Listed below are some questions (and their answers) that should be considered before a user decided to building their own dyno system or components. If you would like a more personalized discussion, feel free to give us a call. A technician will be glad to go over any of your questions.

      "You can also e-mail your questions!"

SHOULD I BUY A TURN-KEY SYSTEM, OR BUILD EVERYTHING MYSELF?

Even for companies that can afford it, buying a complete "turn-key" dynamometer facility, including a building with an OSHA approved sound-proof test cell and dyno control room is never truly a turn-key purchase. The eventual owner (and/or the owner's consultants) will invest plenty of their own time and sweat into making decisions and attending to miscellaneous details along the way.

At the other extreme, few are really looking to build "everything" themselves. Anyone that can machine every component, weld every frame rail, engineer and code each circuit board, and then write their own software package, should be worth too much an-hour to make such an exercise cost effective.

For most dynamometer buyers a better question is "which components for this dyno project should I self-construct and which should I simply buy commercially." The answer then depends on the buyer's areas of engineering and fabrication expertise, time constraints, finances, and investment strategy.

If the application requires a non-standard engine stand or absorber frame, and if the buyer's company is already involved in steel fabrication, it makes sense to consider building your own frame. On the other hand, trying to save money building a backyard copy of an off-the shelf engine stand is not the place to learn to weld.

The point is, look for the most non-standard parts of your system's construction requirements and think about tackling those yourself. Plumbing, wiring, and ventilation often require custom hookups to your building and are a natural to handle locally. Larger companies may have in-house personnel that can handle these tasks, or if you are a small or one man shop you may be able to handle it yourself or via some of your customers that are in the appropriate trades.

WHAT ARE THE MAJOR PROS OF A HOMEMADE DYNO?

Ego satisfaction. There is a genuine source of pride in being able to tell someone that you built a sophisticated piece of test equipment.

Saving money. If you have the skills, but no one else is willing to pay you to use them, you can put your time to use building some of your dynamometer's components.

You can customize the components to your exact specifications. Sometimes you can design a simpler (less expensive) component when it only has to suit your exact requirements. (e.g. You do not need adjustable mounts on your home-built engine stand if you only test a single engine model.)

Repairing damaged components should be easy if you built them yourself. (See the flip-side "con" to this below.)

WHAT ARE THE MAJOR CONS OF A HOMEMADE DYNO?

Lack of resale value! This is a major reason for avoiding the temptation to self-construct major sub-components. Buyers are never willing to pay a fair price for your creation. The less recognizable your system is (as a commercial brand) the less it is worth. Typically a home-built engine or chassis dyno with obvious owner-built components (e.g. frame, roll and/or couplings, control console, or hobby-level software) brings less than ten cents on the dollar! How great it works or how well it is constructed make little difference.

Lack of customer confidence in your "homemade" dyno's numbers. A dynamometer is considered a laboratory tool. Who wants to trust someone's homemade micrometer or CAT Scan machine?

Costs more money (oddly enough)! If you have the skills to build a dyno, your time is probably worth more than you will save by cutting and welding, etc. Avoid getting sucked into the black-hole of "I can do that in a few hours!" Think off all the half-finished "kit cars" in garages.

You take on the engineering responsibility for making things work. This is fine if dyno building is your hobby. But, if the dyno is a tool in your business, your attention should be focused on the bigger picture.

Repairing damaged components requires you to do the work - even when you do not have the time! There is no counting on Next-Day-Air to bail you out.

SO, WHAT SHOULD YOU DO?

If you are like most dyno buyer/operators, you probably fall in between the above two extremes outlined in the first section above. That means you need some customization to match an of off-the-shelf system or components to your existing test requirements, economic situation, building facilities, construction skills, and available workload time constraints. Often this means you should use a modular approach to acquiring sub-systems - which still allows your to fabricate just those components where your skills or requirements make that a smart move. Then, consider designing and self-constructing most of your test-cell and utility hook-ups, and make sure you have access to good tech support or consultant services.

Be sure to select a serious software package. As we say over and over, the software will soon become your dyno. Just like PCs are recognized more by their software (Windows, Mac, Linux, etc.) than their hardware, your dyno's personality and power is all in its software. If you have to skimp here, consider buying a "lite" version of a more powerful package - so that you can upgrade as your budget and testing needs allow. You do not want to later have to transition from a dead-end hobby-level package to a serious dynamometer software platform!