MINI | Lotus | ECU Tuning

Dynamometers and flow benches are great diagnostic and testing tools. In essence, they are scales for measuring performance. Just be sure there's not a thumb on the scale.
By C.J. Baker

The term "dyno tested" is used a lot these days, and most people tend to accept dyno results as absolute truth. Unfortunately, dyno results are no better than the testing method used to get the results. In other words, unscrupulous operators can make the results come out to be almost anything they want. It all comes down to the testing method and the ethics of those doing the testing. Let's look at a quick example. A vehicle can be placed on a chassis dyno and accelerated to speed. Let's say this speed is 60 MPH. At this point the vehicle's engine could be switched off and a dyno reading taken. It would show a power reading even though the engine is no longer running! Why? The inertia of the rollers and the spinning tires would provide a reading.

The complete article can be read online at Banks Power website.

Read about the The Numbers Game

(Editors note: In spite of all the money Banks has spent on dyno facilities, I doubt if they have the ability to "climate control" their dyno cells. I think Baker means to say the requirement to move an adequate volume of air through a cell so as to cool all the components to a reasonable value is the objective.)

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