Reading Wise Band O2 sensors

[racear]

Hey Fellows
I want to install 8 wide band O2 sensors on my headers on my dynamometer. I have a data acq card installed in the PC with 12 channels but I do not know how to read the sensors and how to calibrate each one even if I can read them. I need any help to get me started.
thanks
racear

 

[IRstuff]

The fact that the links are BELOW your signature ought to be sufficient.

TTFN

FAQ731-376

 

[MacGyverS2000]

There was some confusion about the sigs a couple of years back, though at the time I think the sig in question had no separator bar, so it really did appear to be part of the conversation. Pat has a separator in there, so not much else he can do other than wait for the poster to get used to what everything looks like on the board.

Dan - Owner

http://www.Hi-TecDesigns.com

 

[racear]

Pat
I thank you for your suggestion and I apologize for misunderstanding your "sig". I went back and reread and now understand. At present I have 10 thermocouples and 2 O2 sensors. I have found that with a EGT, the readings can be a bell curve and I have to make of sure which side of that curve I am reading. What I would like is to have EGT's and O2 sensors for each cylinder so that I can tell if one cylinder is worse or better than the others. During the winter, I tore down a custom's engine and found that one cylinder had been detonating severely and really close to destruction. As a result, I went back to the dyno runs of this engine and sure enough, the EGTs showed that I had a difference in this cylinder. I thought(at that time) that I was rich in that cylinder because the O2 in the collector on that side showed a slightly rich condition compared to the other side. I now know that I was reading the EGT on the wrong side of the bell curve. This was my driving force to want O2's on all cylinders as well as EGT's. With both, I can make a better assumption. My two cents worth, but It sounded good when I was thinking about it.
racear

 

[patprimmer]

A plug reading should indicate which side of the curve your cylinder is on. also by increasing fuel a bit and watching which way the EGT goes is an indicator.

Regards
Pat
See FAQ731-376 for tips on use of eng-tips by professional engineers &

http://eng-tips.com/market.cfm

for site rules

 

[racear]

Pat
I build several cars for NHRA Stock and Super Stock and as close as competition is, I will kill for 5 hp. You are correct that reading the plugs will indeed tell which side of the curve you should be on. We run our engines extremely lean 13.5 afr and up to milk power, so if we are slightly rich or lean, we may not see it on plugs in just a couple of pulls. Some times it takes several pulls to see coloring, when we are in the 13 range. And it is hard to simulate car conditions on the dyno. We can have one cylinder detonating and not distinguish it until it is too late. We carry the Big Blocks thru at 8000 plus RPM. Not much room for error. In the old days, we learned to read spark plugs extremely well, but hopefully we are trying to give our car owners a scientific way of doing this. Many cannot nor do they want to read the plugs. This is no room for judgment calls.
I most certainly appreciate your inputs as it indicates your knowledge of these engines.
thanks
racear

 

[LionelHutz]

Could you settle with just a rich/lean O2 indication? If so, a narrow band O2 or "1-wire" O2 could be used and I'd think you could just feed the signal wire right to the data logger.

For $200 a cylinder I just can't see how you can DIY cheaper and get good results. No-one really seems to have documented a viable DIY wideband O2 solution that will be properly calibrated.

 

[racear]

Thanks Lionel
I am beginning to see what you have posted also. There is no cheap way. The one idea that I am pursuing is using a used ECM from a Nissan. It has location for 2 wide band and 2 narrow band O2's. I have one disassembled at present trying to fiqure out the wiring so that I can see if it will generate a analog output so that I can read it with data acq. If this doesnt work, then I will probably pursue the Australian DYI site as I have built one of those and it calibrated very well and generated a good output
thanks for all yall's input
racear

 

[patprimmer]

I don't know what capabilities Megasquirt has, but it may be a cheap option.

Also I guess you know that cadmium plated plugs like NKG show heat as the cad burns off. This can be read with a half track pass or less, at least with blown alcohol.

Regards
Pat
See FAQ731-376 for tips on use of eng-tips by professional engineers &

http://eng-tips.com/market.cfm

for site rules

 

[racear]

Pat
Megasuirt may offer another alternative for me to pursue. I am already a Innovate dealer and have and am pursuing this alternative. And yes I am quite amazed at your knowledge of NGK plugs with blown Methanol. And you are correct in reading these plugs with methanol, but doesnt work as well with gasoline. Meth burns at 2.1 volume of gasoline and with the additives added to racing gas, reading spark plugs has become unbelievably difficult at best. I thank you for your interest and help with this subject. I will be contacting Megasquirt tomorrow to ask for suggestions. Again thanks
racear