How To Upgrade Your DynoJet 224xLC Dynamometer

If you already own a Dynojet Dynomometer and you are interested in taking advantage of the latest trends in tuning, upgrading to Dynojet’s new DynoWare RT with WinPep 8 may be what you are looking for.

This upgrade offers multiple expansion ports so upgrading to future capabilities won’t be an issue.            – Will Fong

Almost everyone that owns an electronic device knows that technology changes, sometimes rapidly, in that arena. Thankfully, automotive devices like dynamometers have a longer lifespan than iPods or laptops. Occasionally though, new technology is developed by Dynojet’s engineers that are cutting edge and allow tuners to get the most performance out of vehicles. Such is the case at our Power Automedia garage.

Power Automedia garage’s Dynojet 224xLC dynamometer sees a lot of action during the week. It’s data collection is used regularly in our tech articles. Because we depend on the best tech data available, when the chance to upgrade to the newest technology became available from Dynojet, we jumped all over it.

Designed to bring our readers accurate data in our technical articles, our garage uses Dynojet’s 224xLC in ground dynamometer as our standard torque and horsepower measuring tool. When Dynojet’s DynoWare RT hardware and software upgrade became available, we were all in!

Dynojet Model 224xLC Dynamometer

Dynojet’s Sales and Marketing Manager, Will Fong, explained the basics of their Model 224xLC dynamometer. “It’s the perfect choice for a tuning shop because it offers the ease of an inertia dyno, along with the advanced testing capabilities of an Eddy Current load control dyno,” he proudly stated. “This dyno can be configured for in-ground installation or above ground using a four post lift or Dyno Ramps system.”

In our case, the Power Automedia 224xLC dyno is an in-ground installation which allows us to measure up to 2,000 horsepower, 2,000 lb/ft torque and 200 mph. According to Fong, upgrading the Dynojet 224xLC dyno installed in a ground pit is not any more difficult than an above ground unit, with both being very simple to perform.

Unpacking the Box

The whole upgrade kit and parts come in a medium-sized box. The size of the box is deceivingly small compared to the amount of equipment and new technology that is contained within. The DynoWare RT hardware package opens up a lot of new capabilities, especially with businesses that specialize in tuning.

DynoJet's Sales and Marketing Manager, Will Fong, came out to help us with the upgrade. He even opened the box and inventoried the parts.

Dynojet’s Sales and Marketing Manager, Will Fong, came out to help us with the upgrade. He even opened the box and inventoried the parts.

“This upgrade brings dyno owners high speed Ethernet communication and wireless network capabilities to the system,” confirmed Fong. In addition to the WiFi ability and faster communication to the PC, “The DynoWare RT upgrade offers multiple expansion ports so upgrading to future capabilities won’t be an issue.”

The firmware/software in the system can be updated online which means that the dynamometer will always have the latest and most current system operations available. The dyno’s configuration file is now embedded inside the DynoWare RT module, so now you can simply connect to any PC that has PowerCore installed. DynoWare comes standard with new Dynojet dynamometers and is available as an upgrade for existing Dynojet models.

What Is Inside The Box:

  • DynoWare RT main module (P/N: 66100016)
  • Remote atmosphere assembly (P/N: 66400011)
  • Eddy current brake driver (P/N: 66400012)
  • (2) Eddy current brake driver brackets (P/N: 21200068)
  • Speed disk (P/N: 63200005)
  • Speed pickup (P/N: 68300002)
  • Pickup bracket (P/N: 21600064)
  • Pendant assembly (P/N: 76100007)
  • Network cable (P/N: 42900000)
  • CAN control cable (P/N: 76950568)
  • Pickup/brake cable (P/N: 76950547)
  • IR temp sensor cable (P/N: 76950628)
  • Load cell cable (P/N: 76950629)
  • (2) Primary inductive pickup (P/N: 76950201)
  • Secondary inductive pickup (P/N: 76950203)
  • 125V/10A Power cord (P/N: 318110301)
  • Connector (P/N: 44329902)
  • (2) Socket (P/N: 44359120)
  • (4) 4-40 x 1/4-inch zinc phillips head pan screws (P/N: 1904004)
  • (6) 8-32 x 1/2-inch machine screws (P/N: 8-32 X .5 SCREW)
  • (4) 8-32, lock washer nut (P/N 134490301)
  • (4) 3/8 x 1/2L bumper (P/N: A10Z 2-304A)
  • 5/8-11, UNC, hex nut (P/N: 36721100)
  • 5/8-11 x 1.5-inch hex bolt (P/N: 36821240)
DWRT_IMG2_AUTOMOTIVE

The DynoWare RT’s main module is stuffed full of the latest technology, but what really catches the eye is the growth potential with all the expansion ports in the back of the unit.

