Help with low dyno on '98 Z
Thread Starter
Registered User
Joined: Nov 2000
Posts: 747
From: Charleston,SC
Help with low dyno on '98 Z
Well,I guess my numbers aren't THAT bad but I was hoping for higher.Here's the low-down:
-1998 Z28 with an A4
-54,000 miles
-3.23 rear gears
-SLP lid
-SLP MAF ends
-Dynomax 3" cat-back
-Free mods (!EGR/!FRA/TB By-pass)
-IAT tricker
-MAFT
-AC Delco Rapidfires and Taylor 10mm wires
That's about it.I know that some of those aren't REAL mods but I wanted to put everything I had so that if I was messing something up it would show.The day was about 60* and it was raining.The dyno is right at sea-level.My numbers were:
299 rwhp/ 314 lb-ft of torque.I see all the guys dynoing over 310hp with about the same mods (intake/exhaust).Did I just get a low-powered car or are the '98's starting that low due to the LS6 intake?I'm not THAT upset since I run 8.5 @ 83mph while spinning the tires going into 2nd so I think I could get a 8.3 or lower with good tires.But my low MPH confirms the low HP dyno numbers.Any help or advice?
Kevin
Edit: Those times are in the 1/8th mile.I WISH it was the 1/4
-1998 Z28 with an A4
-54,000 miles
-3.23 rear gears
-SLP lid
-SLP MAF ends
-Dynomax 3" cat-back
-Free mods (!EGR/!FRA/TB By-pass)
-IAT tricker
-MAFT
-AC Delco Rapidfires and Taylor 10mm wires
That's about it.I know that some of those aren't REAL mods but I wanted to put everything I had so that if I was messing something up it would show.The day was about 60* and it was raining.The dyno is right at sea-level.My numbers were:
299 rwhp/ 314 lb-ft of torque.I see all the guys dynoing over 310hp with about the same mods (intake/exhaust).Did I just get a low-powered car or are the '98's starting that low due to the LS6 intake?I'm not THAT upset since I run 8.5 @ 83mph while spinning the tires going into 2nd so I think I could get a 8.3 or lower with good tires.But my low MPH confirms the low HP dyno numbers.Any help or advice?
Kevin
Edit: Those times are in the 1/8th mile.I WISH it was the 1/4
Last edited by nikkev; Mar 3, 2003 at 11:01 AM.
Registered User
Joined: Mar 2000
Posts: 835
From: HOUSTON TX USA
Lots of reasons, including the dyno itself !
Track times are your ultimate best guide to your car's HP. 
My car was dynoed by the original owner and got a 316 RWHP rating.
Cool !
So, I go to dyno it after I had the PCM reprogrammed due to the instrument cluster being changed.
Mind you, my cars feels stronger ala SOTP after this.
Semi humid day, sea level, ~ 75 degrees.
293 RWHP !! WTF ??
Different dynos, different days = different results.
I have not "tracked it" since this last dyno, but I will , and I expect that I will confirm my SOTP feelings.
I would consider 299 to be damn good, especially give the almost 100 % humidity you encountered !!
FWIW, I have a 2800 stall, MTI lid, FRA, K & N, HPP3, & the throttle stop mod. I had a front aftermarket MAF end on when I dynoed, but took it off as the dyno showed a fat A/F mixture on the big end.
It's all experimentation !
Good Luck !
Britt
My car was dynoed by the original owner and got a 316 RWHP rating.
Cool !
So, I go to dyno it after I had the PCM reprogrammed due to the instrument cluster being changed.
Mind you, my cars feels stronger ala SOTP after this.
Semi humid day, sea level, ~ 75 degrees.
293 RWHP !! WTF ??
Different dynos, different days = different results.
I have not "tracked it" since this last dyno, but I will , and I expect that I will confirm my SOTP feelings.
I would consider 299 to be damn good, especially give the almost 100 % humidity you encountered !!
FWIW, I have a 2800 stall, MTI lid, FRA, K & N, HPP3, & the throttle stop mod. I had a front aftermarket MAF end on when I dynoed, but took it off as the dyno showed a fat A/F mixture on the big end.
It's all experimentation !
Good Luck !
Britt
Registered User
Joined: Feb 2002
Posts: 112
From: elmhurst, IL
Well thats not that bad but you must remember that a automatic transmission eats up more hp and tq than a stick one. My 98 A4 with 3.23 with bolt ons did 310 hp and 330 tq it was less than I thought but only track numbers will tell how much over stock my car has improved. Go to the track and compare it with your old time slips and then see if you disappointed. Also if you change your gear ratio to 3.73 or 4.10 you will lose alittle more horsepower there too.
Registered User
Joined: Jan 2002
Posts: 604
From: Houston, TX
First, take off that IAT mod. It tends to hurt your performance rather than help.
Second, 299 ain't that bad. Sure, some people get better, but many get worse. Plus the air most likely had high humidity at the time, which can hurt the performance as well.
Second, 299 ain't that bad. Sure, some people get better, but many get worse. Plus the air most likely had high humidity at the time, which can hurt the performance as well.
Auto's dyno lower
Registered User
Joined: Aug 2000
Posts: 1,901
From: Houston, Tx USA
Re: Help with low dyno on '98 Z
Originally posted by nikkev
Well,I guess my numbers aren't THAT bad but I was hoping for higher.Here's the low-down:
-1998 Z28 with an A4
-54,000 miles
-3.23 rear gears
-SLP lid gain
-SLP MAF endspossible loss (you dont have enough mods to need this)
-Dynomax 3" cat-backgain
-Free mods (!EGR/!FRA/TB By-pass)!egr no power gain, !FRA wont show on dyno, TB bypass no gain
-IAT trickerThe only times the timing tricker should be used IMO is at the track.. and then only under certain conditions.. Setting your car to think that the incoming air is 50degrees isnt the best when you consider it may hurt your car. I will mark this as a neutral cause I cant say if you have or havent gotten a gain from it..
