Dyno Numbers and you- What do you need to hit XXX hp?

[Blue_VB]

Originally Posted by Defiant Autospeed

There are a lot of posts asking what it takes to hit a certain HP number, but almost none of them ever give the info we need to give good advice on this. There is almost never enough info, and a lot of misconceptions.



First thing you need to know is that there is no 100%, black and white, sure thing answer. All cars respond differently and what makes 300whp on one car, will only make 280 on another, and 320 on yet another. ON THE SAME DYNO.


Second thing you need to know is that all dynos read differently. So if your goal is 300whp on a dynapak, what you need to get there will be INCREDIBLY different than what you need to hit 300whp on a Mustang dyno.

Even when looking at the same type of dyno, some read lower and higher.

There is fully a 100whp difference between the highest and lowest reading dynos. So if your goal is 300whp on a Mustang, be prepared to shell out a LOT more money than if you want to hit 300whp on a dynapak. And again, even on the same model dyno, some read +/-15+whp.

Where you live makes a BIG difference, elevation severely changes power output, as does the quality of your local gas. Its a lot harder to hit a given hp level on California's 91 octane than on 93 elsewhere.


When are you doing this? In winter, 20 deg ambient temps on winter mix gas? Or in summer in 100deg temps on summer gas?


And most importantly, are you trying to make this power level at the WHEELS or at the CRANK. Take for instance an 04 STI. It makes 300hp. But only about 240hp at the WHEELS. (on an average dyno that is)



So, when you ask "what do I need to hit XXXhp" you need to give us the following information


1. HP at the WHEELS (whp) or hp at the CRANK (chp)?

2. What type of dyno are you going to be shooting for this number on?

3. If possible, tell us what shop it is. Someone may know how high or low that particular dyno reads.

4. Where do you live? If not a well known city, what is the elevation?

5. What kind of gas will you be using? (octane level)

6. Are you opposed to a FMIC? (this way we dont recommend one if you dont want it, or we DO recommend it if you DO want it and it would be beneficial to your setup/goals) (sp?)

Please note, that even with this info, while we can give you a good idea of what it will take, we cannot give you a 100% surefire recipe for making an exact number. You may make even up to 30hp more or less than your goal based on what we tell you.

However, with the above information, we can give you a pretty solid path to take to hit that goal.


But simply asking "I want XXXhp" will get you nowhere. You will get answers that on a given dyno will make WAY more or less than each other, and the cost difference between them will be huge.



The last thing to know, is that in general, people will give you answers based on an "average" reading dyno. Unless you directly state, "I want to make this power on THIS type of dyno"


Hopefully this helps some people out. I see these posts all the time, and the threads get confusing at best with the huge range of setups that people suggest.

As a new member to the forums, not new to modding, this was still a very good refresher! Nice read.

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[jbourcy]

Great read!