some msd/o2 sensor experience needed

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j par

j par

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410 stroker 73 duster for 90% dragstrip use. Wondering what direct dragstrip results you had going from stock to msd ignition ? And i seen some kind of o2 sensor gadget at the parts store today . So far I've been using the old school - "the plugs look good" and " it runs good" for tuning the dual carbs. Any dragstrip experience with an o2 setup and what one ? Thank you . .....
 
on the MSD deal I switched from MP so that I could plug in two steps, rev rpm chips etc. No performance gain, BUT it did start much nicer especially when cold.

on the O2 deal... seems a lot of people run the LM2 system. I'm going to get one sensor and just swap banks due to cost and pair it up to my Racepak data collector eventually.
 
QUOTE=A body;1970782823]on the MSD deal I switched from MP so that I could plug in two steps, rev rpm chips etc. No performance gain, BUT it did start much nicer especially when cold.

on the O2 deal... seems a lot of people run the LM2 system. I'm going to get one sensor and just swap banks due to cost and pair it up to my Racepak data collector eventually.[/QUOTE]

thank you for your response. I was thinking from what I've been reading that I wasn't going to gain anything with them MSD, but I do like this rev limiter and the ability to use it for future nitrous upgrades or retardation or something like that. But when I can afford all that stuff I guess I'll be able to afford an MSD.

I think I got to do a little research to find the best bang for my buck for the o2 thing when I was at the parts store yesterday they had a little gauge for about $59 the bungs were about $12 and the guy was saying about 15 to 20 for each o2 sensor which from what I'm looking at online seems quite inexpensive, but again you get what you pay for a lot of times with that stuff. The dual quads are a complete mystery to me sometimes when it comes to tuning. I'm just thankful the seemingly running good right now but it would be really nice to know exactly what's going on. I will surely report back to you if I get the o2 sensors and get them up and working and what my results were again thank you for your experience.
 
Aem, lm2 are both really good gauges as long as you get a wideband and not a narrow band one (useless)
 
Matts440 said:
Aem, lm2 are both really good gauges as long as you get a wideband and not a narrow band one (useless)
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Yep, the wideband is the only one to get.
I got this kit on Ebay for about $160 and it works perfect.
Comes with everything but a welder to put the bung in. :D

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Innovate-MT...96?hash=item43d28ae318&vxp=mtr#ht_4442wt_1158

Over 200 bucks frome jegs, and close to 300 from thier catalog.
Comes with black and white faces both, data logging cable, mounting hardware and all.

It has a few nice additions in it also, like error code display.
One day mine started flashing E9, E9, E9 and I found it meant "Low Voltage" and had a broken alternator field terminal. (not charging)

Another day my car hiccuped and I glanced at the A/F guage and it was WAY lean for a few seconds and then it came back up. (Fuel pump was going) and I caught it before the car died somewhere out on the road.
 
I currently have both the AEM (mine) and Innovate (borrowed from a friend for datalogging) gauges in my car. The AEM seems to be more sensitive and jumps around quite a bit. The Innovate seems a bit more stable. I actually like it a little better for this reason. Both have new sensors and read the same so no difference there. Amazon has both kits for about ~$160 and IMO you can't go wrong with either. Just thought I'd share since I've never seen anyone with one of each gauge working in a car at the same time.
 
I have installed an AEM and Autometer a/f gauges and neither seem to work. Both go thru initial phasing when ignition turned on and sensors get hot but neither give any readings. Aem says sensor is not in correct position out of exhaust flow (have racing collectors). Sensors have anti-seize on threads for removal. Any Help. Thanks, Rick
 
UOP said:
I currently have both the AEM (mine) and Innovate (borrowed from a friend for datalogging) gauges in my car. The AEM seems to be more sensitive and jumps around quite a bit. The Innovate seems a bit more stable. I actually like it a little better for this reason. Both have new sensors and read the same so no difference there. Amazon has both kits for about ~$160 and IMO you can't go wrong with either. Just thought I'd share since I've never seen anyone with one of each gauge working in a car at the same time.
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Interesting now that I think back to my last car your right it does bounce a bit. The nice thing with innovate is they also offer the dual sensor single gauge which is really nice
 
I think I'm going to pass on the msd (for Now) but I'm going to order a #3844 mtx-l afr gauge kit.
i will see if summit will price match flee bay .
 
*update* summit wanted $209 and they price matched flee bay @$149! :cheers:
In lieu of the MSD, I think I'm going to look into a new drive line. I'm making to much power for the one i now have . Again, thank you for everyones help !
 
