Dyno tuning prices

[daewoo]

Originally Posted by claude in Sponsor Plugs > Dyno Tuning - AutoTech

and his rates are very reasonable.

I was just wondering what 'reasonale rates' are...

My car spent about 2 1/2 hours on the dyno at Hitman Injection and I was charged the quoted $300 to do the cam timing and $500 for the tune (Autronic computer).

I was happy with the work he did, seemed to know his s**t, but at this sort of money, playing with the tune (changing cams, filters, airboxes etc)could end up very expensive.

I know that if places charge by the hour it is a bit like asking about string length, but some feedback would be good.

Cheers, Daewoo

[craig n]

sounds cheap to me. what type of car? Does it have vernier gears?

[daewoo]

SR20DE (Puzlar) with adjustable gears.

Cheers,
Daewoo

[Spac]

Yeah it's expensive, but having someone who really knows what they're doing is worth every cent.
My RX-7 picked up ~30kW at the wheels, and made a HUGE improvement to drivability simply by winding in a bit more off-boost ignition timing.... Not to mention the sudden disappearance of heat management issues, and improved fuel economy.

If I'd chased even another 10kW, it was gonna cost me heaps more than the tune did - and would have had drawbacks in terms of engine life, turbo life and probably heat.

[Stewy]

My Dyno a few years back cost me around $300 for a few hours at Stuart Wilkins. I got a slight increase in power but a large increase in fuel saving, so by now I should have made the money back

Well worth the effot. I just now need to find 26kw more at the wheels to match Claude

[buzzard]

Originally Posted by daewoo

I was just wondering what 'reasonale rates' are...

My car spent about 2 1/2 hours on the dyno at Hitman Injection and I was charged the quoted $300 to do the cam timing and $500 for the tune (Autronic computer).



Cheers, Daewoo

Sounds about right. I charge $150/HR and then you need to factor in the dyno cost $50-75/HR for a 2wd dyno. What was involved with setting up the cams ??

Chris

[daewoo]

Originally Posted by buzzard

What was involved with setting up the cams ??

That was what sh8t me a little bit (not with Hitman)...

I tried a different guy first... he charged me $280 to set the cams "by eye"... looking to see when the cams rocked or something... I don't know what he did, 'cause when I tried to watch he told me to go and sit on a stool near the counter...

he then spent about 2 hours just browsing in the tuning program because he had never seen an Autronics computer before... and all he could do was tell me how the new EMS computer does this better or that better...

The injectors had been wired in the wrong sequence and he told me to go and get them re-wired and bring it back (he didn't think to just swap the plugs around)... needless to say I didn't go back...

I didn't have a problem with Hitman, he seemed to know his stuff... he just kept on doing dyno runs and adjusting the cams;

rocker cover off, adjust exhaust cam, rocker cover on, ignition timing, do a dyno run, repeat... then, repeat with the inlet and then the exhaust again until he he found the point where power started to drop away...

Then he did about 8 dyno runs to do the fuel tuning...

I think the only criticism I would have is that we discussed that I was really only looking for torque, and he said he understood, but I think he just chased max power...

My only problem was that, I had put a lot of time and effort into changing the cams, and he believed he would get more power from the standard cams... but it would cost me another $450 every time it went on the Dyno... I don't have a problem with the one off payment, but when you start trying different things and it costs you $450 every time, it is well beyond my meagre budget...

I would have gone to SWR, but I don't like the fact that you never know how much things are going to cost... Hitman gave me a quote and stuck to it... SW is a great guy and helps a lot of people with free information, but I have been stung before by others (NOT SWR) with stupidly high bills when you can't get a firmish quote, and don't want to go through it again...

[Rus]

Originally Posted by Stewy

Well worth the effot. I just now need to find 26kw more at the wheels to match Claude

26kW Stewy! You need to get yours running on 4 cylinders again mate!!

On topic: From what I hear 'round the traps' Dyno-tuning is costly no matter what/where it is/done. I used to get my old daily driven 6 cylinder EA Falcon dyno-tuned at Dynotune and it always cost $300-400 (usually needed plugs and/or leads), and it was standard with a 'zorst and extractors being the only mods.

Nature of the beast I guess. I do however, have connections with a guy who can tune a carby engine BETTER by ear than a dyno!

My parents had their SL/R 5000 (heavily worked) dyno-tuned under the 'advice' of local drag-racing people, and the tune only 'lasted' around 6 weeks before it started running rough again. On the other hand, taking it to a one-man show garage in a town near us with a population of 120, would see it pull hard, run clean and use less fuel for anything up to and beyond 12 months at a time... For half the price...

[johno]

Originally Posted by Rus

26kW Stewy! You need to get yours running on 4 cylinders again mate!!

Nah....don’t listen to him Rus, next he'll be telling you that he doesn’t have a Holinger gearbox......or third gear doesn’t work..........or...........
sounds like someone has "sand in his vag....."

[Rus]

Originally Posted by johno

Nah....don’t listen to him Rus, next he'll be telling you that he doesn’t have a Holinger gearbox......or third gear doesn’t work..........or...........
sounds like someone has "sand in his vag....."

I think it's time Carl Stewart spoke to Jon Parker about upgrading to a red Evo!!

[buzzard]

It is a fairly common mistake to wire the injectors in cylinder order rather than
firing order. If you have the Autronic SM4 it is a simple matter to change the offsets in software rather than physically moving pins in the connector.

Chris

[daewoo]

Originally Posted by buzzard

If you have the Autronic SM4 it is a simple matter to change the offsets in software rather than physically moving pins in the connector.

Chris

But if you are a tight**** and bought an SMC you have to cut one of the wires to lengthen it, then wait until your auto electrician mate makes it all nice and neat at a letter date...

Cheers,
Daewoo

[buzzard]

Originally Posted by daewoo

But if you are a tight**** and bought an SMC you have to cut one of the wires to lengthen it, then wait until your auto electrician mate makes it all nice and neat at a letter date...

Cheers,
Daewoo

I have plenty of customers still running SMC. Good quality ecu.

Chris

[gav]

you can change the firing order on an SMC

[daewoo]

Not in my version, maybe in the newer ones... I sent the model number to Ray Whatisname, and he replied back that I was correct, no field that allows you to change/set the firing order, other than wire the injectors in the same order as the firing order...