Dynamometer Results & Comparisons - What are dyno tricks?

I see countless threads of peoples dynos and after the numbers they put "no dyno tricks". I know what they are refering to but what are they? I remember something about overinflating tires will cause a higher reading number but what else? Just curious.

I would say taking off the air filter for one.

Dyno tricks are things dyno and shop operators due to skew power results for whatever reason. They're especially commong when the dyno operator has money or reptuation involded.

Airing up the back tires, the way the car is strapped, and pulling the belts are commonly done. Some shady places use dynos that are intentionally out of calibration, or introduce an artificial atmosphere to the weather station.

Yeah...in my opinion, tire pressure should be VERIFIED prior to making a pull (in case a tire is leaking or something) and then the car should not be TOUCHED...no tricks like pulling the air filter off, removing the serpentine belt (especially common on LT1's because they still turn the water pump without a belt...or LS1's with electric pumps).

Thanks for the response guys. Just allways wondered

Is it really a trick if it actually gains HP?

Is it really a trick if it actually gains HP?

The purpose of the "trick" is to fool the dyno into makinging more power I believe

Is it really a trick if it actually gains HP?

lmao !! i know you

It mostly refers to dyno's out of calibration.I've seen a few shops put heat to the weather stations so the correction factors change,this will bring up the hp #'s on the dyno run.

dyno tuner tricks are either keeping the convertor locked or unlocked to ppl that don't know about it... false atmospheric settings tend to help too

who cares about dyno numbers anyway? E.T. is all that matters.

i've talked to a guy who said he went to a dyno shop and they INSISTED he run a skinnier tire in the back.

something about their dyno not allowing a really wide setup....315 on a zr1 rim....that alone is probably good for 10hp/tq

I had a dyno operator ask me if i wanted to inflate my tires up to 45 psi so it would dyno higher, i laughed and told him no thanks. I wanted it dynoed like i drive it every day.

I had a dyno operator ask me if i wanted to inflate my tires up to 45 psi so it would dyno higher, i laughed and told him no thanks. I wanted it dynoed like i drive it every day.

haha right, you should have just asked him for a print out of 500 rwhp and you'll be on your way........

Interesting

-Manipulating weather conditions/changing correction factors
-Putting 40+ psi in the back tires
-Putting smaller wheels/tires on the rear
-Using aluminum flywheels but not claiming the car has one

There's quite a few other dirty tricks, but I'm not going to post them and give anybody any new ideas. ;)

Sadly, there is a LOT of very well known and respected shops that pull these tricks to inflate numbers for the internet to see.

^ I have seen a few local shops crack a Nitrous bottle infront of the car to get a wiff on a pull.

I am not sure I would call the tire inflation a dyno trick, unless you are inflating the tires past max PSI rating. I personally keep all my tires on every vehicle I drive between 5-10 PSI of the max rating for the tire. This ensures the tire is not buckling and operating near the max load capability of the tire.

The most common tricks as stated are often done with correction factors, dyno weather station, and removing items such as a filter or belt.

I like to have my car dynoing done the same way it would be on the street. It is like going to the track and watching people ice an intake. Seriously, when you are on the street there is no let me ice my intake for 30 minutes before I race.

^ Well for those who race bracket or even index, I can see icing intakes on a hot day for consistancy but yea, if its ran on the street, try to keep it as close as one can.

some people run at the track without a belt and a e-wp.
it would make sense for those people to see what the car puttin down like that. but would be useless for a street car.

purging N20 infront of the intake during a pull

some people run at the track without a belt and a e-wp.
it would make sense for those people to see what the car puttin down like that. but would be useless for a street car.

I agree...but having personally done it on an LT1 just to see the gain (very noticeable gain on the dyno)...I wouldn't ever claim that engine made that power all the time as it was in a street car, and I was just curious what to expect.

There's quite a few other dirty tricks, but I'm not going to post them and give anybody any new ideas. ;)


Why? so you can keep em all to yerself? :devil: J/K :D

A couple things though. We check tire pressure most all the time before running a car.

We'll also pull the elbow off certain cars. BUT, we'll let the owners know. We do it on higher power GTOs, on higher power LT1s. Both, because the elbow is a significant restriction, and being able to show the customer "look what pulling your elbow off did" is both an upsell and a sort of R&D for us. I've seen 25 rwhp pulling an elbow off certain cars.

Is having people sit in the trunk of a high power FI car a dyno trick? After all, it does make more power. It lessens the wheel spin.

very interesting

Anything more than 32psi in the tires will not show any more power usually. If it does its not by much. Keeping the tires at around 32psi even a slick will keep it from running warm and seems to not wear the slicks out as bad.

I have one of the lowest reading dynos in our area. A loading dynojet. Who cares, its a tuning tool. If the car only made 415rwhp in a 6 speed f-body big fing deal.. it still came damn close to the cam only records first try out with plenty left in the chassis/weather/weight.

Is having people sit in the trunk of a high power FI car a dyno trick? After all, it does make more power. It lessens the wheel spin.



Wait, so you don't see a difference between someone sitting in a car trunk to lessen wheel spin and someone fudging numbers with a correction factor?

I wouldn't call taking an air filter out a "trick"..

I run at the track without a filter as do many people..

Wait, so you don't see a difference between someone sitting in a car trunk to lessen wheel spin and someone fudging numbers with a correction factor?

Sarcasm...........