Homebuilt Dynamometer?
Thread Starter
Staging Lane
Joined: May 2008
Posts: 85
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Homebuilt Dynamometer? Hi!
Well you probably hoped to see a homebuilt dynamometer? I have to dissapoint you. not anymore! look at page 2
We`ve built a few cars this winter (track/fun) and have to get them tuned. Since we always do everything our self we are offcourse looking into making a dynamometer. Actually we dont need to measure HP. We only want to be able to tune without doing it on the road since these cars arent very popular.
First of all, if anyone ever has come up with a stupid ide of how you could build a "cheap" and functional dynamometer/dynaoack/etc i want to know!
We`ve been looking at:
1. Pumps. Using pumps to pump oil/water. Pumps are used in comercial dynapacks etc but often expensive. We have pumps for pumping cow **** out of the barn but they arent big enaugh?...
2. Big steel drum with some kind of brakes. This way we can do drags and then brake the steel drum down to low speed.
3. This is REALLY stupid. Strapping the cars down to the rear wheels on an old truck. Using brakes, engine, driveline as something to hold the torque. We have no ide what resistance it is in a truck. Probably not enaugh?
I feel i lack some of the physics when trying to calculate what i need. If someone got input iwould be happy to know!!
If you think its stupid dont use energy telling me.. I KNOW!!!
On the other hand.. I hope moste ppl just think its fun..
Well you probably hoped to see a homebuilt dynamometer? I have to dissapoint you. not anymore! look at page 2
We`ve built a few cars this winter (track/fun) and have to get them tuned. Since we always do everything our self we are offcourse looking into making a dynamometer. Actually we dont need to measure HP. We only want to be able to tune without doing it on the road since these cars arent very popular.
First of all, if anyone ever has come up with a stupid ide of how you could build a "cheap" and functional dynamometer/dynaoack/etc i want to know!
We`ve been looking at:
1. Pumps. Using pumps to pump oil/water. Pumps are used in comercial dynapacks etc but often expensive. We have pumps for pumping cow **** out of the barn but they arent big enaugh?...
2. Big steel drum with some kind of brakes. This way we can do drags and then brake the steel drum down to low speed.
3. This is REALLY stupid. Strapping the cars down to the rear wheels on an old truck. Using brakes, engine, driveline as something to hold the torque. We have no ide what resistance it is in a truck. Probably not enaugh?
I feel i lack some of the physics when trying to calculate what i need. If someone got input iwould be happy to know!!
If you think its stupid dont use energy telling me.. I KNOW!!!
On the other hand.. I hope moste ppl just think its fun..
Last edited by RexDiablo; Feb 14, 2010 at 03:34 PM.
buddy of mine has a PC120 excavator and his dad drove semi trucks, they dug a trench and installed a semi rear end in the ground and hooked the brakes up somehow and could tune their 1000 hp mustang good enough to run 8s... impressive.
actually the semi truck rear axle seems like a pretty good idea if you just need some way to drive/tune the car while being stationary. Plus they have air brakes so you could just use compressed air to operate the brakes. Strong enough to hold any weight or punishment you can throw at it. All while being cheap and able to get parts easily. And the brakes are huge and can withstand lots of heat if you want to "load" the dyno during tuning sessions. I like it!
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Joined: Aug 2007
Posts: 24,241
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From: Turnin' Wrenches Infractions: 005
3rd gen with a trailer home in the background. Who would have thought this thread would bring one of those pics out? 
Last edited by 01ssreda4; Feb 7, 2010 at 10:36 AM.
what i would do is use the pumps. mount them to the wheels and complete the system by just putting the lines in a circle. you will be able to adjust load via valves and it would be extremly easy to get comparative results for hp if you ever wanted to. for similar setting in the pump system just mount a pressure transducer somewhere in the line and log it via a data acquisition software such as labview. you wont get hp numbers but for 2 different maps you will know which one is best.
I was just thinking about this over the weekend. A home built "dyno" that doesn't actually measure HP, but just something you could load the car with so you can do tuning/data logging without having to go tear it up on the street and deal with police. I'm not sure that a pit with a axle/tires is the best idea though... A local guy that runs a small 4-wheeler/bike shop built one.. I'll have to stop by again and ask him some questions about it.
And LOL @ the 3rd gen/trailer house.
And LOL @ the 3rd gen/trailer house.
