Why Flexing Your S2000 Dyno Numbers is #FakeNews
Everyone likes to show off the big numbers their S2000s put down on the dyno, but are they legit or are they more pumped up than a push up bra?
The term ‘dyno’ is shorthand for dynamometer, which is a scientific device for measuring force, torque, or power. There are many different types of dynos on the market and different ways these machines calibrate horsepower and torque. Youtube channel Engineering Explained took his stock 2002 Honda S2000 to see what kind of power it has currently. His car has 106,000 miles on the clock and over time engines can lose power. So, how much power did it make?
The 2002 S2000 did a total of four pulls on the dyno and the results were a bit confusing. The first run the car put down 181 hp and 143 ft-lbs of torque, which seems a bit low for power, and high on torque. The second run was a bit better at 183.2 hp and 130.9 ft-lbs for torque. So, the horsepower went up, but the torque dropped by 13 ft-lbs. The third run was 183.6 hp and 125.3 ft-lbs. Once again horsepower went up while torque went down. The forth run was the most surprising at 221.8 hp and 144.4 ft-lbs of torque. Now if you just look at these numbers on a dyno chart, it appears the S2000 had a tune done. The final number being a big improvement over the first three runs. So, what really happened?
ALSO SEE: Building a 260 WHP Fire-Spitting, All Motor S2000
Jason, the host of Engineering Explained, give us the run down of the varied results. He explains that the dyno is adjusting to the car’s high rpm redline on the first run. The system is always learning and since the S2000 revs over 8,000 rpm the computer’s calculations resulted in a higher torque figure. Once the computer learned the engine was revving very high the torque calculations corrected and by the third run the torque numbers had leveled out. The forth and final run was due to an alternation to the multiplier in the formula. The almost 40 horsepower gain shows very well on a dyno chart, but the power of the car is unchanged. Watch the video for the conclusion. Also, let us know about your dyno experiences in the comments.