I use the AEM gauge and have had good luck with it. I also agree that the cheap narrow band unit is just about worthless. Summit has price matched e-bay items for me in the past so they should for you. Just give them the e-bay auction number

OOPS! I see you already got it. Good deal
 
fishy68 said:
I use the AEM gauge and have had good luck with it. I also agree that the cheap narrow band unit is just about worthless. Summit has price matched e-bay items for me in the past so they should for you. Just give them the e-bay auction number

OOPS! I see you already got it. Good deal
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the funniest thing is I asked them to price match eBay and they found it cheaper than I did! Who was I to argue?
 
I have the AEM. With the car tuned so it runs well the O2 sensor reads rich from idle to WOT (12 to 11). I have a MSD ignition and Edelbrock 1411 carb. Anybody else have readings that rich?
 
I have a question? I use 100LL av-gas. BEFORE I ordered it I checked and it said that it was compatible with unleaded, leaded, diesel ect. THEN I purchased and was reading the instructions on line and it goes on to say leaded fuel will significally reduce sensor life ? :banghead: Anyone experience that?
 
CUDA69 said:
I have the AEM. With the car tuned so it runs well the O2 sensor reads rich from idle to WOT (12 to 11). I have a MSD ignition and Edelbrock 1411 carb. Anybody else have readings that rich?
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Yep, have you removed the sensor and recalibrated it since it was run?
Also be aware that just because 14.7 to 1 is the supposedly the perfect A/F ratio doesn't mean the engine is going to like it that lean.
For example, if I adust to run at around 14.7 average at idle it runs rough and misses a little. (almost like a rough cam idle)

I also drive to lower elevations frequently, so I leave it where it runs nice here and doesn't go lean at lower elevations.
For every 2000 feet lower it seems to go about a full point leaner.
At 5500 feet where I live it runs average 13 to 1 and at 2000 feet about 14 to 1.
Any leaner and it acts lean.
The way it is now the plugs look good.


j par said:
I have a question? I use 100LL av-gas. BEFORE I ordered it I checked and it said that it was compatible with unleaded, leaded, diesel ect. THEN I purchased and was reading the instructions on line and it goes on to say leaded fuel will significally reduce sensor life ? :banghead: Anyone experience that?
Click to expand...

I saw that when I bought mine, and apparently the lead clogs the sensor up so it needs to be replaced more often.
Maybe tune with yours and then remove it for normal running?
 
Yes that is true, you'll have to take it out and clean it once in a while, the lead can clog the ports and cause a wrong reading, had to do this on my srt4 when I ran 110 leaded, would just pull it and carb clean it, don't need to replace you can but carb clean works good as well.
 
Matts440 said:
Yes that is true, you'll have to take it out and clean it once in a while, the lead can clog the ports and cause a wrong reading, had to do this on my srt4 when I ran 110 leaded, would just pull it and carb clean it
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That detail is good to know (that they can be cleaned)
The impression I got was that cleaning would probably ruin the sensor, so it's nice to find that it probably won't.
We'll call it that it could ruin the sensor, but probably won't. :D
 
Yea I never had mine go bad from cleaning it, I did replace it before but after talking with others running lead that it can be cleaned. Not to sure about the av gas heard that's harsher on stuff, could be wrong.
 
I kind of like the idea of taking it out after I've got everything tuned for the track. actually I don't like the thought of having to take it out but it sounds like a good idea.
 
j par said:
I kind of like the idea of taking it out after I've got everything tuned for the track. actually I don't like the thought of having to take it out but it sounds like a good idea.
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You can just pull the sensor out and put the plug in the bung.
The guage will just show an error code, but everything else can be left hooked up and not harm anything.
 
Matts440 said:
Yea I never had mine go bad from cleaning it, I did replace it before but after talking with others running lead that it can be cleaned. Not to sure about the av gas heard that's harsher on stuff, could be wrong.
Click to expand...

will I like get a couple 100 miles out of it before it starts acting up? what kind intervals between cleaning? (With lead)
thank you . . .
 
I got the o2 sensor today #3844 MTX-L AFR GAUGE KIT
I'll try and report on the install , and Proformance or lack of ?
 
You should be okay at the 100 miles, just keep an eye on the gauge when it starts reading differently after a while and you know it's not reading what it used to, then pull them and clean. Your gonna run race gas all the time or just most of the time with occasional pump gas?

I had to drive my neon for a while till most of the lead gas was out of the system before I put the catalitic converter back on.
 
CUDA69 said:
I have the AEM. With the car tuned so it runs well the O2 sensor reads rich from idle to WOT (12 to 11). I have a MSD ignition and Edelbrock 1411 carb. Anybody else have readings that rich?
Click to expand...

Several things affect what you'll need to run it at but the biggest thing I've noticed is if you have a big lumpy cam you'll have to run it pretty rich to get it to idle decent. I have a fairly mild cam in mine and run the idle as lean as I can to try and get some fuel mileage out of it. Around 13.8~14 to 1 in drive is where I run it. At WOT it runs best right about 12.5 to 1
 
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