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If you're satisfied with what you've got and what you've attained, then you can stop reading here.
If you want to optimize your set-up and get the best power for all the money that you spent, keep reading...
Sure, the car runs, and it doesn't blow up...
Good enough?
For most of us, it's not...especially when you have the capability to adjust parameters on engine control (i.e. fuel delivery and ignition spark timing).
You have full control over those things, but yet you don't want to optimize it?
That just doesn't make any sense - you might as well get a reprogrammed stock ECU set for your needs and call it a night.
Widebands are easy to use for your average Joe Schmoe cause it's just a single number.
It's easy to tell someone to shoot for a target AFR #...
Is this optimized?
Not necessarily so...
Widebands needs to be calibrated.
Widebands "wear out" and fail.
Widebands can be contaminated by bad gas or even by some gasoline additives.
Most wideband useful lives are around 100 - 150 hours or use?
That's a pretty short life compared to a K-type thermocouple...
Like TTT said, the car should be run on a dyno...
It allows for a controlled environment to see what kinda of power the engine is making.
At the same time, you need to watch all your gauges to "dial them in" so you know what is OK and what is DANGER.
You need to understand that one engine might make best power at 11.7, but another engine would make best power at 11.2.
Not only does this affect widebands, but it does apply to EGT gauges too.
When widebands start to fail, it gets out of calibration and reacts slower and slower.
Sure, EGT gauges do not react as quickly as widebands, but EGT tells you a lot more and a lot more reliability.
K-type thermocouples last a lot longer.
Once you know what the sweet spot of the EGT that makes the best power on the dyno, then you can adjust ignition timing too.
Leave the EGT gauge in the car, and you have constant monitoring of your engine running - any problems that affect engine performance will show up on the EGT gauge, once you get used to what the EGT gauge should be showing.
If you can tune with an EGT gauge, you don't need a wideband.
The only thing that can affect (i.e. damage) an EGT probe is flying debris - in this case, you've got bigger problems than worry about the EGT probe at this point.
You should also be "reading your spark plugs."
I bet they are pretty black and sooty.
-Ted
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