Blanke Industries Exhaust Gas Analyzer
Blanke Industries Exhaust Gas Analyzer
CW EVALUATION
The science of sniffing
GET YOUR HANDS ON A BLANKE INdustries Series 2500 exhaust-gas analyzer and you’ll be sniffing more tailpipes than your dog.
This rechargeable handheld determines the carbon-monoxide content of your vehicle’s exhaust gas to accurately measure its air/fuel mixture. The top-of-the-line 2500 features the company’s fastest sensor, a rechargeable internal battery, backlit digital readout, three-position memory, printer and carrying case. We tried it on everything with wheels, from sportbikes to cruisers, vintage bikes to cars, even lawnmowers.
The benefits of owning such a device are twofold: time saved-you know immediately whether your engine is running lean or rich-and the ability to jet more accurately. The end result, then, is good rideability right at the edge of lean, maximum efficiency with good performance. Coupled with a load-control dynamometer, it is a powerful tuning tool.
DETAILS
Blanke Industries, Inc. P.O. Box 1178 Barrington, IL 60010 847/487-2780 www.blankeindustries.com Price $2300
`Ups A Portable A Saves tuning time A Sniffs toxic fumes so you don't have to A Runs 12 hours on a single charge owns v Major moolah V Obsession with tailpipes v Friends and neighbors constantly pestering you to sniff their pipes ` Recording numbers on the fly sketchy in traffic
Of course, most folks don’t have access to a dyno, which is where the unit’s portability comes into play. The 2500 can be strapped to a rider’s leg or onto a tankbag for on-the-fly measurements. That way, the bike can be ridden at the specific rpm/load where the jetting shortcoming occurs. Recording the CO level during the misfire is as simple as holding the throttle steady and pushing a button.
You do, however, have to wait for the internal pump to draw the sample from the tailpipe to the sensor, which takes several seconds, and you can’t hit Record until that reading has stabilized. A spring clip holds the stainlesssteel probe securely in the tailpipe, and it’s best to temporarily attach the rubber hose (which can be cut to a length most suitable for your needs) and water separator to the bike with cable ties or duct tape.
Everything in place, road-load, idle and no-load mid-rpm readings deliver an accurate picture of air/fuel delivery across the rev range. Thanks to the memory function, these readings can be printed out for later reference, or just to amaze your friends.
There are a few downsides to the unit. One is an apparent sensitivity to electronic interference from ignitions on some older motorcycles, scrambling the digital display. Also, if your bike is equipped with a catalyst, it is necessary to drill and tap the exhaust header upstream to get an accurate reading, as part of the catalyst’s job is to destroy the very gas you’re trying to measure. By tapping each header pipe on a carbureted, multi-cylinder machine, each mixer can be individually tuned for optimum performance, maximizing efficiency and smoothness.
In the end, experienced tuners will find that the unit tells them much of what they may already know-that the mixture is close to what it should be having been set by ear. Then, there’s the cost: The 2500 is aimed toward professional use, where time really is money. One of the lower-priced units with fewer features would be a better choice for home mechanics. The cheapest model, the Series 1000, costs $800, but sensor speed is really too slow for motorcycle use. A better option is the next step up, the Series 1500, which has the faster sensor, but no memory positions or printer. It also doesn’t have an internal power source, relying instead on a pair of alligatorclip wires to get power from a 12-volt source, such as the motorcycle’s battery. At $1200, it’s still expensive, but roughly half the cost of the model we tested. Even then, you’ve got to be pretty serious about tuning.
If you are serious, though, this is an excellent way to tune. Use the time saved to pet your dog. □
