Detuning a car to make P/W ratio
Discussion
Hi guys, our championship has just announced they're changing the rules for the coming season by switching from minimum weight and maximum engine size to power to weight.
They're setting the power to weight at 6.2kg per bhp and the car has to be weighed without driver and with whatever fuel is left over at the end of a race (typically 10 laps).
For me this presents a big problem as I spent last year chasing the limits of the regs only to be told I've got to now lose 36bhp OR add 190kg to my car (it absolutely sucks but if I want to race it is what it is).
Obviously I'd like to balance the car then go about cutting power which realistically mean cutting about 28bhp from the cars power (it makes about 195bhp now at the wheels).
I don't know anything about ecu tuning but I'm going to have to learn by the look of it. I have a completely customisable ecu as it is. Is there a way to cut that kind of power from the car safely without cocking up the engine?
They're setting the power to weight at 6.2kg per bhp and the car has to be weighed without driver and with whatever fuel is left over at the end of a race (typically 10 laps).
For me this presents a big problem as I spent last year chasing the limits of the regs only to be told I've got to now lose 36bhp OR add 190kg to my car (it absolutely sucks but if I want to race it is what it is).
Obviously I'd like to balance the car then go about cutting power which realistically mean cutting about 28bhp from the cars power (it makes about 195bhp now at the wheels).
I don't know anything about ecu tuning but I'm going to have to learn by the look of it. I have a completely customisable ecu as it is. Is there a way to cut that kind of power from the car safely without cocking up the engine?
VYT said:
can you just lower the rev limit?
I can but because of vtec the power curve has a huge step in it meaning id go from no power to the limit of permitted power in a short amount of time. Ideally I'd like vtec to come in earlier and to do something at the top end to flatten out the power curve keeping me at or near the limit.
Having spent yesterday chasing the people setting the rules I have pleaded with them to review the new rules, which they seem to be doing.
I honestly believe they didn't look at the situation and the implications, hence the reason they've said they will look at the situation.
As things are the draft rules that were issued have been revised so that the weight used to calculate the Power to Weight shall be the Driver, any remaining fuel load at the end of a race and the car itself...previously they expected the weight to be taken as the car only.
They seem to have also been under the impression that out of a requested (by the other drivers) power to weight ratio of 6.0kg per bhp to 6.2kg per bhp the 6.2 would have been the faster of the 2 options so I've corrected them and they seem to have listened as the chief technical advisor has said he will revise the draft rules to 6.0 but cant promise that anyone above him won't revert it back to 6.2 again.
IF they go ahead with the 6.0 I think scrubbing 11 bhp wont be an issue...fingers crossed and thankyou for the advise. I shall update everyone what course of action I took in case it proves to be useful to someone else later.
I honestly believe they didn't look at the situation and the implications, hence the reason they've said they will look at the situation.
As things are the draft rules that were issued have been revised so that the weight used to calculate the Power to Weight shall be the Driver, any remaining fuel load at the end of a race and the car itself...previously they expected the weight to be taken as the car only.
They seem to have also been under the impression that out of a requested (by the other drivers) power to weight ratio of 6.0kg per bhp to 6.2kg per bhp the 6.2 would have been the faster of the 2 options so I've corrected them and they seem to have listened as the chief technical advisor has said he will revise the draft rules to 6.0 but cant promise that anyone above him won't revert it back to 6.2 again.
IF they go ahead with the 6.0 I think scrubbing 11 bhp wont be an issue...fingers crossed and thankyou for the advise. I shall update everyone what course of action I took in case it proves to be useful to someone else later.
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