[Shotimes] What are your favorite 3 add-on gauges?

[Mark Nunnally]

> Now, I've actually thought that the car was running rich which is the
> opposite of previous paragraph, but is consistent with your message.  Keep
> in mind I'm running a 3.2L upgrade with 3.0L intake cams.

The stock fuel tables command around 11:1 A/F at high rpm/load.  It's pretty
rich, from what I've heard from a Ford tuning guru these are set like this
from the factory for EPA crap, and to make the cats last past the warranty
period.  Leaner (13:1) is about what you'd shoot for an n/a motor for
optimal power.

I have the same set-up as you in my 89 (3.2L ATX longblock with 3.0L cams,
and your typical BOS junk).  216 hp/215 tq on the dyno.  With the stock EEC
program, it runs just as pig rich as a stock 3.0L motor.  I have to go
change the fuel tables to lean it out.

The more you stray/tune away from the stock (in terms of parts and tuning)
the more is involved, but with just basic bolt-ons, pretty much what you
command is what you get on the WB.  My read-out is just an LED numbers
read-out (in real-time).  A dial gauge would probably be easier to glance at
on the fly, but the real way to use this is to patch the WB into a
datalogger, make a gear pull/dyno pull/drag pass...whatever, record it, and
then go back and look at it.

I can't imagine trying to "tune" on the fly with some A/F knob and guage.
Although some guy at the drags this past fri had a viper with a blower on
it, and some 4 huge injectors set up in the intake plumbing (probably 12"
from the manifold!) with some dial gauge to control it the fuel/AF.
Essentially a wet intake nitrous set-up!  Whatever though, it worked ok I
guess.  140 mph in the traps.  was knocking on the 9's.  850 RWHP according
to him.  just hope you don't get an intake backfire

mark