DynoWare RT’s Main Module:

The main module is completely reworked with totally new internal hardware and firmware, but the external capabilities are what most people see first.  The ability to add a wireless router to control the dyno through a laptop, desk or tablet computer opens up a lot of versatility. Couple that with the OBII data link and the tuning ability is wide open because the link brings data from the vehicle’s ECM directly into DynoWare RT. When used with CAN-based vehicle ECM’s, you can use the OBDII engine RPM channel as your dyno’s primary RPM signal. This data can be viewed in real-time and saved with the dyno graph.

The main components of the upgrade include the Eddy current brake driver, the pendant assembly, DynoWare RT main module and Speed disk.

The 16 tooth speed disk that allows for high resolution sampling.

The AFR-2 has two wide band O2 sensor inputs so you can sample two air/fuel ratios at the same time for measuring bank-to-bank on V-style engines. The AFR-2 uses the DJ-CAN system, which allows you to daisy-chain multiple AFR-2 modules to read up to eight AFR’s. Individual cylinder measuring is a reality now.

Also inside the upgrade kit is the DynoWare RT 16-tooth drum speed disk. This disk’s high sample rate offers high resolution dyno graphs and more precise control when using load control on Eddy current equipped models.

This upgrade is all about precision with current technology combined with expansion capabilities to keep up with any future break-throughs in technology.

Removing the DynoWare EX Electronics

We were sold on the idea of upgrading to the most current measuring technology, so it was just a matter of performing the upgrade the correct way. Dynojet’s Carl Chastain and Will Fong felt pretty bad for us once we reminded them that we are located in the pleasant climate of Southern California – so they packed their bags and left the blistering heat of Las Vegas to come help us install the DynoWare RT kit.

The first step is unhooking the power supply to the dynamometer.

The first step is unhooking the power supply to the dynamometer.

Upon arrival, our Dynojet friends explained that we needed to start by removing some of the old components and wiring – but it would only take three easy steps to accomplish.

Removing the Eddy current brake cover by removing seven bolts, allows access to the part of the dyno that you need to upgrade.

1. Remove the Eddy Current Brake Pit Cover

Disconnect the power supply. “I cannot stress this enough,” said Chastain, “First thing that you always need to do is disconnect the power supply.” From there, removing the Eddy Current brake pit cover is simply a matter of removing seven machine bolts that secure the panel to the dyno-pit. Once the seven bolts are removed, the panel can be lifted up and out of the way, exposing the Eddy Current brake and load controller.

ThetaControllerBreakout

2. Remove the Theta Controller

The Theta controller is located on the dyno brackets near the Eddy Current brake. There is a power cable going to the Theta controller that must be disconnected. Further down the dyno housing is the breakout board. The signal cable that goes to the breakout board needs to be disconnected. Once this is completed, the Theta controller can be completely removed by taking out the four retaining screws.

The Theta controller is removed by extracting the four screws holding the unit to the dyno's frame.

pickupCardBracket

The breakout board is located on the dyno's frame near the roller.

The breakout board is located on the dyno’s frame near the roller.

3. Remove the Pick Up Card and Breakout Board

The final step requires removing the two screws securing the pickup card bracket, then removing them by disconnecting the pickup card cable. There are two wire leads connecting to the breakout board; these black wires are the air solenoid wires and they need to be disconnected from the board. The two nuts that secure the breakout board cover can be removed for access to the board. The two remaining nuts that secure the breakout board to the bumpers can be removed at which time the breakout board will be completely free from the unit.

Just three quick and easy steps and we were ready to move on to the installation part of this upgrade. While we didn’t just wade in and start ripping out wires, it wasn’t a time consuming, slow-going, wire tracing operation either.

The pickup card and breakout board are removed next.

DynoWare RT Installation

This is where things began to get interesting. There were several more parts to install than what we removed from the assembly. Not just any parts either, the high speed parts – literally. The installation process begins by installing the speed pickup disk and speed pickup card.

SpeedPickupDisk

Speed pickup disk and speed pickup card assembly.

1. Installing the Speed Pickup Disk and Speed Pickup Card

Install the 16-tooth speed pickup disk onto the Eddy current brake shaft and lightly tighten the machine screws that secure the disk to the brake shaft. The new speed pickup card can then be installed on the on the bracket with the two 8-32 screws.

Optical pickup card alignment.

When the assembly is fastened together, the bracket can be installed on the brake with one 5/8 X 1.5-inch bolt and one 5/8-inch nut.

Once the bracket is secured tightly to the brake, adjust the speed pickup disk so that it is centered in the optical window of the speed pickup card and tighten the speed pickup disk screws.

Finally, attach the black, three-pin connector from the DynoWare RT speed pickup cable to the speed pickup card.

The speed pickup disk and pickup card installed.

2. Installing the Eddy Current Brake Driver

The Eddy current brake driver is installed where the Theta controller was previously. Start by installing the mounting brackets on the Eddy current brake driver using two 4-40 x 1/4-inch screws on each side. Then install the four bumpers to the mounting brackets using the four supplied 8-32 x 3/8-inch screws.