-MAFT???? Shows you have SLP MAF above, what is MAFT?
-AC Delco Rapidfires and Taylor 10mm wiresno gain unless you had bad wires before and didnt know it
That's about it.I know that some of those aren't REAL mods but I wanted to put everything I had so that if I was messing something up it would show.The day was about 60* and it was raining.The dyno is right at sea-level.My numbers were:
299 rwhp/ 314 lb-ft of torque.I see all the guys dynoing over 310hp with about the same mods (intake/exhaust).Did I just get a low-powered car or are the '98's starting that low due to the LS6 intake?I'm not THAT upset since I run 8.5 @ 83mph while spinning the tires going into 2nd so I think I could get a 8.3 or lower with good tires.But my low MPH confirms the low HP dyno numbers.Any help or advice?
Kevin
Edit: Those times are in the 1/8th mile.I WISH it was the 1/4
Keep in mind that everyone dynos differently.. Now I dyno at the same shop every time just so I can keep consistant.. But I know for a fact that some 98-99 Z28's will dyno at the 289 range which would seem to be about where you car may be dynoing stock.. add like 7-8 for the lid and another 4-5 for the catback then you can see where you are at....
Well,I guess my numbers aren't THAT bad but I was hoping for higher.Here's the low-down:
-1998 Z28 with an A4
-54,000 miles
-3.23 rear gears
-SLP lid gain
-SLP MAF endspossible loss (you dont have enough mods to need this)
-Dynomax 3" cat-backgain
-Free mods (!EGR/!FRA/TB By-pass)!egr no power gain, !FRA wont show on dyno, TB bypass no gain
-IAT trickerThe only times the timing tricker should be used IMO is at the track.. and then only under certain conditions.. Setting your car to think that the incoming air is 50degrees isnt the best when you consider it may hurt your car. I will mark this as a neutral cause I cant say if you have or havent gotten a gain from it..
-MAFT???? Shows you have SLP MAF above, what is MAFT?
-AC Delco Rapidfires and Taylor 10mm wiresno gain unless you had bad wires before and didnt know it
That's about it.I know that some of those aren't REAL mods but I wanted to put everything I had so that if I was messing something up it would show.The day was about 60* and it was raining.The dyno is right at sea-level.My numbers were:
299 rwhp/ 314 lb-ft of torque.I see all the guys dynoing over 310hp with about the same mods (intake/exhaust).Did I just get a low-powered car or are the '98's starting that low due to the LS6 intake?I'm not THAT upset since I run 8.5 @ 83mph while spinning the tires going into 2nd so I think I could get a 8.3 or lower with good tires.But my low MPH confirms the low HP dyno numbers.Any help or advice?
Kevin
Edit: Those times are in the 1/8th mile.I WISH it was the 1/4
Keep in mind that everyone dynos differently.. Now I dyno at the same shop every time just so I can keep consistant.. But I know for a fact that some 98-99 Z28's will dyno at the 289 range which would seem to be about where you car may be dynoing stock.. add like 7-8 for the lid and another 4-5 for the catback then you can see where you are at....
Registered User
Joined: Jul 2000
Posts: 681
From: Republic of Korea
Nikkev, are those numbers corrected? If not, they'd probably go up because of the high humidity. Either way, they're not that bad, 300rwhp is actually pretty good for an A4.
Psycho, MAFT = MAF Translator
Psycho, MAFT = MAF Translator
Thread Starter
Registered User
Joined: Nov 2000
Posts: 747
From: Charleston,SC
Thanks for the posts guys.I took out the IAT tricker and I have MAC headers on the way and a MAC Y-pipe sitting in the garage.I was just wondering how the car dyno'd so low when I was looking at everyone else.I guess they are just the cars with the LS6 intake and M6's 
Oh well,my car is great to me and I love it 
All Camaro's!
Kevin
Oh well,my car is great to me and I love it All Camaro's!Kevin
Registered User
Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 775
From: Alexandria, VA
It's not lower than EVERYONE else, my 99 did 292 But hey it's all good, I know it's got MORE than that (I know the Ram-air helps) Plus like mentioned above, depends on the dyno and the day. I'll really show myself when I just go to the track and look at that 12 sec timeslip 
Or at least I hope.
Nate
But hey it's all good, I know it's got MORE than that (I know the Ram-air helps) Plus like mentioned above, depends on the dyno and the day. I'll really show myself when I just go to the track and look at that 12 sec timeslip Or at least I hope.Nate
Registered User
Joined: Mar 2001
Posts: 514
From: Columbia, South Carolina
Those numbers are good! Its almost exactly what i dynoed with the same mods as you. And i ran 13.2s.
If it makes you feel better, i know of a 2001 6speed Z28 that dynoed 280hp and like 285 torque and runs 14.0s and 13.8s at the track, but since ran a 13.5 with those low dyno numbers. Dyno numbers dont mean alot.
If it makes you feel better, i know of a 2001 6speed Z28 that dynoed 280hp and like 285 torque and runs 14.0s and 13.8s at the track, but since ran a 13.5 with those low dyno numbers. Dyno numbers dont mean alot.