Cool! Just remember it's just a reference number. My truck likes 13.65 AFR at idle and cruise, 12.8 or so at WOT. I do have long tube headers and a cam though. I had that same wideband on my Lightning for a few years, it's a good setup.

 

Papa, I've got a kit sitting in a box that I haven't installed yet. It'll be interesting to see how it works out for you. I helped a friend tune his carburetor using one, and it helped his performance and fuel economy a bit. My carb seems to be dead on as far as performance and mileage goes. I tuned it using my "Nose 2" sensor. My reason for wanting a AFR meter is to make sure I'm not lean in any area. Don't want no Detonation! It'll also be interesting to see the difference between pump gas and the non-ethanol fuel I have delivered to the farm.

 

I have installed the Innovate A/f gauge on my 77’ F150 400, street demon 625, long tube headers, C6, 3.5 9”. I have set-up the tune on winter 87 octane 10% eyhonal (I am curious how summer blend will change the tune). I also run manifold vacuum advance. I don’t know my MPG, I just haven’t checked. But my wallet is happier at the pump.
Idle, 14.3:1
Cruise, 13.8:1
Low vacuum, 12.8:1 (WOT, Pulling, Passing)

 

I have one but find it a pain. It reads overly rich all the time, even after reducing the main jets. Jumps around a lot. Maybe my installation need attention. I'd be very interested in everyone experience and readings.

 

Below is the A/F gauge that I have and what I did to prevent any Issues.
My Innovate MTX-L jumps around quite a bit (i think thats normal) it jumps approximately .5
When I first installed it, my cruise mixture was running 9.5:1 and it was fairly responsive, believe it or not.
possible solutions to issues: I ran the innovate ground out 6" next to the battery ground.
The calibrations, First calibration (new censer)- put the censer in "free air" (ambient Heat and no chemical vapors); second calibration 3 months after the first: Once a year there after second calibration.
02 censer location is 6" down stream of 33" header collector. and at 3 o'clock
I hope this helps.

 

I run an Innovate MTX-L. Had it for a couple years and really like it. Gives you the ability to really fine tune a carb. Especially helpful for transition circuits. Wouldn't go back. Too hard to read plugs with ethanol blend fuel.

 

This is pretty interesting stuff.

Is everyone really that concerned with how "fine tuned" their carb is?

I thought that carbs were meant to be "kinda tuned" and that's what made them so magical (they worked even when not perfect)

All jokes aside, is this for high performance, fuel economy, or both?

 

For me it was a performance thing. Big engine with a lot of cam and carb. When you have to start playing with air bleeds and feed restrictors it really helps. Better fuel economy was a bonus. Typically a safe tune on a carb without knowing your air fuel ratio is a bit on the rich side. As inexpensive as they are now, super worth it. Like said before, it's just another tuning tool. Give it what it likes, but helps to see the changes. My two cents.

 

No not everyone. One thing that kind of persuaded me to buy a wideband during my "research" was how often I read something along the lines of "I really thought I had it tuned and running great and then found out how far out it was when I hooked the wideband up." It's amazing how much fuel is just wasted out the tailpipe with absolutely no improvement in performance. In fact it will run worse, usually. They aren't all that expensive anymore and will soon pay for themselves on a road trip in operating costs alone.

The key to tuning is to understand how carburetors work, but reading plugs is really tough. You can run lean fuel mixtures at a steady level cruise, 15.5 to 16.0 AFR is a common target for carbureted engines for example, but never under power or load. 14.7 is considered the perfect "stoichiometric" air/fuel ratio but it needs to be considerably richer for acceleration or valves and things start burning up. The different circuits in the carb are tuned for best AFR. The idle AFR doesn't matter too much, unless maybe you've a sniffer test to worry about. Set the carb where it idles to your liking.

Too rich an idle AFR though, it will tend to sort of bog down a little and load up the spark plugs. The wideband O2 sensor will show you just how precise the mixture screws are, just a slight turn changes the AFR by a full point, but you'd probably never hear it or smell it. Make sure the ignition components are 110%, a good hot spark. Any misfire of the spark plugs will cause a false lean indication.

 

Bung options:
https://www.oreillyauto.com/search/1...en+sensor+bung

 

Very interested to hear more experiences. And like JD Q, by all means add where you mounted your sensor so we can keep track of what reads what and where.
Be very interested to hear of what differences it might make.

Does the company listed have a very specific place to mount the O2 sensor? Or is there some leeway in that?

Paul

 

Everybody uses the standard Bosch unit pretty much and all the instructions are about the same. Can't be real far back as the temps won't be high enough. Although, there are tailpipe sniffers that don't require welding a bung. Basically bung installed a couple feet past the collector is fine, more or less vertical, because any Condensation pooling on the sensor itself is to be avoided. Keep in mind too that is more convenient to weld a bung in some places, than others. For sensor accuracy there cannot be any exhaust leaks, and the sensor must be energized any time the engine is running or it will be ruined.

 

 

Mine is mounted about 6" downstream from the collector. That's about where they want it if I remember. Supposed to be about 10 or 2 o clock. Mine's about 3. I think a lot of variables will make them read differently. But mine seems accurate as far as AFR and running well. Again, I think it's being able to track changes that is soooo helpful.