Wide band O2 use
 

I'd like to get my a/f ratio looked at cause I just did some pretty major surgery to my car. My understanding is that a wideband O2 will tell me an exact a/f ratio. Can I get an approximate a/f ratio from one of those cheap gauges that hook up to my O2 sensor? I just want to watch my a/f for lean conditions, and those wide-bands are a bit over-priced.

I wouldnt put a price on making sure your a/f is in the right place.

Only way to be safe is with a wideband, the cheap ones wont give you an accurate reading. Plus I wouldn't check it myself if I was asking this question in the first place. Seek a professional!

All the cheap ones do is give you a fancy light show, they do not tell you any information that you can use.

I would buy a good wideband (Dynojet WBC, LM1, etc) or go get a dyno from a shop that can monitor your AFR through the tail pipe probe.

the narrowband sensors can't tell you anything useful. At full rich reading they're actually just telling you it's richer than 14.7:1. Wideband or nothing at all... I have the Innovate Motorsports LC-1 hooked to my Autometer A/F guage. Works great.

OK, but if I'm aiming for 12-14:1 then I'd need to be a little under 14.7:1, right?
While i'm idling or at part throttle the O2's will be switching, so they will be useless there. But when I punch it the reading will stabilize and I can correct as needed. Sounds reasonable to you?

The widebands are the only way to go. The cheap ones are just for show. I wouldnt trust the cheap ones for nothing. A wideband are the only ones to trust

no... pay attention:

narrowband cannot tell you HOW MUCH below or above 14.7:1 you are.. just that you are to one side or the other. Narrowband FTL, Wideband FTW.

If you don't do wideband you're making pretty and meaningless lights appear.

I'm a cheap bastard and I'd let you cheap out if you could but you can't so please don't. Buy an LC-1 or LM-1 and when you get it, if you need help hooking it up, lemme know and I'll send you some helpful notes.

How do the widebands hook up, say in a permenant set up?
Do you remove your stock O2 sensors and plug in the WB unit?
Or do you drill holes in the pipes?
TIA.

[QUOTE=r3dn3ck;277303]no... pay attention:

narrowband cannot tell you HOW MUCH below or above 14.7:1 you are.. just that you are to one side or the other. Narrowband FTL, Wideband FTW.

QUOTE]

OK, this is what I needed to know. So many posts about being "a pretty light show" didn't really get at this.