The RAT Dyno

The RAT Dyno

Stay tuned as RAT introduces a second dyno proving ground to our R&D department in Summer 2006! This new digitally controlled Dyno with full data acquisition will be dedicated solely to our R&D program and our race engine development, and will share the control room with our present Dyno; making for a very unique and dedicated testing arena! This second Dyno will set the bar even higher for our already unparalleled R&D program for both street and race components and engine combinations!

At Aircooled Technology, we like to put engines to the test. There is nothing like a dyno tuned engine, as it allows us to get the highest efficiency from the engine, and make adjustments to make power and control heat for each individual application. We believe that the time spent tuning on the dyno is time is well worth it, as the engine benefits from this careful attention to detail and ensures a precisely tuned piece of machinery, like a Rolex! This rigorous testing allows us to feel confident that once the engine is installed in your vehicle, that you will only see years of enjoyment to come.

Unlike most mass producers of engines, every engine we assemble is thoroughly tested and hot ran on our in-shop test fixture prior to testing on our dyno. We put the engine through rigorous tests and do a PROPER break in of cam, valves and cylinder heads. We also allow the engine to cool sufficiently and re-test for proper expansion and leak down.

Each RAT engine gets the following pre-dyno certification:

Crank engine for oil pressure and bleed air from system
Base line compression check (prior to test firing)
Base line leak down check (prior to test firing)
Fire engine, check stable firing of all cylinders
Oil pressure checks
Check for air / fuel ratio settings
Check ignition timing
Check vacuum signal
Cylinder head temperatures (baseline)
Oil temperature check (baseline)
Run engine at varying RPM (no less than 2000 RPM) for 1 hour, performing numerous procedures.
Allow engine to idle, check air fuel ratios for idle settings
Shut down engine and perform all tests stated above, compare readings from baseline test.

Post-certification as well as after extensive dyno testing, each engine gets the following:

Perform head re-torque and valve adjustment
Perform oil service and mag plug check, sample oil and send for analysis (if customer desires)
Perform spark plug readings on all cylinders
Re-check crankshaft end play

Our DYNO testing is not done in a shop atmosphere, we have dedicated over 2,000 Square feet of our shop space to a complete testing facility. This houses our Stuska water brake Dyno Cell, and control room, as well as pre-staging areas. Our Dyno cell is a 15x20" room that is sound deadened, and super insulated, we have fabricated intake plenums that allow the engine to breathe from a controlled environment (temperatures are observed and recorded), despite the fact that the temperatures within the cell can rise to over 120 degrees. All Exhaust gases are evacuated from the test cell area, and routed outdoors; chances of "exhaust gas recirculation" are near zero with our custom arrangement. Built for the best accuracy possible, our dyno cell features several ventilation systems to aid with engine cooling including complete external oil systems, capable of wet/dry sump applications.

Where our dyno cell was well thought out and engineered to be as accurate as possible and in a controlled environment, some speed shops have their dynos with open chambers with uncontrolled temps present and tons of exhaust gas recirculation- we do not! We control the amount of load on the engine from a safe distance behind lexan shields and are able to monitor the engine from every angle to ensure the engine is responding safely to the testing. Not only are visual inspections possible, but we run every engine with full instrumentation from oxygen sensors, to intake and exhaust temperature sensors, to knock sensing devices. You'll be hard pressed to find a shop devoted to your engine as we are!

Not only does our dyno facilitate testing of customer engines, we do a lot of research work on our engine combinations, and have TI and TIV engines that have a sole mission of being "Dyno Mules" for proving ignition, exhaust, and fuel systems that are sometimes sent to us from other establishments/designers for proving, above and beyond our own in-house R&D.

Each engine we build is initially test fired in the assembly division of our shop and then after it passes the test procedures is transported to an adjacent building that houses this testing facility. We include 34 pulls on the dyno with the labor of the engine build on every engine we build, amounting to up to 8 hours of testing, standard with every RAT engine built. This ensures a truly "plug 'n chug" installation that promises no guesswork.

For customers with existing engines, we offer Dyno testing services as well. Customers choosing to bring their complete engine to our facility will benefit from being side by side with the dyno operator and making sure that testing proceeds to their desire. As long as your engine is on the dyno, you'll have the chance to make changes to find the best possible combination of intake, exhaust, ignition, and cooling.

Dyno testing is a long and sometime complicated effort, as it sometimes takes hours to get the best combination of timing, jetting, exhaust and advance curve correct. Due to this intricate process, it is not a cheap or quick process, but is an invaluable tool to the performance enthusiast. Any engine without exhaustive dyno tuning left alone to the customer to tune could possibly destroy a huge investment in only a few minutes.

Prices

RAT customers no longer need to pay for our extensive dyno tuning option, as every RAT engine comes with this service STANDARD AT NO COST! This is a savings of over $500 and not to mention your piece of mind as well as ours.

Effective 1 Jan 2006 Raby's Aircooled Technology no longer offers Dyno services for engines that have not originated from our facility.

Jake Raby
"Excellence in Research"