Road Dyno creates detailed graphs of power & torque and a tabulated output.

Power measurements from 1HP to 1000HP!

It's also great for fault finding engine and ignition problems.

Complete with serial download cable, ignition clamp and cables, and software for Win 95, 98, 2000, XP.

Road Dyno - What does it do?

A dynamometer is basically a device that measures the amount of power being developed by an engine. A good dyno can analyze the entire power band of any engine and present the user with the results in some type of readable format. In the past, if you wanted accurate information about the performance of your automobile engine, you had to take your car to a dyno facility and have it tested. A typical dyno test usually costs at least £75 and is only good for a single test.

The Road Dyno Kit allows anyone to get accurate dyno results any time they wish. All you'll need is a flat section of roadway, usually less than 1/4 mile in length. How does it work? Well, basically the Road Dyno is a precision timing system that looks at a record of ignition sparks or vehicle movement over time. Based on when a single spark plug fires, the program can compute acceleration, and therefore, power. The user must supply the car's weight, gear ratios, tyre sizes, and some other variables, but the rest is pure physics. This is not a power estimating program! The Road Dyno measures the power of your engine directly by making precise measurements. Many programs are available that allow the user to "estimate" power by supplying quarter mile speeds, 0-60 times, etc. Road Dyno v1.0 measures power by the same method as a chassis dyno. Instead of measuring the amount of power required to accelerate a drum, you are measuring the amount of power required to accelerate the car. This is really what you are interested in anyway isn't it? Some cars may even perform differently on a chassis (stationary) dynamometer because the car is not actually moving. Accelerating the car has an effect on fuel in the bowl of the carburettor (if you happen to have one of those), oil distribution through the engine, air resistance, turbo airflow etc, etc. The Road Dyno Kit will allow you to accurately measure the amount of power your car is putting to the ground, which is an invaluable tool when doing aftermarket modifications. The Road Dyno taught us a LOT about the performance of numerous cars. It identified a 5000 rpm stumble that was traced to an overly sensitive knock sensor. After fixing the sensor, the Road Dyno shows a smooth power curve.

The Road Dyno takes hundreds of power measurements through the entire power band of the engine being tested. This provides enough resolution to be able to analyze performance parameters like spark advance, knock retard, power drops as a result of fuel pressure, etc. For example, a power curve that is jagged with small spikes indicates that the engine management computer may be "hunting" for the proper timing. The results will still be accurate, but the shape of the curve tells a lot here. Also, a sudden dip in the curve can indicate that the computer has detected engine knock and backed off the timing. It is important to correct conditions like these to ensure that your engine is performing to potential and live a long life!

Proof that Road Dyno Works!

We have tested numerous automobiles, four of which were in stock condition. On each of the four stock vehicles, the Road Dyno produced numbers VERY close (within 5 hp) to stock specifications. On the one modified vehicle, the Road Dyno returned numbers exactly where expected (within 5 hp) when compared to other vehicles with the same modifications that had been dynoed at a dyno facility. In addition, several Road Dyno users have run their cars on chassis dynos to compare. Not only do the power curves match nicely, but the maximums recorded by Road Dyno were within 5 hp of the chassis dyno! Please note that the Road Dyno measures the amount of power actually used to accelerate the vehicle. For this reason, it may be necessary to add a small percentage (3-5% average) if you wish to exactly match a stationary (chassis) dyno.

Consistency is important when making aftermarket modifications. We performed 16 separate dyno runs on the same vehicle (95 Trans Am). Approximately six of these runs were done with the car in the same condition (same mods). All six runs were within 5 horsepower of each other. Although temperature, humidity, barometric pressure, fuel, and even your car's computer learning capability can affect power from one given day to the next, the Road Dyno's accuracy is believed to be plus or minus about 3 horsepower. On this vehicle, we have not only improved the consistency of power by removing the power fluctuation at 5,000 rpm, but also have added about 8 horsepower and trimmed 0-60 times from 5.55 to 5.45 just by using information provided by Road Dyno runs!