PROVEN NUMBERS
A Day At Dyno Cell Makes Maximizing Power Easy
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Most top-line engine shops today employ a dyno cell as part of their tools of the trade. Here at the Vrbancic Brothers Racing facility in Ontario, California, Bob and George use the dyno daily, whether it be to test carburetors built at their Carb Shop business next door, or to test and tune a 1000-horse street or race engine. |
Here’s “command central” for the Vrbancic’s dyno cell. Modest, yet fully equipped, the room contains a table, chair and the requisite control panel alongside the computer and printer. A blast-proof glass window and fortified walls keep spectators safe from the running engine. |
At one time, building power from an engine simply meant putting the what you were told were the correct combination of parts together and heading to the track or boulevard to see (with your fingers crossed) just how it all worked out. That was a hit or miss proposition most of the time, but for the lion’s share of performance enthusiasts it was the only option open to them. Sure, if you were a big-time racer or had unlimited funding you might be able to get an appointment at one of the few major engine builders who had a dynamometer on the premises, but that usually meant knowing someone and/or having big bucks to spend for a dyno session.
Today, though, getting a date with the dyno is easier than ever, given the fact that many small-to-medium engine building shops have seen the need to invest in the necessary equipment and have developed a reputation of being the enthusiast’s friend when it comes to helping them choose and tune the right parts. Not only do you have the opportunity to get a feel for those “magic” numbers -- horsepower and torque -- but you can truly pinpoint the exact performance level you’re going to need for the purpose you are after, as well as make sure that there are no leaks or problem areas with your powerplant before you stick it in the car.
To give a basic overview of what a dyno looks like and does, I stopped by Vrbancic Brothers Racing, a top flight custom engine building shop that I’m extremely familiar with as I’ve frequented them often over the last 15 years. Armed with my trusty little Nikon digital camera I took a walk-around with brothers George and Bob and shot some images of their venerable DTS (Dynamic Test Systems) dyno cell so I could give you a close-up of what it looks like and how it operates.
