Fuel Air Spark Technology XFI System - Fine Tuning

When it comes to drivability and overall full-range performance, there's nothing that beats electronic fuel injection. These days with the advanced technology available from the aftermarket, in this case Fuel Air Spark Technology (FAST), dialing everything in is a breeze-especially with a bit of time on a dyno.

We were on hand while the wizards at Westech Performance Group made quick work out of exorcizing a couple of gremlins from our pal Ian Ziering's cool Camaro. As you'll remember, Ian's 383 was initially set up on an engine dyno, which worked out well. But after some road time, the car developed a few hiccups-spits, sputters, and the occasional pop. Right off the bat, we thought that it might be EFI related, and the easiest and quickest way to handle it would be a quick trip to resident experts, Steve and Tom at Westech.

We were right about taking it to Westech, but not about the EFI problem. A couple of burned plug wires were the culprits, but since the car hadn't been tuned for real-life situations, we thought we'd take advantage of Westech's loadable chassis dyno to simulate some real-world driving situations and dial in the programming on the money.

After replacing (and rerouting) the cooked plug wires and replacing the distributor module, possibly damaged by the shorted wires, Tom rolled it onto the dyno and worked his magic. The design of the FAST wiring harness made plugging in the laptop a breeze, and the Windows-based programming made fine-tuning just as easy. The one thing I learned that afternoon was just how much more precise tuning can be with the help of a dyno. Sure, the FAST hardware and software are user-friendly, but the opportunity to use the specific data that a dyno provides takes tuning to the next level. Even if you think you've got your EFI tuned to where you like it, the small investment for a bit of dyno time will be paid back in spades, and will ensure you a more responsive and enjoyable driving time. Believe me.