000 RPM and 148 ft-lb @ 4000 RPM.

Fitting a big exhaust gave further improvement, as per the figures in my post earlier in this thread.

Your results are eagerly awaited. To make them easier to find in future, it might be an idea to post them in the thread below rather than under "problems":
http://www.lotuselancentral.com/forum/v ... php?t=4517

John

[Nige]

Doug and John W have answered your questions most eloquently so I won't repeat what they've already said. I'm also interested in what results you get and have a couple of thoughts. It's been said many times before biut make sure your base timing is set to 16 deg BTDC before the power run as if it isn't you'll not get the best results, also check your throttle cable as they do stretch and if the slack is not taken up you'll never achieve full throttle. Autocraft SVE were pretty good with my car so you shouldn't have a problem on that front. I have an Everest chip in my car and also a custom 2.25" exhaust, when Dyno'd it had no cats fitted at all and of the 2 chips I tested (both earlier versions to the current one) I got 205 BHP and 204 BHP (Flywheel figures) I stuck with the 204BHP version because the power delivery was smoother but have not Dyno'd the car with the latest chip (V4.2 I think) fitted, also my main cat has been refitted since the MOT last Nov.

What day and time are you booked in? I'm only 20-30 minutes away from Autocraft and might (big might as I've a lot on at the moment) be able to drop by.

[Sy V]

Sorry guys, I'm having a senior moment.

What's the name/year of the ISUZU car that shares our (albeit non-Lotus engineered) lump?

[TStevens]

Geo Storm? - im not senior enough to have senior moments, so I cant think of a good excuse for being wrong.

[muley]

Sorry guys, I'm having a senior moment.

What's the name/year of the ISUZU car that shares our (albeit non-Lotus engineered) lump?

Impulse, mate.

Cheers

Jim B

[Dave M]

Impulse, mate.

Jim's right, but the 1991 Impulse RS to be exact. There are a number of Isuzu Impulses out there that ran various engines up to a 2.0L NA 4-cyl, I believe. The RS is our cousin, however. It's a rare bird just like the Elan.

[Sy V]

That's the one, cheers chaps.

[john]

That's the one, cheers chaps.

Only about 800 made in the US 1991 Isuzu Impulse RS with AWD and 'Lotus' tuned suspension.

Feel free to visit the Isuzone! http://www.isuzone.org