B3 Engine Dyno is almost done... soon the experiments will start.

[fujioko]

Hi ‘ya folks,

It’s been a while since I posted any mad scientist mods for the B3 engine, but now I’m getting ready to start posting some tuning tricks.
I put together an engine dyno for development and experimentation of the B3 power plant. Most of my experiments will be beneficial for the Festiva and Aspire, however the Aspire intake and ignition is different enough that some mods won’t apply.

Anyway I’m just getting started and will be posting some tests and videos soon.

Here is a sneak preview of the dyno during its initial startup http://youtu.be/825MuP8JZd8



The dyno shortly before the first start.


A shot of the dyno during construction.

Jim

[SiliconSoul]

That's AWESOME! Looking very forward to seeing what you have in store for the B3.

[rickbz28]

I have seen this setup in person and it i quite an impressive feat of engineering.

[gergorian]

Looking very good! I do have a question though. What are you going to use to apply a load to the engine? My day job is testing engines on dynamometers so I am especially intrigued by this project.

[fujioko]

Hi 'ya Rick!

In reply to Gergorian,

The pictures don't show the PAU, but it is visible in the video. Anyway this dyno will use a pump to apply the load. The pump is rated to absorb over 200 Hp.

Jim

[TominMO]

Nice work and nice vid! I saw the Aspire exhaust mani. Are you going to run tests with a Festy mani too, and compare them?

[fujioko]

Thanks!

Once I get the dyno calibrated I plan on comparing both exhaust manifolds. I also plan on comparing the Festiva distributor to the coil pack ignition that I developed a few years ago.

I'm going to try to find the best combination of parts to get maximum power and maximum miles per gallon. I'll also do some off the wall experiments as well. I think it should be very entertaining for this forum.

Jim

[sketchman]

Water/meth injection? That would be an awesome dyno test to see. It's been done, but it was years ago now.

[gergorian]

If I have to pull the motor out of my car for any reason Ill bring it over and we can test it. It has the full Dickmeyer head, cam and long tube header. I don't live too far away, so just to shoot over and see it in person would be awesome.

[TominMO]

If I have to pull the motor out of my car for any reason Ill bring it over and we can test it. It has the full Dickmeyer head, cam and long tube header. I don't live too far away, so just to shoot over and see it in person would be awesome.

And just for comparison, since I have the same setup, Matthew dynoed (on a Dynojet) at 85.83 HP @ 5800 RPM. TQ was 86.27 @ 4500 RPM. So these numbers can give a rough approximation of how the two dynos compare. Of couse, it would be better to run the exact same motor on both dynos.

Edit: Matthew's head has Matt's Stage 3 turbo cam, BTW.

[gergorian]

And just for comparison, since I have the same setup, Matthew dynoed (on a Dynojet) at 85.83 HP @ 5800 RPM. TQ was 86.27 @ 4500 RPM. So these numbers can give a rough approximation of how the two dynos compare. Of couse, it would be better to run the exact same motor on both dynos.

Edit: Matthew's head has Matt's Stage 3 turbo cam, BTW.

Yeah, the cam in mine is for N/A so it might be worth a few extra ponies. ( I'm hoping at least)

[bhearts]

What I plan on doing with my car is wiring up two coil drivers in parallel, and getting a beefier coil. I'll have to come up with a band name but my buddy bought some high quality ones that are rated at twice the power ours are worth. But you can't take advantage of higher power coils with the factory driver. That's like upgrading speakers without upgrading your amp.

[eurotiva]

What is even better is you can test any b series engine!!!!

[fujioko]

I really like the idea of eventually testing Matt's head, cam and long tube headers. Although the headers may be a problem because they point in the wrong direction.

The dyno is set up to run a B3 with a Miata transmission. As a mater of fact I'm using the exact same drivetrain in my 94 Miata. I looking to develop a tune on the B3 that would put the Miata in the 50 mpg range. The hydraulic power adsorbing unit (PAU) can absorb a little more than 200 HP, however not all the components that drive the PAU are rated that high. The weakest link is rated for 65 HP. I'm sure it can handle a bit more but I wont be doing a lot of full throttle hard pulls.

Most of us use our cars to commute or run errands. I'm sort of focusing on getting the B3 to perform better during normal daily driving and not for peak HP. Getting more from the engine will generally improve overall performance. The dyno is being developed to simulate loads found during daily driving. Sounds boring, but a lot of folks (me included) want to know what works and what is BS. For example... Michigan gasoline is blended with 10% alcohol. ... how much power are we loosing?

The profile I'll develop will be limited to the way my Miata is configured. Some of the results will not necessarily translate to the Festiva however the trends will show what is working and what does not. Actually, positive results should have a more effect on the Festiva than the Miata.

I think a full on high performance tune is better suited for a chassis dyno but I should be able to call out the right parts.


I just ordered a bunch of parts and Ill have the dyno fully functional real soon.

[fujioko]

What is even better is you can test any b series engine!!!!

Yep, I actually made sure the longer 1.8 would fit.