The entire Eddy current brake driver assembly can then be installed on the dyno using four 8-32 nuts.

The Eddy current brake driver mounts where the Theta controller was removed on the frame.

3. Cable Routing

The two brake solenoid leads that were removed from the breakout board are the first item to tackle in the cable routing step. These two black wires need to have the ferrules clipped off of the leads and 1/4-inch of lead should be stripped so that the included sockets can be crimped onto the leads. These leads are then installed into the plastic connector housing and then connected to the pickup/brake cable. The other end of the cable is connected to the speed pickup card on the Eddy current brake.

The speed pickup/brake cable, CAN pendant cable and the CAN control cable from the Eddy current brake driver can all be connected to the DynoWare RT module after routing the cables from the dyno to the module. The IR temperature sensor cable is then connected to the terminal block on the cable adapter to the Eddy current brake driver.

The cable routing is fairly simple if you go step-by-step with the instructions.

The cable that was unplugged from the Theta controller is plugged into the Eddy current brake driver and the power cable to the DynoWare module can be connected. Finally, the power cable for the dyno can be plugged into the power source.

If you are connecting to a computer network, connect the network cables to the DynoWare RT module as the final cable connection prior to powering up the system.

4. Testing

Testing the installation is simply a matter of turning on the DynoWare RT module by pressing the on/off switch on the back of the module, then using the pendant to release the dynamometer’s drum brake. Physically spin the drum and watch for the LED light on the speed pickup card to flash then apply the brake. When the drum stops, the test is complete.

5. Replacing covers

The Eddy current brake driver end panel can be replaced in it’s original position using the seven machine screws that were taken out to remove the panel. The upgrade installation is complete but Dynojet recommends performing a routine load cell calibration on the equipment prior to running the dynamometer for torque measuring.

The only cover removed was the Eddy current brake cover, so the installation finale is a snap. Install and tighten the seven screws and the installation is complete.

Ready to Roll

The upgrade to the DynoWare RT system includes the WinPep 8 software which will need to be loaded onto a computer that is connected to the Dynojet chassis dynamometer. Insert the Dynojet PowerCore CD into the computer’s CD-ROM drive. The program will start automatically. The user is prompted to follow some simple on screen instructions to finish the installation of WinPep 8.
“The old WinPep 7 has been around for a while. It has worked well, and still works well but it is dated,” explained Fong. “WinPep 8 connects the PowerCore to the DynoWare RT to show data live on gauges. There the operator can set up load control and other functions.”

The DynoWare RT system cleans up the area where the old stack of controller used to be. Now the computer area is nice and tidy with all the connections going through the DynoWare RT module.

WinPep 8 Features:

  • Selectable rpm source used for logging/load control (Inductive, Optical, OBDII , DJ-CAN, or 3rd party rpm source)
  • Selectable air/fuel data source (DynoWare RT AFR-2 or DJ-CAN devices)
  • Channel support for popular non-Dynojet tuning platforms and OBDII Data-Link Interface
  • Editable gauge screen with user defined data channel selection, scaling and more
  • Wireless and network capability for use with laptop, desktop and tablet PC’s
  • Load up to 12 dyno runs or data logs, each containing up to 40 channels
  • Synchronize data channels
  • Fully custom options for viewing and printing
  • Backwards compatible to previous WinPep runs

On Our Way!

Overall the upgrade to DynoWare RT with the newest PowerCore software suite from Dynojet is an easy upgrade that allows business to business options that were not previously available. Capabilities like adding company logos to the dyno run printouts and sending dyno charts to anyplace on the internet via a wireless WiFi connection have simplified business operations between companies in the tuning field.

As Fong indicated earlier, the previous hardware and software from Dynojet for the 224xLC dynamometers still works very well, and will continue to work well, but the upgrade to DynoWare RT and the new PowerCore software suite features options that simplify how the dyno operator gets the data, how the operator works with the data and what the operator does with the data once it is collected and used.

With the new software suite, the dyno operator is able to control more functions, display the dyno graph in different views, including a 3D view, and even send electronic versions of the dyno graph to an email address, post on Facebook or send a tweet on Twitter.

We are looking forward to using our upgraded Dynojet 224xLC with DynoWare RT upgrade to bring our readers the best in aftermarket auto technology. Watch our future tech articles for dyno charts and tuning differences brought on by this upgrade. Let us know what you think by leaving comments at the end of the articles.

For more information on Dynojet Research or their line of products, visit them at www.Dynojet.com.

About the author

Bobby Kimbrough

Bobby grew up in the heart of Illinois, becoming an avid dirt track race fan which has developed into a life long passion. Taking a break from the Midwest dirt tracks to fight evil doers in the world, he completed a full 21 year career in the Marine Corps.
Read My Articles

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